India to develop web marketing of tourism in South Asia - Indian Tourism Minister

by Anjana Gamage

The government of India has decided to develop a website on behalf of the SAARC member countries and assist in web marketing of tourism in South Asia.

This was disclosed by the Indian Tourism Minister Smt. Renuka Chowdhury, addressing the gathering at the annual SAARC Tourism Ministers Summit held in Colombo, last week. Chowdhury, was the only woman Tourism Minister who participated at this event.

She requested the other member states to respond to this initiative expeditiously.

Keeping in view the inherent strength and variety of tourist attractions in South Asia, she underscored the need to undertake concerted measures to accelerate pace of regional tourist growth and make SAARC region the favourite destination for international travellers.

"The future of the tourism belong to the SAARC region, she affirmed at the press conference following the main summit. "We want the rest of the world to realise that there is one region, come and see it", she further said.

At the 24th SAARC Ministerial session held in Islamabad in 2004, it was decided that the government of India would take the lead in preparing a programme for action for collaboration in skills development in the tourism sector through exchange of teachers, students, teaching modules and materials.

Speaking further, Chowdhury said that it is ironical that though the region has a shared history of 'Ramayana', there is no Ramayana tourist circuit.

Therefore she added that cultural linkages of the SAARC region can be developed for jointly marketing tourists attractions.

According to her, under the SASEC initiative, India along with Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal will jointly market the Buddhist circuit and eco-tourism products in the region.

She also complimented the role of regional fora like SAARC, SASEC, and BIMSTEC for stimulating tourism in South Asian region.

Chowdhury expressed the hope that the tourism Ministers' Meeting would prove another milestone in the common pursuit of trade promotion, tourism and people to people contact. "This would assist in fostering mutual understanding among the South Asian nations, which have common elements of a shared civilization and cultural heritage", she said.

Meanwhile, India has accounted for the largest number of tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka for the first six months in 2005, the figure standing at 54,618 followed by UK with 39,303. This accounts for 21 percent of total tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka.

The national carrier, SriLankan Airline currently operates 88 flights a week to 11 Indian destinations and has become the largest foreign airline operating to India.