Tourism as a transformational force

There was a time when travel was all about checking boxes of how many places you could squeeze into an itinerary, or how many pictures you could take in front of famous monuments.

- CHAITANYA K PRASAD

But that's changed. Travel today is about something else entirely. It's about what the journey does to you. And in that quiet, powerful shift, India is finding its moment.

This isn't just a country you visit. This is a country that stays with you. India isn't trying to compete with the world on spectacle because it doesn't have to. What it offers is something much harder to find: depth, soul and meaning. And that's exactly what more and more travelers seem to be looking for. From someone recovering in a hospital bed in Kerala to a young student arriving for a semester in Delhi, from a pilgrim lighting a diya by the Ganga to a filmmaker capturing a sunrise in Sikkim, India is shaping stories, not just vacations.

The numbers reflect this intent. In the Union Budget 2025-26, the government set aside Rs 2541.06 crore for tourism a strong, clear message that this sector isn't just about revenue anymore. It's about identity. It's about how we present ourselves to the world, how we open our doors not just to guests, but to fellow seekers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi summed it up in a way that really stayed with me: "Tourism in India is not just about sightseeing. It is about discovering the soul of a nation."