Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday underscored the vital role of tourism in fostering global peace, economic development, and cultural exchange, saying that tourism connects the bonds of humanity, which are much needed in today’s world. “Tourism contributes massively to peace. The entire world is yearning for peace, and any conflagration anywhere is a pain for all, disrupting supply chains and economies,” he said while delivering the inaugural address on the occasion of World Tourism Day at Vigyan Bhawan here.
Dhankhar said India, that is Bharat, is now a favourite global tourism destination. “From the land of spirituality, sublimity, and 5,000 years of civilizational ethos, tourists can experience all seasons, all year round,” he said. Highlighting the exponential progress India has made over the last decade, he said tourism, as an engine of economic growth, holds significant potential to drive India towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.
The Vice-President called for tourism to follow the success story of India’s digitisation revolution, stating, “If we go by global standards, if we manage to tap and exploit our tourist resource, we will be solving three problems that will exemplify a model to the entire world, just like our digitisation model.” He highlighted three key areas tourism would impact: massive contributions to the economy, upskilling the workforce, and generating employment. “Every tourist comes with a dream. He wants a seamless experience and we must ensure our human resources are skilled to provide this,” he noted.
Dhankhar also lauded the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him the greatest ambassador for tourism. “Our Honourable Prime Minister spent just a few moments in Lakshadweep, and the entire world came to know about it,” he said, highlighting the global resonance of India’s achievements in tourism, infrastructure, and space technology.