India moves to seal closer ties with ASEAN

ASEAN and dialogue partner India are forging ahead with more tourism exchange initiatives in 2013, as India aims to double the number of inbound ASEAN tourists.

Yesterday, both parties launched the ASEAN-India tourism website indiaasean.org as a platform to jointly promote destinations.

Ministers also signed a protocol to amend the MoU inked at last year’s ATF, which promised to strengthen tourism cooperation between the two parties, after security concerns regarding data sharing and the transfer of information surfaced.

The MoU was thus tweaked to allow any ASEAN member state or India to undertake appropriate steps or consultations to ensure that its rights and interests are safeguarded with respect to its national security, national and public interest or public order, protection of intellectual property rights, confidentiality and secrecy of documents, information and data.

With 2.7 million tourist arrivals from ASEAN in 2012, India is bullish about doubling the number. Anand Kumar, joint secretary, Ministry of Tourism, India, said: “We are already offering visa on arrival to seven ASEAN nations, and will soon ease visa norms further.”

He added that India had also invited ASEAN delegates to the International Buddhist Conclave in Varanasi and Bodhgaya last year and the International Tourism Mart in Guwahati this month.

Naresh Kumar, second secretary, Indian High Commission in Vientiane, said: “Ways are being considered to improve greater connectivity between India and ASEAN by air, sea and road.”

Among the other initiatives in 2012 were India’s sending of faculty members of hospitality institutes to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, the hosting of tour operators, travel consultants and media on trips, and the 8,000km ASEAN-India car rally.

The 11th meeting of the ASEAN-India Tourism Working Group will be held in Myanmar in June this year.

Read more in the ATF Daily

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