Government Unveils Digital Public Infrastructure Initiative for Tourism Sector

India's tourism sector is getting a new digital platform aimed at bringing different travel services into one connected ecosystem, as per news reports. The Ministry of Tourism has partnered with ONDC to develop the National Digital Tourism Stack, with support from ICDIA. 

The project targets 23,000 listings by the end of 2028, including 14,000 tourism experiences and 9,000 homestays. The government plans to roll it out in stages, starting with development work later this year. 

Tourism Services to Be Connected 

The digital infrastructure is being designed to help tourists discover and book a wider range of services through participating platforms. It will include features such as verified supplier details, search, payments, ratings, and grievance redressal. 

The initiative is also intended to bring lesser-known experiences online, including those that currently have little or no digital presence. 

Pilot To Begin in 2027 

According to Tourism Secretary Bhuvnesh Kumar, preparation and development will run from October to December 2026. The pilot phase will follow between January and June 2027, when the first group of experiences and homestays is expected to go live. 

The nationwide onboarding phase is planned from July 2027 through December 2028. 

AI and “One Ticket, One Pass” Vision 

Kumar said AI will form part of the front end of the project. He described the broader vision as “One ticket, One pass”, referring to a more unified journey covering services that tourists currently book separately. 

The stated aim is for travel planning and the trip itself to become easier, safer and available in the traveller's preferred language. 

Five Tourism Partnerships Signed 

The ministry also exchanged five MoUs with Airbnb, FlixBus, Glance Digital Experience, Eicher Group Foundation and MakeMyTrip. 

The partnerships cover areas including homestay development, destination promotion, digital tourism content, community-led heritage tourism and promotion of unexplored villages and local shopping. 

Government Seeks Wider Tourism Participation 

Tourism Minister Gajendra Shekhawat said the next phase of tourism should create opportunities beyond popular destinations for local communities, entrepreneurs, women and youth. 

The government also launched the Mission for Redistribution of Tourism Demand Promotion of Lesser-known Destinations and Dekho Apna Desh 2.0. 

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Conclusion 

The National Digital Tourism Stack is planned as a phased digital infrastructure for bringing tourism experiences and homestays onto a shared ecosystem. Its onboarding programme is scheduled to continue through December 2028. 

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