Incredible India Road Show shows glimpse into tourism co-operation

Nearly 50 Vietnamese and Indian tourism enterprises participated in the Incredible India Road Show

The Indian tourism outlook is certainly very promising with an upward trend in foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs). India received around 10.56 million (provisional) FTAs in 2018 registering a growth of 5.2 per cent over 2017. A total of 31,427 tourists from Vietnam visited India in 2018 (provisional), registering a growth of 32.21 per cent.

“Vietnam is a promising tourism market for India. Our target is to encourage a greater flow of tourists from Vietnam through a multi-pronged approach, including proactive marketing strategies in partnership with tourism stakeholders,” said Shri Gyan Bhushan, economic advisor at the Indian Ministry of Tourism.

According to Shri, India ranked third on the World Travel & Tourism Council's (WTTC) 2018 Power Ranking, a significant jump from the seventh place in 2017.

As an experiential destination with its kaleidoscope of ancient culture and heritage, ancient systems of healing like Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, or Naturopathy, India owns 70 per cent of the Himalayas which is full of natural beauty and has over 7,500 kilometres of coastline, rich flora and fauna, world-class medical facilities, and many other appeals. “All of these make India a favoured destination for the discerning travellers. The 38 World Heritage (UNESCO) sites add to the grandeur of the country and attract tourists from all over the world,” Shri added.

Besides, the introduction of e-Visa which is now available to the nationals of 169 countries including Vietnam and is valid for entry through 28 designated airports and five designated seaports, together with the operation of a 24/7 Toll-Free Multi-Lingual Tourist Helpline in 12 international languages have all been factors attracting more foreign tourists, including holiday-makers from Vietnam.

Highly appreciating the potential and condition of India’s tourism, as well as affirming the attraction of Vietnamese tourism, Ngo Hoai Trung, vice chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, expressed his belief in the co-operation in tourism between the two countries.

“The distance between Vietnam and India is not large and there will be three new direct flight routes opened soon. This is a good chance for tourists to visit and discover the beauty and history of both countries,” Trung said.

At the event, Vietnamese and Indian enterprises had B2B meetings to discover the options as well as opportunities to support each other, aiming to create good co-operation in the future to increase the number of tourists from both sides.