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India’s tourism ministry strikes deal with Netflix to showcase destinations through film
NEW DELHI: India’s ministry of tourism has signed a memorandum of understanding with Netflix to promote the country’s destinations through cinematic storytelling, marking a bold digital pivot in the government’s tourism strategy.
The partnership, announced at a World Tourism Day celebration in New Delhi, will use curated trailers and global outreach to showcase Indian locations to Netflix’s worldwide audience. The streaming giant’s involvement signals India’s recognition that modern tourism marketing requires Hollywood-scale production values and global distribution networks.
The ministry also signed agreements with the Atithi Foundation and online travel agencies to boost strategic research, innovation and capacity building. These deals aim to collect post-travel visitor feedback, enabling data-driven policy decisions across states and union territories.
Niti Aayog vice-chairperson Suman Bery told the gathering that tourism was “not just about leisure” but “a powerful instrument for economic transformation, environmental stewardship, and social inclusion.” Speaking as chief guest at the event, presided over by minister of state for tourism Suresh Gopi, Bery emphasised that India must “embed sustainability at the core of our strategy, not at the margins.”
The celebration launched a Project Management Information System providing real-time monitoring of tourism infrastructure projects. The ministry also released its 66th India Tourism Data Compendium, highlighting record international and domestic arrivals. India now ranks 20th globally for international tourist arrivals.
A new guidebook for Mudra loans for homestays was unveiled, offering step-by-step instructions for online applications through the Jan Samarth portal—part of efforts to democratise tourism entrepreneurship.
High-level panels featuring officials from road, aviation, railways and shipping ministries stressed seamless multimodal connectivity as essential for sustainable growth. Thematic sessions examined case studies including Mahakumbh 2025 and the Statue of Unity, alongside discussions on using artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality to enhance visitor experiences.
The Netflix deal represents a savvy acknowledgment that in an attention economy, even ancient temples and pristine beaches need cinematic treatment to cut through the noise. Whether Hindi movie and series creativity meets Silicon Valley can deliver the tourists remains to be seen.
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Uber launches hotel bookings feature in partnership with Expedia
From hotel bookings to room service at your door, the ride-hailing giant is making its boldest push yet into everyday life
CALIFORNIA: Uber is done being just a taxi app. At its annual GO-GET product event, the world’s leading mobility and delivery platform unveiled a sweeping set of new features designed to plant itself at the centre of how people travel, eat and shop, hotel bookings included.
The headline move is a partnership with Expedia Group that lets Uber users in the United States book hotels directly within the Uber app, with access to a catalogue that will eventually grow to more than 700,000 properties worldwide. Uber One members get 10 per cent back in Uber One credits on all hotel bookings and savings of at least 20 per cent on a rolling list of more than 10,000 hotels globally. Vacation rentals from Vrbo, Expedia Group’s home-rental brand, will be added later this year. The partnership is expected to expand beyond the United States. From June, Uber rides will also be integrated directly into the Expedia app, with push notifications sent to travellers ahead of hotel check-in to book discounted Uber rides for the duration of their stay.
Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of Uber, framed the expansion in terms of the modern condition. “Uber is becoming an app for everything, helping people go, get, and now travel all in one place,” he said. “We’re all living through a moment of real cognitive overload: too many apps, too many decisions, too much noise. At the end of the day, our job is to help people reclaim their time, spending less of it managing the logistics of life and more of it actually living.”
Ariane Gorin, chief executive of Expedia Group, struck a similarly ambitious note. “Travel should feel effortless, and this partnership gets us one step closer to offering a seamless traveller experience,” she said. “By connecting our two-sided marketplace with Uber, we’re bringing Uber rides directly into the Expedia app and Expedia Group’s lodging inventory into the Uber app through our Rapid API technology. Together, we’re helping travellers spend less time planning and more time enjoying the journey.”
Beyond hotels, the product announcements come thick and fast. Travel Mode, available within both the Uber and Uber Eats apps, offers curated recommendations on local favourites, tourist destinations, OpenTable restaurant reservations and on-demand delivery to hotel rooms. Uber One International means the membership programme now works globally, allowing members to earn credits on rides abroad that can be redeemed once back home. A new Shop for Me feature lets users request items from any store, even those not listed on the app. Eats for the Way allows riders in select cities booking an Uber Black or Uber Black SUV to have a drink or snack waiting for them in the car. Voice Bookings, powered by artificial intelligence, lets users book a ride conversationally, without touching their phone. And a redesigned One Search bar consolidates results for places, food and items across the entire Uber platform in a single query.
Uber has now logged more than 72 billion trips since it launched in 2010. The question it is now answering is what comes after the ride. The answer, apparently, is everything else. Whether users want a hotel in Paris, a coffee in the back of a car or a snake plant from the local garden centre, Uber would very much like to be the one to provide it. The app economy’s land grab has a new front-runner.
NOTE: The image used is AI generated and only for representational purposes.
