LEAD NEWS: WION ICONIC TOURISM SUMMIT 2026 MAPS OUT FUTURE OF GLOBAL TRAVEL IN NEW DELHI
(Global Leaders Convene in Delhi to Reinvent Tourism for the Next Decade)
BY DEBAJYOTI CHAKRABORTY
NEW DELHI | 25 SEPTEMBER 2026
In a major boost to the country’s travel sector, the ninth edition of the WION ICONIC Tourism Summit 2026 was successfully held at the ITC Maurya in New Delhi on September 23. Organised by Red Hat Communications—an initiative by Jyoti Mayal—in association with Zee Network and VFS Global, the landmark event brought together global leaders to chart the next decade of travel.
The summit was inaugurated by Chief Guest Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, alongside Guest of Honour Kapil Mishra, Cabinet Minister, Government of Delhi.
Centred around the theme “Reinventing Tourism: Where Technology, AI and Sustainability Are Shaping the Future of Travel,” the discussions targeted the rapidly shifting dynamics of global tourism. Key panellists addressed crucial focal points, including digital transformation, artificial intelligence, aviation expansion, destination readiness, evolving traveller expectations, and the urgent need for a future-ready workforce.
Over the years, the ICONIC summit has cemented its position as a premier baseline platform for policymakers, diplomats, aviation experts, and hospitality stakeholders. This year’s iteration built significantly on that legacy, offering actionable strategies to ensure the tourism ecosystem remains resilient, innovative, and globally competitive amidst heavy technological disruption.
Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat emphasized the expanding role of tourism in India’s economic trajectory, stating that the sector is central to the nation’s growth story. Speaking at a recent summit, Shekhawat noted that India’s tourism strategy remains deeply anchored in the traditional philosophies of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family) and “Atithi Devo Bhava” (the guest is God). He stressed that sustainable growth requires an interconnected ecosystem where infrastructure, connectivity, hospitality, technology, and local communities seamlessly collaborate to enhance the visitor experience.
The Minister highlighted a shift toward decentralised tourism, driven largely by technology and social media, which are bringing lesser-known destinations into the spotlight. While acknowledging that emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR) are transforming how travellers discover and curate their journeys, Shekhawat maintained that technology cannot replace human connection. He affirmed that travel agents, tour operators, and local enablers remain indispensable to shaping the industry.
Warning of the rapid impact of digital media, Shekhawat pointed out that a single negative review can quickly damage a destination’s global reputation. He called on all sector stakeholders to collectively prioritize quality, safety, and infrastructure. Concluding his address, the Minister reiterated that India’s extraordinary diversity offers unmatched travel potential, and urged a collaborative effort to build a resilient ecosystem that allows these experiences to flourish.
Speaking at the ICONIC Summit 2026, Delhi Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra emphasized the collective responsibility of all stakeholders in driving tourism growth across the national capital and India. Highlighting the immense potential of the Delhi-NCR region, he noted that the government is actively upgrading infrastructure, architecture, and visitor experiences. However, he stressed that transforming Delhi into a premier travel hub requires deeper private-sector collaboration, financial investments, and innovative experience-building.
He further observed that advanced technology, artificial intelligence, and social media are shifting how global travellers discover destinations. Realizing this potential depends heavily on unified action. Mishra advocated for robust public-private partnerships that merge government vision with industry expertise to create a sustainable, highly competitive tourism ecosystem. Concluding his address, he invited widespread industry collaboration and expressed appreciation for Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat‘s nationwide efforts, alignment with the central government, and PM Narendra Modi’s vision for economic prosperity.
Innovation must complement the human touch at the heart of hospitality as artificial intelligence and new technologies reshape the global traveller journey, Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) Chairperson Jyoti Mayal said.
Addressing a major industry summit as a keynote speaker, Jyoti Mayal—who also serves as the CEO of Red Hat Communications—emphasised that modern tourism has evolved far beyond simple travel. Instead, she described it as a vast ecosystem interconnecting infrastructure, technology, hospitality, culture, entrepreneurship, and local communities.
“India has a tremendous opportunity to build tourism experiences rooted in its local identity while creating livelihoods and economic opportunities for the communities that host them,” Jyoti Mayal stated.
However, unlocking this potential will require a concerted effort. Mayal called for stronger collaboration among the government, industry players, investors, and local stakeholders. She also stressed the urgent need for a sharper focus on workforce skilling and digital readiness to keep pace with rapid technological advancements.
Ultimately, Jyoti Mayal noted that the true metric of success for the sector lies beyond mere arrival statistics. The future of Indian tourism, she concluded, will be shaped by its ability to generate sustainable opportunities for local communities, grassroots entrepreneurs, and the people who drive the hospitality experience.
The 9th edition brought together several prominent industry leaders including Jyoti Mayal, Chairperson, THSC and CEO, Red Hat Communications; Tribhuvan Darbari, Chairman, BIMSTEC Business Council Secretariat, India; Ravi Nandan Sinha, Director, Strategic Investments and Economic Partnerships, MSME Business Forum India; Saurabh Tiwari, Vice President – Middle East, Maldives and Sri Lanka, IHCL (Taj Dubai); Vikram Lalvani, MD and CEO, Sterling Holiday Resorts; Manish Puri, Head of Global Sales, Air India Limited and Air India Express; Ahmed Hamed Sharbak, Regional Manager (APAC), Visit Qatar; Kamal Munasinghe, Senior VP, Colombo Hotels, Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts and General Manager, Cinnamon Life; Anil Parashar, Executive Director, ITQ Technologies Pvt. Ltd.; Vinay Malhotra, Head, Strategic Global Partnerships, VFS Global; Achin Sharma, Chief Digital Officer, WAISL (GMR Cargo); and Abhilash Kalathil Ramesh, Executive Director, Kairali Ayurvedic Group and Sharad Gowani, Head of Operations – India, VFS Global, among several other eminent industry stakeholders.
The summit also brought a strong international perspective through the participation of senior diplomatic representatives, Mariano Agustin Caucino, Ambassador of Argentina to India; Hanisha Jairam, Ambassador of Suriname to India; Lalatiana Accouche, High Commissioner of Seychelles to India; Anil Sooklal, High Commissioner of South Africa to India; Aliki Koutsomitopoulou, Ambassador of Greece to India; Kevin Kelly, Ambassador of Ireland to India; Nadeska Cuthbert, Ambassador of Nicaragua to India; Robert Maxian, Ambassador of Slovakia to India; Evagoras Vryonides, High Commissioner of Cyprus to India; Mahishini Colonné, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India; and Muktesh Pardeshi, Former Secretary and Former Ambassador to Türkiye and New Zealand. Their participation reinforced the growing importance of international partnerships in strengthening inbound tourism, outbound travel and cross-border collaboration.
Speaking on the successful completion of the 9th edition, Jyoti Mayal, visionary behind the ICONIC platform and Chairperson, Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC), said: “Today, marking the 9th edition of ICONIC is a deeply meaningful milestone. Over the years, the platform has grown into a space where leaders across sectors can come together, exchange perspectives and collectively shape the future of travel and tourism. The industry has undergone tremendous transformation, with technology, AI, sustainability and evolving traveller expectations reshaping the way tourism is experienced. As we look ahead, the opportunity lies in building a more connected and inclusive tourism ecosystem—one that brings together government, industry, investors, technology partners and local communities.
Collaboration, innovation and skilling will be central to ensuring that tourism growth creates stronger destinations, new opportunities and meaningful livelihoods. I am grateful to all the industry leaders, policymakers, diplomats and partners who have been part of the ICONIC journey and contributed to making it a meaningful platform for the industry.”
The 9th edition of WION ICONIC Tourism Summit 2026 concluded with a renewed focus on collaboration, innovation and future-readiness, while celebrating a decade of conversations, connections and ideas that have contributed to the evolving narrative of India’s travel and tourism industry.
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