Tourist destinations, not government assets

India's tourism industry is shifting focus from simply identifying destinations to creating integrated, visitor-centric experiences. While the country has long utilized public-private partnerships (PPPs) to build hotels and resorts, the next challenge is to create PPPs that manage entire destinations. This requires private sector involvement in planning, designing experiences, managing heritage sites, providing transport, and developing food and retail offerings.

The key is to move beyond individual asset ownership to partnerships that manage the entire visitor journey. This includes leveraging PPP models that have worked in aviation, such as Delhi and Mumbai airport partnerships, and adapting them to destinations. Successful tourism PPPs require government to ensure projects are viable, risks are mitigated, and private partners have clear investment opportunities.

Not all tourism PPPs are the same - a greenfield resort may need a development concession, while an existing government hotel might work better as a long-term lease. The goal is to turn India's vast tourism assets into cohesive, visitor-focused destinations through strategic PPPs.