Indian Economy News

India and Italy Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation in Tourism

India and Italy have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in tourism following the 2nd India-Italy Joint Working Group (JWG) on Tourism, held on September 29, 2026. The meeting was co-chaired by Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Mr. Bhuvnesh Kumar, and Secretary-General, Ministry of Tourism, Italy, Ms. Emanuela Tripi. Discussions focused on exchanging tourism data, promoting lesser-known destinations, cine-tourism, destination twinning, skilling and capacity building, and strengthening Business-to-Business (B2B) engagement. Representatives from India's Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of External Affairs, Embassy of India in Rome and Indian Association of Tour Operators participated in the meeting, alongside representatives from Italy's tourism and foreign affairs ministries, Embassy of Italy in New Delhi and Italian National Tourism Board (ENIT).

As a key outcome, both countries agreed to establish focused technical groups and designate points of contact to advance identified areas of cooperation and facilitate sustained engagement among relevant stakeholders. The two sides also discussed opportunities under the proposed India-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism 2027, which is expected to support greater cultural and tourism exchanges between the countries. The cooperation framework aims to strengthen institutional and industry linkages while creating opportunities for tourism stakeholders in both markets. The focus on destination promotion, tourism skills, industry engagement and new tourism experiences is also expected to support greater collaboration between tourism organisations and businesses in India and Italy.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.