The 41st Annual Convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) opened at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh (Photo: India & You)
The Indian tourism industry is looking beyond destinations and attractions, with the focus shifting to how these assets can be packaged into experiences that drive arrivals and longer stays.
This is the message at the 41st Annual Convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), that has been inaugurated in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, bringing together around 1,000 tourism stakeholders, government officials and tour operators to discuss connectivity, infrastructure, promotion, investment and the development of market-ready tourism products.
Annual Convention brings together around 1,000 tourism stakeholders to discuss India’s tourism growth and market opportunities
The three-day convention, hosted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, brings together delegates, including tour operators, tourism stakeholders, state tourism representatives and government officials.
The discussions are centred on tourism promotion, infrastructure, connectivity, sustainability, technology and the development of new products.
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Sunil Mishra
Sunil Mishra, Honorary Secretary of IATO, said the association sees Andhra Pradesh as a state with the diversity required to create distinctive itineraries for international visitors.
“Andhra Pradesh offers so much for international visitors, from the beaches of Visakhapatnam and the beauty of Araku Valley to its Buddhist heritage, sacred temples and the Godavari region. These experiences give us an opportunity to develop distinctive itineraries that combine culture, nature and spirituality,” Mishra said.
He said the upcoming Godavari Pushkaralu could provide another opportunity to bring the state’s spiritual and cultural heritage into tourism programmes.
“Each of our members can become a tourism ambassador of Andhra Pradesh, taking its story to markets across the world,” Mishra said, adding that IATO’s post-convention tours would allow members to experience destinations first-hand and assess their potential for inclusion in international itineraries.
Ravi Gosain
Ravi Gosain, President of IATO, said Andhra Pradesh had made visible progress in tourism infrastructure since the association’s previous convention in Visakhapatnam in 2018.
“When we came here earlier, there were only a couple of hotels. Now we see many new hotels coming up, with six or seven five-star hotels being developed in Visakhapatnam,” Gosain said.
He highlighted the state’s coastal attractions, Buddhist heritage, Araku coffee and the upcoming Godavari Pushkaralu, which he compared with the scale of the Kumbh Mela.
Gosain said IATO’s role went beyond promoting individual destinations. The association, he said, had been taking its members to overseas markets, developing products and building their capabilities.
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“IATO took the initiative of the Namaste India Roadshow. We went to three countries in Europe, and it was quite successful,” he said. The association has also planned another roadshow calendar, with the first one after WTM in November.
Technology is another area where IATO is focussing on capacity building. Gosain said the association had trained more than 600 tour operators from different parts of the country in technology and AI.
But promotion, he said, needs to be matched by a better visitor experience.
“India has living heritage, spirituality, wellness, wildlife, adventure, festivals, cuisine, weddings, luxury, MICE, beaches, mountains and some of the world’s most powerful human stories. But having a great product is only a first step,” Gosain said.
IATO members and tourism industry representatives discuss new opportunities to strengthen India’s inbound tourism
“The world must hear about it continuously, in the right markets, in the right language and through the right channels,” he added.
He called for a sustained and market-specific global campaign for India, with stronger use of digital storytelling, influencers, artificial intelligence, cinema and major events.
He also stressed the need for smoother visitor journeys, including simpler e-visas, stronger international and regional air connectivity, competitive fares, trained guides, clean public spaces, clear signage and reliable last-mile transport.
Shamsher Singh Rawat
Shamsher Singh Rawat, Special Chief Secretary, Tourism and Culture, Government of Andhra Pradesh, said the state was looking to convert its tourism potential into visitor growth, investment, employment and sustainable development.
“Few states in the country offer the scale and diversity of experience available here,” Rawat said, pointing to Tirupati, Srisailam and Simhachalam as well as Buddhist heritage, beaches, forests, coffee landscapes, mountains, rivers and lesser-known destinations.
The state has set ambitious targets for the sector. According to Rawat, Andhra Pradesh aims to increase tourism’s contribution from 4.6 pc to 8 pc, attract INR 250 billion in private tourism investment, create around 500,000 jobs, expand quality accommodation from 4,500 rooms to around 20,000 rooms, and increase the average stay from one to two days to five days.
The state also aims to position itself among India’s top 10 states for foreign tourist arrivals and develop seven tourism hubs and 25 major tourism projects across segments including ecotourism, Buddhist, river, cruise and adventure tourism.
Rawat said the state had already seen investment commitments, with 59 tourism and hospitality projects approved by the State Investment Promotion Board, involving investments of INR 123 billion.
“Our approach is clear. We are not preparing only for a short-term event. We are building the tourism legacy for decades,” he said, referring to preparations for the Godavari Pushkaralu 2027.
Connectivity as a tourism driver
Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu
The importance of aviation in opening up new tourism markets was highlighted by Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, who said connectivity should be viewed not simply as a transport issue but as a catalyst for local economic development.
“In 2025, India recorded approximately 4.29 billion domestic tourist visits. Tourism therefore is not a niche sector anymore. It is a massive economic ecosystem,” Naidu said.
He said that the impact of tourism extends far beyond hotels and attractions.
“When tourism flourishes, the hotel benefits, the taxi driver benefits, the restaurant benefits, the farmer benefits, the artisan benefits, the local guide benefits, the homestay benefits and the photographer benefits. The multiplier effect in tourism is something I don’t think any other industry would carry,” he said.
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Naidu also pointed to the expansion of India’s aviation network. He said the number of airports had increased from 74 in 2014 to 166, while the extended UDAN scheme envisages spending INR 288 billion over the next 10 years and building 100 more airports.
For tourism, however, the focus should be on what each new route can create.
“Whenever we open a new airport or establish a new route, we must also ask, what new tourism economy can this route create?” he said.
He cited the development of connectivity to Tier II and Tier III cities and said better air links could change the way travellers choose destinations by reducing the time required to reach them.
Naidu also urged tour operators to think beyond individual attractions and develop cross-state tourism trails that can be packaged as complete experiences.
“People want to experience these places. They want to see them in person. So we need to think about the bigger things in creating these trails,” he said.
He suggested possibilities such as Ramayana and Mahabharata trails and a 10- or 15-day Jyotirlinga experience connecting destinations across states.
The convention highlights Andhra Pradesh’s growing tourism potential
“We can’t still talk about taking people to one destination and then see how many people are coming and accordingly create. We need to talk about connecting India from one corner to another corner. That is how I think we can differentiate ourselves and create unique opportunities for the person who is coming here,” Naidu said.
He also called for greater collaboration between Indian and international tour operators, arguing that overseas operators need confidence that their customers will be safe, connected and well looked after in India.
For Andhra Pradesh, Naidu said the opportunity was particularly large because the state already has products spanning spirituality, Buddhist heritage, nature, adventure, heritage, cuisine, coffee, handicrafts and coastal experiences.
“Andhra Pradesh is not one tourism product. Andhra Pradesh is a portfolio of tourism experiences,” he said.
The state’s challenge, he added, is to package these experiences effectively and connect them with the international market.
Kandula Gurgesh
Kandula Durgesh Tourism Minister, Andhra Pradesh said the convention should lead to continued collaboration between the government and the private tourism trade.
“Unless the attractions are made into experiences, and the experiences are made into lifelong memories, there is no meaning in having beautiful places and beautiful potential,” Durgesh said.
He said the state was focussing on policy, process, partnerships, projects, promotion and products under its tourism policy for 2024-29.
The minister also stressed the role of tour operators in converting government initiatives into actual tourism business.
“Government may develop infrastructure and policies, but unless tour operators support us in making these things a reality, we cannot do anything,” he said.
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The emphasis across the convention was therefore less on adding another list of attractions and more on creating products that can be sold in domestic and international markets.
Naidu summed up the broader challenge for Indian tourism by arguing that the country’s reputation for heritage and diversity must be matched by the quality of its destinations.
“Our challenge now is to ensure the quality of our destinations matches the richness that we talk about,” he said.
For IATO and Andhra Pradesh, the convention is intended to be more than a three-day industry gathering. The focus is on taking the discussions into itineraries, partnerships, investment and visitor arrivals turning India’s tourism potential into experiences that generate longer stays, jobs and local economic activity.
