Talks Begin; 50 Destinations To Be Named 2025

Officials confirmed at the India Travel and Tourism Sustainability Conclave 2025 that the Centre is drafting guidelines to develop India's top 50 tourist destinations in partnership with the state, with the first list to be executed by year-end. The initiative announced in the Union Budget aims to drive employment-led growth, boost infrastructure, and improve destination management amid concerns over overcrowding and sustainability.

The Centre is working on preparing guidelines for the top 50 tourist destinations in the country proposed in the Union Budget, which are to be developed in partnership with the states. A senior official said on Wednesday that the first set of destinations is expected to be identified by the end of this year. During a panel discussion at a conclave, Suman Billa, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, noted that informal consultants have begun working with states.

In the Union Budget speech on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the country's top 50 tourist destinations will be developed in partnership with states in a challenging mode. She had emphasised tourism as a driver of employment-led growth and unveiled a series of initiatives aimed at bolstering infrastructure, skill development and ease of travel. Billa and senior leaders from various private hotel chains participated in a panel discussion on "The Triple Bottom Line in Hospitality - People, Planet, and Profit" at the day-long India Travel and Tourism Sustainability Conclave 2025. MakeMyTrip Foundation and the World Travel and Tourism Council India Initiative hosted it.

The panellists answered the moderator's host of queries on the economics of sustainability, the future roadmap of hotel groups, and the challenges that lie ahead in the sector. The additional secretary was unsure whether the proposed 50 destinations had been identified and if the ministry had begun consulting with the states.

Informed consultations have started. What we are working on are guidelines. And the first guidelines will be shown to the states. Hopefully, we think the first set of the 50 destinations will be identified this year," he said.

In the budget speech, Sitharaman stated that facilitating employment-led growth involves organising intensive skill development programmes for youth, managing MUDRA loans for homestays, enhancing the ease of travel and connectivity to tourist destinations, introducing streamlined e-visa facilities, and offering performance-linked incentives to states.

The Ministry of Tourism has earmarked a significant increase in its budget allocation for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The focus will be on enhancing tourism infrastructure, promoting domestic and international travel, and ensuring the safety of tourists, particularly women.

The total budget allocation for the ministry for 2025-2026 stands at INR 2541.06 crore, marking a substantial increase from the revised estimate of INR 850.36 crore in 2024-2025. The panellists also discussed overcrowding issues at regular tourist destinations, such as Goa and Manali in Himachal Pradesh, and their associated concerns.

Billa said, "Most of our tourist destinations are overcrowded, and the second problem is who is managing these destinations. Assuming that the concept of sustainability is embedded in the Indian ethos, Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in his keynote address, stated that there is a need to create "success stories" on sustainability in the tourism sector and replicate them nationwide.

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