A tourism promotion event, named “Visit India in 2018”, was organised by the Consulate General of India in HCM City. (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) - The Consulate Generalof India in Ho Chi Minh City has hosted a tourism promotion programme, invitinglocal people to experience the different flavours of Indian culture, cuisineand nature.
The event, named ‘Visit India in 2018’, saw theattendance of representatives of the city’s Department of Tourism, Vietnameseand Indian tourism enterprises, and other relevant agencies.
It called on the travel industries from bothsides to boost the bilateral people-to-people exchange in line with theguidance given by the leaders of the two countries.
Speaking at the event, Indian ConsulGeneral K. Srikar Reddy highlighted the historical andcivilisational links between two countries, stressing that Vietnam is a strongpillar of India’s Act-East Policy.
The longstanding India-Vietnam ties are based onstrong mutual trust, understanding and a convergence of views on variousregional and international issues.
Over the years, there have been regular exchangesof high level visits between the two countries.
The leaders of both countries have agreed tointensify cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism and people-to-peopleexchange while widening and deepening cultural and historical ties.
Tourism has been identified as a priority areafor cooperation.
Last year, foreign tourist arrivals in Indiawere 10.17 million, an increase of 15.6 percent compared to 2016.
Meanwhile, the number of Vietnamese visitingIndia has increased 60 percent during the last five years.
Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, deputy director of the HCMCity’s Department of Tourism, said the city welcomed about 57,000 Indianvisitors last year, an increase of 10.4 per cent over 2016.
India is renowned for its cultural, historical,religious and natural heritage, and offers unique experiences unparalleled byany other country in the world.
The country attracts tourists thanks to itsdiverse traditions, life styles, colorful fairs and festivals, geographicaldiversity, attractive beaches, 36 World Heritage sites and 25-bio-geographiczones.
According to World Travel and Tourism Council’sresearch, the world’s 10 fastest growing destinations for leisure-travelspending in the period of 2016-26 will be India, followed by Vietnam, China,Thailand and other countries.-VNA
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