Text of Vice-President's address on the occasion of World Tourism Day 2024

The transformation that has taken place in the last decade by doubling the number of airports, having world-class infrastructure for connectivity railroads, various facets of it, highways, expressways highways that match the best in the world. 

Diplomats, grateful for your gracious presence, all stakeholders in tourism, and distinguished audience. On the occasion of World Tourism Day, it is very significant for the entire planet because it connects those bonds of humanity which are much needed at the moment, my greetings. 

This is an event to celebrate the profound impact of tourism on global economic development, social progress, and cultural exchange. Friends, these are just not words, you realise them on the ground. They are reflected tangibly, economic development is intertwined with the tourist industry, with tourism. 

The theme this year is very thoughtful and bears huge contemporary relevance, tourism and peace. The theme underlines something very deep. It connects amongst human resources, connects amongst people, and people-to-people contact. That is conducive to harmony and generates an ecosystem of exchange of ideas. Therefore, rightly so, tourism contributes massively to peace, the theme is not a day too soon, the entire world is yearning for peace.

We are traumatised by conflagrations, any conflagration in any part of the globe is torture to every part of the land. It disrupts supply chains, disrupts planning, a pain and therefore, tourism and peace have great relevance. 

The theme is particularly befitting for Bharat, the largest, vibrant, and functional democracy, home to one-sixth of humanity, tourism globally is a thriving industry. It is so thriving that some countries thrive only on tourism, their economy is sustained by tourism, it is the spine of their economy when it comes to Bharat. A statement was made, taking note of the phenomenal, exponential progress this nation has witnessed in a decade. 

I go back to more than three decades when I was a Member of Parliament in 1989 and a Minister in the Union Government then, the size of our economy was smaller than that of the city of Paris and London. When I went to Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, as part of the Council of Ministers, I could not see more than dozens of people on the streets, We were staying at a hotel by Dal lake and now imagine where we have come. Two crore people visited Kashmir as tourists last year. 

The economy today of Bharat has traversed in a decade from a fragile five to the five largest global economies. In the next two years, by all indications, we will be ahead of Japan and Germany to be the third. That is where Bharat is at the moment. So much has changed in the ecosystem by affirmative governance, technological advancement, transparent, accountable mechanisms in place for every governmental dealing that the International Monetary Fund reflected. India is a favourite global destination for investment and opportunity.

India, that is Bharat, is favourite global destination for tourism, go to any part of India, and the diplomats present here who have been to various parts, I am sure, will bear me out. We have tourism for all seasons, come to this land of spirituality, land of sublimity, land of knowledge, land of Vedas, and the civilisational ethos of 5000 years. Any time of the year, you will have the occasion to feast on tourist destinations.

The economic growth engine of this nation, destined to reach 2047 as a developed nation, will be fuelled majorly by tourism and I have no doubt you will leave no effort to tap the potential waiting to be exploited. And why not? All that is needed for the exploitation of our tourist resources and tourism destinations is, one, you need an image of the nation. 

An image of Bharat in the world is very different from what it was a decade ago, the leadership of Bharat is recognised globally. Which other economy in the world of this size can claim to be rising around 8% GDP annually? and so, predicted for many years to come. Look at 1.4 billion people being serviced with last-mile delivery with respect to toilets, electricity, internet, education, and tap water. ‘हर घर नल, हर नल में जल, जल निश्चित रूप से, जल क्वालिटी का होI, tested him stringently when he called upon me to inaugurate one of his pilot projects.

I said Mr. Minister, go to Jhunjhunu, my home district, click off the button, go to my Tehsil Chirawa click off the button, I said, go to my village, Kithana click off the button and tell me how many houses have नल with जल. My house had, the name was there. Some houses did not have, and faithfully, they were also reflected with one indicator, the work is in progress.