From Numbers to Nature: India’s 2022 Tourism Policy and the Shift Toward Sustainable Pathway

Tourism policy has evolved from promoting footfall to regulating it, and now toward governance that tackles crowding, climate risk, and community effects. India’s National Tourism Policy 2022 signals a shift towards a green economy, prioritising green tourism. It advances destination management, resource-use measurement and reporting, standards, and certification. This article assesses the implementation and implications for destinations, businesses, and residents, including dampening resource-intensive peaks, increasing yield per visitor, and retaining more value locally. I found that the focus of the policy moves from tracking arrivals to improving visit quality, safeguarding ecosystems, enhancing liveability, and distributing demand as policy success becomes outcomes-based, emphasising sustainability, resilience, equity, and accountability.