As India’s tourism sector recalibrates its growth strategy, industry forums are increasingly being positioned as spaces for honest reflection and forward-looking debate rather than routine consensus-building.
Summing up key learnings from the PATA Tourism PowerHouse 2026, Dr Suman Billa, IAS, Additional Secretary and Director General of Tourism, Government of India, underlined the need for smarter data usage, sustainability-first thinking, artificial intelligence adoption, and stronger public–private partnerships to shape the country’s tourism future.
On the relevance of the forum, Billa said, “We meet often as an industry, but mostly hear perspectives from within. What we need are outsider views to truly understand the future.”
Highlighting structural gaps in data-led planning, he noted, “In India, data is still hard to compile and often not robust. We must use data better and look beyond traditional sources.”
On marketing effectiveness, Billa pointed out, “Trade shows are only the interface time. The real impact comes from the preparation before and the follow-up after.”
Reinforcing sustainability as non-negotiable, he said, “There is no other option. We should have started working on sustainability yesterday.”
Emphasising the importance of the meetings and events segment, Billa added, “MICE is critical for India. Competitive city-based MICE promotion bureaus will unlock our true potential.”
Addressing destination imbalance, he observed, “A few Indian destinations are over-marketed and over-saturated, while many others are still waiting to be discovered.”
On technology adoption, Billa stated, “The choice is no longer whether to adopt AI. It is already here.”
Concluding with a call for timely action, he said, “The lesson is not just to see the opportunity, but to act when the opportunity is there.”
Rahul Bhadana is a digital editor at TravTalk with experience spanning multiple content niches, with a strong focus on travel trade journalism and digital publishing. A graduate of Delhi University, his work covers editorial writing, content strategy and platform-led storytelling, supporting TravTalk’s digital growth and industry engagement. A technology enthusiast, he enjoys films, poetry and exploring new ideas across media and culture.
