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The Round Table Meet of Tourism Ministers from BIMSTEC countries Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan will be held at Kolkata from 21st to 23rd February, 2005 to explore intra region tourism by chartered buses and combined tourism visa.
As a major engine of economic growth, tourism was incorporated as one of the priority sectors to be vigorously pursued by BIMSTEC countries and India has been assigned the role of lead country for tourism. At first meeting of the group in Bangkok in July, 04, the Prime Minister, Shri Manmohan Singh had proposed to host a meeting of the member countries with the objective of increasing tourism, at least double, within the region in the next five years. BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is a sub-regional group in South East Asia for cooperation in various fields. Mrs. Renuka Chowdhury, Minister of State for Tourism will chair the meeting being organised by the Ministry of Tourism.
During the 3 days meet, the ministers and industry peoples from the above said countries will deliberate upon the cooperation for increasing tourism, and to formulate strategies focusing on increasing intra-regional traffic within the BIMSTEC region. They will also discuss strategies to coordinate efforts to project BIMSTEC countries as a composite destination in order to attract more tourists from outside the region. The participants will also take up facilitation of sustained interaction between tourism professionals of member countries with a view to augment cross-country packages. Promotion of intra-BIMSTEC tourism by chartered buses will also be considered during the meet. ASEAN care rally has already created interest in this regard.
The meeting will also consider combined package of Buddhist sites across the BIMSTEC countires which might include Buddhist sites at Bangkok, Paharpur in Bangladesh, Ananda Temple of Myanmar, Thimpu, Lumbini in Nepal, Kandy in Sri Lanka along and Indian Buddhist sites.
Adventure tourism package including trekking through Bhutan, Darjeeling, Angling in upper Assam, Shillong, Sunderbans in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand will also be taken up for discussion. Similarly, cruise packages in Mumbai-Goa-Cochin-Sri Lanka and Thailand will also be explored. Possibility of combined Tourism visa valid for 2-3 nations on a selective basis will also be discussed during the meet. The meeting will be followed by a four-day technical visit to the States of Assam and Meghalaya on a familiarisation tour for the tourism industry people attending the conference.
NCJ/DT/rel-18feb-BIMSTEC
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