Red Hat Communications successfully hosted the prestigious WION ICONIC Travel & Tourism Summit 2026, in association with Zee Network, at ITC Maurya, New Delhi, bringing together some of the most influential voices from the travel, tourism, aviation, hospitality, and policy ecosystem.
Held under the theme “Tourism 4.0: Coding the Resilience of the New Tomorrow,” the summit served as a dynamic platform to discuss the future of global travel, digital transformation, sustainable growth, and India’s expanding role in the international tourism landscape.
The event witnessed participation from leading CXOs, policymakers, diplomats, and industry pioneers, who engaged in insightful conversations on emerging travel trends, AI-led innovation, aviation growth, hospitality excellence, and destination readiness. The summit highlighted how collaboration and technology will shape the next chapter of tourism growth.
Addressing the summit as a keynote speaker, Jyoti Mayal emphasized the importance of collaboration, innovation, and skilling in shaping the future of India’s tourism ecosystem. She highlighted how platforms like ICONIC foster meaningful dialogue among industry leaders across travel, aviation, and hospitality, enabling the sector to collectively navigate challenges and unlock new growth opportunities. Underscoring the theme of “Tourism 4.0,” she spoke about embracing digital transformation and resilience to position India as a strong global tourism powerhouse.
Prominent speakers included Jyoti Mayal, Chairperson, Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) and CEO, Red Hat Communications; Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director & COO, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group; JB Singh, Director, InterGlobe Air Transport Ltd. and President & CEO, InterGlobe Hotels; Sandeep Dwivedi, Managing Director & COO, Amadeus South Asia; Manish Puri, Head of Global Sales, Air India & Air India Express; Meena Bhatia, Vice President & General Manager, Le Méridien New Delhi; Yummi Talwar, COO, South Asia, VFS Global; Ranju Alex, CEO, India & South Asia, Accor; Vasudha Sondhi, MD, Outbound Marketing Pvt. Ltd.; Dr. Navina Jafa, Heritage Tourism leader &Author; Ratna Chadha, CEO, TIRUN Travel Marketing; Parikshit Choudhary, Chief Business Officer – B2B and Customer Connect, MMT; Anil Parashar, Executive Director, ITQ Technologies Pvt. Ltd.; and Hirendrasinh Dabhi, AGM, Marketing & Promotions, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited, along with several eminent dignitaries and tourism stakeholders.
The summit also welcomed senior diplomatic representatives from key international markets, including H.E. Kamel Zayed Kamel Galal, Ambassador of Egypt to India, H.E. Pradeepa Mahishini Colonne, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India and H.E. Aliki Koutsomitopoulou, Ambassador of Greece to India —reinforcing the importance of global partnerships in accelerating inbound and outbound tourism opportunities.
Speaking on the successful conclusion of the summit, Jyoti Mayal, visionary behind the ICONIC platform and Chairperson, Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC), said: “It is always encouraging to see the travel and tourism industry come together on one platform to share ideas, discuss challenges, and look ahead with optimism. Through WION ICONIC Travel & Tourism Summit 2026, we aimed to create meaningful conversations that can support the growth of our sector. The response this year has been truly heartening, with leaders from across travel, hospitality, aviation, and tourism sharing valuable perspectives. I truly believe that with the right collaboration, innovation, and focus on skilling, Indian tourism has immense potential in the years ahead. Platforms like these are important because they help us learn from one another and move forward together as an industry.”
The event also featured a fireside chat with Ashwani Lohani, Director of the Prime Minister’s Museum and Library, along with an interactive session with women travel content creators such as Mia Lakra, Deeksha Mishra, and Means Malhotra on the theme “She Travels, She Posts: The Truth About Solo Female Travel.”
With strong participation, high-impact discussions, and powerful industry networking, the summit concluded with a renewed commitment towards building a smarter, more sustainable, and globally competitive tourism ecosystem. The overwhelming response to this year’s edition further cements WION ICONIC Travel & Tourism Summit as one of India’s most influential platforms for the travel and hospitality industry.
