Developing 50 tourist destinations: Informal talks between Centre & states begin; first set likely to be identified by end of 2025

New Delhi: The Centre is working on preparing guidelines for the top 50 tourist destinations in the country, proposed in the Union Budget, which are to be developed in partnership with the states. The first set of destinations is expected to be identified by the end of this year, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Suman Billa, additional secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, during a panel discussion at a conclave here, also said, "informal consultations" have started with states.

In the Union Budget speech on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the top 50 tourist destinations in the country will be developed in partnership with states in a "challenge mode".

She had emphasised tourism as a driver of employment-led growth and unveiled a series of initiatives aimed at bolstering infrastructure, skill development and ease of travel.

Billa and senior leaders from various private hotel chains participated in a panel discussion on 'The Triple Bottom Line in Hospitality - People, Planet and Profit' at the day-long India Travel and Tourism Sustainability Conclave 2025.

It was hosted by MakeMyTrip Foundation and the World Travel and Tourism Council India Initiative here.

The panellists answered a host of queries from the moderator on the economics of sustainability, the future roadmap of hotel groups, and the challenges that lie ahead in the sector.

The additional secretary was asked if the proposed 50 destinations have been identified and if the ministry has begun consulting with states.

"Informal consultations have started... what we are working on is guidelines. And, the first guidelines will be shown to the states. This year, hopefully, we think the first set of the 50 destinations will be identified," he said.

Sitharaman, in the budget speech, said facilitating employment-led growth includes organising intensive skill-development programmes for youth, including hospitality management, MUDRA loans for homestays, improving ease of travel and connectivity to tourist destinations, introducing streamlined e-visa facilities and providing performance-linked incentives to states.

The Ministry of Tourism earmarked a significant increase in its budget allocation for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, with a focus on enhancing tourism infrastructure, promoting domestic and international travel, and ensuring the safety of tourists, particularly women.

The total budget allocation for the ministry for 2025-2026 stands at Rs 2,541.06 crore, marking a substantial increase from the revised estimate of Rs 850.36 crore in 2024-2025.

The panellists also deliberated on issues of overcrowding at regular tourist destinations like Goa and Manali in Himachal Pradesh, and their concomitant issues.

Billa said, "most of our tourist destinations are overcrowded", and the second problem is who is managing these destinations.

Asserting that the idea of sustainability is embedded in the Indian ethos, Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in his keynote address, said there is a need to create "success stories" on sustainability in the tourism sector and replicate them across the country.