VIDEO: 'India is my second home': Slovakia's ambassador charms crowd with Hindi at WION Tourism Summit

Robert Maxian, ambassador of Slovakia to India, said in Hindi on Wednesday (September 23) that India is his second home. Speaking at WION Tourism Summit 2026, Maxian also spoke about Slovakia's tourism efforts to promote the country internationally. During the event, when he was asked whether he could speak Hindi, the Slovak ambassador responded warmly, saying, “Bharat mere liye dusra ghar jaisa hai (India is a second home for me).”

Alongside the Slovakian ambassador, Kevin Kelly, Ambassador of Ireland to India, said India has now become a priority market for Tourism Ireland. “India is now a priority market for Tourism Ireland,” Kelly said, noting that Tourism Ireland set up an office in Mumbai last year to tap into the growing interest from Indian travellers.

Nicaragua, Greece and Sri Lanka: Emerging destinations for Indians

Additionally, diplomats from Nicaragua, Greece and Sri Lanka also made their points on tourism for their countries as emerging and enduring destinations for Indian travellers, each highlighting unique offerings, from untouched nature and volcanoes to island-hopping and shared civilizational ties. Meanwhile, Nicaragua acknowledged the challenges of connectivity that still stand in the way of deeper tourism ties with India.

Nadeska Cuthbert, Ambassador of Nicaragua to India, said, "As of now, we don't have a direct flight to Nicaragua from India, or to Central America more broadly. Since last year, we have put in a lot of effort to increase tourism. Nicaragua is smaller than India, but it has abundant nature and forests, and its people are incredible, much like our culture. We are looking to build eco-tourism and sustainable tourism to protect and preserve both our culture and our nature. We definitely want more Indians to visit the country and see our volcanoes, try sandboarding, and go snorkelling at some of our sites. All of this can be experienced in a very short period of time."

Highlighting a specific location, Indians should prefer to visit Greece, Aliki Koutsomitopoulou, Ambassador of Greece to India, said, "We started a direct flight in January 2026. We have witnessed 40,000 people using that flight, and traffic between the two nations has increased. Interest among Indians in visiting Greece has always been there, and the number of people visiting Greece after the launch of the flight has grown by 28 per cent. Greece is not just a destination for summer and the sea; you can visit during other seasons too, and explore other locations, as the country is full of islands. There are also many mountains to explore."

Their remarks came ahead of the WION Iconic Tourism Summit & Awards 2026, set to take place in New Delhi on 23 September. The summit arrives at a moment of rapid transformation in global travel, shaped by new technologies, shifting traveller expectations, and evolving mobility frameworks. It will bring together leaders from government, diplomacy, tourism, aviation, hospitality, and technology to address the sector's most pressing challenges.

Discussions at the summit are expected to span visa policy, border management, biometric travel systems, digital transformation, and the expanding role of artificial intelligence in shaping traveller experiences. The event will culminate in the Iconic Awards 2026, honouring individuals and organisations that have made notable contributions to the travel and tourism industry.