India has all the right ingredients for high-value tourism like luxury heritage hotels, wellness traditions, diverse wildlife and an improving aviation ecosystem, believes Mahendra Pratap Singh, Managing Director, MP Tours India, and IATO Chapter Chairman of Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh. “Yet the industry is largely volume driven. Success is often gauged by numbers of arrivals rather than visitor spending or experiential value. India is ready in terms of product but we still have challenges on infrastructure, service consistency, destination management and hygiene standards. To really attract the premium segment, the travel trade has to shift from selling itineraries to curating experiences with a focus on authenticity, personalisation and sustainability,” he says.
Travel agents and DMCs are crucial to this transition. “We need to get away from competing on price and get into storytelling, service excellence and positioning ourselves as a premium destination.” However, he adds that volume-driven is not necessarily a bad thing. “Mass tourism is key to creating jobs and supporting local economies in a country as diverse as ours. The future is a healthy balance. We need to develop a high-value, high-impact model that will attract tourists who stay longer and spend more responsibly, while remaining a premier accessible destination for whole India,” Singh adds.
With over 17 years of experience in the B2B travel and hospitality sector, she brings deep insight into travel trade dynamics, industry challenges and market developments. She holds an MA in English Literature and a Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, which underpin her strong editorial expertise. An avid nature enthusiast, she prefers outdoor and adventure-led travel, including hiking and trekking.