During their half-an-hour meeting both the leaders recalled long and traditional relations between India and Japan. The Tourism & Culture Minister Smt. Ambika Soni while mentioning the Indo-Japan Tourism Exchange Year 2007 stressed the need to bring more tourists into each other’s country. She said that 90% of the package tour itineraries for Japanese tourists include Delhi-Agra (Taj Mahal) - Jaipur ‘Golden Triangle’. Varanasi, Khajuraho, Ajanta and Ellora are the destinations also frequently visited by Japanese tourists. She said India is promoting Buddhist Circuit and a special train is also launched recently to cover major attractions of Buddhist sites in India. She said Japanese tourists can also take advantage of MICE and Golf Tourism in India.
Recalling the assistance of JBIC (Japan Bank for International Cooperation) Smt. Soni said Ajanta-Ellora Conservation and Tourism Development Project is being successfully implemented and phased II is expected to be completed by 2009.
She said JBIC officials had expressed their keenness to start the project for infrastructure development on Buddhist sites initially in the states of Sikkim, Ladakh and Madhya Pradesh only. She said that to meet the growing room requirement in India, her Government is making efforts to build Budget Hotels in Public Private Partnership. Mr. Tetsuzo Fuyushiba said his country is committed to promote tourism and cultural ties between the two countries. He said from first of September, 2007 ANA will have seven flights a week to India and with increase of JAL flights from first October 2007, a total number of 12 flights will be available for passengers. Mr. Tetsuzo Fuyushiba urged New Delhi to make visa availability easy for tourists from Japan to India. Japan is one of India’s top tourist generating market. In 2005 the figures of tourists arrival from Japan to India reached 102000. Outbound traffic from India to Japan in 2004 was 53000.
Sikkim Served Fresh Daily
