New initiatives aim to promote lesser-known destinations, strengthen digital discovery and create opportunities for local communities, while five industry MoUs focus on responsible and community-led tourism

Posted On: 27 September 2026 | PIB Delhi

India’s tourism strategy is shifting towards digital discovery, alternative destinations and community-led tourism, with the Ministry of Tourism launching the National Digital Tourism Stack and National Mission for Alternative Destinations – Dekho Apna Desh Campaign 2.0 on World Tourism Day 2026.

Launched at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, the initiatives are designed to redistribute tourist demand beyond heavily visited destinations while making tourism offerings more discoverable, bookable and accessible through digital infrastructure.

Key Highlights

• National Digital Tourism Stack launched to improve discovery, accessibility and trust across India’s tourism ecosystem.
• Dekho Apna Desh Campaign 2.0 to promote lesser-known, tourism-ready destinations.
• Initial destination focus includes hill and mountain, coastal and waterfront, heritage and cultural towns, and regional pilgrimage destinations.
• Digital Tourism Stack pilot is planned for January 2027.
• Tourism packages will combine accommodation, transport, meals and local experiences.
• Visitor data and feedback will be used to support destination management and monitor tourist footfall against assessed carrying capacity.
• Five MoUs signed with Airbnb India, FlixBus India, Glance Digital Experience, Eicher Group Foundation and MakeMyTrip.
• India Tourism Statistics 2026 released on World Tourism Day.

National Digital Tourism Stack to Connect Tourism Supply with Digital Discovery

The National Digital Tourism Stack, being developed in collaboration with ONDC and supported by the International Centre for DPI Innovation and Advancement (ICDIA), is intended to create shared digital infrastructure for India’s tourism ecosystem.

The platform will bring together capabilities such as search and discovery, verified identities and supplier credentials, payments, ratings and grievance redressal. Tourism providers will be able to make their offerings available across participating platforms.

The initiative is being developed collaboratively with States, Union Territories and industry stakeholders, with implementation planned in phases and a pilot targeted for January 2027.

For hotels, homestays, restaurants, experience providers and local tourism businesses, the development could improve their digital discoverability and provide greater opportunities to participate in organised tourism supply chains.

‘Dekho Apna Desh 2.0’ Targets Tourism Demand Redistribution

The National Mission for Alternative Destinations will focus on destinations that have tourism potential but receive comparatively lower visitor volumes than established hotspots.

Rather than simply promoting new destinations, the mission aims to identify locations that have a distinct tourism proposition along with adequate infrastructure, accommodation and capacity to receive additional visitors sustainably.

The initial categories include:

• Hill and mountain destinations
• Coastal and waterfront destinations
• Heritage and cultural towns
• Regional pilgrimage destinations

The programme will work with States, UTs and industry partners to create bookable itineraries and packages incorporating accommodation, transportation, meals and local experiences.

Local Communities at the Centre of Destination Development

A significant element of the initiative is its focus on ensuring that tourism growth generates opportunities within destination communities.

The programme envisages greater participation from artisans, self-help groups, local guides and other community stakeholders. Promotion will follow a social-media-first approach, supported by digital campaigns and private-sector participation.

The Ministry also plans to use visitor data and feedback to understand tourist flows and support destination management in line with assessed carrying capacities.

Five Industry Partnerships to Support Responsible Tourism

The Ministry of Tourism exchanged five MoUs with industry and other partners to strengthen destination promotion and community participation.

Partner	Focus area
Airbnb India	Homestay development and host skilling
FlixBus India	Destination promotion and responsible travel through intercity mobility
Glance Digital Experience	Digital tourism content and responsible visitor messaging
Eicher Group Foundation	Community-led, heritage-based sustainable tourism in the Himalayan region
MakeMyTrip	Promotion of unexplored villages, local shopping and Ministry-identified travel initiatives

The Ministry stated that the collaborations are non-commercial, non-financial, non-binding and non-exclusive.

What It Means for Hospitality, Travel & Tourism

The initiatives could have a significant impact on how India’s tourism supply is discovered, packaged and distributed.

For the hospitality sector, the emphasis on alternative destinations creates opportunities beyond conventional metropolitan and high-footfall tourism markets. Hotels, homestays and resorts in emerging destinations could potentially gain greater visibility through digital discovery and packaged itineraries.

The strategy also connects tourism promotion with local experiences, creating opportunities for:

• Hotels and homestays in emerging destinations
• Restaurants and local food businesses showcasing regional cuisine
• Tour operators and DMCs developing destination packages
• Local guides and experience providers
• Artisans and community enterprises
• Transport operators connecting lesser-known destinations
• Wellness, adventure, heritage and cultural tourism businesses

The focus on carrying capacity and visitor data also signals a move towards more managed destination growth, rather than simply increasing tourist numbers.

Industry Takeaway

Dekho Apna Desh 2.0 and the National Digital Tourism Stack together point towards a more distributed and digitally enabled tourism ecosystem. For hospitality and travel businesses, the opportunity is not limited to attracting more visitors but also to becoming part of integrated, bookable destination experiences that connect accommodation, transport, food and local activities.

The planned January 2027 pilot of the National Digital Tourism Stack will be an important next step in understanding how this digital infrastructure translates into actual discoverability and bookings for tourism businesses across India.