THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, JUNE 30, 2026

"Tourism has the potential to become a transformative force in India's growth journey, and creating an enabling ecosystem for investments, world-class infrastructure and ease of doing business is essential to unlock its full potential," said Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat while launching the report “Unlocking Growth in Tourism and Hospitality Sector” at a National Workshop jointly organised by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Tourism at Hotel Ashok, New Delhi.

The report presents a comprehensive roadmap to simplify regulations, improve the ease of doing business, attract investments and foster sustainable growth in India's tourism and hospitality sector. The event was attended by Rajiv Gauba, Member, NITI Aayog; Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism; senior officials from NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Tourism, along with representatives from State Governments, industry associations, hospitality enterprises, online travel platforms, academic institutions, knowledge partners and Central Ministries.

Emphasising tourism's pivotal role in driving India's economic transformation, Shekhawat called for coordinated efforts to expand tourism infrastructure, enhance accommodation capacity and create a business-friendly environment that encourages investment and innovation across the sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajiv Gauba highlighted the immense untapped potential of India's tourism and hospitality industry, noting its significant contribution to employment generation, entrepreneurship and regional development. He observed that tourism investments are highly sensitive to time, cost and policy predictability, making regulatory reforms and ease of doing business critical for accelerating private investment.

The day-long workshop focused on policy reforms required to strengthen tourism-led economic growth and position India as a globally competitive tourism destination. Participants deliberated on regulatory bottlenecks affecting tourism enterprises and explored collaborative solutions involving the Central Government, State Governments and industry stakeholders.

The report offers an extensive assessment of regulations governing accommodation providers, hospitality establishments, homestays, food and beverage services, tour operators, tourism infrastructure projects and visa-related processes. It identifies key challenges in approvals, compliance requirements, accommodation capacity and institutional coordination that impact investments and timely project implementation.

Among its key recommendations are simplifying regulatory procedures, reducing compliance burdens, strengthening inter-departmental coordination and accelerating tourism infrastructure development. The report also advocates expanding accommodation capacity, strengthening homestay ecosystems, promoting tourism entrepreneurship, streamlining approval mechanisms and creating a more investment-friendly environment for the sector.

The workshop featured dedicated sessions on tourism investment and approval reforms, accommodation and entrepreneurship, environmental sustainability, regulatory clearances and visa facilitation.

The dignitaries unanimously underscored tourism's growing importance as a catalyst for economic growth, employment generation and regional development. They stressed the need for stronger collaboration between the Centre, States and industry to improve the business ecosystem, encourage private investment, support local livelihoods, promote entrepreneurship, enhance community participation and advance sustainable tourism practices across the country.

Aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the report lays out a practical roadmap to enhance ease of doing business, accelerate tourism investments and build globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive tourism destinations, reinforcing tourism's role as a key pillar of India's long-term economic growth.