Organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in association with the Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan and FICCI — and supported by HRAR, IHHA, and RATO — GITB 2026 brought together the full spectrum of India’s tourism ecosystem under one roof, generating significant business, policy dialogue, and global visibility for the sector.
The concluding day of GITB 2026 witnessed continued high-impact B2B engagements and exhibition activity, capping a three-day event that delivered on its promise of connecting global demand with India’s diverse supply. Across the three days, the event facilitated over 10,000+ structured B2B meetings between international Foreign Tour Operators (FTOs) and domestic sellers — a testament to the quality and depth of engagement that GITB has come to represent.
The 2026 edition drew 195+ foreign buyers from over 50 countries, alongside 9 State Tourism Boards and 225+ hotels and tour operators from across India — underscoring the event’s scale and international resonance. Together, these participants reflected not just the breadth of India’s inbound tourism offering, but the genuine commercial appetite that exists for it globally.
The 15th edition of The Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB) 2026 also saw the presentation of Best Stall Awards across two categories:
| Category | Winner | 1st Runner Up | 2nd Runner Up |
| Best Stall – Public Sector | Odisha Tourism | Chhattisgarh Tourism | Madhya Pradesh Tourism |
| Best Stall – Private Sector | Eight Continents Hotels & Resorts | The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group | Yellow Light Hospitality |
Inaugurated on April 26 at Jai Mahal Palace, GITB 2026 opened with a strong statement of ambition. Diya Kumari, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, set the tone by reaffirming the state’s commitment to positioning Rajasthan as a world-class, experience-led destination. Senior policymakers Suman Billa, Additional Secretary and Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India; V. Srinivas, Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan; Shuchi Tyagi, Secretary – Tourism, Government of Rajasthan; Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Past President FICCI & CMD, The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group; and Anant Swarup, Secretary General, FICCI; Rukmani Riar, Commissioner – Tourism, Government of Rajasthan and Surender Singh Shekhawat, Co-Chair FICCI Rajasthan State Council, all reiterated India’s commitment to doubling tourism’s contribution to GDP from 5.22% to 10% in alignment with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision.
The event also witnessed the release of the EY–FICCI Report ‘Reimagining Inbound Tourism in India: Towards Incredible India 4.0’ — urging India’s shift from a country of many destinations to a destination of infinite experiences. It flagged MICE, wellness, event tourism, and women-centric travel as high-growth frontiers, and recommended reducing GST on premium hotel stays from 18% to 9%, projecting international visitor spending to reach US$ 2.95 trillion by 2034.
The second day commenced with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at JECC by Diya Kumari, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, and Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Shuchi Tyagi, Secretary – Tourism, Government of Rajasthan; Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Past President, FICCI & CMD, The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group and Rohan Khaunte, Hon’ble Tourism Minister of Goa, formally opening the exhibition and B2B sessions. The day was further marked by the maiden Travel & Tourism Excellence Awards — spanning 23 national and 11 Rajasthan-specific categories — celebrating the industry’s finest across hospitality, technology, tour operations, sustainability, and destination management, adjudicated by an eminent jury comprising Arvind Singh IAS (Retd.), Ravi Gosain (President, IATO), Meena Bhatia (Vice President & GM, Le Meridien), Ankush Nijhawan (Co-Founder, TBO.com), and Lakshmi Sarath (Author & Travel Blogger).
In a momentous recognition of dedication and distinguished contribution to the success and growth of the GITB 2026, several stalwarts of the tourism and hospitality industry were felicitated at the event. Among those honoured were Bhim Singh, Chief Patron of the Rajasthan Association of Tour Operators (RATO); Dipak Deva, Managing Director of Travel Corporation India; Surendra Singh Shekhawat, Co-Chairman of the FICCI Rajasthan State Council; Kuldeep Singh Chandela, Past President of both RATO and HRAR and a key figure in the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR); Mahendra Singh, President of RATO; Mohan Singh, Past Secretary of RATO; Khalid Khan, Patron of RATO; and Hemant Mittal, Senior Vice President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Rajasthan (HRAR). A special posthumous tribute was also paid to Late Randhir Vikram Singh Mandawa, Former Chairperson of the FICCI Rajasthan Council, in heartfelt acknowledgement of his invaluable and lasting contributions to the industry.
In its 15th edition, GITB has firmly established itself as India’s most consequential inbound tourism B2B platform — one that goes well beyond trade facilitation to shape policy thinking, drive state-level competition, and catalyse long-term investment. This year’s edition, with its expanded international buyer base, record B2B meeting count, maiden awards ceremony, and a landmark industry report, has set a new benchmark for what a tourism trade event can achieve.
With tourism contributing approximately ₹21 trillion to India’s GDP and supporting over 46 million jobs, and with the sector’s ambitions pointing toward a $3 trillion economy by 2047, platforms like GITB are not just mirrors of the industry — they are engines of its advancement.
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