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Eco-tourism, sharing expertise and a tourism business forum will form the basis for an action plan for fast-tracking tourism growth between India and Australia. Both the countries would jointly promote the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games to generate significantly increased tourists’ flow. This was agreed in the first Joint Working Group Meeting on tourism between India and Australia here today. The Indian delegation was led by Smt. Renuka Chowdhury, Minister of State for Tourism while Australian delegation was headed by Australian Tourism Minister, Ms. Fran Bailey.
Both the Ministers agreed to adopt an action plan to have effective bilateral cooperation in various areas of tourism and travel. They also agreed to establish a bilateral ecotourism-working group to identify joint research and training projects.
Both sides stressed the importance of the tourism stakeholders of the two countries developing better understanding of the tourism products in each other’s country and to capture the growing opportunities for tourism trade and investment between them. The sides agreed that Australia would host an Australia-India Tourism Business Forum for this purpose in Melbourne during the 2006 Commonwealth Games besides interaction time to time. Both the delegations exchanged views on a way forward to encourage shared learning in preservation of the natural and cultural heritage. The sides identified eco tourism as an area of vital interest to both countries and agreed to establish an eco-tourism working group for this purpose.
The Indian side expressed concerns about travel advisories being issued by the Australian government from time to time for Australian tourists traveling to some parts of India which result in loss of tourist arrivals in India
The Australian delegation stressed the potential for India as a tourist market for Australia and reported on the tourism marketing activities including its India Trade Mission being conducted in Goa this week, and the Australian Government’s focus on India in its forthcoming Emerging Markets strategy.
Ms. Chowdhury said that India and Australia each has a vital stake in sustainable ecotourism, and will benefit from sharing expertise in this field. “India and Australia have strong relationships on many levels, from our shared history as robust democracies under the Commonwealth to our shared passion for cricket. Our tourism statistics are also highlighting a growing interest in visiting each other’s countries. Indian tourism to Australia is forecast to grow at an average 14% per year for the next decade and Australia tourism to India has grown by 22% in the last 12 months”, she added.
Joint marketing for tourism promotion, improved air connectivity, regular interaction between Australian Federation for Travel Agents and the Travel Agent Association of India, collaboration in the area of human resource developments and facilitating travel procedures in support of bilateral tourist flows were also discussed during the Joint Group Meeting. Captains of tourism and travel industry from India and Australia also participated in the meeting.
NCJ/DT
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