India is launching a new initiative to boost foreign tourism by offering one lakh free visas, as announced by Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on World Tourism Day. The initiative also includes appointing local residents as tourism ambassadors—known as Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi—at 50 key destinations. This dual effort aims to enhance India's reputation as a year-round tourist destination, especially in light of slower-than-expected growth in foreign tourist arrivals, which reached 4.78 million from January to June 2024, still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels.

The government's previous offer of five lakh free visas in 2021 aimed to revive the tourism sector after the pandemic, but foreign arrivals have not met global averages. Shekhawat emphasized that India has improved its tourism infrastructure and digital initiatives, highlighted by the successful hosting of the G-20 summit last year. The Paryatan Mitra and Didi program, which began as a pilot in six locations, has trained local cab drivers, hotel staff, and street vendors in hospitality.

The tourism industry's response has been positive, with stakeholders like Aashish Gupta, CEO of the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality, urging for strong international marketing to complement the free visa initiative. Rajiv Mehra, President of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, echoed this sentiment, advocating for targeted publicity efforts in key markets such as the UK, US, Canada, France, and Italy to drive an increase in foreign tourist arrivals.