Nakul Anand, Chairman of the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH), has laid out an ambitious vision for India’s tourism sector. Speaking at the ‘Travel for LiFE’ initiative launched by the Ministry of Tourism on World Tourism Day, Anand outlined a plan to create a $3 trillion tourism GDP for India by 2047. This vision includes attracting 100 million foreign tourist arrivals, hosting 20 billion domestic tourism visits, and generating more than 200 million direct and indirect tourism-related jobs.
Anand emphasized the importance of sustainability in achieving these goals and highlighted the Ministry of Tourism’s ‘Travel for Life’ initiative as a significant driver for sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry.
India, according to Anand, has made substantial progress in reshaping its tourism sector to prioritize eco-friendliness, youth-friendliness, and sustainability. He pointed to the introduction of the G20 Tourism and Sustainable Development Goals dashboard as a valuable tool for accountability and tracking progress toward sectoral goals by 2030.
Anand acknowledged the growing global concern about climate change and the need for industries, including tourism, to adopt more sustainable practices. He noted that the tourism sector has the potential to lead in responsible and sustainable development, despite its complex relationship with the environment. However, he also stressed the industry’s challenge in balancing economic development with ecological preservation.
Anand pointed out that the current travel and tourism model is unsustainable, contributing to an estimated 5.2 gigatons of carbon emissions annually, which accounts for 9% to 12% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. To align with the Paris Agreement’s goals and limit global temperature increases, emissions in the industry would need to be reduced to 3.1 gigatons of carbon from the current 5.2 gigatons.
He commended the Indian government, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of Tourism, for designing ‘Travel for LiFE’ (Lifestyle for Environment) under the Mission LiFE directive, aiming to leverage tourism as a means of achieving sustainable development goals.
Anand also cited ITC Hotels as an exemplary case in the hospitality industry, demonstrating a commitment to responsible luxury and sustainable practices. ITC Hotels boasts multiple LEED Platinum, LEED Zero-Carbon, and LEED Zero-Water certifications for its properties. They have consistently surpassed UN 2030 sectoral targets, emphasizing waste recycling and renewable energy sources. ITC Hotels has even deployed innovative technology like Atmospheric Water Generators to enhance sustainability.
The ‘Travel for LiFE’ initiative, launched on World Tourism Day 2023, is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It aims to promote sustainability in the tourism sector and foster responsible practices in hospitality businesses across India. The launch event took place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 27.