Sri Lanka seeks India’s expertise in strengthening tourism

October 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Minister of State for Tourism, Sultan Ahmed, who is currently on a four day official visit to Saudi Arabia, discussed matters of bilateral cooperation in the tourism and hospitality sector and issues of mutual interest particularly with regard to ways and means of increasing tourism in both the countries. Ahmed held a meeting with Dr.

August 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - "We should look through the eyes of tourists about what they expect from us," Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said here Wednesday, calling upon experts and all stakeholders to help put India on the world tourism map. "We need good hotels, infrastructure, connectivity for tourists.

August 18th, 2009 SRINAGAR - The tourism sector of Jammu and Kashmir has welcomed the initiative of the state government to device an insurance scheme to those involved in tourism trade. This sector will be compensated for the losses borne by them, if any.

July 22nd, 2009 COLOMBO - The pristine beaches in Sri Lanka's north, where a 25-year ethnic conflict came to an end two months ago following the crushing defeat of the Tamil Tigers, are getting ready to open up to tourism in a big way, says an official. "Now that the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is gone, we are preparing to develop Sri Lanka's north in a big way," S.

June 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Medical tourism can fetch India up to Rs.8,000 crore in foreign exchange by 2012, nearly double than current figures, according to an industry lobby. "Currently, the earnings accrued through medical tourism annually are estimated to be around Rs.4,500 crore," said Sajjan Jindal, president of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) in a statement Thursday.

June 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The United Arab Emirates Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan met the Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Farooq Abdullah on Friday, for collaboration in the renewable energy sector. "Since ages, India has had good relations with UAE.

May 14th, 2009 COLOMBO - Sri Lanka, hoping soon to tide over its troubles that has been plaguing the island nation for decades, will launch initiatives to lure Indian travellers with tours like the Ramayana Trail, a senior official here said. 'We will offer new and more enchanting tourism products to showcase Sri Lanka as a land that has a lot more to offer than just beaches,' said Shafraz Farook, a senior Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau official, during a recent interaction with a visiting media team from India.

April 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Sri Lankan government plans to turn the country's war-torn northeastern region, which boasts of some of the island's most scenic beaches, into a tourist attraction as the decades-old conflict with the Tamil Tigers seems to be nearing its end. 'The battle between the Sri Lankan forces and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is nearing its end, paving way for long awaited peace and development in these areas.

April 24th, 2009 AMRITSAR - Expressing its solidarity with the Tamil population in the war-ravaged north Sri Lanka, a radical Sikh organization Dal Khalsa Friday urged the UN to intervene and save the thousands of people trapped in the conflict zone. Dal Khalsa's secretary for political affairs Kanwar Pal Singh said the organization was 'moved by the sufferings of the Tamil population in Sri Lanka'.

April 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US will push for more restrictions on tourism to the North and South Poles to protect the regions' natural environment, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday. Opening a nearly two-week summit bringing together the two diplomatic bodies that govern the Arctic and Antarctic, Clinton warned that protecting the region was crucial for reducing global climate change.

February 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India has sought Canadian expertise in food processing to reduce wastage of agri-products, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said here Sunday. 'We are among the top producers of vegetables and fruits in the world.

January 27th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Gujarat Tourism is hosting the India Travel Mart (ITM) here from Jan 30 to Feb 1, officials said Wednesday. Malaysia and Dubai are partner countries for this international travel and tourism exhibition while Uttarakhand is the partner state.

January 22nd, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Gujarat's tourism department has sought Sri Lanka's help in developing resorts along its coastline given the island nation's vast experience in running several resorts and spas along its beaches, an official said Friday. A tourism department official here said the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority has been invited to develop resorts comprising world class facilities along Gujarat's 1,600-km coastline that is dotted with beaches, whose tourism potential remains untapped.

January 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's five-match One-day series against Sri Lanka will begin in Dambulla Jan 28. India will arrive in Sri Lanka Jan 26.

January 12th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Sri Lanka is an ideal tourist destination for people from India as it offers an experience 'Indians want', senior officials from the nation said here Tuesday. 'I see India as our biggest source of market as our product offering is very close to what the Indians want,' Bernard Goonetilleke, chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, told reporters here.