UDAIPUR — India’s plan to digitise tourism management and create globally benchmarked destinations took centre stage at a two-day meeting of state tourism ministers in Udaipur, the Ministry of Tourism said on Tuesday.
The meeting, held on 14–15 October, brought together tourism ministers and senior officials from all states and union territories to discuss new frameworks aimed at using technology to improve visitor experience, infrastructure planning and destination monitoring.
The conference forms part of the “One State: One Global Destination” initiative, announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, which calls for developing at least one world-class destination in every state through digital tools and private investment.
Focus on smart destination management
The ministry said the discussion centred on the twin frameworks of “Development of 50 Destinations” and “Performance Linked Incentives (PLI)”, designed to integrate data-driven decision-making into tourism development.
Under the proposed PLI-based Destination Maturity Model, states will be encouraged to deploy smart management systems such as digital ticketing, visitor analytics, sustainability tracking and online promotion. The model seeks to measure readiness in infrastructure, safety, accessibility and sustainability using technology-based indicators.
Tourism Secretary V. Vidyavathi said data integration and digital infrastructure were now “essential components” of tourism planning. “Technology must support how we monitor visitor flows, manage resources and ensure sustainability,” she said.
Unified digital platforms for tourism
The second day of the meeting will include consultations on the draft Integrated Tourism Promotion Scheme Guidelines, which propose a unified national platform for tourism promotion, incorporating real-time data dashboards, GIS mapping and interoperable payment systems.
Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who opened the conference, said states should collaborate with private partners and technology firms to make destinations more connected, efficient and secure.
Officials said the ministry aims to ensure “policy convergence” between central and state tourism departments, with digital governance forming the backbone of the tourism transformation agenda.
Building a data-driven ecosystem
The Ministry of Tourism said digital transformation would help states manage destinations more sustainably while expanding their global reach through online marketing and analytics.
The discussions are part of a broader “Viksit Bharat” strategy to make India a globally competitive tourism market by 2047 through technology adoption, smart infrastructure and public-private collaboration.
