MoU with ASEAN will boost joint tourism, feels India

Sahai signed the MoU on strengthening tourism cooperation at the third meeting of ASEAN-India Tourism Ministers at Manado, Indonesia, Thursday. The meeting was jointly chaired by Sahai and Mari Elka Pangestu, Indonesian tourism and creative economy minister.

According to an official statement, Sahai expressed happiness over the progress made by ASEAN-India cooperation in Buddhist pilgrimage tourism including the production of material and documentary films. He said India was looking forward to more joint-tourism promotion activities.

Sahai said since the number of tourist arrivals between ASEAN and India had shown a steady growth, establishment of an ASEAN promotional chapter in Mumbai would act as a tourism marketing and promotion agency of the ASEAN National Tourism Organisation.

Sahai also welcomed the forthcoming ASEAN-India car rally to be held this year.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced during the ASEAN Summit at Bali last year that an MoU on strengthening tourism cooperation between India and ASEAN would be signed preferably at the ASEAN-India tourism ministers' meet in early 2012.

Besides cooperation in facilitating travel and tourist visits, the MoU speaks of enhancing human resource development in the tourism sector and exploring new possibilities for development and promotion of tourism. (IANS)

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Tourism can boost Kashmir's economic development: Omar

Addressing a meeting of the tourism officials here, Abdullah noted that the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage crossed 10 million mark in a calendar year Wednesday, and asked the tourism and other departments to divert the pilgrims to other places of tourist interest across the state.

According to officials, the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage alone annually generates Rs.2,000 crore for the state while the tourists visiting the valley contribute Rs.1,000 crore. This year, nearly two million tourists, including Amarnath pilgrims, visited Kashmir region.

"It's important that we focus our attention on tourism in a big way and offer a very hospitable environment to the visitors," Abdullah said.

"There is also need to divert pilgrim tourists visiting Mata Vaishno Devi in large numbers to other parts to help generating economic activities holistically," he said, adding that the steps initiated in this direction require a further boost.

Abdullah said the government has focused attention on creating befitting infrastructure at tourist places in consonance with ecology and environment requirements to maintain the balance between the two. (IANS)

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Andaman all set to host Island Tourism Festival 2012

A and N Governor Lt. Gen (Retd.) Bhopinder Singh will inaugurate the festival.

This year the added feature of ITF will be that, coinciding with the Island Tourism Festival, a five-day CARNIC fest from January 7th to 11th is also being organised. It will also be inaugurated by the Lt. Governor, Mr Satish Mathur, Secretary of Andaman?s Information Publicity and Tourism Department told reporters today.

Mr Mathur said Island Tourism Festival was also being taken to all the three districts.

During ITF, cultural programmes have been arranged in Diglipur, Long Island in North and Middle Andaman, Neil Island, Havelock Island, Wandoor, Wimberleygunj, Bathubasti in South Andaman, Amphitheatre at Anarkali Basti and Netaji Stadium in Port Blair Municipal Area and Car Nicobar in Nicobar District.

Another feature of this year?s Island Tourism Festival is the participation of mainland state tourism corporations. States like Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Delhi, Karnataka and Meghalaya are participating, the secretary added.

Mr Mathur added that like every year, the ITF Exhibition will have stalls with exhibits of different departments.

A special event ?Euphoria? Rock Band, a nationally reputed band of Dr Palash Sen, will perform at Netaji Stadium on January 12 and entry to this show will be tree for all Islanders, Mathur said.

Artists from Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odhisha, West Bengal will perform. Apart from this, 'Song and Drama Division of Kolkata' will also send their artists.

To promote local talents, as many as 40 local Orchestra, Cultural Associations are also being invited to perform their skills in various parts of these Islands. There will be Hasya Kavi Sammelan during ITF and also fireworks for the inaugural and closing functions, the Secretary added. (UNI)

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Tourism Australia Partners Jetstar

Tourism Australia has signed a $10 million marketing deal with Jetstar aimed at boosting Japanese inbound tourism and further expanding brand Australia?s presence in Asia Pacific.

The three year agreement runs to mid 2014 and will see Tourism Australia and Jetstar each contribute at least $1.6 million per year on a range of joint marketing, digital and social media activities.

The partners will work cooperatively to leverage more affordable air travel and Australia?s unique attractions to increase arrivals from Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand.

The first tranche of $2 million will be directed to rejuvenating the Japanese market, which has slipped from Australia?s second to fifth largest source market for international tourists over the past ten years.

"It unlocks real value by leveraging the combined skills, expertise and resources which both our organizations have long demonstrated in Asia. We aim to use our well-established and successful There?s nothing like Australia campaign messaging alongside Jetstar.com to drive bookings and inbound travel," said Managing Director, Andrew McEvoy. "Like Tourism Australia, Jetstar has ambitious expansion plans for wider Asia and sees sustained and large growth opportunities, led by the greater China market, and numerable South East and North Asian markets including Japan, which will clearly remain in the top half dozen of Australia's tourism export markets. There's strong alignment and a real natural fit."

Japan is currently Australia?s fifth largest source market for international tourists, spending approximately $1.5 billion in 2010. There were 350,200 visitor arrivals from Japan for the twelve months ending August 2011, a drop of 11%. Tourism Australia believes his market has the potential to grow to between A$2.7 billion and A$3.3 billion in total expenditure by 2020.

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