Tourism has a role in India emerging as third-largest economy: Shekhawat

Tourism is the largest employment generator after the agriculture sector and has the potential to contribute in large measure to India achieving the status of the third-largest economy in the world, minister for tourism and culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said in his keynote address at the India International Hospitality Expo 2024.

Addressing the seventh edition of the India International Hospitality Expo (IHE) at the India Expo Centre and Mart, Shekhawat said the IHE has played a significant role in advancing India's hospitality industry over the past six years. 

By bringing together professionals and associates from the hospitality sector across the world to exchange ideas and share knowledge, IHE not only supports the Indian hospitality sector but also highlights its potential on the global stage, he said.

India has all the necessary resources to present a world-class tourism sector, which offers diverse and innovative business ideas, the minister pointed out. 

India, he said, can become a perpetual destination for global tourists and the ministry for culture and tourism has been playing a big role in promoting tourism in the country, he said.

IHE 2024 expo, scheduled from 3 to 6 August, brings together over 1,000 exhibitors and more than 20,000 B2B buyers, including luxury hotels, resorts, homestays, restaurants, cloud kitchens, and the F&B sector. 

IHE 2024, which is being organized alongside other major events such as Catering Asia, Tent Décor Asia, Biofact and Ayuryog Expo, offers a comprehensive platform for the hospitality sector.