Tourism conclave drafts roadmap for sustainable growth of city

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) held its Annual Session in Amritsar, where Punjab State Chairman Harpreet Singh Nibber announced the election of Kapil Mehra as the new Amritsar Chairman and Praneet Bubber as Co-Chairperson for 2026-27.

The conclave brought together key stakeholders from Amritsar’s trade, tourism and hospitality sectors. Gunbir Singh, past chairman, said a comprehensive review of tourism infrastructure, challenges and opportunities was undertaken in discussions with Airport Director Bhupinder Singh.

Among the city’s major hospitality stakeholders, the Radisson Hotel Group was represented by Jitender Sohal, the InterContinental Hotels Group by Manish Yadav, the wellness and hospitality segment by Gunisha Khurana, Ritz Services by Piyush Goyal, and Fetsyn Wedding Destinations by Shikha Sareen.

Following interactions with stakeholders across all segments of the tourism sector and with citizens, it was decided that CII would compile the suggestions into a comprehensive “Amritsar Tourism 2.0 Plan” document for submission to the city administration and for advocacy at the state level.

Mandeep Singh, Counsellor, and Mayor Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia sought citizens’ cooperation in working towards a better holy city. It was also agreed that a “CII Responsible Citizens Toolkit” would be prepared to promote civic welfare.

Speaking to the press, Gunbir Singh said the key takeaways from the conclave included “Amritsar by Night”, a calendar of events for the city, promotion of multiple destinations for extended stays, experiential and thematic journeys, aviation expansion, a visitor-sensitive security environment, and sustainable and farm tourism. He added that these would be formally documented for follow-up, milestone tracking and stakeholder advocacy.