Incentivise green efforts

Suman Billa, Additional Secretary & Director General, Tourism, says India’s tourism sector is poised for growth with a renewed focus on infrastructure development and sustainable measures.

Janice Alyosius

Suman Billa, Additional Secretary & Director General, Tourism, said that India’s tourism demand is rapidly outpacing its supply. “India’s economic rise over the last decade has increased disposable incomes and aspirations among its youth, but destination development has not kept pace,” he said. He added, “For 50 to 60 years, the quality of destinations has not changed. They are declining in terms of visitor experience,” he said.

Billa has been appointed as the new Director General of Tourism, taking over from Mugdha Sinha, who has now assumed charge as Managing Director of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). Billa was speaking at the India Travel & Tourism Sustainability Conclave 2025, organised by the MakeMyTrip Foundation and the World Travel & Tourism Council’s India Initiative.

He said, “At the destination, who is putting on the thinking cap to say how do we manage this destination in a way that the tourist experience is great and it’s also great for the host community?” he asked.

Give incentives to sustainable efforts
Stressing the importance of a policy framework driven by positive incentives rather than prohibitive regulations, Billa announced a new challenge-based reward system, “We need to run a challenge. We need to ask the states to nominate a couple of destinations. Then we will set these benchmarks across sustainability, cleanliness, hygiene, safety and security. Each time they cross a level, there is a reward which is there,” he explained.

The initiative is designed to ensure sustained improvements rather than short-term cosmetic clean-ups. Additionally, the government has pledged to develop 15 new destinations with support from state governments and private stakeholders to help decongest oversaturated tourist hotspots. “If you are not going to make India compelling to domestic travel, you are just going somewhere else,” he warned.

Uplifting destinations
Billa revealed that the Centre is actively working on a comprehensive plan to develop India’s top 50 tourist destinations in close collaboration with state governments. “The Centre is working on the guidelines in pursuance of the top 50 tourist destinations in the country that are proposed to be developed in partnership with the states. The first set of it is expected to be identified by end of this year,” he said.

Recognising the constraints within the hospitality sector, Billa spoke about the urgent need to expand tourism infrastructure, particularly in view of the rising hotel prices and the surge in air connectivity. “We know that there are going to be a thousand new aircraft joining the Indian fleet. This means people are going to come in, but we also need to build capacity to absorb the demand,” he said.

Other key initiatives
Billa also shed light on several new initiatives aimed at fortifying the sector:

Digitalisation of destination management systems: Plans are underway to introduce real-time data systems that track tourist footfall, monitor ecological carrying capacity and gather visitor feedback, enabling smarter destination management.

Skill development in tier II and III cities: Targeted programmes will upskill the hospitality workforce, especially in emerging hubs, with a focus on service excellence, languages and sustainable practices.

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): The ministry will deepen its collaboration with private stakeholders to enhance infrastructure ranging from homestays to last-mile transport in rural and remote areas.

Thematic tourism circuits: New circuits around wellness, adventure, spiritual and rural tourism are being developed to spread tourism benefits across the country and attract niche traveller segments.

Brand India 2.0: A refreshed marketing campaign is in the works, designed to position India as a year-round, inclusive and sustainable destination. This digital-first campaign will showcase India’s cultural depth and modern appeal to global audiences.