India’s Tourism Sector Needs to be Globally Competitive to Tap Full Potential: Suman Billa

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
India must move beyond promotion-led tourism strategies and focus on creating globally competitive destinations and meaningful visitor experiences if it is to unlock the sector’s full potential as a major source of jobs and foreign exchange, Suman Billa, Additional Secretary and Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, has said.

Addressing the Global Travel Market (GTM 2026), a three-day travel industry event here on Wednesday, Billa said a decade of rapid economic growth, rising disposable incomes and major infrastructure investments had created ideal conditions for tourism expansion, but India’s performance still remained below its potential.

“India has been the fastest-growing large economy in the world. Rising incomes have translated into higher aspirations, and one of the key aspirations today is travel. People want new experiences, and social media has amplified that desire,” he pointed out.

Highlighting India’s infrastructure transformation, Billa said the number of airports has more than doubled over the past decade to over 150, while the country’s airline fleet is poised for significant expansion. Improved highways and expressways have also made travel more accessible across the country.

Despite these gains, India’s tourism sector is yet to achieve its full potential, he noted. While international tourist arrivals have doubled to around 20 million over the past decade, outbound travel by Indians has grown even faster, making the country a net spender of foreign exchange through tourism.

Describing domestic tourism as one of India’s biggest success stories, Billa said annual domestic trips have surged to nearly four billion, representing one of the most remarkable tourism growth stories anywhere in the world.

“Tourism used to be one of India’s largest earners of foreign exchange. Today, outbound travel is growing rapidly, and this is something we need to reflect upon,” the official said.

Emphasising tourism’s role as a powerful employment generator, he said the sector creates livelihoods across local economies, benefiting everyone from hospitality workers and transport operators to farmers, artisans and small businesses.

Lauding Kerala’s globally recognised responsible tourism model, Billa said the state has set a benchmark for sustainable tourism development. “Nobody can compare with Kerala in the way it has implemented responsible tourism principles,” he added.

Stressing that future growth must remain rooted in sustainability, he cautioned against compromising the core values of responsible tourism in the pursuit of expansion. “We must move beyond simply selling rooms and start creating meaning. Visitors should leave India and Kerala as better people, carrying with them the values, culture and humanity they experienced here,” he stressed.

While acknowledging Kerala’s success, he suggested that the state must now benchmark itself against leading international tourism destinations rather than domestic competitors. Its competitors are not other Indian states, but countries like Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Hence it is imperative for the state to focus on destination competitiveness by improving airport connectivity, transport, cleanliness, sanitation, water availability, traffic management and destination experiences.

He also suggested creation of at least 10 world-class tourism destinations in Kerala over the next five years and called for the development of new signature tourism products that can drive the state’s next phase of growth.

Billa highlighted the importance of tourism marketplaces and industry events in helping smaller tourism businesses connect directly with international buyers and global distribution networks.