India and Italy held the 2nd Joint Working Group (JWG) on Tourism in New Delhi on 29 September 2026 to deepen travel and cultural links between the two countries. The meeting was co-chaired by Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism of India, and Emanuela Tripi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism of Italy. Both sides agreed on six practical areas of cooperation and decided to set up technical groups and contact points to carry the work forward before the proposed India Italy Year of Culture and Tourism in 2027.
What Happened at the New Delhi Meeting?
A Joint Working Group (JWG) is a small official panel set up by two countries to hold regular talks on one subject and follow up on agreed tasks. The India Italy JWG on Tourism is the dedicated channel for tourism talks between the two governments. The 2nd meeting of this group was held in New Delhi on 29 September 2026. The 1st meeting had been held earlier at the Farnesina, which is the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy in Rome.
The New Delhi meeting was co-chaired by Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism of India, and Emanuela Tripi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism of Italy. The Ministry of Tourism of India is the nodal agency for national tourism policy and coordination with states, other ministries and the private sector. The Ministry of Tourism of Italy, created in 2021, handles state functions in tourism and guides ENIT, the Italian national tourism agency.
The India Italy JWG meeting in New Delhi brought together government officials and industry voices from both sides. The broad participation shows that both countries want to link policy decisions with actual travel business on the ground.
| Side | Institutions Represented |
|---|---|
| India | Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of External Affairs, Embassy of India in Rome, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) |
| Italy | Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Embassy of Italy in New Delhi, ENIT (Italian National Tourism Board) |
The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) is the apex body of inbound tour operators in India which handles arrangements for foreign tourists visiting India. ENIT, short for Agenzia Nazionale del Turismo, is Italy’s national tourism board. ENIT was founded in 1919, is based in Rome, and promotes Italy as a destination abroad. ENIT opened its India office in Mumbai in 2003.
Six Areas Chosen for Tourism Cooperation
The India Italy JWG meeting in New Delhi identified six practical areas for joint work. The first area is exchange of tourism data. This means sharing arrival numbers, travel trends and market insights so that both tourism ministries can plan promotion and infrastructure with correct facts. Better data helps both sides decide which seasons, age groups and travel styles to target.
The second area is promotion of lesser known destinations. Both India and Italy receive large crowds in a few famous cities, while many heritage towns, villages, coasts and mountain areas remain less visited. Joint promotion can spread tourist traffic, raise local incomes and reduce pressure on popular sites. This approach also supports sustainable tourism, which aims to protect culture and environment while creating jobs.
The third area is cine-tourism, also called film tourism. Cine-tourism means travel inspired by films and television, where visitors want to see places shown on screen. It also includes attracting film crews to shoot in a country, which creates local work and later draws fans to those locations. India produces more than 1,200 films every year, so cooperation on film co-production and shooting locations can directly increase two way travel.
The fourth area is destination twinning. Twinning is a formal partnership between two towns, cities or heritage sites in different countries to exchange knowledge and run joint promotion. Such pairs can hold common festivals, share conservation methods and market each other to visitors. The fifth area is skilling and capacity building, which means training guides, hotel staff, language experts and other tourism workers to serve foreign visitors better.
The sixth area is enhanced Business to Business (B2B) engagement. B2B means direct deals and contacts between travel companies, hotels, airlines and tour operators of the two countries, rather than only government to government talks. Stronger B2B links help create ready tour packages, fix supply gaps and turn policy promises into bookings.
| Cooperation Area | What It Means in Simple Terms |
|---|---|
| Tourism data exchange | Sharing visitor numbers and trends for better planning |
| Lesser known destinations | Joint promotion of places beyond famous cities |
| Cine-tourism | Film linked travel and support for shooting films in each country |
| Destination twinning | Partnerships between paired towns or sites for joint promotion |
| Skilling and capacity building | Training of guides, hospitality staff and tourism workers |
| B2B engagement | Closer ties between travel businesses in India and Italy |
Technical Groups and Points of Contact: How Follow Up Will Work
The key outcome of the New Delhi meeting was a decision to create focused technical groups and designate points of contact. A technical group is a small team of experts assigned to one theme, such as data, films or training, to prepare clear plans and track progress. A point of contact is a named official or office that others can reach for quick coordination on that theme.
The India Italy JWG agreed that these groups and contacts will take forward the six identified areas and keep relevant stakeholders in regular touch. Relevant stakeholders include ministries, embassies, tourism boards and private operators. This structure is meant to ensure sustained engagement, which means continuous follow up rather than a single meeting with no action after it.
This follow up method matters because tourism cooperation often slows down after high level talks. With fixed teams and contact persons, both sides can clear doubts, share drafts and organise the next round of business meetings faster. The New Delhi meeting thus reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to build stronger institutional and industry linkages, which are lasting connections between public bodies and travel firms.
India Italy Relations: From Strategic Partnership to 2027 Year of Culture and Tourism
The tourism talks sit inside a much larger partnership. India and Italy became Strategic Partners in 2023. On 18 November 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and adopted the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025 to 2029. This plan lists time bound tasks across political dialogue, trade, connectivity, science, space, energy, defence, culture and people to people ties. For tourism, the plan calls for stronger cultural links, film co-production and growth in tourist flows in both directions.
On 19 and 20 May 2026, Modi paid an official visit to Rome at the invitation of Meloni. The two leaders decided to raise the relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership. They also agreed to hold annual leader level meetings and to set up a Foreign Ministers led mechanism to review the Joint Strategic Action Plan and guide the partnership. In trade, they set a clear goal to raise annual bilateral trade to €20 billion by 2029.
The economic base for deeper tourism ties is already strong. In 2025, India Italy bilateral trade reached €14.25 billion, with India’s exports at €8.55 billion and Italy’s exports at €5.70 billion. Italy is India’s fourth largest trading partner in the European Union (EU), which is a group of 27 European countries with common trade rules. Italy is also home to the largest Indian diaspora in the EU, with more than 1.86 lakh Indians living and working there (as of September 2026).
Culture is a central pillar of this partnership. During the May 2026 Rome visit, both sides expressed their intention to celebrate 2027 as the Year of Culture and Tourism between Italy and India. The year will feature a broad calendar of events and pave the way for a major exhibition on ancient cultural links to be organised jointly by the two ministries of culture. The two sides also welcomed a memorandum of understanding on Italy’s role in developing the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal in Gujarat, and noted the Indian National Pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale in 2026. The Biennale is a major international art exhibition held in Venice. The New Delhi JWG meeting discussed how tourism cooperation can feed into the 2027 celebrations and increase cultural exchange.
| Year | Milestone in India Italy Ties |
|---|---|
| 2023 | India and Italy become Strategic Partners |
| 18 November 2024 | Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025 to 2029 adopted in Rio de Janeiro |
| 19 to 20 May 2026 | Rome visit elevates ties to Special Strategic Partnership, 2027 declared Year of Culture and Tourism |
| 29 September 2026 | 2nd JWG on Tourism in New Delhi agrees on six cooperation areas and follow up mechanism |
How to Apply for Italy Visa From India?
Indian citizens need a Schengen short stay visa to visit Italy for tourism. Applications are filed through VFS Global centres for the Italian Embassy or Consulates. The visa allows stay up to 90 days in 180 days. Apply up to six months early with passport, photos, bookings and insurance.
An Italy visa from India for tourists is issued as a Schengen visa (Type C). Schengen refers to a zone of European countries that allow free movement across common borders with a single short stay visa. This visa permits tourism, family visits and short business trips. Italy does not offer visa on arrival for Indian citizens, so travellers must obtain the visa before departure.
Applications in India are accepted through VFS Global, which is an outsourcing agency that collects visa forms and biometrics on behalf of embassies. The final decision is taken by the Italian Embassy or Consulate. The Embassy of Italy in New Delhi handles Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh. Applicants from other states apply through the Consulates General in Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru. The rule is based on legal residence for at least six months in that jurisdiction.
Standard requirements include a passport issued within the last 10 years with at least three months validity after the planned stay and two blank pages, a filled form, photographs, cover letter with itinerary, confirmed hotel bookings, return flight reservation, travel medical insurance of at least €30,000 and proof of funds such as bank statements. The Schengen visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged six to below 12 years. Biometric data, which means fingerprints and a photograph, has been collected since 2015 and is stored for 59 months, so first time applicants must appear in person.
Flight Connectivity Between India and Italy
Direct air links are the backbone of tourism growth between India and Italy. Air India resumed its non stop Delhi to Rome service on 25 March 2026 after a gap of nearly six years. The service runs four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays with a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Rome is Air India’s eighth gateway in mainland Europe and its second destination in Italy after Milan. The schedule is designed to offer onward connections through Delhi to cities such as Bangkok, Colombo, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
ITA Airways, Italy’s national carrier, also operates non stop flights between Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport, with a flight time of about 8 hours and 40 minutes. Better frequency and direct options reduce travel time and cost compared to one stop routes through Gulf or European hubs. Stronger connectivity supports all six JWG goals, from B2B travel to film crews carrying equipment.
Basic travel facts help in planning such trips. Italy uses the euro (€) as its currency. India follows Indian Standard Time (IST), which is 3.5 hours ahead of Italy in summer and 4.5 hours ahead in winter because Italy shifts its clocks for daylight saving. Rome, Florence, Venice and Sicily are among the most visited Italian destinations for history, art and coast based tourism.
| Travel Fact | Detail for India Italy Route |
|---|---|
| Main non stop route | New Delhi (DEL) to Rome Fiumicino (FCO) |
| Frequency example | Air India four days a week, plus ITA Airways service |
| Flight time | About 8 hours and 40 minutes non stop |
| Time difference | India is 3.5 to 4.5 hours ahead of Italy |
| Currency | Euro in Italy, Indian Rupee (₹) in India |
Why Tourism Cooperation Matters for Both Countries
Tourism cooperation gives both economies a low cost way to create jobs and earn foreign exchange. For India, more Italian arrivals mean higher spending on hotels, transport, guides, handicrafts and heritage sites. Promotion of lesser known Indian destinations can spread these gains beyond Delhi, Agra and Jaipur to states with untapped potential. Skilling support from such partnerships can improve service quality and raise wages in hospitality.
For Italy, India is a fast growing outbound market. Rising incomes and strong interest in Italian art, history, cuisine and fashion are pushing more Indian travellers toward Europe. At a time when arrivals from some traditional markets have slowed, Italy sees India as a high value source. Direct flights, simpler visa facilitation and ready tour packages can help Italy attract weddings, student groups, business visitors and luxury travellers from India.
The timing also matters. The India Italy JWG meeting prepares the ground for the 2027 Year of Culture and Tourism, when both governments plan festivals, exhibitions and roadshows. Success will depend on whether technical groups convert announcements into hotel tie ups, airline seats, film permissions and trained staff. If implemented well, the New Delhi decisions can turn a ceremonial year into lasting business links.
Key Takeaways
- The 2nd India Italy Joint Working Group on Tourism was held in New Delhi on 29 September 2026 and was co-chaired by Bhuvnesh Kumar and Emanuela Tripi.
- The meeting agreed on six areas: data exchange, lesser known destinations, cine-tourism, destination twinning, skilling and B2B engagement.
- Both sides will set up focused technical groups and designated points of contact to ensure follow up.
- The talks support the proposed India Italy Year of Culture and Tourism in 2027, announced during the Rome summit in May 2026.
- India Italy ties were raised to a Special Strategic Partnership in May 2026 under the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025 to 2029, with a trade target of €20 billion by 2029.
- ENIT, Italy’s national tourism board founded in 1919 and based in Rome, took part alongside India’s IATO.
