Evaluating Sustainability Integration in India’s Tourism Policy Framework (1982–2022)

Abstract

Purpose: Given the growing global emphasis on sustainability, this research addresses a critical gap in understanding the extent to which Indian tourism policies incorporate global sustainable development guidelines. This study undertakes a comprehensive review and critically examines the Indian tourism policies (1982-2022), the G20 Goa Roadmap, key UNWTO guidelines, and the SDG 2030 Agenda, with the objective of assessing the extent to which Indian tourism policies align with the Global Sustainability Standards as established by the UNWTO and SDG 2030 guidelines. This paper identifies existing gaps in the integration of sustainability principles in Tourism policies and proposes strategic measures to enhance the policy coherence with global sustainability benchmarks.

Design/Methodology/ Approach: Using a qualitative, descriptive research design, the study employs content analysis of the policy documents using Atlas. ti software, complemented a systematic literature review (SLR) of significant studies on Tourism Policy and Sustainability. This combined approach provides a holistic understanding of global sustainability perspectives and policy, a comparison that assisted in the formulation of well-informed recommendations at the end of the study.

Findings: The study suggests that the Draft National Tourism Policy 2022 is the most comprehensive and sustainability-aligned policy developed to date. However, as per the press release by the Ministry of Tourism dated March 17, 2025, Government of India is yet to formalize this draft policy as the National Tourism Policy. At the same time, the G20 Goa Roadmap suggests strong potential but would benefit from refinements to fully meet SDGs and UNWTO sustainability guidelines. However, the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism 2022, with Sustainability as the focal point, strongly links to almost all the national and international policies reviewed in the study and provides clear directives to ensure that Tourism contributes to the maximum number of SDG 2030 goals.

Originality/Value: This paper’s original contribution lies in its comprehensive and holistic review of all the National Tourism Policies of India through the lenses of Sustainability, and their alignment with the Global sustainable strategies and guidelines. This study is among the first to contribute towards a better Tourism Policy alignment with Sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals via suggestions on how to map all SDGs more effectively. The findings of this study aim to guide policymakers and stakeholders in designing tourism policies in the future that integrate sustainability more effectively.

Paper Type: Review of Literature