"MoT is working actively to increase the numbers in business and leisure sector"

The eighth edition of the prestigious BW Hotelier Indian Hospitality Summit & Awards (IHA 2024) hosted the Keynote session by Suman Billa, IAS, Additional Secretary, The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India on the topic of the Ministry of Tourism’s Vision for Indian Hospitality. The Keynote session discussed the vision of the ministry for the growth of the travel and tourism sector in India.

Billa stated, “The problem statement for India is that our tourism sector isn’t matching our potential. The tourism sector in India contributes about 5.4 per cent to the GDP in India, however for a nation like India it should be around 10 per cent. One out of every ten jobs in the world is created by the tourism sector, it is vital for us to create job opportunities through the sector.”

He further added, “India has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world and there is no indication that it would be otherwise in the future. We have 17 million international visitors in India with around 9.2 million contributing towards foreign tourist arrivals (FTA). Our domestic tourists stand at about 2.5 billion, the task for us is to convert our contribution to the GDP and take it to 10 per cent in the near future.”

He further emphasised the importance of focussing on the business and leisure segment in the hospitality sector. He stated, “If we implement strategies well, the number of 5.2 million business and leisure visitors will rise to about 11.9 million.” He shed light on the importance of strategies in boosting the hospitality and tourism sector in India and assured that the Ministry of Tourism is actively working to improve and implement strategies for the tourism industry in India. 

The two-day BW Hotelier Indian Hospitality Summit & Awards (IHA 2024) encompassed over 20 sessions where hospitality veterans and experts across the nation gathered in order to provide diverse knowledge and insights. The Summit & Awards is a testament to BW Hotelier’s commitment towards revolutionising Indian hospitality by honouring the Crème de la crème of the industry.