# Ministry of Tourism (India)

The Ministry of Tourism, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex body for the formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to the development and promotion of tourism in India. It facilitates the Indian department of tourism. The head of the ministry is the Minister of Tourism (India) held by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
India stole the limelight at the World Tourism Mart 2011 in London by winning two global awards - World's Leading Destination and World's Leading Tourist Board, Incredible India.

## History

The potential for tourism in India was first recognized with the setting up of a Tourist Traffic Committee, an ad-hoc body, in 1948, to suggest ways and means to promote tourism in India. Based on its recommendations, a tourist traffic branch was set up the following year, with regional offices in Delhi and Mumbai, and in 1951, in Kolkata and Chennai. A separate department of tourism under the government was first created on 1 March 1958, that was put under the ambit of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. It was headed by a Director General in the rank of joint secretary. Simultaneously, Tourism Development Council, an advisory body, was constituted and was chaired by the minister in charge of tourism.
After a fall in the number of tourists entering India in 1961 from the preceding year, the government constituted a committee headed by Lakshmi Kant Jha, then secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, under the Ministry of Finance, to find and examine the reasons. The committee attributed it to the Chinese aggression in the backdrop of the Sino-Indian War that year. Subsequently, as per the committee's recommendations, visa norms were liberalized, and the India Tourism Development Corporation was established in 1966 as a functional agency of the Department of Tourism. Further, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi convened a conference in October that year, the deliberations of which resulted in the creation of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. Karan Singh was appointed the first minister.
Despite his skills as an orator and scholarly knowledge in the Sanskrit language, Singh failed to take tourism on a growing path during the initial years, owing mostly to failure in getting funds for the promotion and infrastructure of tourism. He subsequently persuaded Air India to get their officers involved in promotion of tourism to India. Region-wise targets for arrivals were given and Air India chiefs were given powers to oversee the working of overseas tourist offices of India; 'Operation Europe' for the said region was later extended to other areas. Air India's failure to take this forward owing to losses in revenue "collision" of "egos of tourist officers" led to slump in the growth of tourism. Prime minister Rajiv Gandhi later took charge of the ministry before quitting in favour of other ministers who, Pran Nath Seth in Successful Tourism wrote, "felt that the tourism portfolio was a demotion", as Civil Aviation was separated from the ministry. During this time, the Tourism was tied with Commerce Ministry, and later under V. P. Singh's ministry, in 1991 with Agriculture, when it was headed by Chaudhary Devi Lal. It was again tied with Civil Aviation that year, headed by Madhavrao Scindia, before the Deve Gowda government in 1996 attached it with the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Tourism was then combined with culture portfolio when it was headed by Jagmohan. The latter was separated in 2002 and an independent ministry for tourism has been active since.

## Organisation

Statutory Professional Bodies
* National Council For Hotel Management and Catering Technology
* Institutes of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition
* Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management
Autonomous Bodies
* National Institute of Water Sports
Central Public Sector Undertakings
* India Tourism Development Corporation
* Hotel Corporation of India

## Campaigns
### Incredible India

In 2022, Ogilvy & Mather
Incredible India 2.0 was launched on September 27, 2017, by President Ram Nath Kovind, on the occasion of World Tourism Day.

### Cleanliness Index

Union Tourism Ministry is planning to introduce "Cleanliness Index" for all cities in India. This index will declare the best performers which will motivate other cities to work on this aspect of their appeal. The methodology has been already formulated and will be implemented in 6 cities on a pilot basis.

### Tourism campaign at ITB Berlin

In 2011, Indian tourism department had launched a major tourism campaign at the ITB Berlin (the world's largest travel trade show) under the guidance of Mr Sanjay Kothari and Mr Anand Kumar and Mr M.N. Javed.

## Cabinet Ministers

| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister |
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister |
| Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation ||||||||||
| 1 | | | Karan Singh (born 1931) MP for Udhampur | 16 March 1967 | 18 March 1971 | 4 years, 2 days | Indian National Congress | Indira II | Indira Gandhi |
| 1 | | | Karan Singh (born 1931) MP for Udhampur | 18 March 1971 | 9 November 1973 | 4 years, 2 days | Indian National Congress (Requisitionists) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi |
| 2 | | | Raj Bahadur (1912–1990) MP for Bharatpur | 9 November 1973 | 22 December 1976 | 3 years, 43 days | Indian National Congress (Requisitionists) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi |
| 3 | | | Kotha Raghuramaiah (1912–1979) MP for Guntur | 23 December 1976 | 24 March 1977 | 91 days | Indian National Congress (Requisitionists) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi |
| 4 | | | Purushottam Kaushik (1930–2017) MP for Raipur | 26 March 1977 | 15 July 1979 | 2 years, 111 days | Janata Party | Desai | Morarji Desai |
| – | | | Morarji Desai (1896–1995) MP for Surat (Prime Minister) | 15 July 1979 | 28 July 1979 | 13 days | Janata Party | Desai | Morarji Desai |
| 5 | | | Mohammad Shafi Qureshi (1928–2016) MP for Anantnag | 30 July 1979 | 14 January 1980 | 168 days | Janata Party (Secular) | Charan Singh | Charan Singh |
| 6 | | | Janaki Ballabh Patnaik (1927–2015) MP for Cuttack | 14 January 1980 | 7 June 1980 | 145 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi |
| 7 | | | Anant Sharma (1919–1988) Rajya Sabha MP for Bihar | 8 June 1980 | 2 September 1982 | 2 years, 86 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of Tourism ||||||||||
| 8 | | | Khurshed Alam Khan (1919–2013) MP for Farrukhabad (MoS, I/C) | 2 September 1982 | 14 February 1983 | 165 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation ||||||||||
| (8) | | | Khurshed Alam Khan (1919–2013) MP for Farrukhabad (MoS, I/C) | 14 February 1983 | 31 October 1984 | 1 year, 316 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi |
| (8) | | | Khurshed Alam Khan (1919–2013) MP for Farrukhabad (MoS, I/C) | 4 November 1984 | 31 December 1984 | 1 year, 316 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rajiv I | Rajiv Gandhi |
| – | | | Rajiv Gandhi (1944–1991) MP for Amethi (Prime Minister) | 31 December 1984 | 25 September 1985 | 268 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| Minister of Tourism ||||||||||
| 9 | | | H. K. L. Bhagat (1921–2005) MP for East Delhi | 25 September 1985 | 12 May 1986 | 229 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 10 | | | Mufti Mohammad Sayeed (1936–2016) Rajya Sabha MP for Jammu and Kashmir | 12 May 1986 | 15 July 1987 | 1 year, 64 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| – | | | Rajiv Gandhi (1944–1991) MP for Amethi (Prime Minister) | 15 July 1987 | 28 July 1987 | 13 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 11 | | | Jagdish Tytler (born 1944) MP for Delhi Sadar (MoS, I/C) | 28 July 1987 | 14 February 1988 | 201 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 12 | | | Mohsina Kidwai (born 1932) MP for Meerut | 14 February 1988 | 25 June 1988 | 132 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism ||||||||||
| 13 | | | Shivraj Patil (born 1935) MP for Latur (MoS, I/C) | 25 June 1988 | 2 December 1989 | 1 year, 160 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| Minister of Tourism ||||||||||
| – | | | V. P. Singh (1931–2008) MP for Fatehpur (Prime Minister) | 2 December 1989 | 5 December 1989 | 3 days | Janata Dal | Vishwanath | V. P. Singh |
| 14 | | | Arun Nehru (1944–2013) MP for Bilhaur | 6 December 1989 | 10 November 1990 | 339 days | Janata Dal | Vishwanath | V. P. Singh |
| – | | | Chandra Shekhar (1927–2007) MP for Ballia (Prime Minister) | 10 November 1990 | 21 November 1990 | 11 days | Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) | Chandra Shekhar | Chandra Shekhar |
| 15 | | | Chaudhary Devi Lal (1915–2001) MP for Sikar (Deputy Prime Minister) | 21 November 1990 | 21 June 1991 | 212 days | Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) | Chandra Shekhar | Chandra Shekhar |
| Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism ||||||||||
| 16 | | | Madhavrao Scindia (1945–2001) MP for Gwalior | 21 June 1991 | 9 January 1993 | 1 year, 202 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 17 | | | Ghulam Nabi Azad (born 1949) Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra | 9 January 1993 | 16 May 1996 | 3 years, 128 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 18 | | | V. Dhananjay Kumar (1951–2019) MP for Mangalore | 1 May 1996 | 16 May 1996 | 16 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee I | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Minister of Tourism ||||||||||
| 19 | | | C. M. Ibrahim (born 1948) Rajya Sabha MP for Karnataka | 1 June 1996 | 29 June 1996 | 28 days | Janata Dal | Deve Gowda | H. D. Deve Gowda |
| 20 | | | Srikant Kumar Jena (born 1950) MP for Kendrapara | 29 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 296 days | Janata Dal | Deve Gowda | H. D. Deve Gowda |
| 20 | | | Srikant Kumar Jena (born 1950) MP for Kendrapara | 21 April 1997 | 19 March 1998 | 296 days | Janata Dal | Gujral | Inder Kumar Gujral |
| 21 | | | Madan Lal Khurana (1936–2018) MP for Delhi Sadar | 19 March 1998 | 30 January 1999 | 317 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee II | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 22 | | | Ananth Kumar (1959–2018) MP for Bangalore South | 30 January 1999 | 13 October 1999 | 256 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee II | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 23 | | | Uma Bharti (born 1959) MP for Bhopal (MoS, I/C) | 13 October 1999 | 2 February 2000 | 112 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| (22) | | | Ananth Kumar (1959–2018) MP for Bangalore South | 2 February 2000 | 27 May 2000 | 115 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Minister of Tourism and Culture ||||||||||
| (22) | | | Ananth Kumar (1959–2018) MP for Bangalore South | 27 May 2000 | 1 September 2001 | 1 year, 97 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Minister of Tourism ||||||||||
| 24 | | | Jagmohan (1927–2021) MP for New Delhi | 1 September 2001 | 18 November 2001 | 78 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Minister of Tourism and Culture ||||||||||
| (24) | | | Jagmohan (1927–2021) MP for New Delhi | 18 November 2001 | 22 May 2004 | 2 years, 186 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Minister of Tourism ||||||||||
| 25 | | | Renuka Chowdhury (born 1954) MP for Khammam (MoS, I/C) | 23 May 2004 | 29 January 2006 | 1 year, 251 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan I | Manmohan Singh |
| 26 | | | Ambika Soni (born 1942) Rajya Sabha MP for Punjab | 29 January 2006 | 22 May 2009 | 3 years, 113 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan I | Manmohan Singh |
| 27 | | | Selja Kumari (born 1962) MP for Ambala | 28 May 2009 | 19 January 2011 | 1 year, 236 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | Manmohan Singh |
| 28 | | | Subodh Kant Sahay (born 1951) MP for Ranchi | 19 January 2011 | 27 October 2012 | 1 year, 282 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | Manmohan Singh |
| 29 | | | K. Chiranjeevi (born 1955) Rajya Sabha MP for Andhra Pradesh (MoS, I/C) | 28 October 2012 | 26 May 2014 | 1 year, 210 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | Manmohan Singh |
| 30 | | | Shripad Naik (born 1952) MP for North Goa (MoS, I/C) | 27 May 2014 | 9 November 2014 | 166 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi |
| 31 | | | Mahesh Sharma (born 1959) MP for Gautam Buddh Nagar (MoS, I/C) | 9 November 2014 | 3 September 2017 | 2 years, 298 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi |
| 32 | | | Alphons Kannanthanam (born 1953) Rajya Sabha MP for Rajasthan | 3 September 2017 | 30 May 2019 | 1 year, 269 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi |
| 33 | | | Prahlad Singh Patel (born 1960) MP for Damoh (MoS, I/C) | 31 May 2019 | 7 July 2021 | 2 years, 37 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | Narendra Modi |
| 34 | | | G. Kishan Reddy (born 1964) MP for Secunderabad | 7 July 2021 | 11 June 2024 | 2 years, 340 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | Narendra Modi |
| 35 | | | Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (born 1967) MP for Jodhpur | 11 June 2024 | Incumbent | 268 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi III | Narendra Modi |

## Ministers of State

| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister |
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister |
| Minister of State for Tourism and Civil Aviation ||||||||||
| 1 | | | Sarojini Mahishi (1927–2015) MP for Dharwad North | 2 May 1971 | 9 November 1973 | 2 years, 191 days | Indian National Congress (Requisitionists) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi |
| 2 | | | Surendra Pal Singh (1917–2009) MP for Bulandshahr | 10 October 1974 | 23 December 1976 | 2 years, 74 days | Indian National Congress (Requisitionists) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of State for Tourism and Civil Aviation ||||||||||
| 3 | | | P. Ankineedu Prasada Rao (1929–1997) MP for Bapatla | 4 August 1979 | 14 January 1980 | 163 days | Indian National Congress (Urs) | Charan Singh | Charan Singh |
| 4 | | | Kartik Oraon (1924–1981) MP for Lohardaga | 14 January 1980 | 8 June 1980 | 146 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi |
| 5 | | | Chandulal Chandrakar (1920–1995) MP for Durg | 8 June 1980 | 15 January 1982 | 1 year, 221 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi |
| 6 | | | Khurshed Alam Khan (1919–2013) MP for Farrukhabad | 15 January 1982 | 2 September 1982 | 230 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of State for Tourism and Civil Aviation ||||||||||
| 7 | | | Ashok Gehlot (born 1951) MP for Jodhpur | 31 December 1984 | 25 August 1985 | 237 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| Minister of State for Tourism ||||||||||
| 8 | | | Ghulam Nabi Azad (born 1949) MP for Washim | 25 September 1985 | 12 May 1986 | 229 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 9 | | | Santosh Mohan Dev (1934–2017) MP for Silchar | 12 May 1986 | 28 July 1987 | 1 year, 278 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 10 | | | Giridhar Gamang (born 1943) MP for Koraput | 14 February 1988 | 25 June 1988 | 132 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rajiv II | Rajiv Gandhi |
| Minister of State for Tourism ||||||||||
| 11 | | | Usha Sinha (born 1946) MP for Vaishali | 21 November 1990 | 10 April 1991 | 140 days | Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) | Chandra Shekhar | Chandra Shekhar |
| Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Tourism ||||||||||
| 12 | | | M. O. H. Farook (1937–2012) MP for Pondicherry (Civil Aviation, from 2 July 1992) | 21 June 1991 | 17 January 1993 | 1 year, 210 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 13 | | | Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder (1943–2006) MP for Gurdaspur (Tourism) | 2 July 1992 | 16 May 1996 | 3 years, 319 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 14 | | | G. Y. Krishnan (1929–2001) Rajya Sabha MP for Karnataka (Civil Aviation) | 15 September 1995 | 16 May 1996 | 244 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Rao | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| Minister of State for Tourism ||||||||||
| 15 | | | Omak Apang (born 1971) MP for Arunachal West | 20 March 1998 | 13 October 1999 | 1 year, 207 days | Arunachal Congress | Vajpayee II | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Minister of State for Tourism and Culture ||||||||||
| 16 | | | Vinod Khanna (1946–2017) MP for Gurdaspur | 1 July 2002 | 29 January 2003 | 212 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 17 | | | Bhavna Chikhalia (1955–2013) MP for Junagadh | 29 January 2003 | 22 May 2004 | 1 year, 114 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Minister of State for Tourism ||||||||||
| 18 | | | Kanti Singh (born 1957) MP for Arrah | 6 April 2008 | 22 May 2009 | 1 year, 46 days | Rashtriya Janata Dal | Manmohan I | Manmohan Singh |
| 19 | | | Sultan Ahmed (1953–2017) MP for Uluberia | 28 May 2009 | 22 September 2012 | 3 years, 117 days | Trinamool Congress | Manmohan II | Manmohan Singh |
| 20 | | | Shripad Naik (born 1952) MP for North Goa | 7 July 2021 | 5 June 2024 | 3 years, 242 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | Narendra Modi |
| 21 | | | Ajay Bhatt (born 1961) MP for Nainital–Udhamsingh Nagar | 7 July 2021 | 5 June 2024 | 3 years, 242 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | Narendra Modi |
| 22 | | | Suresh Gopi (born 1958) MP for Thrissur | 11 June 2024 | Incumbent | 268 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi III | Narendra Modi |

## Deputy Ministers

| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister |
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister |
| Deputy Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation ||||||||||
| 1 | | | Sarojini Mahishi (1927–2015) MP for Dharwad North | 18 March 1971 | 2 May 1971 | 45 days | Indian National Congress (Requisitionists) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi |
| 2 | | | Virbhadra Singh (1934–2021) MP for Mandi | 31 December 1976 | 24 March 1977 | 83 days | Indian National Congress (Requisitionists) | Indira III | Indira Gandhi |
| Deputy Minister for Tourism ||||||||||
| 3 | | | Ashok Gehlot (born 1951) MP for Jodhpur | 2 September 1982 | 14 February 1983 | 165 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi |
| Deputy Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation ||||||||||
| 4 | | | Ashok Gehlot (born 1951) MP for Jodhpur | 14 February 1983 | 7 February 1984 | 358 days | Indian National Congress (Indira) | Indira IV | Indira Gandhi |