'India on track to be a top-10 tourist spot': Union tourism and culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

NEW DELHI: India will be among the top 10 global destinations for tourism in the next five years and the contribution of the sector to India's economy will increase from 7.9% to over 10% in the near future, Union tourism and culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Saturday.

The tourism industry is looking for investments from private players for a greater push as part of the public private partnership (PPP) model, he said at the Forum.

The minister also made a special mention of Buddhist tourism, domestic tourism and public-private partnership models. "PPP models are being promoted to create new destinations and resources for tourism," he said.

India offers all that global tourists look for and post the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a quantum jump of 48% in search for Indian destinations on the internet. "People want to see India and know India. I see domestic and international tourism skyrocketing in the coming years where domestic tourism will be the key... Among India's total inbound tourists, 65% come to only seven Indian states."

The minister said all states are interested in boosting their tourism sector and contributing to the country's economy and added that in the last decade, India has grown rapidly, especially with exponential growth in infrastructure.

He said that for centuries, India has attracted travellers from across the globe and with renewed efforts to showcase attractive tourist destinations, India will cross the global average. "Our culture will help us emerge as the most respectable nation of the world," he added.


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