Tourism minister welcomes the move to simplify Embarking Card for Indians and Disembarking Cards for foreigners.
Union Tourism Minister Shri K Chiranjeevi has welcomed the joint efforts of Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Tourism to simplify the Embarking Card for Indians and Disembarking Cards for foreigners.
The proposed Forms are point specific with the relevant questions and tourist friendly. This will come into effect from July 01,2013. Through these Identification Cards, statistics of foreign tourist arrivals can be easily generated. The size of card has also been reduced substantially.
Union Tourism Minister Shri K Chiranjeevi has welcomed the joint efforts of Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Tourism to simplify the Embarking Card for Indians and Disembarking Cards for foreigners.
The proposed Forms are point specific with the relevant questions and tourist friendly. This will come into effect from July 01,2013. Through these Identification Cards, statistics of foreign tourist arrivals can be easily generated. The size of card has also been reduced substantially.
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Chiranjeevi today announced a major initiative to bring in transparency in granting approvals for hotel projects
New Delhi, Ministry of Tourism, 10-March, 2013:
Union Tourism Minister Mr K Chiranjeevi today announced a major initiative to bring in transparency in granting approvals for hotel projects and classification status to functioning hotels. The hotel promoters and owners seek voluntary approval from the Ministry of Tourism for their projects and classification from one Star to Five Star Deluxe by submitting applications.
These requests are processed for a final decision within 90 days from the receipt of complete applications. At present, the applicants remain unaware of the status of their applications till the final decision is conveyed to them. With the new move, all information relating to such applications indicating the latest status will be put on the website of the Ministry of Tourism www.tourism.gov.in.
All applicants will be given a password to access the details posted on the web. The web details will indicate the date of receipt of applications, status regarding project approval, proposed date of the visit of Hotel and Restaurant Classification Committee, final recommendation of the Committee and final status of Classification/Approval.
This measure will bring in more transparency, make officials more accountable in working and enable the applicants to access information and check status of their applications sitting at their own places. The endeavour of the Ministry will remain to give a final decision on all applications complete in all respects.
The new system will be introduced from 01 April 2013.
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ITB Berlin: Ayurveda lures visitors to Kerala pavilion
Kerala's highly revered tradition of ayurveda has been captivating visitors at ITB Berlin, the world's leading tourism trade show. 'Kerala: Home of Ayurveda' is the theme of the Kerala Tourism pavilion at this year's show.
Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi visited the pavilion, which is built over an area of 128 square metres. "I will visit Kerala soon," Chiranjeevi told the Kerala Tourism delegation headed by Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar.
read more
http://newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/articl e1495756.ece
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Tourism Minister Dr.K.Chiranjeevi Inaugrating Indian Pavilion at ITB, Berlin.
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| Inaugrating Indian Pavilion at ITB, Berlin |
Germany is an important source market for India': Chiranjeevi
New Delhi, Mar. 6 (ANI): Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi has said that a proposal to extend visa on arrival facility to the tourists from Germany is under active consideration of the Government of the India.
Chiranjeevi, who inaugurated India Pavilion at International Tourism Bourse (ITB) at Berlin, Germany today, said 'Germany is an important source market for India'.
"During the year 2011, over 240 thousand German tourists visited India and we are looking forward to further increasing the tourist traffic between the two countries," he added.
Chiranjeevi said 'the foreign tourist arrivals to India constitute only 0.64 percent of the World Tourist Arrivals and foreign exchange earnings account for 1.61 percent of the World Tourism Receipts'.
"This is a matter of concern for all of us in the Ministry. Our endeavour is to increase India's share to 1 percent of the World Tourist Arrivals by 2016," he added.
Chiranjeevi said today India has evolved itself as a round the year destination.
"Our effort is to consolidate on our well developed cultural and heritage products and develop new niche products like rural tourism; wellness and medical tourism; adventure and wildlife tourism; film tourism; monsoon tourism; golf, polo and sports tourism and MICE tourism," he added.
The Tourism Minister further said 'while being committed to the growth of tourism, we are aware about the issues of cleanliness, hygiene and sustainability'.
The Ministry of Tourism has launched a 'Campaign Clean India' to sensitize the masses about keeping Indian destinations clean.
Chiranjeevi is on a five-day visit to Germany. During his stay, he will have extensive meetings with Tour and Travel operators, Travel writers and other stakeholders during his five days stay in Germany.
The ITB is one of the premier international travel related events, which provides an effective platform for networking and meetings with executives and leaders from all segments of the Tourism Industry worldwide.
ITB is one of the largest international events in which the Ministry of Tourism participates on a very large scale. This year too, an area of 870 sq. mtrs. has been taken for the India Pavilion.
The theme of the creative's being used in the India Pavilion at ITB Berlin 2013 is "Find what you Seek" which highlights the fact that India as a tourist destination has something to offer for everybody. "Find What You Seek" is the second phase of the Incredible India campaign.
A total of 58 participants from India are attending ITB. These include 12 State Governments and 46 Travel Agents / TourOperators / Hotels / Airlines. The states of Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal will be represented by their Tourism Ministers at ITB Berlin 2013.
As in previous years, complementary space is being provided to the north-eastern states within India Pavilion for showcasing their tourism potential. The expectation from this event is to see that our partners get enough business in getting tourists from various parts of the world to India. (ANI)
ITB Highlights: India eyeing 1 per cent share of World Tourist Arrivals by 2016
Calling the marginal percentage of world tourist arrivals to India a matter of concern, the Ministry of Tourism plans to increase its share to 1 per cent by 2016. This was announced by the Union Minister of Tourism, K Chiranjeevi at the inauguration of the India Pavilion at ITB Berlin, Germany on Wednesday.
The Minister said, “The foreign tourist arrivals to India constitute only 0.64 per cent of the World Tourist Arrivals and foreign exchange earnings account for 1.61 per cent of the World Tourism Receipts. This is a matter of concern for all of us in the Ministry and our endeavour is to increase India’s share to 1 per cent of the World Tourist Arrivals by 2016”.
Chiranjeevi said India has evolved itself as a round the year destination. Highlighting different tourism segments, he said, “Our effort is to consolidate on our well developed cultural and heritage products and develop new niche products like rural tourism; wellness and medical tourism; adventure and wildlife tourism; film tourism; monsoon tourism; golf, polo and sports tourism and MICE tourism.”
The Tourism Minister said, while being committed to the growth of tourism, we are aware about the issues of cleanliness, hygiene and sustainability. The Ministry of Tourism has launched a ‘Campaign Clean India’ to sensitize the masses about keeping Indian destinations clean.
Incredible India Travel Card
To provide a hassle-free and cashless experience to tourists coming to India, the Ministry of Tourism in association with YES Bank has launched an ‘Incredible India Travel Card’ at the fair. The move is part of MoT’s marketing exercise. YES Bank is the only bank to tie up with the Tourism Ministry to help promote the ‘Incredible India’ initiative and will be the exclusive distributor of the same. The card will be also be available through Government-recognised third party vendors, such as travel agents, hotels, and airport kiosks.
Denominated in Indian rupees, the pre-paid card can be preloaded with a value of up to Rs 50,000 at any point of time, subject to basic ‘know your client’ procedures. The card can also be used at any point of sale terminals and to withdraw cash from ATMs across the country.
India Pavilion at ITB Berlin
The ITB is one of the premier international travel related events, which provides an effective platform for networking and meetings with executives and leaders from all segments of the Tourism Industry worldwide. It is one of the largest international events in which the Ministry of Tourism participates on a very large scale. This year too, an area of 870 sq. mtrs. has been taken for the India Pavilion. The theme of the creative’s being used in the India Pavilion at ITB Berlin 2013 is “Find what you Seek” which highlights the fact that India as a tourist destination has something to offer for everybody. “Find What You Seek” is the second phase of the Incredible India campaign.
A total of 58 participants from India are attending ITB. These include 12 State Governments and 46 Travel Agents / Tour Operators / Hotels / Airlines. The States of Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal will be represented by their Tourism Ministers at ITB Berlin 2013. As in previous years, complementary space is being provided to the North-Eastern states within India Pavilion for showcasing their tourism potential.
India-Germany ties
The ITB Berlin trip forms part of the Minister’s five day visit to Germany during which he will have extensive meetings with Tour and Travel operators, Travel writers and other stakeholders to attract tourists to India. The MoT is actively considering the proposal to extend visa on arrival facility to the tourists from Germany. The Minister said, “Germany is an important source market for India. During the year 2011, over 240 thousand German tourists visited India and we are looking forward to further increasing the tourist traffic between the two countries.”
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Goa wins PATWA tourism award at ITB Berlin
Berlin, Mar 8 (IBNS): Goa Tourism has won the prestigious PATWA award in the Best Beach Destination category here on the second day of the world biggest travel and tourism exhibition - ITB Berlin.
The award was given by Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) and was received by Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar at an awards ceremony attended by luminaries from the global travel trade industry on Thursday.
The award function was held at the International Congress Centre(ICC) on the sidelines of the ITB Berlin.
Speaking on the occasion, Parulekar expressed his satisfaction and felt that the award will cement Goa's position as one of the best beach destinations in the world.
He further said that the state government will rapidly ensure completion of all tourism infrastructure works and ensure that Goa becomes a safe and a year round tourism destination.
He felt that the award will boost international tourist arrivals in the state as Goa will get positive publicity all over the world.
PATWA was established during the PATA Conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The aim of PATWA is to promote professional development of travel writing and travel communication which makes invaluable contribution in the promotion of tourism.
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India has evolved itself as a round the year destination : Chiranjeevi
INVC,
Germany,
Union Tourism Minister Shri K Chiranjeevi has said that a proposal to extend visa on arrival facility to the tourists from Germany is under active consideration of the Government of the India. Inaugurating India pavilion at International Tourism Bourse (ITB) at Berlin, Germany today he said “Germany is an important source market for India. During the year 2011, over 240 thousand German tourists visited India and we are looking forward to further increasing the tourist traffic between the two countries.” The Minister said, the foreign tourist arrivals to India constitute only 0.64% of the World Tourist Arrivals and foreign exchange earnings account for 1.61% of the World Tourism Receipts. He said, “This is a matter of concern for all of us in the Ministry. Our endeavour is to increase India’s share to 1% of the World Tourist Arrivals by 2016”. Chiranjeevi said today India has evolved itself as a round the year destination. He said, “Our effort is to consolidate on our well developed cultural and heritage products and develop new niche products like rural tourism; wellness and medical tourism; adventure and wildlife tourism; film tourism; monsoon tourism; golf, polo and sports tourism and MICE tourism.” The tourism Minister said, while being committed to the growth of tourism, we are aware about the issues of cleanliness, hygiene and sustainability. The Ministry of Tourism has launched a ‘Campaign Clean India’ to sensitize the masses about keeping Indian destinations clean. The Minister is on a Five day visit to Germany. During his stay he will have extensive meetings with Tour and Travel operators, Travel writers and other stakeholders during his five days stay in Germany. The ITB is one of the premier international travel related events, which provides an effective platform for networking and meetings with executives and leaders from all segments of the Tourism Industry worldwide. ITB is one of the largest international events in which the Ministry of Tourism participates on a very large scale. This year too, an area of 870 sq. mtrs. has been taken for the India Pavilion. The theme of the creative’s being used in the India Pavilion at ITB Berlin 2013 is “Find what you Seek” which highlights the fact that India as a tourist destination has something to offer for everybody. “Find What You Seek” is the second phase of the Incredible India campaign. A total of 58 participants from India are attending ITB. These include 12 State Governments and 46 Travel Agents / Tour Operators / Hotels / Airlines. The States of Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal will be represented by their Tourism Ministers at ITB Berlin 2013. As in previous years, complementary space is being provided to the North-Eastern states within India Pavilion for showcasing their tourism potential. The expectation from this event is to see that our partners get enough business in getting tourists from various parts of the world to India.
India considers visa on arrival for Germans : Chiranjeevi
NEW DELHI/BERLIN: A proposal to extend visa on arrival facility to tourists from Germany is under the active consideration of the government, tourism minister K Chiranjeevi said at the inauguration of the India Pavilion at theInternational Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin in Germany.
"Germany is an important source market for India. During the year 2011, over 240,000 German tourists visited India. We are looking forward to further increasing the tourist traffic between the two countries," the minister said.
The minister said foreign tourist arrivals to India constitute only 0.64 per cent of the world tourist arrivals and its foreign exchange earnings accounted for 1.61 per cent of the world tourism receipts.
"This is a matter of concern for all of us in the ministry. Our endeavour is to increase India's share to 1 per cent of the world tourist arrivals by 2016," he said, according to a statement issued by the tourism ministry in New Delhi.
"Our effort is to consolidate on our well developed cultural and heritage products and develop new niche products like rural tourism, wellness and medical tourism, adventure and wildlife tourism, film tourism, monsoon tourism and golf, polo, sports tourism," he said.
The tourism minister said India was aware about "issues of cleanliness, hygiene and sustainability".
The ministry of tourism had launched a " Campaign Clean India" to sensitise the masses about keeping Indian destinations clean.
A total of 58 participants from India are attending the event. These include 12 state governments and 46 travel agents, tour operators, hotels and airlines
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Chiranjeevi is on a five-day visit to Germany. During his stay, he will have extensive meetings with tour and travel operators, travel writers and other stakeholders.
The ITB is one of the premier international travel-related events, which provides an effective platform for networking and meetings with executives and leaders from all segments of the Tourism Industry worldwide.
ITB is one of the largest international events in which the ministry participates on a very large scale. This year too, an area of 870 sq m has been allocated for the India Pavilion.
The theme of the India Pavilion at ITB Berlin 2013 is 'Find what you Seek' which highlights the fact that India as a tourist destination has something to offer for everybody. 'Find What You Seek' is the second phase of the Incredible India campaign.
A total of 58 participants from India are attending ITB. These include 12 state governments and 46 travel agents, tour operators, hotels and airlines.
States of Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal will be represented by their Tourism Ministers at ITB Berlin 2013. As in previous years, complementary space is being provided to the North-Eastern states within India Pavilion for showcasing their tourism potential.
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| UNION TOURISM MINISTER MEETS TOUR OPERATORS AT ITB BERLIN |
UNION TOURISM MINISTER MEETS TOUR OPERATORS AT ITB BERLIN
Union Tourism Minister Shri K. Chiranjeevi has said that the recent decision of the Government of India to lift the restriction of the two month gap on re-entry of foreign nationals coming to India on a tourist visa will encourage more tourists to visit India. Addressing a gathering of tour operators at International Tourism Bourse at Berlin, Germany today he said Germany is one of the India’s most important tourist markets. Chiranjeevi said the number of tourist arrivals from Germany has witnessed a substantial increase over the last few years. The number of German tourists visiting India in the year 2009 was 1,91,616, which rose to 2,27,720 in the year 2010 and 2,40,235 in the year 2011. Shri Chiranjeevi said most of the German tourists travel to India during winter months and South India, Rajasthan, Goa and Himalayas have emerged as favourite destinations for them. He said growing awareness about Ayurveda, Yoga and wellness has created great interest about India in Germany.
The Minister is currently on a Five day visit to Germany. During his stay he will have extensive meetings with Tour and Travel operators, Travel writers and other stakeholders. The ITB is one of the premier international travel related events, which provides an effective platform for networking and meetings with executives and leaders from all segments of the Tourism Industry worldwide.
ITB is one of the largest international events in which the Ministry of Tourism participates on a very large scale. This year an area of 870 sq. mtrs. has been taken for the India Pavilion. The theme of the creative’s being used in the India Pavilion at ITB Berlin 2013 is “Find what you Seek” which highlights the fact that India as a tourist destination has something to offer for everybody. “Find What You Seek” is the second phase of the Incredible India campaign.
A total of 58 participants from India are attending ITB. These include 12 State Governments and 46 Travel Agents / Tour Operators / Hotels / Airlines. The States of Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal will be represented by their Tourism Ministers at ITB Berlin 2013. As in previous years, complementary space is being provided to the North-Eastern states within India Pavilion for showcasing their tourism potential.
Berlin, Mar 7 : Yes Bank, India's fourth largest private sector bank, on Thursday launched the 'Incredible India Travel Card', in association the Ministry of Tourism, as a value add to enrich India's tourism campaign, 'Incredible India', and build on the new theme, 'Find what you seek...'.
Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi, along with Chitra Pandeya, Senior President and Country Head, Liabilities Mgt, Cards And Direct Banking, Yes Bank, jointly unveiled the new card at the ITB Fair at Berlin, Germany.
The 'Yes Bank- Incredible India Travel Card' is a prepaid travel card in Indian Rupee denomination for visitors to India and can be preloaded with a value of up to INR 50,000 at any given point of time, subject to basic KYC procedures.
The card will be distributed through Yes Bank's extensive branch network, Full- Fledged Money Changers (FFMCs) and Government recognized 3rd party vendors, such as travel agents, hotels, airport kiosks, etc.
The card can also be used at any POS terminals and to withdraw cash from ATMs across the country.
Chiranjeevi said: "The Ministry is committed towards creating a seamless tourist infrastructure, facilitating quality services to enrich the tourist experience.
"I am hopeful that initiatives such as the Incredible India-Yes Bank Travel Card will go a long way in fructifying this vision, and urge stakeholders in the tourism fraternity to come up with more such innovative ideas to realize the vision of making India a world class tourist destination."
Rana Kapoor, Founder, Managing Director & CEO, Yes Bank, said: "The 'Incredible India' campaign has a huge global recall, and we believe that the private sector too must supplement the Ministry's marketing efforts with robust product offerings to deliver a smooth and flawless tourist experience."
--IBNS
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| ‘MoT is proposing to use more than 50% of the allocation to augment tourism infrastructure’ - Dr K Chiranjeevi |
‘MoT is proposing to use more than 50% of the allocation to augment tourism infrastructure’ - Dr K Chiranjeevi,
India Tourism is preparing to mark its presence at the international market with its new campaign, ‘Find What You Seek’. ITB Berlin will be the second international platform after WTM London where the new theme will be showcased. Dr K Chiranjeevi, Minister of Tourism, Government of India, talks about the roll-out plan of the new campaign, as well as focus on destination promotion
Q. How is the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) planning to roll out ‘Find What You Seek’ and ‘Go Beyond’ campaigns in the coming months?
Dr K Chiranjeevi: As far as the ‘Find What You Seek’ international campaign is concerned, an agency has been identified to execute global print campaign after obtaining all the necessary approvals and nodal formalities. A Letter of Intent has been issued to the agency and the campaign will be launched soon. For the global television campaign, the tendering process has been completed and is under process for concurrence of the Finance Division. Same is the case with the global online campaign. In terms of the ‘Go Beyond’ theme campaign for the domestic market, the media plan has been approved and the campaign will be launched shortly. The campaign aims to highlight that India, as a tourist destination, has something to offer to everybody.
Q. How important is ITB for India? What are your expectations from the event?
Dr K C: ITB Berlin is an excellent opportunity to meet business partners and conduct business. It is a wonderful platform to discover the world and also to present India to the world within a few hours. India Tourism has been participating in this event for many years with its partners. This year, India has booked a space of 870 sq mts where more than 60 co-exhibitors are expected to participate. The expectation from this event is to see that our partners get enough business in getting tourists from various parts of the world to India.
Q. What direction do you plan to give India Tourism and how do you view the prospects of tourism as a major economic driver?
Dr K C: Tourism in India has the potential to promote faster, sustainable and more inclusive growth. It is a powerful antidote to poverty. MoT has prepared a multi-pronged strategy to increase India’s share in world tourist arrivals by developing a world-class infrastructure, overcoming the dearth of manpower through professional skill development and undertaking aggressive promotional and marketing activities, resulting inter alia in the creation of additional employment in the tourism sector. MoT’s primary objective is to double tourist arrivals from the present 6.31 million to 12 million by the end of 2016. This will create additional employment of about 2.5 crore in the tourism sector, both direct and indirect. MoT will continue to promote tourism and its efforts to develop quality tourism infrastructure at tourist destinations and circuits across the country. Tourism plays an important role in economic development and creation of jobs in India.
Q. How do you view the prospects of India achieving the target of one per cent international inbound by 2016?
Dr K C: The number of FTAs in India during 2011 increased to 6.31 million, as compared with 5.78 million in 2010. The growth rate in FTAs during 2011 over 2010 was 9.2 per cent, as compared with 11.8 per cent during 2010 over 2009. The growth rate of 9.2 per cent in 2011 for India was better than the growth rate of five per cent in international tourist arrivals in 2011.
Though the share of India in international tourist arrivals was 0.64 per cent during 2011 (figures for 2012, not yet available), keeping in view India’s huge tourism potential in Niche Tourism products, it is felt that this share can be much higher. The Working Group on Tourism for the 12th Five Year Plan, set up by the Planning Commission, has set a target of increasing India’s share in international tourist arrivals to one per cent, by the end of 2016, requiring an annual growth rate of 12.38 per cent during 2011-2016 period.
Q. Could you tell us about tourism infrastructure creation during the 12th Five Year Plan period?
Dr K C: MoT is proposing to utilise more than 50 per cent of the allocation for the 12th Five Year Plan to augment tourism infrastructure in the country. The Ministry will also allocate sufficient amount in various other schemes like overseas promotion and publicity, capacity building and assistance to IHM/FCI, etc., during the 12th Five Year Plan period.
Q. What potential does India wield as a destination for Film Tourism and how do you plan to target this segment?
Dr K C: MoT has identified ‘Film Tourism’ as a Niche Tourism product. Recognising the importance of cinema as a powerful tool for the development and promotion of various tourist destinations, MoT had announced several initiatives for promoting Film Tourism through films shoots in India. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) and MoT have signed an MoU with the objective to enhance the reach of ‘Incredible India’ through the medium of cinema. Cannes International Film Festival, International Film Festival of India (IFFI, Goa) and European Film Market are the three film festivals identified for joint participation by MoT and I&B. MoT has issued guidelines in July 2012 for extending financial support to state governments/union territory administrations for promotion of Film Tourism and asked them to constitute special bodies for facilitation of Film Tourism in their territories. Going a step further, MoT has included a special category in the National Tourism Awards for the ‘Most Film Promotion Friendly State/UT’.
Q. What is MoT’s focus on tapping emerging markets like Latin America for future growth?
Dr K C: Latin America is an emerging source market for India. The Regional Director of India Tourism Office, New York is in charge of this market and is actively engaging her office with the stakeholders of the travel trade in that region responsible for bringing tourists to India. As part of the promotional initiatives, roadshows were organised in October 2012 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and in November in Buenos Aires, Argentina. India has a bilateral tourism agreement with Brazil and Peru and a tripartite tourism agreement also exists under the umbrella IBSA.
Connectivity, however, is a real barrier for tourists coming to India from the Latin American countries. Although operations of any airline operator in a particular sector depends on the economic viability and commercial prudence, MoT may discuss the issue with stakeholders including the Ministry of Civil Aviation to find a probable solution. Tourists from these countries basically look for culture and heritage of our country.
India Tourism is preparing to mark its presence at the international market with its new campaign, ‘Find What You Seek’. ITB Berlin will be the second international platform after WTM London where the new theme will be showcased. Dr K Chiranjeevi, Minister of Tourism, Government of India, talks about the roll-out plan of the new campaign, as well as focus on destination promotion
Q. How is the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) planning to roll out ‘Find What You Seek’ and ‘Go Beyond’ campaigns in the coming months?
Dr K Chiranjeevi: As far as the ‘Find What You Seek’ international campaign is concerned, an agency has been identified to execute global print campaign after obtaining all the necessary approvals and nodal formalities. A Letter of Intent has been issued to the agency and the campaign will be launched soon. For the global television campaign, the tendering process has been completed and is under process for concurrence of the Finance Division. Same is the case with the global online campaign. In terms of the ‘Go Beyond’ theme campaign for the domestic market, the media plan has been approved and the campaign will be launched shortly. The campaign aims to highlight that India, as a tourist destination, has something to offer to everybody.
Q. How important is ITB for India? What are your expectations from the event?
Dr K C: ITB Berlin is an excellent opportunity to meet business partners and conduct business. It is a wonderful platform to discover the world and also to present India to the world within a few hours. India Tourism has been participating in this event for many years with its partners. This year, India has booked a space of 870 sq mts where more than 60 co-exhibitors are expected to participate. The expectation from this event is to see that our partners get enough business in getting tourists from various parts of the world to India.
Q. What direction do you plan to give India Tourism and how do you view the prospects of tourism as a major economic driver?
Dr K C: Tourism in India has the potential to promote faster, sustainable and more inclusive growth. It is a powerful antidote to poverty. MoT has prepared a multi-pronged strategy to increase India’s share in world tourist arrivals by developing a world-class infrastructure, overcoming the dearth of manpower through professional skill development and undertaking aggressive promotional and marketing activities, resulting inter alia in the creation of additional employment in the tourism sector. MoT’s primary objective is to double tourist arrivals from the present 6.31 million to 12 million by the end of 2016. This will create additional employment of about 2.5 crore in the tourism sector, both direct and indirect. MoT will continue to promote tourism and its efforts to develop quality tourism infrastructure at tourist destinations and circuits across the country. Tourism plays an important role in economic development and creation of jobs in India.
Q. How do you view the prospects of India achieving the target of one per cent international inbound by 2016?
Dr K C: The number of FTAs in India during 2011 increased to 6.31 million, as compared with 5.78 million in 2010. The growth rate in FTAs during 2011 over 2010 was 9.2 per cent, as compared with 11.8 per cent during 2010 over 2009. The growth rate of 9.2 per cent in 2011 for India was better than the growth rate of five per cent in international tourist arrivals in 2011.
Though the share of India in international tourist arrivals was 0.64 per cent during 2011 (figures for 2012, not yet available), keeping in view India’s huge tourism potential in Niche Tourism products, it is felt that this share can be much higher. The Working Group on Tourism for the 12th Five Year Plan, set up by the Planning Commission, has set a target of increasing India’s share in international tourist arrivals to one per cent, by the end of 2016, requiring an annual growth rate of 12.38 per cent during 2011-2016 period.
Q. Could you tell us about tourism infrastructure creation during the 12th Five Year Plan period?
Dr K C: MoT is proposing to utilise more than 50 per cent of the allocation for the 12th Five Year Plan to augment tourism infrastructure in the country. The Ministry will also allocate sufficient amount in various other schemes like overseas promotion and publicity, capacity building and assistance to IHM/FCI, etc., during the 12th Five Year Plan period.
Q. What potential does India wield as a destination for Film Tourism and how do you plan to target this segment?
Dr K C: MoT has identified ‘Film Tourism’ as a Niche Tourism product. Recognising the importance of cinema as a powerful tool for the development and promotion of various tourist destinations, MoT had announced several initiatives for promoting Film Tourism through films shoots in India. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) and MoT have signed an MoU with the objective to enhance the reach of ‘Incredible India’ through the medium of cinema. Cannes International Film Festival, International Film Festival of India (IFFI, Goa) and European Film Market are the three film festivals identified for joint participation by MoT and I&B. MoT has issued guidelines in July 2012 for extending financial support to state governments/union territory administrations for promotion of Film Tourism and asked them to constitute special bodies for facilitation of Film Tourism in their territories. Going a step further, MoT has included a special category in the National Tourism Awards for the ‘Most Film Promotion Friendly State/UT’.
Q. What is MoT’s focus on tapping emerging markets like Latin America for future growth?
Dr K C: Latin America is an emerging source market for India. The Regional Director of India Tourism Office, New York is in charge of this market and is actively engaging her office with the stakeholders of the travel trade in that region responsible for bringing tourists to India. As part of the promotional initiatives, roadshows were organised in October 2012 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and in November in Buenos Aires, Argentina. India has a bilateral tourism agreement with Brazil and Peru and a tripartite tourism agreement also exists under the umbrella IBSA.
Connectivity, however, is a real barrier for tourists coming to India from the Latin American countries. Although operations of any airline operator in a particular sector depends on the economic viability and commercial prudence, MoT may discuss the issue with stakeholders including the Ministry of Civil Aviation to find a probable solution. Tourists from these countries basically look for culture and heritage of our country.
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| India Refreshes Image |
India Refreshes Image
The enduring Incredible India slogan, now into its second decade, is taking on a new lease of life with the tagline Find What You Seek
India is breathing new life into its most enduring marketing slogan as it seeks to forge a more emotional connection with visitors. The country launched the catchy Incredible India tag in 2002, which has since been used in various ways to promote a wide spectrum of attractions.
Indian tourism officials revealed at ITB that they are now looking to change direction and shift focus more towards the wants and desires of consumers. Describing the move as a “paradigm shift”, tourism minister Dr K Chiranjeevi said this new phase of the campaign will also carry the tagline Find What You Seek to promote whatever destination or experience travellers are looking for, ranging from festivals, wellness and heritage tourism to beaches, forts and adventure. “India is a way of life, an experience and a dream to cherish,” he added. “Tourists can find the destination or product of their desire in India.”
Another campaign, entitled Go Beyond, has also been launched at ITB. It aims to encourage the vast Indian domestic market to explore the country more deeply by combining famous attractions with lesser-known areas. Officials ultimately want to roll out the same initiative to international markets, specifically targeting Indian communities in countries such as the UK.
Following the Oscar success of the movie “Life of Pi”, part of which was filmed in India, the tourism minister – a former Bollywood star – is keen to encourage more producers to shoot films in the country. However, the Indian government and its ministry of tourism are also acting to repair the country’s image following a horrific attack on a young woman last December, which provoked headlines around the world. Dr Chiranjeevi gave his assurance that tourists, especially women, are safe, while India‘s ambassador to Germany, Sujatha Singh, said efforts are being made to change attitudes. The government has established a special helpline for women.
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Chiru-launch-Incredible India Travel Card Yes Card
Berlin, Mar 7 (RDI IBNS) Yes Bank, India's fourth largest private sector bank, on Thursday launched the 'Incredible India Travel Card', in association the Ministry of Tourism, as a value add to enrich India's tourism campaign, 'Incredible India', and build on the new theme, 'Find what you seek...'.
Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi, along with Chitra Pandeya, Senior President and Country Head, Liabilities Mgt, Cards And Direct Banking, Yes Bank, jointly unveiled the new card at the ITB Fair at Berlin, Germany.
The 'Yes Bank- Incredible India Travel Card' is a prepaid travel card in Indian Rupee denomination for visitors to India and can be preloaded with a value of up to INR 50,000 at any given point of time, subject to basic KYC procedures.
The card will be distributed through Yes Bank's extensive branch network, Full- Fledged Money Changers (FFMCs) and Government recognized 3rd party vendors, such as travel agents, hotels, airport kiosks, etc.
The card can also be used at any POS terminals and to withdraw cash from ATMs across the country.
Chiranjeevi said: "The Ministry is committed towards creating a seamless tourist infrastructure, facilitating quality services to enrich the tourist experience.
"I am hopeful that initiatives such as the Incredible India-Yes Bank Travel Card will go a long way in fructifying this vision, and urge stakeholders in the tourism fraternity to come up with more such innovative ideas to realize the vision of making India a world class tourist destination."
Rana Kapoor, Founder, Managing Director & CEO, Yes Bank, said: "The 'Incredible India' campaign has a huge global recall, and we believe that the private sector too must supplement the Ministry's marketing efforts with robust product offerings to deliver a smooth and flawless tourist experience."
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India tourism film 'Find What You Seek' gets 1st prize at 11th Golden City Gate Awards
New Delhi, Mar. 8 (ANI): Ministry of Tourism's new film 'Find What You Seek' received first prize at the 11th Golden City Gate Tourism Media Awards ceremony held in Berlin today to coincide with ITB Berlin 2013.
The Golden City Gate is an international film, print and media contest for the tourism industry. The awards ceremony is held every year at ITB Berlin, the world's leading travel trade show.
The competition provides all tourism advertisers to participate in the contest for presenting their new creatives. All entries are assessed by 45 independent international expert jurors with strong industry background.
Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi had launched the new campaign "Find What You Seek", the second phase of Incredible India Campaign at WTM 2012 in November last year along with the new Domestic Campaign "Go Beyond".
By launching new campaign, the Ministry of Tourism has made a paradigm shift by shifting the focus from destinations and products to consumers (travellers). The new campaign emphasizes that there is something for every traveller in India and every traveller can find what he or she is seeking while travelling in our incredible country.
Domestic campaign "Go Beyond" urges travellers to travel beyond the obvious, the known destinations to the lesser-known destinations. (ANI)
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| Tourism Minister checking out yoga, at ITB Berlin |
Interview
Q. How is the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) planning to roll out "Find What You Seek" and "Go Beyond" campaigns in the coming months?
Dr K Chiranjeevi: As far as the "Find What You Seek" international campaign is concerned, an agency has been identified to execute global print campaign after obtaining all the necessary approvals and nodal formalities. A Letter of Intent has been issued to the agency and the campaign will be launched soon. For the global television campaign, the tendering process has been completed and is under process for concurrence of the Finance Division. Same is the case with the global online campaign. In terms of the "Go Beyond" theme campaign for the domestic market, the media plan has been approved and the campaign will be launched shortly. The campaign aims to highlight that India, as a tourist destination, has something to offer to everybody.
Q. How important is ITB for India? What are your expectations from the event?
Dr K C: ITB Berlin is an excellent opportunity to meet business partners and conduct business. It is a wonderful platform to discover the world and also to present India to the world within a few hours. India Tourism has been participating in this event for many years with its partners. This year, India has booked a space of 870 sq mts where more than 60 co-exhibitors are expected to participate. The expectation from this event is to see that our partners get enough business in getting tourists from various parts of the world to India.
Q. What direction do you plan to give India Tourism and how do you view the prospects of tourism as a major economic driver?
Dr K C: Tourism in India has the potential to promote faster, sustainable and more inclusive growth. It is a powerful antidote to poverty. MoT has prepared a multi-pronged strategy to increase India's share in world tourist arrivals by developing a world-class infrastructure, overcoming the dearth of manpower through professional skill development and undertaking aggressive promotional and marketing activities, resulting inter alia in the creation of additional employment in the tourism sector. MoT's primary objective is to double tourist arrivals from the present 6.31 million to 12 million by the end of 2016. This will create additional employment of about 2.5 crore in the tourism sector, both direct and indirect. MoT will continue to promote tourism and its efforts to develop quality tourism infrastructure at tourist destinations and circuits across the country. Tourism plays an important role in economic development and creation of jobs in India.
Q. How do you view the prospects of India achieving the target of one per cent international inbound by 2016?
Dr K C: The number of FTAs in India during 2011 increased to 6.31 million, as compared with 5.78 million in 2010. The growth rate in FTAs during 2011 over 2010 was 9.2 per cent, as compared with 11.8 per cent during 2010 over 2009. The growth rate of 9.2 per cent in 2011 for India was better than the growth rate of five per cent in international tourist arrivals in 2011.
Though the share of India in international tourist arrivals was 0.64 per cent during 2011 (figures for 2012, not yet available), keeping in view India's huge tourism potential in Niche Tourism products, it is felt that this share can be much higher. The Working Group on Tourism for the 12th Five Year Plan, set up by the Planning Commission, has set a target of increasing India's share in international tourist arrivals to one per cent, by the end of 2016, requiring an annual growth rate of 12.38 per cent during 2011-2016 period.
Q. Could you tell us about tourism infrastructure creation during the 12th Five Year Plan period?
Dr K C: MoT is proposing to utilise more than 50 per cent of the allocation for the 12th Five Year Plan to augment tourism infrastructure in the country. The Ministry will also allocate sufficient amount in various other schemes like overseas promotion and publicity, capacity building and assistance to IHM/FCI, etc., during the 12th Five Year Plan period.
Q. What potential does India wield as a destination for Film Tourism and how do you plan to target this segment?
Dr K C: MoT has identified "Film Tourism" as a Niche Tourism product. Recognising the importance of cinema as a powerful tool for the development and promotion of various tourist destinations, MoT had announced several initiatives for promoting Film Tourism through films shoots in India. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) and MoT have signed an MoU with the objective to enhance the reach of "Incredible India" through the medium of cinema. Cannes International Film Festival, International Film Festival of India (IFFI, Goa) and European Film Market are the three film festivals identified for joint participation by MoT and I&B. MoT has issued guidelines in July 2012 for extending financial support to state governments/union territory administrations for promotion of Film Tourism and asked them to constitute special bodies for facilitation of Film Tourism in their territories. Going a step further, MoT has included a special category in the National Tourism Awards for the "Most Film Promotion Friendly State/UT".
Q. What is MoT's focus on tapping emerging markets like Latin America for future growth?
Dr K C: Latin America is an emerging source market for India. The Regional Director of India Tourism Office, New York is in charge of this market and is actively engaging her office with the stakeholders of the travel trade in that region responsible for bringing tourists to India. As part of the promotional initiatives, roadshows were organised in October 2012 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and in November in Buenos Aires, Argentina. India has a bilateral tourism agreement with Brazil and Peru and a tripartite tourism agreement also exists under the umbrella IBSA.
Connectivity, however, is a real barrier for tourists coming to India from the Latin American countries. Although operations of any airline operator in a particular sector depends on the economic viability and commercial prudence, MoT may discuss the issue with stakeholders including the Ministry of Civil Aviation to find a probable solution. Tourists from these countries basically look for culture and heritage of our country.
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