India Holds Talks with Germany and Indonesia to Boost Connectivity and Two-Way Travel.
With 260,000 foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in 2025, Germany continues to be one of India’s most significant tourism markets, according to Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
The Indian government’s Ministry of Tourism took part in ITB Berlin 2026, which took place at Messe Berlin, Germany, from March 3–5. A sizable group of Indian tour operators, hoteliers, State Governments, Union Territories, and Destination Management Companies (DMCs) took part. Ajit Gupte, the Indian ambassador to India, accompanied Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Crucially, the Union Minister of Tourism held fruitful bilateral talks with Dr. Christoph Ploß, Federal Government Commissioner for Tourism, Germany, and Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, Minister of Tourism, Indonesia, to improve people-to-people relations. Improving tourism flows, increasing eco-friendly travel, increasing aviation connections, and strengthening interpersonal relationships between the countries were the main topics of discussion. Additionally, the Union Minister spoke with UN Tourism Secretary General Shaikha Al Nowais about methods to promote regenerative tourism and sustainable tourism growth.
Germany continues to be one of India’s most significant tourism partners, Shekhawat said during the press conference. With 260,000 foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) from Germany in 2025, Germany is India’s eighth-largest source market for tourists.
The Union Minister of Tourism unveiled two Netflix-curated short films at ITB Berlin. One film highlights India’s lively culture, living customs, festivals, and timeless legacy, while the other highlights the rich tastes and variety of Indian cuisine. The Ministry of Tourism has teamed with Netflix to showcase Indian locations to worldwide audiences. Over the course of the year, Incredible India and Netflix will collaborate to create ten brief promotional videos.
The India Pavilion at ITB 2026 highlighted the nation’s diverse tourism landscape, spiritual and wellness, wedding, adventure, ecotourism, and gourmet travel, as well as its rich kaleidoscope of cultures, languages, and traditions. The Pavilion’s subject was India’s distinctive and varied tourism experiences.
In order to promote their newest travel destinations and products to the global market, the state governments of Rajasthan, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Union Territories (UTs) of Ladakh, Andaman, and Nicobar Islands, as well as IRCTC, participated in ITB. In order to highlight India’s rich cultural diversity as well as the wide variety of travel-related goods and immersive experiences, 42 stakeholders from the Indian travel industry and state governments co-exhibited at the India Pavilion. The stakeholders formed new relationships with their overseas counterparts and held productive commercial talks. The significant presence demonstrated India’s strategic objective of increasing inbound tourism and positioning the nation as a top 365-day international vacation destination.
