Focus on globally benchmarked tourist destinations: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Udaipur, Oct 14 (IANS) Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday stressed on the need for developing globally benchmarked destinations through a twin focus on Destination Development and Destination Management.

He was speaking at a two-day State Tourism Ministers' Meet which began here, bringing together Tourism Ministers and senior officials from all States and Union Territories.

In a message on X, Union Minister Shekhawat said, "Today inaugurated the State Tourism Ministers' Meet 2025 in Udaipur, Rajasthan, bringing together Tourism Ministers & senior officials from all States and UTs. A collective step towards realizing Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodiji’s vision of “One State: One Global Destination."

The meet marks a milestone in India's tourism journey - aligned with the Union Budget 2025–26 vision of developing globally benchmarked destinations through a twin focus on Destination Development & Destination Management, he said.

The Udaipur meeting served as a key milestone in advancing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'One State: One Global Destination' - a call to develop at least one globally benchmarked tourist destination in every State and UT, said an official statement.

The initiative reflected the Union Budget 2025–26 announcements, which outlined a twin strategy for Destination Development and Destination Management as part of India's tourism transformation agenda and the Viksit Bharat roadmap, it said.

The meeting focused on continuing the ongoing stakeholders' consultations, where State/UT Tourism Ministers presented their vision on the draft frameworks for 'Development of 50 Destinations' and 'Providing Performance Linked Incentives', emphasising Private Sector–led Tourism Hub Development and Destination Management via a PLI-based Destination Maturity Model.

The meet commenced with opening remarks by Tourism Secretary V. Vidyavathi,

The event underscored the importance of collaborative action between the Centre, States/UTs, and industry stakeholders to realise the vision of developing destinations of global standards.

Over the course of two days, Tourism Ministers and officials from across regions will present destination concepts aligned with the budget initiatives. Each State/UT will showcase one potential destination for development as a global destination and shared their vision.

--IANS

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