India to attract more Lankan tourists

FROM IRANGIKA Range in Malaysia Courtesy:

THE Tourism Ministry of India will promote Sri Lankan tourist arrivals to India by promoting travel and tour products and integrating marketing campaigns under its strategy "Incredible India" which has helped achieve substantial growth rates last year.

Secretary to the Indian Administrative Service Vinod Zutshi said that the Ministry will support tourism promoters to India providing initial financial assistance to some of the agencies which help increase tourist arrivals to India.

An air taxi service will commence to facilitate tourists to visit the Buddhists interests in India. The service starts from November, covers Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgirh, Vaishali, Lumbini, Kesariya, Kushinagar.

Zutshi said although about 6 to 7 million Indian tourists are travelling abroad annually, Sri Lankan arrivals are very few to India. Except for religious purposes, other Sri Lankans are holiday spenders, businessmen and students.

"These arrivals are not enough and we have focused on promotional programmes such as road shows, and more commercials through media to attract Sri Lankan arrivals."

"We had achieved 24 per cent growth in tourist arrivals and 34 per cent growth in terms of foreign exchange earnings in 2004 as against the previous year.

A total foreign tourist arrivals amounted 3.37 million last year and the foreign exchange earnings top US$ 4810 million. "We are targeting at 20 per cent growth in foreign tourist arrivals to India, over the next seven years and getting ready to uplift the infrastructure to meet this demand," he said.