New Delhi, September 28, 2025:
The Foundation for Aviation and Sustainable Tourism (FAST) organized a seminar on tourism growth with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, at the India International Centre, New Delhi. The seminar brought together senior policymakers, industry leaders, and experts to deliberate on strategies for accelerating India’s tourism growth amid global and domestic challenges.This year the seminar theme was “Current Domestic & Global Challenges and Roadmap for India’s Accelerated Tourism Growth”.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Culture and Minister of Tourism, Government of India extended his support and congratulations for the FAST seminar with his message where he highlighted the transformative potential of tourism in India driven by digital technologies and post-pandemic revival, emphasizing the need for focus and innovation to make the coming decade a
‘golden era of inbound tourism’.
The seminar Guest of Honour was Smt. Mugdha Sinha, IAS, Managing Director, ITDC, who emphasised on the critical role of tourism in contributing to the nation’s GDP growth and building a “$30 trillion economy” by 2047. She stressed that tourism’s true success must be measured not just in economic growth but also in its power to empower communities and reflect India’s cultural depth and heritage.
Keynote speakers included Lt. General K.M. Seth, AVSM, PVSM (Retd.), former Governor of Tripura and Chhattisgarh, who called for a robust tourism industry with a model of collaboration to develop innovative tourism products and implement sustainable practices based on global standards.
Other notable speakers included Vinod Zutshi, IAS (Retd.), former Secretary, Ministry of Tourism; Atul Bhalla, Vice President Operations (North and East), ITC Hotels; Arvind Singh, IAS (Retd.), former Secretary, Ministry of Tourism; and M.P. Bezbaruah, IAS (Retd.), former Secretary, Ministry of Tourism. V M Agarwal , Former Chairman , AAI and Vice President FAST presented vote of thanks .
The seminar highlighted the need for:
• Inclusivity and integration of culture and nature in tourism development
• Responsible tourism practices that empower communities and reflect India’s cultural heritage
• Infrastructure reforms, skill development, and ease of doing business to strengthen India’s hospitality ecosystem
• Public-private partnerships and targeted policies to promote niche areas such as eco-tourism, wellness, and heritage tourism
• Innovative policy frameworks, technology-driven solutions, and a strengthened government- industry interface to fully harness India’s tourism potential
• The deliberations concluded with consensus on the urgent need for collective action to drive India’s tourism growth. FAST will develop a post-event report and submit it to the concerned departments.
As Raman Sidhu, Life Trustee FAST and Chairman, EBG, noted, “Action is the need of the hour. FAST has strategically hosted this seminar on the eve of World Tourism Day to harness the deliberations and draw an effective action plan for the respective departments.
