Lok Sabha Question No. 3679 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-08
Subject: Agreement to Promote Tourism
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: GAURAV GOGOI, JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA, DUSHYANT SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3679 ANSWERED ON 08.08.2016

## AGREEMENT TO PROMOTE TOURISM

## 3679. SHRI GAURAV GOGOI:

SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA: SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to sign any agreement or to establish an MoU on co-operation with national and international organizations in areas  of Tourism including expansion  of  Bilateral  co-operation,  exchange of  information and  data  related  to  tourism  and  encouraging  co-operation between tourism stakeholders including Hotel and Tour Operators of various countries to promote tourism and if so, the details thereof, country-wise and organisation-wise;
- (b) the extent to which tourism in the country has benefited out of these bilateral agreements;
- (c) whether these agreements will help enhancing the number of foreign and domestic tourists and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  issued  any  directions  to  the State Governments in this regard and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether  the  task  of  promoting  tourism  as  per  the  said agreements  has  since  commenced  and  if  so,  the  progress made so far?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d): The  Ministry  of  Tourism  has  signed  Memorandum  of Understanding (MoU)/Agreements/Letter of Intent (LoI) for strengthening  bilateral  and  multilateral  tourism  cooperation  with

## various countries. The main objectives of such MoUs/Agreements/LoI 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.
- A list of MoUs/Agreements/LoI signed with other countries/organisations may be seen at Annexure-I.
- (e): Under the framework of MoUs/Agreements signed with various countries,  the  Ministry  of  Tourism  regularly  participates  in  and organises Joint Working Group meetings to further discuss issues related  to  bi-lateral  tourism  cooperation.  A  list  of  Joint  Working Group  meetings  held  with  different  countries  may  be  seen  at Annexure-II.
- ***********

## ANNEXURE-I

STATEMENT  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3679 ANSWERED ON 08.08.2016 REGARDING AGREEMENT TO PROMOTE TOURISM.

## 1. MOUs currently valid

|   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   |

2. MoU's Which have expired

|   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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ANNEXURE-II

STATEMENT IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3679 ANSWERED ON 08.08.2016 REGARDING AGREEMENT TO PROMOTE TOURISM.

|   Sl. No | Name of the country with whom MoU/ Agreement/Protocols singed   | Date of signature   | Number of Joint Working Group (JWG) Meeting held      |
|----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Israel (Agreement)                                              | 18.05.1993          | 01                                                    |
|        2 | Turkey (Agreement)                                              | 31.01.1995          | 02                                                    |
|        3 | Mexico (Agreement)                                              | 28.03.1996          | 01                                                    |
|        4 | Greece (Agreement)                                              | 13.01.1998          | 03                                                    |
|        5 | Mongolia (Agreement)                                            | 01.12.1998          | 01                                                    |
|        6 | Indonesia (MOU)                                                 | 08.02.2000          | 03                                                    |
|        7 | Italy (Agreement)                                               | 26.06.2000          | 01                                                    |
|        8 | Sri Lanka (MOU)                                                 | 23.01.2004          | 02                                                    |
|        9 | Philippines (Agreement)                                         | 04.02.2006          | 02                                                    |
|       10 | IBSA Tripartite Agreement                                       | 15.10.2008          | 01                                                    |
|       11 | ASEAN (MOU)                                                     | 12.01.2012          | Tourism Working Group meetings are held twice a year. |
|       12 | Australia                                                       | 18.11.2014          | 01                                                    |
|       13 | Nepal (MoU)                                                     | 25.11.2014          | 02                                                    |
|       14 | Cambodia                                                        | 16.09.2015          | 01                                                    |

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