India's MoU with ASEAN

Manado, Indonesia, Jan 13 (IBNS) Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai has said that the MoU between India and ASEAN would serve as the key instrument for more action oriented cooperation, encouraging both parties to cooperate in facilitating travel and tourist visit and further strengthening the close tourism partnership.

Sahai was speaking after the signing of MoU at Manado, Indonesia on Thursday.

The Tourism Minister expressed his happiness towards the progress made in the implementation of the work plan for the development of ASEAN-India cooperation in Buddhist pilgrimage tourism including the production and promotion of materials and documentary films on Buddhist pilgrimage in ASEAN-India.

He said Government of India is looking forward for more joint-tourism promotion and product activities in future.

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

The Minister directed the senior officials of his Ministry to report and brief him on regular basis regarding the progress of implementation of the MoU.

Sahai also welcomed the forthcoming ASEAN-India car rally to be held this year. This rally would mark another meaningful step towards tourism cooperation and at the same time reflect the existence of land connectivity that would facilitate tourism exchange between ASEAN and India.

The ASEAN-India Tourism Ministers held their Third Meeting yesterday in Manado, Indonesia in conjunction with the meeting of the ASEAN Tourism Forum.

The Meeting was jointly chaired by Subodh Kant Sahai, Union Minister of Tourism and Dr Mari Elka Pangestu, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia.

It may be recalled that Prime Minister of India had announced during the 9th ASEAN Summit held at Bali on November 19, 2011 that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on strengthening tourism cooperation between India and ASEAN would be signed preferably at the Meeting of ASEAN-India Tourism Minister in early 2012.

Consequent to the announcement made by the Prime Minister the MoU has been signed between India and ASEAN on strengthening tourism cooperation.