With focus on AI, sustainable travel Arya Niwas organises Openscapes 2025 in New Delhi

Conclave highlights pressing issues facing tourism industry

Openscapes 2025, a travel conclave organised by Arya Niwas hospitality group in New Delhi on Saturday, focussed on India's tourism future, emphasising AI integration, sustainability and authentic, community-driven travel experiences.

The opportunities and challenges that issues like artificial intelligence, sustainability and experiential travel pose to the tourism industry in India and overseas were highlighted at Openscapes 2025, a travel conclave in New Delhi on Saturday.

Organised by Arya Niwas, a hospitality group based in Jaipur, the conclave served as a participative platform to explore transformative ideas for the tourism sector, addressing pressing issues such as sustainability, experiential curation, the role of artificial intelligence (AI), and the integration of responsible practices into the travel experience.

Drawing stakeholders from across India’s hospitality industry, the conclave was organised with the core theme of Projecting India and Rajasthan with a stronger, more meaningful narrative.

“This is the first conclave. It is called Openscapes. We hope that we will be having more such dialogue-based conclaves on travel. There is a need for us to behave as one in the travel industry and to move forward together because the ultimate aim is to serve the guests and make the guests win,” Pooja Bansal, Owner and General Manager, Arya Niwas, told India & You on the sidelines of the event.

The urgency of the issues raised at the meeting was underscored by leading tour operators, who highlighted that Indian tourism, particularly in recent years, “has not been sustainable and things have gone really, really bad.”

“When we talk about sustainability with experiential tourism, the experience at the grassroot level, meeting local people with a bit of sustainability, offers eye-opening encounters. Yet, there are challenges,” Navneet Arora, Managing Director, VINString Holidays, a travel agency in New Delhi, told India & You.

The meeting illustrated both obstacles and achievements in rural and urban experiential tourism. Operators cited instances where visitors’ immersion in heritage neighbourhoods and private homes fostered mutual pride among locals and tourists. However, they also warned against approaches that leave rural residents feeling like “monkeys in the zoo,” underscoring the necessity of responsible, respectful interaction, something now addressed by ensuring a share of tour proceeds benefit the communities involved. Sustainability, participants argued, extends well beyond eco-friendly rhetoric.

The conclave highlighted innovative tour formats, slow tourism, creative workshops and direct engagement with artisans, as pathways for deeper, more rewarding guest experiences.

“I think that is the call for the future, because automation has to come in. If we are not doing automation today, we are backwards. AI is important. The event opens up eyes for a lot of people. Difficult, but yes, AI and sustainability are important and doable,” Arora added.

“The interpretation of sustainability has become very cliché. This was a session to break that,” said Bansal.

Participants at the Openscapes 2025 called for a sustained dialogue, with suggestions for sector-wide conventions and targetted sessions on marketing and AI and more collaborative initiatives.