The Tourism Summit hosted by The New Indian Express at ITC Grand Chola brought together policymakers, tourism professionals, historians, artists and cultural practitioners for a wide-ranging conversation on how India travels, remembers and reimagines itself. In 2026, Delhi will have moved beyond being a mere stopover city. Delhi’s tourism narrative was explored by Kapil Mishra, Minister of Tourism, Government of Delhi, who reflected on the capital’s layered history and the challenge of being seen largely as a transit city despite housing lots of protected heritage sites. He touched upon efforts to activate cultural spaces and reposition Delhi as a destination in its own right.
Drawing cues from the concept, we explored more of the city’s modern-day tourism offerings. Under the theme Dilli Ka Dil Dekho, the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) has launched a strategic rebranding to showcase the city as a global heritage destination. The seven histories concept is the backbone of this initiative, focusing on the seven historical urban settlements that form the layers of modern-day Delhi. Rather than just visiting monuments, these are now being marketed as living experiential circuits with dedicated walking tours and night illuminations.
Qila Rai Pithora in Mehrauli focuses on Mehrauli Archaeological Park, revamped walking trails through Rajput and early Sultanate ruins. Siri in Hauz Khas boasts Hauz Khas Village 2.0 — integration of the 14th-century reservoir with curated night-time Light & Sound heritage walks. Tughlaqabad in South Delhi is promoting Sham-e-Tughlaqabad, new sunset tours of the massive stone fortifications and Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq’s mausoleum. Jahanpanah will focus on The Fourth City through guided visits to the Begumpur Mosque and the unique Khirki Mosque.
Firozabad’s Djinns of Kotla tour is an evening experience exploring the mystical and haunted folklore of the 14th-century citadel. Shergarh in Purana Qila takes you through partition diaries, immersive storytelling walks at the Old Fort that blend medieval history with its role during the 1947 partition. Even the National War Memorial & Kartavya Path are fully integrated into the walk circuit, offering a martyrs’ memory experience. Lastly, during 2024 walk festival, Shahjahanabad in old Delhi offered Purani Dilli ke Bashinde, deep-dive walks into the lanes of Mughals, focusing on hereditary musicians, hakims and 300-year-old culinary lineages.Beyond the ancient walls, 2026 features several modern hearts of the city. Baansera, Delhi’s first bamboo park, is a sprawling riverside eco-park on the Yamuna banks featuring bamboo structures, musical fountains and open-air cafés. Recently, they even announced the possible introduction of Kashmir-style boats.
The Bharat Future City Corridor is another massive urban development project near the Dwarka-Gurugram border, housing Yashobhoomi, a world-class convention centre and new leisure hubs. The government is also encouraging the conversion of havelis in Shahjahanabad into luxury boutique hotels to allow tourists to sleep within the history. DTTDC now uses a data-driven app that provides real-time crowd-flow mapping, helping you avoid long queues at the Red Fort or Qutb Minar. The hospitality landscape is also booming toward the Delhi-NCR belt, with massive properties nearing completion.