WION Iconic Tourism Summit 2026: Top envoys and industry titans convene in Delhi to discuss India's travel future

The event will feature sessions on visas, mobility, tourism diplomacy, aviation, hospitality, infrastructure and technology, with experts examining how these areas can support India’s travel sector.

New Delhi will host the WION Iconic Tourism Summit and Awards 2026 on Wednesday (September 23). Policymakers, diplomats and tourism industry leaders will attend the event to discuss India’s tourism potential, changing travel trends and new business opportunities.

Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will attend the event as the chief guest, while Delhi Tourism and Art & Culture Minister Kapil Mishra will be the guest of honour. Senior representatives from the tourism, aviation and hospitality sectors will join diplomats from several countries at the summit at ITC Maurya.

The event will also recognise people who have contributed to India’s tourism and hospitality sectors. Panels during the day will cover visas and mobility, cultural ties, aviation, hospitality, tourism infrastructure and technology.

Ambassadors and high commissioners from Argentina, Greece, Suriname, Ireland, Slovakia, Cyprus, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Seychelles are scheduled to attend the summit.

Industry participants include Vikram Lalvani, MD and CEO of Sterling Holiday Resorts; Manish Puri, head of global sales at Air India and Air India Express; Jyoti Mayal, chairperson of the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council and CEO of Red Hat Communications; and Vinay Malhotra, head of strategic global partnerships at VFS Global.

India’s tourism numbers

The summit takes place at a time when travel within the country has witnessed a rapid growth, supported by domestic tourism, international travel, heritage destinations, hospitality and newer travel experiences.

Ministry of Tourism data shows that India hosted around 4.29 billion domestic tourists in 2025. The number of foreign tourist stood at 25.27 million during the year.

Tourism accounted for 5.22 per cent of India’s GDP, according to the ministry’s latest data. The sector supported around 84.63 million jobs through direct and indirect employment.

India’s heritage wealth is another major part of its tourism offering. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre lists 45 Indian properties on its World Heritage List. These include 37 cultural properties, seven natural properties and one mixed property.

Another 73 Indian sites are on UNESCO’s Tentative List. These locations offer scope for future heritage recognition and tourism development.

India’s tourism offering also includes wildlife, nature, spirituality, adventure, wellness, business and coastal travel. The range of destinations and experiences has created opportunities for businesses across hotels, airlines, travel services, visas and technology.

Diplomacy and easier travel

Titled ‘Borders without barriers: The diplomacy of visas & mobility’, the first panel discussion will examine how visa systems and international mobility affect tourism between countries.

The session will feature Seychelles High Commissioner Lalatiana Accouche, Argentine Ambassador Mariano Agustín Caucino, Suriname Ambassador Hanisha Jairam, South African High Commissioner Anil Sooklal and Sharad Gowani, head of operations, India, at the VFS Global.

A session on ‘Next-gen skills for tourism’ will follow, with Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council Chairperson Jyoti Mayal and Tribhuvan Darbari, chairman of the BIMSTEC Business Council Secretariat, India.

The second panel discussion, ‘Soft power on the move: Tourism, culture & bilateral ties’, will bring together diplomatic representatives from Ireland, Slovakia, Cyprus, Nicaragua, Greece and Sri Lanka. The panel will feature Irish Ambassador Kevin Kelly, Slovak Ambassador Robert Maxian, Cyprus High Commissioner Evagoras Vryonides, Nicaraguan Ambassador Nadeska Cuthbert, Greek Ambassador Aliki Koutsomitopoulou and Sri Lankan High Commissioner Mahishini Colonné.

Aviation, hotels and tourism infrastructure

The afternoon sessions will turn to the business side of travel, including airlines, hotels and tourism facilities.

The discussion titled ‘The business of travel: Aviation, hospitality & India's tourism infra story’ will feature Sterling Holiday Resorts MD and CEO Vikram Lalvani, Saurabh Tiwari of the IHCL, former Secretary and Former Ambassador Muktesh Pardeshi, Air India and Air India Express Head of Global Sales Manish Puri, Visit Qatar Regional Manager for APAC Ahmed Hamed Sharbak and Kamal Munasinghe, senior vice president, Colombo Hotels, and general manager of Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, Sri Lanka.

Technology will be the subject of the final panel discussion titled ‘Tech frontiers reshaping journeys’. It will feature Kairali Ayurvedic Group Executive Director Abhilash Kalathil Ramesh, EazyDiner Co-founder and CEO Sachin Pabreja, VFS Global’s Vinay Malhotra, GMR Cargo and WAISL Chief Digital Officer Achin Sharma and Anil Parashar, executive director of the InterGlobe Technology Quotient.

Delhi’s iconic ITC Maurya will host the event, which will also be broadcast on WION and its social media channels.

Bhuvnesh Kumar, secretary in the Union Ministry of Tourism, Ravi Nandan Sinha, director of strategic investments and economic partnerships at th MSME Business Forum India, Jyotsna Suri, chairperson and managing director of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, and Priya Paul are also scheduled to attend the event.

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