India and Italy Hold 2nd Joint Working Group on Tourism

India and Italy have agreed to deepen their cooperation in tourism at the second India-Italy Joint Working Group (JWG) on Tourism, held on 29 September 2026. The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism of India, and Ms. Emanuela Tripi, Secretary-General in the Ministry of Tourism of Italy.

Who took part

The Indian delegation drew officials from the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of External Affairs, together with the Embassy of India in Rome and the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO). The Italian side was represented by senior officials of its Ministry of Tourism, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Embassy of Italy in New Delhi and ENIT, the Italian National Tourism Board. Bringing the private sector body and the two national tourism organisations to the same table was intended to link industry to government on both sides.

Areas taken up

• Exchange of tourism data between the two countries
• Promotion of lesser-known destinations
• Cine-tourism, that is, drawing visitors through film shooting and film locations
• Destination twinning, pairing places in the two countries for joint promotion
• Skilling and capacity building for the tourism workforce
• Stronger business-to-business engagement between operators

What was decided

As the main outcome of the meeting, the two sides agreed to set up focused technical groups and to name points of contact so that each identified area moves ahead and engagement between the relevant stakeholders continues without a gap between formal meetings. The delegations also discussed how tourism cooperation could be shaped around the proposed India-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism 2027, which is expected to become the vehicle for a larger exchange of cultural and tourism activity between the two countries.

Why it matters

Italy is among the world's leading tourist destinations and a significant source market for India, while India's heritage, wellness and film-location offerings are of growing interest to European travellers. A Joint Working Group gives the relationship an institutional shape: instead of one-off promotional campaigns, the two governments now have a standing forum with named officials, agreed subject areas and a follow-up mechanism. For aspirants, the meeting is a good example of tourism being used as an instrument of bilateral diplomacy, and the terms cine-tourism and destination twinning are worth remembering as concepts in their own right.