As per a media report, the inauguration of India’s first sunken museum at Delhi’s Humayun’s Tomb complex - Moidams, the launch of a global campaign ‘Chalo India’ to make diaspora members ambassadors of Incredible India, and an international tourism mart in Kaziranga, Assam, were among the major highlights of the tourism sector in 2024.
With the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj approaching next year, the tourism ministry is gearing up to showcase and celebrate the country’s rich cultural diversity, aiming to attract both domestic and international visitors. Held every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh is scheduled to take place from 13 January to 26 February, 2025 drawing millions of pilgrims to the holy city for this grand religious gathering.
The year 2024 witnessed significant changes in the top leadership of the tourism ministry, with senior BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat assuming the role of Union Tourism Minister following the Lok Sabha elections. He succeeded G Kishan Reddy, who was assigned the coal portfolio.
Upon taking office, Shekhawat emphasised his ministry’s commitment to contributing to the vision of a Viksit Bharat.
‘Chalo India’ takes off
A major initiative of the year was the launch of ‘Chalo India’, a global campaign aimed at making members of the Indian diaspora ambassadors of Incredible India. Rooted in the spirit of ‘jan bhagidari’ (people’s participation), the campaign encourages diaspora members to invite five non-Indian friends to visit India annually.
During his address on World Tourism Day, 27 September, 2024, Shekhawat announced that under the ‘Chalo India’ campaign, one lakh foreign tourists would soon be exempted from paying visa fees.
He also revealed plans to release a ‘dedicated master list’ of tourist sites to ensure their holistic development, aiming to showcase the incredible and lesser-known destinations of ‘Incredible India’ on a global stage.
Additionally, Shekhawat introduced a new initiative, ‘Paryatan Mitra’ and ‘Paryatan Didi’, spanning 50 tourism destinations across the country. These sites include Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bodhgaya in Bihar, Ahmedabad and Kevadia in Gujarat, Srinagar, Ranchi, and Delhi.
The initiative aims to enhance the tourist experience by introducing tourist-friendly individuals who serve as proud ambassadors and storytellers of their destinations.
In September, Shekhawat travelled to Brazil to participate in the G20 Tourism Ministerial Conference, hosted by Brazil as the chair of the influential group. On the sidelines, he held bilateral discussions with his counterparts from Brazil, Spain, and Saudi Arabia to strengthen cooperation in tourism and foster people-to-people connections.
Moidams & Kaziranga International Tourism Mart (ITM)
Among the many events on the ministry's 2024 calendar, a standout was the 12th edition of the International Tourism Mart (ITM), held in Kaziranga from 26 to 29 November, 2024.
Kaziranga National Park (KNP), renowned for housing the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses and preserving its pristine natural beauty for over half a century, took centre stage at this year’s ITM.
Spread across Assam’s Golaghat, Nagaon, and Sonitpur districts, KNP was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
Describing 2024 as a golden period for tourism, Mugdha Sinha, Director General, Tourism, highlighted key milestones - the inclusion of Moidams, the mound-burial system of Assam’s Ahom dynasty in Charaideo district in the UNESCO World Heritage List and KNP celebrating 50 years as a national park, just months before the ITM.
In a significant development in November this year, ministry officials announced that the Centre had approved 40 projects worth over Rs 3,295 crore across 23 states. These projects aim to transform lesser-known destinations into iconic sites and promote a more balanced flow of tourists throughout the country.
Some of the selected destinations include Rang Ghar in Assam’s Sivasagar, Matsyagandha Lake in Bihar’s Saharsa, the proposed Town Square in Goa’s Porvorim, and Orchha in Madhya Pradesh, among others.
In July, the inauguration of India’s first sunken museum at the Humayun’s Tomb complex—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—brought the story of the Mughal emperor and lesser-known aspects of his life to life, enhancing the architectural and historical significance of the 16th-century mausoleum.
Shekhawat had inaugurated the new museum with Prince Rahim Aga Khan in attendance.
Focusing on our culture
"Our cultural heritage is one of our greatest assets," Shekhawat had said in his address at the inauguration ceremony.
In December, the Ministry of Tourism released data on foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) and foreign exchange earnings from tourism in 2023. According to the data, FTAs in India reached 95 lakh in 2023, up from 77 lakh in 2014, marking a growth of 23.96 per cent.
For the January-June period of 2024, FTAs stood at nearly 4.78 million, with Bangladesh and the US being the top two source countries. Official data released by the Tourism Ministry on World Tourism Day showed that inbound tourism to India had surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
The year also witnessed the launch of the first Cambodia-India Tourism Year at a ceremony in Delhi in June, attended by senior officials from the tourism ministries of both countries. The event also marked the inauguration of the inaugural flight service between Phnom Penh and New Delhi, which began a day earlier.
