2nd India–Italy Joint Working Group identifies priority areas including lesser-known destinations, tourism data, skilling and the proposed 2027 Year of Culture and Tourism

Posted On: 29 September 2026 | PIB Delhi

India and Italy have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in tourism, with cine-tourism, destination twinning, lesser-known destinations, skilling and industry-to-industry engagement emerging as key areas of collaboration.

The agreement was reached at the 2nd India–Italy Joint Working Group (JWG) on Tourism, held in New Delhi on September 29 and co-chaired by Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and Ms. Emanuela Tripi, Secretary-General, Ministry of Tourism, Italy.

Key Highlights

• India and Italy agree to deepen bilateral tourism cooperation.
• Focus areas include cine-tourism and destination twinning.
• Both sides will explore promotion of lesser-known destinations.
• Tourism data exchange to support greater cooperation.
• Skilling and capacity building identified as priority areas.
• Greater B2B engagement between tourism stakeholders planned.
• Focused technical groups and designated points of contact to be established.
• Discussions also covered the proposed India–Italy Year of Culture and Tourism 2027.

Cine-Tourism and Destination Twinning on the Agenda

The Joint Working Group discussed several areas where greater institutional and industry cooperation could strengthen tourism flows between India and Italy.

Cine-tourism was identified as one of the areas for further engagement, reflecting the role of film and screen content in showcasing destinations and influencing travel interest.

The two countries also discussed destination twinning, which can create structured partnerships between destinations and support joint cultural, tourism and promotional initiatives.

The promotion of lesser-known destinations was another key area, aligning with India’s wider strategy of distributing tourism demand beyond established hotspots.

New Technical Groups to Drive Cooperation

A key outcome of the meeting was the decision to establish focused technical groups and designate points of contact to take forward the areas identified during the discussions.

The framework is intended to facilitate continued engagement between government agencies, tourism bodies and industry stakeholders rather than limiting cooperation to periodic bilateral meetings.

Representatives from India’s Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of External Affairs, Embassy of India in Rome and the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) participated in the discussions.

The Italian delegation included officials from Italy’s Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Embassy of Italy in New Delhi and ENIT, the Italian National Tourism Board.

India–Italy Year of Culture and Tourism 2027

The two sides also discussed tourism cooperation in connection with the proposed India–Italy Year of Culture and Tourism 2027.

The initiative could provide an additional platform for cultural exchange, destination promotion and tourism-industry engagement between the two countries.

What It Means for Hospitality, Travel & Tourism

For India’s hospitality and travel industry, stronger India–Italy tourism cooperation could create opportunities across both inbound tourism and outbound travel markets.

The focus on cine-tourism and destination twinning could encourage tourism boards, hotels, tour operators and destination-management companies to develop specialised experiences and cross-market promotional campaigns.

Potential areas of industry relevance include:

• Inbound Italian tourism to India, particularly through cultural and experiential travel.
• Cine-tourism products built around film locations and storytelling.
• Destination partnerships between Indian and Italian tourism markets.
• Greater opportunities for tour operators and DMCs through B2B engagement.
• Hotel and hospitality partnerships linked to cultural and destination promotion.
• Joint skilling and capacity-building initiatives for tourism professionals.
• Promotion of lesser-known Indian destinations to international travellers.

Industry Takeaway

The India–Italy tourism dialogue is moving towards a more structured model of cooperation, with technical groups, designated points of contact and industry engagement planned to take forward specific areas.

With the proposed India–Italy Year of Culture and Tourism 2027 on the horizon, the collaboration could provide a platform for stronger cultural tourism, cine-tourism, destination promotion and business partnerships between the two countries.