NEW DELHI, Feb 27 – India and Canada resolved to strengthen cooperation in tourism sector with both countries identifying areas for joint efforts and explore new opportunities in the sector. Human resource development, exchange of tour operators, investment in the tourism sector and exchange of information related to tourism sector are identified as areas to explore new opportunities.
The possibility of signing an agreement between India and Canada was also discussed during the meeting between Canada’s Minister of Tourism, Maxime Bernier and India’s Minister of Tourism, K.Chiranjeevi on Tuesday.
It was also agreed that Tour Operators and Travel Agents of both the countries will interact with each other in order to promote two way tourism between India and Canada.
Both countries also explored the possibilities of promoting joint venture investment in the field of hotel industry and tourism infrastructural sector. Now that Hotels and Tourism sector has been opened for Foreign direct investment up to 100 per cent on automatic routes, Canadian investment in tourism infrastructure in India could be one of the major areas of cooperation, said a statement. Canada is one of India’s primary source markets, it said.
Foreign tourist arrivals from Canada to India have increased considerably over the past few years to 259,017 in 2011 from 208,214 in 2007.
BERNAMA
