A sign that the world is shrinking and tourism knows no boundaries is apparent in the recent partnerships India is forging with neighbouring countries such as Thailand and Sri Lanka.
On a recent visit to Shillong, Thai Commerce Minister Krirk-Krai Jirapaet Guwahati compared the region to Thailand, adding that a region-wise discussion with India, would soon be initiated.
Already, the Union Minister for Development of the North-East Region Mani Shankar Aiyar’s proposal to declare 2008 as the “Year of Thailand and North-east India” has been taken favourably and details are expected to be announced soon.
Thailand’s tour operators will soon be able to include Northeast India as an option as part of their North Thailand itineraries. The underserved, offbeat North-east India is also expected to benefit from the civil aviation ministry proposal for a five-year exemption for regional airlines (with less than 80 seats) from airport and navigation charges, said Minister of Civil Aviation, Praful Patel.
A plan to provide subsidy to airlines that operate on “uneconomical but essential routes” like the northeast, leading to the formation of smaller airlines is also on the cards. Manipur Director of Tourism, BB Sharma, recently stated at the tourism secretaries meet that a Manipur Tourism Festival would be organised – subject to approval – in November this year tapping visitors from Japan.
The tiny state of Manipur, situated at the easternmost part of the country, has a connection with Japan when about 20,000 Japanese were killed in Manipur during the World War II.
“The descendents of those killed living in Japan would like to pay homage to their forefathers,” he added. Sharma has asked for funds to construct a Japanese War Memorial at Maibam Lopka Ching in Bishnupur district in Manipur. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka and the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, too, have agreed to launch a dual destination tourist programme, with both agreeing to promote each other’s tourism products.
Andhra Pradesh has 140 Buddhist sites dating from the 3rd to the 14th century, some of which could be put on the same itinerary when combined with Sri Lanka’s Buddhist heritage primarily for Southeast Asian and Japanese visitors.
With Colombo and Hyderabad well connected by air, this tour could provide a definite value add to the pilgrim and leisure visitor, said Travel Hut managing director, Arvind Garodia.
Showing its commitment to the project, the government of Andhra Pradesh has assigned a senior official, Chitra Ramachandran, to supervise the tourism venture.
Wine pleasures
An extensive promotion is on to promote vineyards/wine tourism in Karnataka and Maharashtra. While this may not as yet compete with California’s Napa Valley, Melbourne, Bordeaux, Cape Town and Florence, India is getting there with a large portion of wine exported to Europe.
Visitors can soon stroll through picturesque vineyards and checkout the wine-making process and buy wine at vineyards which are planning rooms for cottages for overnight stay. Inbound tourism, meanwhile is steadily growing.
Around 1.42 million foreign tourists had visited India in the first quarter of 2007 - a 14.4-percent growth compared to the previous year. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, Indian tourism is expected to grow annually at 8.8 percent till 2015, which is one of the highest growth rates in the world. Foreign-exchange earnings are expected to cross US$12 billion by the end of 2012.
