Key Points

New Delhi [India], August 13 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday highlighted the vital role of tourism, trade, and technology in India's foreign engagement during the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) Conclave 2025.

He emphasised that the government is paying increasing attention to the value of this connection, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the use of the three T's - Tourism, Trade, and Technology - as benchmarks to assess foreign relationships.

"His constant message is to urge them to bring their friends along with them on their next visit to India," he said.

Jaishankar highlighted that tourism plays a crucial role in connecting nations and shaping their understanding of each other. He noted that tourism determines a nation's image in the eyes of others, making it a vital aspect of diplomacy.

"Like any domain, tourism and hospitality have a wider context, which actually brings them much closer to my line of work. Sometimes, however, we don't fully visualise the larger relevance of what we are doing to our national and international objectives," Jaishankar said.

Explaining the significance of the sector to diplomacy, he added, "My job is to engage the foreign community and advance India's interests. But I do want to say, even more than diplomacy, it is tourism that connects a nation to the world. Because not only does it shape the understanding of other countries of us, but it actually determines our own image in their eyes."

He pointed out India's sustained efforts in recent years to make heritage and culture more visible globally, with new sites regularly added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

"Almost every year, there are Indian additions to the UNESCO World Heritage list. The most recent one was the Maratha Military Landscape, and before that, the Moidams of Assam. In the last decade, this expanded list has included Shantiniketan, Hoysala heritage, Dholavira, Jaipur city, old Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Nalanda, and the Khangchendzonga National Park," he added.

Jaishankar linked cultural and tourism promotion to self-reliance and resilience, emphasising the importance of standing firmly on one's own feet in times of unpredictability. He highlighted India's strengths in its people and their self-belief, which have enabled the country to overcome adversities and address multiple challenges.

"We are a civilizational state, a society that has withstood the test of time and nurtured its culture, traditions, and heritage. Our real strengths have been our people and their self-belief. We have overcome adversities and addressed multiple challenges in the journey towards progress and prosperity. We have so much to be proud of and so much to share with the world... While we will always benefit from such openness, it is essential in times of unpredictability to stand firmly on our own feet. Atmanirbharta is, of course, the mindset to deal with global turbulence. But it is also the basis to strengthen our self-confidence, to increase our resilience, and to lay the foundation for Viksit Bharat," he said.

Jaishankar noted the growing prominence of India as a destination for medical tourism, with the "Heal in India" initiative gaining traction worldwide. The minister also spoke about the rising number of foreign students and the growing prominence of India as a destination for medical tourism.

"Heal in India is catching on in the world with an increasing number of medical tourists," Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar further noted improvements in travel infrastructure, which he said have boosted India's tourism appeal.

"The practice of e-visas has made visiting India so much more pleasant. The messaging of India to the world is clearly stronger, but it is paralleled by also making travelling in India much easier. Our airports alone have doubled in the last decade. The railways have undergone a sea change, both in terms of reach and in terms of quality. Highways have again dramatically changed, " EAM said.

- ANI