Incredible India tourism campaign launched in Kuwait

An Incredible India tourism promotion campaign was launched at Kuwait Towers to mark the first anniversary of the India-Kuwait Strategic Partnership, coincided with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Kuwait on December 21–22, 2024.

The launch event was attended by India’s Ambassador-designate to Kuwait, Paramita Tripathi and Anwar Al-Hulaila, chief executive of the Touristic Enterprises Company, along with travel agencies, tour operators and members of the Indian community.

As part of the campaign, Tripathi and Al-Hulaila flagged off 20 buses that will operate across Kuwait for a month, promoting India’s tourism offerings. The buses feature destinations and experiences including white-water rafting in Rishikesh, wildlife tourism at Gir Forest National Park, Kerala’s backwaters and luxury rail journeys on the Maharajas’ Express.

Other locations highlighted include Munnar’s tea estates, Nubra Valley in Ladakh, Gulmarg in Kashmir and heritage sites such as Charminar, Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal. The campaign aims to raise awareness of India’s tourism diversity among residents across Kuwait.

The Indian Embassy said Kuwait remains a key partner in India’s tourism outreach. Measures such as e-visa facilities for Kuwaiti citizens have eased travel procedures, and the embassy continues to coordinate with Kuwaiti tourism stakeholders to promote travel to India, particularly ahead of the holiday season.

The Kuwait-wide campaign also includes a social media initiative encouraging residents to photograph the Incredible India buses and share the images online using a campaign hashtag. Participants will be entered into a lucky draw, extending the campaign’s reach across digital platforms.

Following the launch, Tripathi planted a neem sapling at Kuwait Towers as part of the ‘Plant for Mother’ initiative introduced by Prime Minister Modi on World Environment Day in 2024. The initiative encourages tree planting in honour of mothers and has resulted in more than 1.4 billion saplings planted worldwide.

India’s tourism sector continues to attract large visitor numbers. In 2024, the country recorded about 20.94 million foreign tourists, alongside nearly 3 billion domestic tourist trips. India offers a wide range of landscapes, from the Himalayas and Ladakh to Rajasthan’s desert, island destinations, wildlife reserves, beaches, lakes and waterfalls. The country is home to 44 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 96 Ramsar sites.

Tourism contributes about 5.2 percent to India’s GDP based on 2023–24 figures, supporting millions of jobs and generating foreign exchange earnings. Over the past decade, India has invested around $1 billion in tourism infrastructure, focusing on destination development, tourism circuits, major projects and rural tourism.