|
India, Korea To Foster Ties
ET&T Staff - Mumbai
The Tourism Ministry of India plans to promote Buddhism and
its culture to attract more Korean tourists. It has therefore devised the slogan,
'Bring India to Korea and Bring Korea to India'.
Renuka Chowdhury, Indian minister for tourism, said that
it sought to foster ties between India and Korea and bring them closer with
similarities in culture, including Buddhism, so that more Korean tourists visit
India. She said that India plans to host a large-scale biennial event in February
2006, promoting Buddhism to draw tourists to the country. "I will visit
Korea again early next year to hold the publicity campaign to promote the event,"
she said.
Chowdhury also expressed hope that India will expand trade
and commercial ties with Korea, particularly the tourism industry. She said,
"We would like Korean companies to invest not only in our manufacturing
and high-tech industries, but also in tourism." Over 47,000 Koreans visited
India for pleasure last year, up 21.2 per cent from 2003.
She added that India has and will continue to surprise visitors as they gain
more than what they initially came for, thanks to diverse cultures and religions.
"We would like to see more Korean restaurants open in India, which will
help facilitate bilateral cooperation and exchanges between the food industry,"
she added.
|
