The India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai is set to showcase the country as a leading tourist destination globally and highlight the vast opportunities in India’s tourism and hospitality sector during the 2-week participation of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India starting 3rd January 2022.
The week will display India’s geographical diversity and roadmap for the tourism sector in key areas such as culture, spiritual, luxury, medical, adventure, wildlife and MICE among others, under the larger ‘Incredible India’ campaign.
The inaugural session will be attended and addressed by Rakesh Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India along with leading voices in the tourism and hospitality sector and other leading personalities.
The sector floor at India pavilion will focus on showcasing India’s potential to become the wellness tourism destination highlighting modern infrastructure along with its ancient practices of ayurveda, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and naturopathy among others. The displays will also include highlights of India’s luxurious destinations and land immersed in history offering experiences of age-old cultures, traditions, arts, and practices culminating with modern comforts.
It will also highlight the niche tourism segment of the country including adventure tourism and various spots for thrill seekers. India’s rich heritage including forts, palaces and temples and museums and galleries scattered across the country will be displayed. The films will also take the audience on a journey across the various spiritual destinations in the country. The sector floor during the tourism fortnight will also highlight the scrumptious cuisines of India exhibiting its food culture characterised by a blend of spices, grains, fruits and vegetables, and key investment opportunities.
The sector floor will showcase the natural scenic beauty, distinct historical cultural and ethnic heritage of the North Eastern States of India. Mountaineering, trekking and adventure tourism in the region will be of focus. Various responsible tourism practices and initiatives by the Government and private sector companies will be displayed exhibiting India’s focus on sustainability. MICE tourism will also be one of the key highlights for promoting India as a preferred MICE destination.
The Tourism fortnight will comprise of various sessions which will be presided over by representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and States including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, among others.
The session on 4th January 2022, ‘Heal in India: Rejuvenate the mind, body and the soul’ will showcase India’s capabilities to offer world class preventive and curative health care solutions and popularize the indigenous medicine systems and wellness regimes practiced in India for physical, mental, and spiritual wellness.
The session, ‘Incredible India: Fascinating experiences of royal legacies’ scheduled for 6th January will showcase the changing face of luxury tourism in India, luxury tourist destinations around India and their unique attractions, and initiatives taken by Government to make travel safe and secure.
The session, ‘Investment Opportunities in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality’ on 7th January will highlight the overall investment scenario and advantages of investing in Indian tourism and hospitality sector. Discussions will also highlight the measures taken by the Government for ease of doing business and future plans to promote tourism sector creating opportunities for investment.
The thematic session, ‘Discover Incredible India – Connecting with Culture, Heritage and Spirituality’ on 8th January will highlight various aspects of cultural, heritage and spiritual offerings of India and discuss the ways in which tourists can have immersive and memorable experiences in India. The role of connectivity, infrastructure, adoption of digital technologies and responsible tourism will be discussed at the session including India’s preparedness as a safe destination post COVID-19.
Considering the growing importance of sustainable tourism, the session on 9th January, ‘Tourism at Crossroads – Mainstreaming sustainability for future of tourism’ will bring focus on sustainability as the key challenge for tourism sector and how future of tourism can be shaped by sustainable and responsible policies and action by the Governments and Private Sector.
Addressing the upcoming domain of adventure tourism, the session on 10th January, ‘Adventure and Wildlife: The untapped potential of Incredible India’ will highlight the innumerable experiences of a traveller to connect with nature while seamlessly blending with adventure. The Ministry and the State Governments will share various steps taken by them for promotion of adventure tourism.
The session, scheduled for 12th January, ‘Meet in India: Emerging Hub for Business and Social Events’ will throw light on India emerging as a key MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) tourism destination in the world.
Dubai Expo is also organizing World Majlis on 13th January at the India Pavilion on the theme ‘Off the Beaten Path’. The Majlis is a key event of the Expo during the ‘Travel and Connectivity’ Theme Week (9 – 15 January 2022) which is co-curated by India and Portugal and is hosted at the India Pavilion.
A thematic session on ‘Convergence – Connecting the future of travel 3.0’ will be held on 14th January. The event will highlight integration of the main principles of market orientation, policies in the implementation, development and promotion of tourism, generation of employment, and above all significantly contribute to the overall growth of India’s economy.
The week will see participation of senior government officials and the industry. The Tourism fortnight at India Pavilion will conclude on 15th January.
