Prime Minister of India has announced the year 2025 to be the ASEAN-India Year of tourism and has renewed the commitment of India to enhance its cultural, economic and tourism relations with the ASEAN countries. This bold proclamation outlines the role of tourism in improving people-to-people connectivity, mutual prosperity and strengthen bonds of friendship between India and the ASEAN countries.
Under this new initiative of enhancing relations, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), Government of India, has been given the mandate to organize the Indian participation in the highly regarded International Tourism Expo (ITE) Vietnam 2025, to be held between 4th and 6th September 2025 in the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. IRCTC is establishing an exclusive ASEAN-India pavilion that will showcase a wide range of tourism products that India has to offer to the world including the rich cultural heritage of the country, spiritual and wellness packages, natural scenery, adventure activities and luxury travel products in the form of IRCTC luxury trains that are the best in the world namely the Maharajas express, the Golden Chariot and the Buddhist circuit luxury AC train besides the tourism scenery and attractions of the ASEAN nations. Sh. Vipra Pandey, Consul General of India, opened the ASEAN India pavilion at Ho Chi Minh city. Depending on the importance of the event, Vipra Pandey, Consul General of India, Ho Chi Minh City.
As the prelude to this new collaboration and the celebration of 2025 as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism, IRCTC in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs spearheaded a solid group of tourism sector players in India and ASEAN states at PATA Travel Mart 2025 in Bangkok, a new dawn in cross-cultural and tourism cooperation between India and ASEAN nations. The ASEAN-India pavilion located in Bangkok was opened by the Indian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, Sh. Nagesh Singh, which gave an added momentum to the effort of MEA and IRCTC in fostering Indo-ASEAN cross-cultural and tourism relationships. To continue with this mission a Road Show was also held in Thailand on 28th August 2025 during which the representatives of the travel and tourism industry were also present, and it was also such a big success.
The Indian delegation to ITE Vietnam is led by IRCTC, and includes leading tourism GSAs, state tourism board officers, and representatives of the ASEAN countries, both as tourism trade and tourism policy making bodies. This collective involvement of India and ASEAN nations represents the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to grow together and to tourism cooperate. In addition to the set-up of the ASEAN-India Pavilion, IRCTC has also been charged with the responsibility of handling the full logistics of the Indian delegation. In addition, IRCTC is hosting ASEAN-India Tourism Road Show in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam where, a wide range of Indo-ASEAN tourism products are going to be exhibited in front of an audience that will include various travel trade bodies, tour operators and industry stakeholders. This road show will be timely meeting to assist the delegation to be able to interact directly with the top local travel agents and tour operators in collaboration with the trade and establishment of new business partnerships.
The announcement of the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism by the Hon Prime Minister of India is a breakthrough event to endorse India as a global tourism destination among various customer segments. The recent establishment of the ASEAN-India Pavilion in ITE Ho Chi Minh City has created new channels of promoting culture and tourism between India and the ASEAN countries and has acted as a catalyst to opening the gates of future growth and prosperity. Not only has this initiative enhanced regional connectivity, but it has also established relationships of mutual trust, friendship and cooperation, thus providing a platform on which tourism-based development and sustainable development can be achieved by both India and ASEAN in the future.
