Lok Sabha Question No. 1898 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-14
Subject: MoU on Tourism Cooperation
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: Rahul Ramesh Shewale, Girish Bhalchandra Bapat, Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Pritam Gopinath Munde

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOKASABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1898 ANSWERED ON 14.03.2022

## MoU ON TOURISM COOPERATION

## 1898. SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE:

SHRI GIRISH BHALCHANDRA BAPAT:

SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU:

DR. PRITAM GOPINATHRAO MUNDE:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  India  and  Australia  have  signed  Memorandum  of Understanding (MoU) on Tourism cooperation;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  including the salient features of the said MoU;
- (c) whether  the  outcome  of  previously  signed  MoU  on  Tourism sector was assessed by both the countries;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the extent to which modifications with  regard  to  previous  MoU  have  been  incorporated  in  the present MoU;
- (e) the number of Australian tourists who visited India during the period of previous MoU and the extent to which the number of tourists  is  likely  to  increased  during  the  current  MoU  period; and
- (f) the extent to which tourism between India and Australia has been affected during Covid-19 pandemic period?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF TOURISM                                (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a) & (b): Yes,  Sir.  The  MoU  in  the  field  of  tourism  cooperation between India and Australia was renewed on 11.02.2022. The main objectives of the MoU include the following:

- i. Expansion of bilateral cooperation on tourism policy and facilitation;
- ii. Exchange of information and data related to tourism;
- iii. Cooperation  between  tourism  stakeholders,  particularly hotels and tour operators;
- iv. Cooperation and exchanges between training and education providers in tourism and hospitality;
- v. Investment in the tourism and hospitality sectors;
- vi. Visits  of  tour  operators  and  wholesalers,  media  and opinion makers;
- vii. High quality, safe, ethical and sustainable tourism development;
- viii. Interest in major cultural, artistic and sporting events;
- ix. Opportunities for traveller education on applicable laws, rules and instructions in each other's country; and
- x. Enhanced tourism engagement in multilateral fora.

(c) to (f): The previous MoU for tourism cooperation between India and  Australia  was  signed  on  18 th   November  2014.  The  MoU  was valid for 5 years. Under the framework of the MoU, meetings of Joint Working  Group  were  organised  in  India  and  Australia.  The  JWG meetings which also included travel trade from both sides discussed various tourism related issues. In addition to the existing objectives  in  the  previous  MoU,  the  renewed  MoU  also  includes tourism cooperation through cultural and sporting events, engagement in multilateral fora etc.

The number of tourist arrival from Australia to India during 2015 till 2020 (including Covid pandemic period) is as follows:-

|   2015 |   2016 |   2017 |   2018 |   2019 |   2020 |
|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| 263101 | 293625 | 324243 | 346486 | 367241 |  86758 |

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