Road to India@100: The future of tourism is tech

Imagine a situation where your travel booking platform is an interactive part of your holiday plans. Based on your choices, moods and aspirations, the platform could integrate and recommend destinations. Not just that, it could even give you an immersive peek into that destination—be it marvelling at the Northern Lights or the Great Barrier Reef; you could actually ‘be’ there with your travel partners in the metaverse—while sitting in your living room.

Travel and technology are all about going beyond and seeing the yet unseen. The expanse of self-service technologies has limitless potential. Indeed, technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) have already started reshaping how we look at travel. Future developments in the coming years will only accentuate this trend further. From no-contact flight boarding, our mobile phones could ensure the correct temperature of rooms and amenities customised according to preferences and health conditions at the time of hotel check-ins.

Technology has had a seminal impact on travel, and its effect will be more visible over the next 20 years, providing people with convenience, safety, and fewer touchpoints. However, we must remember that travelling is, after all, a transaction in experience. We travel for enjoyment, to discover fresh delights and mysteries, to engage with nature, and experience new joys. While technology is rapidly assisting in making that experience more complete and immersive, it will never be able to replace the actual experience of physical travel.

India, ‘the’ destination: Few countries can offer a traveller the highest mountain peaks alongside the vast blue oceans, the densest of forests, or the sandy expanses of a desert. The ancient rock-cut caves of Ajanta-Ellora, the feeling of the raw power of the cascading waterfalls of Jabalpur, the misty Jaintia Hills, the serene and mysterious Andaman Islands or the daunting Himalayas—the moments experienced here are of pure bliss that transcends the boundaries of time and technology. India offers a kaleidoscope of stunning landscapes and enriching cultures that have captivated travellers for centuries. As we mark 100 years of Independence, India needs to fall in love once again with its natural wonders. The vision to establish India as a global tourism hub must be propelled by developing and showcasing the unique and memorable experiences that this nation can offer.

However, despite this natural bounty, India is currently the 22nd most visited nation in the world. To be amongst the Top 10 by 2047, we must focus on showcasing the country’s distinct cultural heritage, preserving its majestic natural beauty, and investing in infrastructure and hospitality services to create an unparalleled experience for travellers.

Sustainability is a collective responsibility: Sustainable travel isn’t a special kind of travel—it is an attitude towards how we travel. If only we could remember that the place we visit is someone’s home, we should be able to alter many of our daily practices to be more sustainable and help those destinations be much better prepared to serve future generations. Even small decisions like carrying a water bottle or switching off the AC can have a far-reaching impact.

As we wade into the future in a world aggressively coping with the impact of climate change, one must remember that tourism has the capability to be a driver of inclusive development. Globally, airlines are already opting for innovative biofuels made from processed, used cooking oil and exploring other options such as solar power. Steps such as these help reduce the environmental impact of air travel and bring us closer to a world of clean, renewable energy.

However, no single organisation or government can create a sustainable future alone—it will take all of us. It is vital for every individual to imbibe an eco-friendly attitude towards the way they travel, by choosing eco-conscious accommodations, travelling during off-peak seasons, minimising waste and spending locally. New-age responsible travellers are making conscious choices globally, giving precedence to clean, green and sustainable places. And this is where every Indian has a role to play—to make our country a dream destination.

Create model destinations across the country: For India to climb the global ladder as a tourism hub, the private sector and the government must provide impetus to developing many sustainable new destinations. The popular tourism hotspots are already facing intense heat and we need to provide room for these over-exploited destinations to become sustainable in the long run. By 2047, India can look at developing 200 model destinations to target travellers worldwide, helping the world experience the unexplored scenic destinations of the country. Such a step will help smaller places to develop—for tourists and locals alike. The burgeoning homestay industry is already offering an opportunity for travellers to experience the most locally unique ways while touring the most beautiful parts of the country. The government must take steps to shape this pillar that exemplifies our ethos of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’.

India’s increased emphasis on building fast train systems and roads has significantly reduced travel times between cities to manageable single hours. The improved road infrastructure hasn’t just encouraged Indians to travel more within their nation but has also had positive impacts on the auto sector. Interestingly, while international travel has yet to recover fully, domestic leisure travel has crossed pre-pandemic levels. It gives policymakers a direction—our domestic tourism market has gained critical strength and we need to nurture it. In the long run, this will only help build India’s case in international markets.

In order to fully capitalise on the potential of this sector, the government must prioritise it by conferring it with “infrastructure” status and including it in the Concurrent List. This will open up the sector to much-needed investments and support from the government, allowing it to grow rapidly.

The future of tourism in India is full of promise. For the present generation of tourists, technology has already brought a revolution of discoverability and convenience. Technology is all geared to aid our future wanderlusts further, fuelling the inner adventurists to take the road less travelled with just a few mouse clicks or voice commands.

A storied life is, after all, a well-travelled one.

The writer is Founder and Chairman of MakeMyTrip