PM Narendra Modi declares year 2025 as the ‘ASEAN–India Year of Tourism’

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared 2025 as the “ASEAN–India Year of Tourism”, reaffirming India’s commitment to deepening cultural, economic, and tourism linkages with ASEAN nations. The initiative highlights tourism as a catalyst for people-to-people connectivity, prosperity, and friendship.

To mark this milestone, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has entrusted the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) with spearheading India’s participation at the International Tourism Expo (ITE) Vietnam 2025, scheduled from 4–6 September at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center, Ho Chi Minh City.

Ahead of this event, IRCTC, in association with MEA, led a strong delegation at PATA Travel Mart 2025 in Bangkok, symbolizing a new era in Indo–ASEAN collaboration. The Indian Ambassador to Thailand, Nagesh Singh, inaugurated the ASEAN–India Pavilion. IRCTC also organised a roadshow in Thailand on 28 August, which drew enthusiastic participation from travel and tourism stakeholders.

At ITE Vietnam, IRCTC has set up an exclusive ASEAN–India Pavilion to showcase India’s diverse offerings, including cultural heritage, wellness experiences, natural landscapes, adventure tourism, and luxury travel products such as The Maharajas’ Express, The Golden Chariot, and the Buddhist Circuit Deluxe AC Tourist Train. Tourism products from ASEAN countries are also being highlighted. The ASEAN–India Pavilion, inaugurated by Vipra Pandey, Consul General of India in Ho Chi Minh City, is complemented by an IRCTC-led tourism roadshow, fostering Indo-ASEAN industry linkages to boost regional tourism, trade collaborations, and India’s global hub positioning.