Thiruvananthapuram, June 5, 2026
Suman Billa, Union Tourism Additional Secretary and Director General, has said that India needs to shift from a promotion-driven tourism strategy to creating globally competitive destinations and meaningful visitor experiences to unlock the sector’s full potential as a major source of employment and foreign exchange.
Addressing the Global Travel Market (GTM) 2026, a three-day travel industry event here, Billa on Thursday added that India’s strong economic growth, rising incomes and massive infrastructure expansion had created a favourable environment for tourism growth, but the sector was still operating below its true potential.
“India has been the fastest growing large economy in the world. Rising incomes have translated into higher aspirations, and one of the biggest aspirations today is travel. People want new experiences, and social media has further accelerated this demand,” he said.
Highlighting India’s infrastructure transformation, Billa added that the number of airports in the country had more than doubled over the past decade to over 150, while the aviation sector was set for further expansion.
Improved highways and expressways had also made domestic travel more accessible, he said.
However, he added that tourism growth had not kept pace with the country’s economic rise.
“International tourist arrivals have doubled to nearly 20 million over the past decade, but outbound travel by Indians has grown at a much faster pace, turning India into a net spender of foreign exchange in tourism.”
Domestic tourism, Billa said, was one of India’s biggest success stories, with annual domestic trips reaching nearly four billion, which is among the fastest tourism expansions globally.
“Tourism was once one of India’s largest foreign exchange earners. Today, outbound travel is growing rapidly, and this is something we need to reflect upon,” he added.
He stressed that tourism remained a powerful employment generator, supporting not only hotels and transport operators but also farmers, artisans, local entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Calling for a new approach to tourism growth, Billa said India and Kerala should focus on creating experiences rather than merely selling rooms.
“Visitors should leave India and Kerala carrying the values, culture and humanity they experienced here,” he added.
He said Kerala’s competition was no longer with other Indian states but with international destinations such as Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Kerala, Billa added, must improve airport connectivity, transport systems, cleanliness, sanitation, water availability, traffic management and overall destination experience.
Billa suggested developing at least 10 world class tourism destinations in Kerala over the next five years and creating new signature tourism products to drive the next phase of growth.
More than 1,000 tourism operators from India and abroad came together on Thursday in Kerala to showcase new travel products and explore business opportunities at the second edition of the Global Travel Mart (GTM) 2026.
The three-day B2B travel expo, inaugurated at the Golden Palace Convention Centre near Amaravila in Neyyattinkara, is expected to create fresh partnerships, generate sales leads and strengthen Kerala’s position as a global tourism hub.
Inaugurating the expo, Andhra Pradesh Tourism and Culture Minister Kandula Durgesh said his state was keen to adopt the best practices from Kerala’s tourism sector, particularly in wellness tourism, coastal experiences and cruise tourism.
“South Indian states can come together and showcase the diverse tourism experiences available in the region to the world. It can create a unique offering for international travellers,” he added.
Durgesh also proposed a common platform for states to promote India’s tourism potential globally and announced that Andhra Pradesh would host the next edition of GTM.
The event has attracted more than 1,000 domestic and international buyers, including 300 corporate buyers, providing a platform for tourism businesses to launch products, build networks and tap new markets.
Organised by the South Kerala Hoteliers Forum (SKHF), Thiruvananthapuram Chamber of Commerce and Industries (TCCI), Thavass Ventures and Metro Mart, in association with Kerala Tourism and India Tourism, GTM 2026 is aimed at boosting trade links across the travel ecosystem.
Over 200 stalls have been set up by hotels, resorts, tourism boards, airlines, travel companies, tour operators and travel technology firms.
The expo features dedicated pavilions focusing on Ayurveda, yoga and wellness, wedding tourism, corporate travel, home stays, serviced villas and inbound and outbound travel.
A special Travancore Experience Zone highlights the region’s adventure tourism, cuisine, culture, literature, hospitality and heritage offerings, while a HoReCa pavilion showcases products and solutions for hotels, restaurants and catering businesses.
The event also includes expert sessions, corporate networking meets and business-to-business and business-to-consumer interactions, aimed at creating new tourism partnerships.
With Kerala’s tourism sector looking to expand beyond traditional markets, GTM 2026 is expected to provide a major platform for industry players to identify emerging trends and strengthen the southern region’s share in global travel.(Agency)
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