The Ministry of Tourism on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Air India to jointly promote India as a preferred global tourism destination under the Incredible India brand, marking a strategic collaboration to strengthen the country’s international tourism outreach.
The MoU was signed in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The event was attended by Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism; Suman Billa, Additional Secretary and Director General (Tourism); Harikishore S, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism; Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India; and P. Balaji, Group Head – Governance, Risk, Compliance and Corporate Affairs, Air India, along with senior officials from both organisations.
The collaboration aims to combine the Ministry’s destination promotion initiatives with Air India’s extensive domestic and international network to enhance India’s visibility as a tourism destination, strengthen inbound tourism and position the country as a global transit and travel hub.
According to the Ministry, the partnership is non-commercial, non-binding and non-exclusive, with no financial commitment from either party.
Under the agreement, the Tourism Ministry and Air India will work together on tourism promotion, destination branding, content development, international marketing and stakeholder engagement. Both organisations will leverage their digital platforms, global networks and outreach capabilities to promote India as a world-class tourism destination and support efforts to increase international tourist arrivals.
The two sides will also undertake joint global promotional campaigns under the Incredible India brand and explore co-branded marketing initiatives and destination storytelling across digital and offline platforms. Tourism-related content highlighting India’s attractions will be developed and showcased through Air India’s customer touchpoints, including its in-flight entertainment systems.
The collaboration also envisages closer engagement with State Tourism Boards and other tourism stakeholders to promote destinations across the country. In addition, the Tourism Ministry and Air India will explore branding opportunities across the airline’s platforms, including aircraft livery, boarding passes and in-flight media, subject to feasibility and mutual agreement.
To oversee the implementation of the partnership, a Joint Working Group comprising representatives from the Tourism Ministry and Air India will be constituted. The group will identify new areas of collaboration and periodically review the progress of activities undertaken under the MoU.
The agreement will remain valid for an initial period of two years and may be extended by one additional year with the mutual consent of both parties.
The Ministry said the partnership is expected to provide a structured framework for expanding India’s global tourism outreach, enhancing destination visibility and offering international travellers greater opportunities to discover the country’s diverse tourism experiences through coordinated promotional efforts.
