Lok Sabha Question No. 123 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-03
Subject: Exemptions to attract Foreign Tourists
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: Sanjay(Kaka) Ramchandra Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†123 ANSWERED ON 03.02.2020

## EXEMPTIONS TO ATTRACT FOREIGN TOURISTS

## †123. SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) the names of the countries which the Government has given any exemptions  in  the  field  of  tourism  so  as  to  attract  foreign tourists to India;
- (b)
- the names of the countries included in this list;
- (c) whether the Government  has signed/proposes to sign any agreement with other countries to promote international tourism;
- (d)
- if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether there is  possibility  of  organizing  International  Tourism conference by the Government for this purpose?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

(a) & (b): No, Sir. Does not arise.

(c)  &  (d):  The  signing  of  Agreement  with  various  countries  is  an ongoing process and the Ministry of Tourism has signed Agreements/Memorandum  of  Understanding  (MoUs)/Letters  of  Intent (LoIs)/Protocol in the field of tourism cooperation with other countries and multilateral fora, details of which is at Annexure.

(e): No,  Sir.  The  Ministry  of  Tourism,  however  holds  Joint  Working Group  (JWG)  Meetings  with  countries.  In  addition,  the  Ministry  of Tourism     regularly  organises  International  Buddhist  Conclave,  India Tourism Mart, International Tourism Mart, etc. by inviting dignitaries of  foreign Governments, leading tour operators, travel agents, media representatives, opinion makers, etc. from overseas to boost foreign tourist arrivals to the country.

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ANNEXURE

STATEMENT  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (c)  AND  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†123 ANSWERED ON 03.02.2020 REGARDING EXEMPTIONS TO ATTRACT FOREIGN TOURISTS

Agreements  /  Memorandum  of  Understanding  /  Letter  of  Intent  / Protocol signed with foreign countries by the Ministry of Tourism

|   Sl. No | Name of the country with whom Agreement /MoU/LoIs /Protocols singed   | MoU / Agreement /LoI, Protocol   | Date of signature   |
|----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|---------------------|
|        1 | Iraq                                                                  | Protocol                         | 25.10.1986          |
|        2 | Portugal                                                              | Agreement                        | 29.07.1991          |
|        3 | Syria                                                                 | Agreement                        | 08.10.1991          |
|        4 | Israel                                                                | Agreement                        | 18.05.1993          |
|        5 | Singapore                                                             | Agreement                        | 24.01.1994          |
|        6 | Russia                                                                | Agreement                        | 30.06.1994          |
|        7 | Iran                                                                  | MoU                              | 18.04.1995          |
|        8 | Mexico                                                                | Agreement                        | 28.03.1996          |
|        9 | Cyprus                                                                | Agreement                        | 07.11.1996          |
|       10 | Greece                                                                | Agreement                        | 13.01.1998          |
|       11 | Indonesia                                                             | MoU                              | 08.02.2000          |
|       12 | Italy                                                                 | Agreement                        | 26.06.2000          |
|       13 | Sri Lanka                                                             | MoU                              | 23.01.2004          |
|       14 | Brazil                                                                | Agreement                        | 25.01.2004          |
|       15 | Serbia                                                                | MoU                              | 02.11.2004          |
|       16 | IBSA Tripartite Agreement                                             | Agreement                        | 15.10.2008          |
|       17 | Poland                                                                | Agreement                        | 25.04.2009          |
|       18 | Malaysia                                                              | MoU                              | 27.10.2010          |
|       19 | ASEAN                                                                 | MoU                              | 12.01.2012          |
|       20 | Mauritius                                                             | MoU                              | 12.03.2013          |
|       21 | Japan                                                                 | Memorandum                       | 22.01.2014          |
|       22 | Nepal                                                                 | MoU                              | 25.11.2014          |
|       23 | France                                                                | LoI                              | 09.04.2015          |

|   24. | China        | Agreement   | 15.05.2015   |
|-------|--------------|-------------|--------------|
|    25 | Tanzania     | MoU         | 19.06.2015   |
|    26 | Uzbekistan   | Agreement   | 06.07.2015   |
|    27 | Turkmenistan | MoU         | 11.07.2015   |
|    28 | Egypt        | MoU         | 24.08.2015   |
|    29 | U.A.E.       | MoU         | 03.09.2015   |
|    30 | Cambodia     | MoU         | 16.09.2015   |
|    31 | Maldives     | MoU         | 10.04.2016   |
|    32 | Qatar        | MoU         | 05.06.2016   |
|    33 | South Africa | MoU         | 08.07.2016   |
|    34 | Kyrgyzstan   | MoU         | 20.12.2016   |
|    35 | Oman         | MoU         | 11.02.2018   |
|    36 | Bulgaria     | MoU         | 05.09.2018   |
|    37 | Malta        | MoU         | 17.09.2018   |
|    38 | Romania      | MoU         | 19.09.2018   |
|    39 | Colombia     | MoU         | 04.10.2018   |
|    40 | Korea        | MoU         | 05.11.2018   |
|    41 | Argentina    | MoU         | 18.02.2019   |
|    42 | Saudi Arabia | MoU         | 20.02.2019   |
|    43 | Croatia      | MoU         | 26.03.2019   |
|    44 | Paraguay     | MoU         | 27.09.2019   |
|    45 | Philippines  | MoU         | 18.10.2019   |
|    46 | Finland      | MoU         | 21.11.2019   |

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