Lok Sabha Question No. 4313 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-12
Subject: Agreement for Promotion of Tourism
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: RANJANBEN BHATT, ALOK SANJAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†4313 ANSWERED ON 12.12.2016

## AGREEMENT FOR PROMOTION OF TOURISM

## †4313. SHRIMATI RANJANBEN BHATT: SHRI ALOK SANJAR:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) whether India has recently signed any MoU/bilateral agreements with some countries for the promotion of tourism;
- (b) if so, the details of the various MoUs signed with international bodies/countries  including  United  States  of  America  for  the promotion of tourism, country-wise;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  sign  agreements  for mutual cooperation with various countries to give impetus to tourism in future; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the progress made in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a): The Ministry of Tourism has signed Memorandum of Understanding  (MoU's)  in  the  field  of  tourism  cooperation  with Maldives, Qatar and South Africa in the current year (as on date).
- (b): Details of MoU's/Agreements/Letter of Intent (LoI) signed with various  countries  for  bilateral  and  multilateral  cooperation  in  the field of Tourism may be seen at Annexure.
- (c) & (d): The signing of MoUs/Agreements/LoI with various countries is an ongoing process and the objectives include:
- i)
- Exchange of information and data related to tourism.
- ii) Cooperation between tourism stakeholders including hotels & Tour operators.
- iii) Exchange programmes for cooperation in Human Resource Development. iv) Investment in the Tourism and Hospitality sector. v) Exchange of visits of Tour Operators/Media/Opinion Makers for promotion of two way tourism. vi) Exchange  of  experience  in  the areas of promotion, marketing, destination development and management. vii) Participation  in  travel  fairs/exhibitions  in  each  other's
- country.

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ANNEXURE

STATEMENT  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†4313 ANSWERED ON 12.12.2016 REGARDING AGREEMENT FOR PROMOTION OF TOURISM.

Agreements/Memorandum  of  Understanding  Signed  with  foreign countries by the Ministry of Tourism

1. MOUs currently valid
2. MoU's Which have expired

|   Sl. No | Name of the country with whom MoU/ Agreement/Protocols singed   | Date of signature   |
|----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
|        1 | Iraq (Protocol)                                                 | 25.10.1986          |
|        2 | Portugal (Agreement)                                            | 29.07.1991          |
|        3 | Syria (Agreement)                                               | 08.10.1991          |
|        4 | Hungary (Agreement)                                             | 16.10.1992          |
|        5 | Belarus (Agreement)                                             | 14.05.1993          |
|        6 | Israel (Agreement)                                              | 18.05.1993          |
|        7 | Singapore (Agreement)                                           | 24.01.1994          |
|        8 | Russia (Agreement)                                              | 30.06.1994          |
|        9 | Turkey (Agreement)                                              | 31.01.1995          |
|       10 | Iran (MoU)                                                      | 18.04.1995          |
|       11 | Mexico (Agreement)                                              | 28.03.1996          |
|       12 | Seychelles (Agreement)                                          | 03.10.1996          |
|       13 | Cyprus (Agreement)                                              | 07.11.1996          |
|       14 | Greece (Agreement)                                              | 13.01.1998          |
|       15 | Mongolia (Agreement)                                            | 01.12.1998          |
|       16 | Morocco (Agreement)                                             | 13.02.1999          |
|       17 | Indonesia (MOU)                                                 | 08.02.2000          |
|       18 | Italy (Agreement)                                               | 26.06.2000          |
|       19 | Tunisia (Agreement)                                             | 08.12.2000          |
|       20 | Sri Lanka (MOU)                                                 | 23.01.2004          |
|       21 | Brazil (Agreement)                                              | 25.01.2004          |
|       22 | Serbia (MOU)                                                    | 02.11.2004          |
|       23 | Afghanistan (Agreement)                                         | 06.12.2005          |
|       24 | Jordan (Agreement)                                              | 01.12.2006          |
|       25 | IBSA Tripartite Agreement                                       | 15.10.2008          |
|       26 | Spain (MOU)                                                     | 22.04.2009          |
|       27 | Poland (Agreement)                                              | 25.04.2009          |
|       28 | Malaysia (MOU)                                                  | 27.10.2010          |

|   29. | ASEAN (MOU)            | 12.01.2012   |
|-------|------------------------|--------------|
|    30 | Mauritius (MOU)        | 12.03.2013   |
|    31 | Japan (Memorandum)     | 22.01.2014   |
|    32 | Australia MoU          | 18.11.2014   |
|    33 | Nepal (MoU)            | 25.11.2014   |
|    34 | France (LoI)           | 09.04.2015   |
|    35 | China (Agreement)      | 15.05.2015   |
|    36 | Tanzania (MoU)         | 19.06.2015   |
|    37 | Uzbekistan (Agreement) | 06.07.2015   |
|    38 | Turkmenistan (MoU)     | 11.07.2015   |
|    39 | Egypt (MoU)            | 24.08.2015   |
|    40 | U.A.E.                 | 03.09.2015   |
|    41 | Cambodia (MoU)         | 16.09.2015   |
|    42 | Maldives (MoU)         | 10.04.2016   |
|    43 | Qatar (MoU)            | 05.06.2016   |
|    44 | South Africa (MoU)     | 08.07.2016   |

|   Sl. No | Name of the country with whom MoU/ Agreement/Protocols singed   | Date of signature   |
|----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
|        1 | Republic of Korea (South) (Agreement)                           | 10.09.1993          |
|        2 | Bulgaria (Agreement)                                            | 26.05.1994          |
|        3 | Romania (Agreement)                                             | 02.06.1994          |
|        4 | Kyrgyzstan (Agreement)                                          | 22.09.1995          |
|        5 | Peru (Agreement)                                                | 26.05.1997          |
|        6 | Vietnam (Agreement)                                             | 08.01.2001          |
|        7 | Kazakhstan (Agreement)                                          | 03.06.2002          |
|        8 | Ukraine (Agreement)                                             | 12.08.2003          |
|        9 | Thailand (Agreement)                                            | 09.10.2003          |
|       10 | Tajikistan (Agreement)                                          | 14.11.2003          |
|       11 | Fiji (Agreement)                                                | 10.10.2005          |
|       12 | Philippines (Agreement)                                         | 04.02.2006          |

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