Incredible India Road Show
Press Release
With the objective of promoting and showcasing India as a preferred destination for tourists from Cambodia, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India is organising the “Incredible India Road Show” on 09th May 2018 in Phnom Penh in association with the Embassy of India.
Ms. Rashmi Verma, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India will head the Indian delegation accompanied by Ms. Meenakshi Sharma, Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. H.E. Ms. Manika Jain, the Ambassador of India to Cambodia will also grace the event.
H.E. Dr. Thong Khon, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Kingdom of Cambodia will be the Guest of Honour at the event.
The Indian delegation comprising representative from the Indian Railways Catering & Tourism Corporation and 16 tour operators from India will be participating at the event and will interact with the local tour operators of Cambodia in a B2B meeting.
The Indian tourism outlook is very promising with an upswing in the growth of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India in the recent years. In 2017, India received 10.18 million FTAs with a growth rate of 15.6%. The aim is to maintain the same pace of growth rate in international tourist arrivals over the next 3 years through a multi-pronged approach, including proactive marketing strategies in partnership with our tourism stakeholders.
India and Cambodia have deep-rooted historical and cultural links. The historic Angkor Wat and other temples reflect our shared cultural and religious heritage. There is also a strong linguistic connection between India and Cambodia with around 3000 words common in Sanskrit and Khmer languages.
To promote people to people contact, both sides signed an MOU for promotion of tourism in September 2015. In pursuance of this agreement, India and Cambodia will also be holding 2nd meeting of Joint Working Group in Siem Reap on 10 May 2018.
India has a rich and diverse Natural, Cultural and Religious Heritage which provides a unique opportunity for tourism, from the architecture of India’s temples, palaces, forts, to the grandeur of its sculptures, and the beauty of its paintings, from mountaineering to meditation, yoga to white water rafting in the Ganges, Brahmaputra, or in any of India’s mighty rivers, all offer an unparalleled experience to the visitors. 73% of the Himalayas is in India. To improve infrastructural facilities in the country, the Ministry of Tourism has launched a new scheme for the integrated development of thematic circuits.
India has a rich ancient Buddhist Heritage with several important sites associated with the life of Lord Buddha. The Indian Buddhist Heritage is of great interest to the followers of Buddhism the world over including Cambodia. The Government of India is giving putting a lot of emphasis to boost tourist inflow to the important Buddhist places of pilgrimage.
India the land of Yoga & Ayurveda, is already a sought-after destination for Wellness & Healthcare travel. The Ministry of Tourism has also taken the initiative of identifying, diversifying, developing and promoting nascent / upcoming niche tourism products viz. Golf Tourism, Rural Tourism, Adventure & MICE Tourism.
To promote Adventure Tourism to India and to create awareness about the varied adventure options available, the Ministry of Tourism has decided to celebrate the year, 2018 as ‘The Year of Adventure Tourism’. Dramatic Himalayan landscapes in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, each dissected by raging rivers, provide the perfect geography for adventure sport such as white water rafting, rock climbing, skiing, low and high altitude trekking, canyoning and paragliding and horse polo, and water sports such as scuba diving, parasailing, kayaking and canoeing in Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep and Andamans.
One of the priorities of the Government of India is the Safety and Security of both Domestic as well as International Tourists travelling in India and accordingly, several measures have been taken in this regard. The launch of a 24x7 Toll Free Tourist Helpline in 12 International languages including German is a big step in this direction. This Helpline is available on the existing Toll Free Number 1800-11-1363 or on a short code 1363 for dialling in India. Ministry of Tourism has also taken steps to sensitize drivers, guides and other stakeholders to highlight the theme of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ which means ‘Guest is God’.
The Government of India has taken path breaking initiative to liberalise the Visa Regime by providing easy access to visitors to the country in the form of e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) which was launched in November 2014. The e-Tourist Visa facility, now extended to 163 countries including Cambodia, has led to the ease of travel to India. 96 and 264 Cambodian visitors travelled to India on evisa in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The total number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals from Cambodia saw an increase from 2593 during 2016 to 5334 during the year 2017.
Diverse tourism products are our strength and India Tourism along with all our tourism stake holders will be working hand in hand to take Incredible India to greater heights.
For further information visit the Ministry of Tourism website www.incredibleindia.org or India Tourism Singapore at info@indiatourism.com.sg
Phnom Penh, 7 May 2018
