Over 2.5 lacs Malaysian Tourists Visited India in 2022

 Ministry of Tourism//Posted On: 30th August 2024 2:44 PM by PIB Delhi

India and Malaysia Sign MoU for Strengthening Co-operation in tourism 

New Delhi: 30th August 2024: (PIB//The Tours and Travel Desk):: 

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India and Malaysia have very close political, economic and socio-cultural relations. To further strengthen this relationship, India and Malaysia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Tourism, Government of Republic of India and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Government of Malaysia for strengthening co-operation in the field of tourism.

The MoU was signed on 20th August 2024 between Minister of Tourism and Culture from India Shri Ganjendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia Mr. Y B Dato Sri Tiong King Sing.

The main objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding, among others, are: promotion and marketing of tourism products and services; expansion in the field of tourism research, training and development, including exchange programmes;encourage investment in tourism infrastructure, facilities, products and services; exchanging information in the field of medical tourism and encouraging stakeholders to promote the product; business tourism, which includes meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions (MICE); promoting cooperation between tourism stakeholders, tour operators and travel agents;promotion and development of community-based tourism and eco-tourism and responsible tourism.

Malaysia is one of the important inbound tourist source markets for India. In the year 2022, over 2.5 lacs Malaysian tourists visited India. It is hoped that the Memorandum of Understanding will give further fillip to tourist arrivals from Malaysia.

***//BY/SKT//Release ID: 2050034 

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Korea

Posted On: 01 NOV 2018 11:43AM by PIB Delhi

 MoU for strengthening cooperation in the field of Tourism

New Delhi: 6th November 2022: (PIB//The Tours and Travels Screen)::

The Minister of State for Tourism (I/C), Shri Alphons Kannanthanam and the Tourism, Culture & Sports Minister of South Korea, Mr. Do Jong-hwan exchanging the signed documents of an MoU to enhance tourism cooperation between India and South Korea, in New Delhi on November 05, 2018 (PIB photo)

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Korea for strengthening cooperation in the field of Tourism.

The main objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding are:

To expand bilateral cooperation in tourism sector

To increase Exchange of information and data related to tourism

To encouraging cooperation between tourism stakeholders including Hotels and Tour Operators

To establish exchange programmes for cooperation in Human Resources Development

To encourage Investment in the Tourism and Hospitality sectors

To exchange visits of Tour Operators / Media / Opinion Makers for promotion of two-way tourism

To exchange experience in the areas of promotion, marketing destination development and management

To encourage participation in travel fairs/exhibitions in each other's country and

Promoting safe, honorable and sustainable tourism.

Background:

India and Korea have enjoyed a strong diplomatic and long economic relationship. The two parties now desiring to strengthen and further develop the established relationship for strengthening cooperation in the field of Tourism.

Korea is one of the leading tourist generating markets for India from East Asia. Signing of the MoU with Korea will be instrumental in increasing arrival from this source market.

*****               NW/AKT/SH                 (Release ID: 1551459)

Rural Tourism

A Special Feature on Tourism              ---By Sarita Brara*

Inder Mohan Singh Chhabra of Sikh TV at Kangra Railway Station during his India visit  (Photo:Rector Kathuria)

Last year when Vivek Sherode from Pune told his children that he was taking them for a holiday, they were more than excited “Will their father take them to Mumbai or Goa?”They started guessing among themselves? But Vivek had some other plans this time. He had heard about village tourism and this time he wanted to give his children the taste of village life. The children were disappointed when they first came to know about it. But the moment they landed in a village they fell in love with the place.  For them it was a different world altogether. Vivek said he had never seen his children so happy as they ran about, sometimes climbing the tree to pluck chikoos or riding a bullock cart or a tractor  or simply playing with water  at the village well. Vivek said that he had never seen his family enjoy the holiday so much as in this village.  He said   at night   the local dance and music with rustic flavor was organized, something they would never had the chance to see in a city.

Living in high rise buildings amidst noise and coping with the fast paced life, people want to get away from the daily hustle and bustle for a quiet holiday and breathe fresh air.  Rural tourism as a concept was envisaged in the National Tourism policy in 2002. It was defined as a form of tourism that showcases village life, art, culture and heritage at rural locations, thereby benefiting the local community economically and socially as well as enabling interaction between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience.

Rural Tourism Scheme

The Rural Tourism Scheme was formulated with a focus on developing tourism related infrastructure that would help promote   village tourism. This was later supplemented by a pilot project Endogenous Tourism Project (ETP) in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) by building and strengthening tourism livelihoods-linked capacities of local communities. The project also aimed at convergence of issues like sustainable livelihoods, gender equality, empowerment of women, youth and other disadvantaged sections of the community, and working towards cultural sensitivity and environmental sustainability.

Since 2006 the funding of the capacity building activities has also been going on under the capacity building scheme of the Ministry of Tourism. 

Panduranga,  who is into rural tourism  says that in  Maharshtra, village tourism  took birth in  Baramati district  in 2004 as a pilot project  spread over 110 acres of land.  There is horticulture plantation in the 65 acre area. He says when they urban tourists come, they are also able to see silk processing units, milk dairies and fruit plantations.  Another objective of encouraging rural tourism was to curb migration from rural to urban areas. Since 2004 more than 200 centres of rural and farm tourism have been developed in Maharashtra and more than a lakh of tourists have had the taste of village life. In addition extra income to the farmers, the unemployed youth in villages have also been roped into the activities connected with rural tourism.

Rajasthan is another state where rural tourism has developed fast over the years. Rajasthan  is not only famous  for historical monuments and places of worship but also for its rich culture  be its performing arts or crafts  or dance and music. According to Vijay Deep Singh of Murarka Foundations they have developed several packages  not only for  the Indian tourists but tourists from place like America, France, England and even Switzerland. He says that many tourists want to stay with villagers in their homes to get first hand flavour of local life, cuisine and culture. Under one such  packages  the tourists  are charged 1200 rupees  per day  for one day and night  of which  850 rupees are paid to the farmers family.  For the tourists it is not expensive and the farmer too is able to earn extra money.

In Punjab it is farm tourism that has become the favourite. One can walk along the golden mustard fields, take a ride on the tractor, take the cattle for grazing or feed them, get to drink  fresh buttermilk in the green fields with Makki ki Roti and Saag, enjoy  the folk dance Bhangra and get to see the making of the local craft  phulkari  and also meet the village community and the Panchayat. The tourists also get to participate or simply watch local games like wrestling, Gilidanda , kite flying. Children too can experience the joy of jumping on the hay and taking bath in the tube wells.

Many other states too are now giving encouragement to rural tourism.

12th Plan Strategy to Boost Rural Tourism

The working group on   tourism for the 12th plan observed that due to several reasons, the rural tourism projects have achieved only limited success.  It has suggested a strategy that can exploit the full potential of rural tourism.

     The strategy for developing rural tourism is focussed on phased development of cluster of villages for tourism instead of individual villages.

It says that the concentration of tourism facilities or opportunities in a cluster of villages in a geographically compact area, rather than in a number of individual villages spread across vast areas, is likely to provide better tourism attraction.

Another advantage is that marketing of local products can be facilitated by holding Craft Bazars or Haats, a concept which has been in vogue throughout the country for a long time.

Also it is more practical and cost effective for tour operators to take a busload or a group of large number of tourists to a rural tourism cluster, which offers more variety and opportunities of shopping, and exposure to customs, lifestyles, local arts and artisans/ artists, including performing arts.    (PIB Feature)  (21-November-2012 18:13 IST)              

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*The author is a Freelance Writer.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author in this article are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of PIB.

SS-201/SF-201/21-11-2012

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