Ministry of Tourism

What Ministry of Tourism does

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India is the statutory nodal agency responsible for formulation and coordination of national tourism policy, headquartered in New Delhi and operational across all 28+ states and union territories. Its mandate spans destination development, international marketing under the "Incredible India" brand, hospitality regulation, and tourism skill development. The ministry administers centrally-sponsored schemes including Swadesh Darshan (thematic circuit infrastructure, revamped as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 in 2022 with sustainable and responsible destination focus), PRASHAD (pilgrimage rejuvenation), Marketing Development Assistance, and capacity-building programs delivered through a network of Institutes of Hotel Management, Food Craft Institutes, the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, the Indian Culinary Institute, and NCHMCT.

The ministry operates an interconnected digital platform stack: the official tourism.gov.in portal as the central hub, the Incredible India portal for international promotion, the NIDHI portal for registration and recognition of accommodation units, convention centers, food business operators, and online travel aggregators, the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 platform (sd2.tourism.gov.in) for scheme management, a centralized Data Dashboard for tourism statistics, and a MICE Digital Catalogue for business tourism. The portal integrates Bhashini translation across 22 Indian languages, and a 24x7 multilingual tourist helpline (13 languages) supports inbound visitors. Operations are entirely funded through Government of India budget allocations and central financial assistance flows to implementing states, agencies, and institutes; the ministry does not generate commercial revenue. Leadership comprises Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of State Suresh Gopi, with policy direction aimed at scaling tourism from its current ~5.2% of GDP contribution toward a $250 billion sector by 2030 and a $1 trillion sector by 2047.

Name

Ministry of Tourism

Legal name

Ministry of Tourism, Government of India

Website

https://tourism.gov.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Ministry of Tourism is the Government of India's nodal agency for national tourism policy, administering flagship schemes (Swadesh Darshan, PRASHAD), operating the Incredible India and NIDHI digital platforms, and coordinating destination development, hospitality skilling, and international marketing across all 28+ states and union territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Tourism Administration

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Tourism Trade & Services Exports Development (BPADAMAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Group Travel (Church/Mosque/Temple) Organizers (THAKAHAH), Religious Festival & Event Travel (e.g., Kumbh Mela, World Youth Day) Agencies (THAKAHAN)

Keywords

• National tourism policy
• Tourism infrastructure development
• Destination marketing
• Pilgrimage tourism development
• Hospitality capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Noida

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Allocation: The Ministry operates through annual government budget allocations from the Government of India. Revenue comes from budget estimates, demand for grants, and central financial assistance to states/UTs for tourism development projects.
2. Marketing Development Assistance (MDA): Provides financial assistance to approved Indian Tourism Development Corporations, State Tourism Development Corporations, and others for international and domestic marketing activities under the MDA scheme

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Ministry of Tourism is the nodal agency of the Government of India responsible for formulating national tourism policies and coordinating tourism development activities across central agencies, state governments/UTs, and the private sector. It administers flagship schemes such as Swadesh Darshan (tourism circuit infrastructure), PRASHAD (pilgrimage site development), NIDHI (hospitality registration), and Marketing Development Assistance, and promotes India internationally through the Incredible India brand and a 24x7 multilingual tourist helpline.

Product overview

The Ministry of Tourism operates a unified platform ecosystem centered on the official government portal (tourism.gov.in) supplemented by dedicated sub-brands and scheme portals. The Incredible India brand serves as the international marketing identity, while NIDHI provides the digital infrastructure for hospitality registration. Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and PRASHAD are the two flagship scheme portals for tourism circuit and pilgrimage destination development respectively. Additional offerings include MICE services, marketing development assistance, capacity building programs for tourism service providers, central financial assistance to hospitality institutes, and market research services. These products function as interconnected government initiatives rather than a traditional software product portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Incredible India: India's national tourism marketing campaign to promote India as a global tourism destination
• Swadesh Darshan
• Swadesh Darshan 2.0
• PRASHAD
• NIDHI
• Bharat Parv

Products and services

• tourism.gov.in
• Incredible India
• NIDHI (National Integrated Database of Indian Hospitality Infrastructure)
• Swadesh Darshan Scheme
• Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0)
• PRASHAD Scheme (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive)
• MICE Digital Catalogue
• Marketing Development Assistance (MDA)
• Scheme of Capacity Building for Service Providers
• Central Financial Assistance to Institutes
• Market Research Professional Services
• 24x7 Tourist Helpline (1363)

Quantifiable outcome

• 76 projects sanctioned across 31 States/UTs under Swadesh Darshan scheme with Rs 5000+ Crores investment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Google IndiacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 June 2026The Ministry of Tourism signed an MoU with Google India in New Delhi to digitally promote India's tourist destinations and cultural heritage. The partnership focuses on improving visibility of Indian destinations on Google's digital platforms, using Google's data analytics to study global travel patterns, and includes training programmes for ministry officials in digital marketing and artificial intelligence. The agreement involves no financial commitment from either side and is structured as a framework for cooperation and knowledge sharing under the Incredible India campaign.
• FAITH, FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM, PHDCCI, WTTCII, TGFI, ABTO, IAAPIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026Interactive session chaired by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat with leading tourism and hospitality industry bodies to discuss measures for improving ease of doing business in India's tourism sector. Key proposals included moving hotel classification assessments to self-declaration models, creating a digital Entity Locker platform, and addressing visa facilitation, taxation, and licensing timelines.
• Mysuru Travels AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Co-organization of the 5th edition of Mysuru Travel Mart 2026, a three-day travel fair bringing together tourism stakeholders, hospitality leaders, and over 500 hosted buyers. The event aims to strengthen Karnataka's tourism ecosystem and position Mysuru as a premier national tourism destination.
• Karnataka Tourism Society (KTS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026Association with Karnataka Tourism Society and State Department of Tourism to hold the 'Explore Kalyan Karnataka (North Karnataka)' knowledge sharing workshop and B2B meeting to promote the region as an untapped tourism destination, highlighting heritage sites, spiritual landmarks, and natural landscapes.
• Haryana Tourism DepartmentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 24 March 2026State government implementing agency for Rs 26 crore tourism upgrade at Morni Hills and Tikkar Taal under the Union tourism ministry's Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme. The project includes developing adventure facilities, Swiss tents, viewing towers, and amenities.
• PHDCCI (PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Partnership with PHDCCI for organizing the National Young Chef Competition 2025-26 Grand Finale, which aimed to celebrate India's gastronomic heritage and provide a national platform for young culinary professionals. Partnered with IFCA and Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council.
• IFCA (Indian Federation of Culinary Associations)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Co-organization of National Young Chef Competition 2025-26 to celebrate India's culinary heritage and support young culinary professionals in partnership with PHDCCI and Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council.
• Tourism & Hospitality Skill CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Skill development partner for the National Young Chef Competition 2025-26, working with PHDCCI and IFCA to promote culinary arts and hospitality training.
• NITI AayogcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNITI Aayog report emphasizing coordination between Centre and states for tourism promotion, infrastructure development, destination development, and extended visitor stays. Aiming to develop 50 international-standard destinations.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Brand USA: USA's destination marketing organization responsible for promoting the United States as a premier travel destination; a national tourism promotion body with government-style coordination mandate analogous to India's Incredible India campaign.
• Tourism New Zealand: New Zealand's national tourism organization funded by government to market New Zealand as a destination; a relevant peer given its national-brand-led strategy (100% Pure New Zealand) akin to Incredible India and similar federal-coordination dynamics.
• Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO): Japan's national tourism organization under the Japan Tourism Agency, responsible for international promotion, visitor experience, and tourism policy; relevant peer given comparable scale, cultural/heritage tourism focus, and large gap between inbound potential and realized arrivals.
• Korea Tourism Organization (KTO): South Korean government-affiliated tourism organization driving inbound tourism, MICE, and destination branding; comparable in scale, role, and focus on cultural/soft-power-driven tourism promotion in Asia.
• VisitBritain: UK national tourism agency funded by the British government to promote Britain internationally and develop the visitor economy; directly comparable to the Ministry of Tourism in role, funding model, and brand-led destination marketing.
• Singapore Tourism Board: Statutory board under Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry driving tourism development, international marketing, and MICE business; comparable in operating model as a quasi-governmental tourism agency executing national strategy.
• Atout France: France's national tourism development agency responsible for promoting France internationally, supporting tourism businesses, and engineering tourism products; a mature peer that demonstrates the upper bound of what a national tourism agency can achieve at scale.
• Turespaña: Spain's national tourism authority under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, promoting Spain abroad and supporting tourism innovation; a peer given comparable role and the kind of inbound visitor scale (84M annually) that India aspires to.
• Tourism Australia: Australian government tourism marketing agency promoting Australia as a destination globally; the closest functional peer to the Ministry of Tourism given its mandate to drive international visitor arrivals and coordinate state-level tourism investment through a national brand (There is Nothing Like Australia).

Regional players

• Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT): Thailand's national tourism authority promoting Thailand internationally and supporting domestic tourism; relevant regional peer given the shared Asian context, comparable tourism mix (cultural, pilgrimage, beach, MICE), and competitor for international arrivals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tourismgoi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MinistryofTourismgoi
• Facebookfacebook.com/ministryoftourismgoi
• Instagraminstagram.com/tourismgoi/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainable-tourism-goi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ministry of Tourism