India to Develop 50 New Tourism Destinations in Push for Green Tourism
India’s Ministry of Tourism plans to build 50 new tourism destinations, promote green tourism, conduct a global publicity campaign, and open 59 new air routes, during its 2023 G20 presidency. Despite pandemic concerns, 6.19 million foreign tourists visited the country in 2022, up 305 percent from 1.52 million in 2021. The Government is encouraging green initiatives and helping small enterprises create local jobs.
Meanwhile, India’s aviation consultancy and research firm, CAPA India, has predicted that India may need a commercial fleet of nearly 4,000 aircraft to handle over 1.3 billion passengers within two decades, requiring airspace redesign to accommodate 8-10 times the current traffic. Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN), India’s fifth regional air connectivity scheme, would provide connectivity to remote places without distance constraints. Delhi Airport will open its new terminal and fourth runway in September 2023 to improve passenger capacity. IndiGo has announced codeshare routes to Sofia and Varna in Bulgaria through Istanbul, and India and Guyana have inked an air services agreement to allow direct flights. Also, Chennai is set to be a cruise tourism hub.