Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat praised the contributions of the India Tourism Development Corporation, stating that the organisation has served the nation with distinction and played a vital role in strengthening India’s tourism and hospitality sector.
The remarks were made during celebrations marking 60 years of ITDC and 70 years of The Ashok in New Delhi. The event highlighted the long-standing contributions of both institutions to the growth of tourism, hospitality, and travel services in the country.
Shekhawat described ITDC as a multidimensional growth engine for India’s tourism ecosystem. He noted that tourism today extends far beyond hospitality and now encompasses several sectors, including cultural tourism, heritage tourism, wellness travel, ecotourism, and community-based tourism initiatives.
The Minister congratulated both ITDC and The Ashok for their decades of service and expressed confidence that public trust in their offerings would continue to grow. He emphasised that tourism remains an important driver of economic development, employment generation, and cultural exchange across India.
During the programme, Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram announced a major initiative to support tribal tourism. Under the programme, 1,500 tribal homestay operators will receive training in hospitality standards, financial literacy, and digital operations to strengthen community-based livelihoods.
The initiative aims to improve the quality of tribal tourism experiences while empowering local communities through skill development and sustainable income opportunities. The government believes that strengthening homestays and grassroots tourism enterprises will contribute to more inclusive and responsible tourism growth across the country.