Written by Suman Billa
For many travellers, visiting India is a sensory adventure — but also a logistical challenge. From world-class airports to street-side chai stalls, the contrast is striking. What if digital innovation could bridge this gap and make discovering India as effortless as it is enriching?
Indeed, India is often perceived as a difficult destination, lacking a seamless experience and proving hard to navigate. Paradoxically, the country boasts some of the world’s finest infrastructure. Our airports are exceptional, our hotels offer world-class service, our highways rank among the best, and the Vande Bharat trains are transforming travel. Yet, challenges persist: Finding a reliable taxi operator, securing tickets for tourist attractions, and other logistical hurdles often make travel difficult without the assistance of a tour operator.
If India is to double tourism’s contribution from 5.04 per cent to the global average of 10 per cent in the next decade and generate 25 million jobs within five years, we must broaden our appeal to independent travellers. The key lies in making travel seamless, frictionless, empowering, and digitally intuitive for both domestic and international tourists.
India Stack has revolutionised various facets of daily life through world-class Digital Public Infrastructure. It is now time to extend this success to tourism by developing an India Tourism Stack. Leveraging the existing pillars of DigiLocker, DigiYatra, UPI, and ONDC, we can redefine travel in India and set a new global benchmark.
DigiLocker, a secure cloud-based platform, allows Indian citizens to store, access, and share digital documents issued by government agencies, eliminating the need for physical copies. It already holds essential identification documents like Aadhaar and can be expanded to include e-visa details. Tokenised identification through QR codes can facilitate instant authentication for inner line permits, restricted area permits, national park entries, and major monuments. Hotel check-ins and airport procedures can be streamlined through these QR codes, reducing document mishandling and data theft risks. Moreover, foreign visitor data requiring intimation to the Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) can be automatically updated in real time, enhancing security. Estonia’s e-Residency program, which provides blockchain-backed digital identities to foreigners, offers an excellent reference model.
DigiYatra, a biometric-based digital travel system, enables seamless, paperless, and contactless airport entry and boarding using facial recognition. This technology can be extended to tourist attractions and train travel for faster, hassle-free access. Singapore’s Changi Airport and China’s railway system have successfully implemented biometric-based boarding systems.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be deployed to manage entry time slots, reducing peak-hour congestion and long wait times. Smart systems can redirect tourists to nearby attractions when a site reaches capacity, while real-time crowd density alerts can be sent via mobile notifications, electronic signage, and navigation apps.
UPI, India’s instant interoperable digital payment system, has revolutionised transactions with seamless real-time payments. Enabling UPI for international credit cards can be a game changer, eliminating the anxiety of currency conversion and cash handling while overcoming the limitations of credit card acceptance. An existing provision for linking RuPay credit cards with UPI can be extended to Visa, MasterCard, and Amex, allowing real-time authorisation or the creation of an auto-replenishing digital wallet. QR code-based UPI payments would facilitate small transactions, encouraging local spending on street vendors, artisans, and small businesses such as coconut sellers and tea vendors. Additionally, implementing a seamless GST refund mechanism for foreign tourists on UPI purchases beyond a set threshold can boost Indian retail. China’s WeChat Pay and Alipay exemplify the success of credit card-linked mobile payments at scale.
ONDC (Online Network for Digital Commerce), a government-backed open protocol, enables decentralised and interoperable e-commerce, allowing buyers and sellers to transact across multiple platforms. By integrating tourism services, ONDC can enhance the visibility of small and local service providers, reducing reliance on high-commission platforms and expanding offerings for tourists. The platform can further incentivise sustainable spending in alignment with Mission LIFE, drawing inspiration from Japan and Thailand’s Local Treasures programs, which promote community and artisan heritage hubs. Multilingual chatbots and AI-driven recommendations can help local vendors engage with international visitors. Moreover, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s India Blockchain Framework can enable verified and authenticated user reviews for tourism services, fostering trust and reliability.
To illustrate the transformative power of the India Tourism Stack, imagine this: An international traveller lands in Delhi, checks in to a hotel via a QR code, books a monument visit through ONDC, pays for local experiences with UPI, and receives personalised recommendations in their native language — all without ever reaching for a wallet or filling out paperwork.
The India Tourism Stack would not only enhance tourist experiences but also provide the government with real-time, high-quality data for evidence-based policymaking and informed planning at destinations for meaningful infrastructure and tourist experiences. Live crowd density data can aid destination managers in preventing overcrowding and directing tourists to alternative sites. AI-driven personalised digital itineraries can distribute visitors more evenly across lesser-known destinations. Additionally, integrated data can improve the assessment of marketing campaign effectiveness, optimising return on investment. Importantly, linking this data with local law enforcement and emergency services can ensure timely assistance during personal distress or natural calamities.
Of course, realising this vision will require overcoming practical challenges — ensuring inter-agency coordination, addressing data privacy and interoperability concerns, building vendor digital literacy, and maintaining inclusivity. These hurdles are real but surmountable.
India has already set global benchmarks with UPI and Digital Public Infrastructure. By building on this foundation, an India Tourism Stack can establish the country as the world’s most seamless and digitally advanced travel destination. It’s time for policymakers, industry leaders, and digital innovators to come together and build the India Tourism Stack — a public good that can catalyse inclusive economic growth and elevate India’s global tourism stature.
The writer is Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism. Views are personal.
