January 23, 2008 Press Release(Embassy of India, Bangkok)  The First Meeting of the ASEAN and India Tourism Ministers was held on 21 January, 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand, in conjunction with the Eleventh Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers and ASEAN Tourism Forum 2008 (ATF 2008). H. E. Smt. Ambika Soni, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism and Culture of India participated in the meeting. The Meeting was chaired by H. E. Dr. Suvit Yodmani, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand.The Ministers noted the outcome of the Sixth ASEAN-India Summit held on 21 November 2007 in Singapore particularly the existing tourist exchange between ASEAN and India and the huge potential for further growth and expansion. The Ministers further noted India’s proposal to set a target of 1 million tourist arrivals from ASEAN to India by 2010 and the officials to look into ways to facilitate bona fide business travel between ASEAN countries and India, including by simplifying the existing visa regime, if feasible. The Ministers noted the number of international arrivals between ASEAN and India had shown steady growth since 2004. The number of international visitor arrivals from India to ASEAN in 2007 recorded more than 1.5 million visitor arrivals, while there were 280,000 ASEAN nationals visiting India. The Ministers were pleased with the adoption of the ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity by the Leaders during the 3rd ASEAN-India Summit held on 30th November, 2004 in Vientiane, Lao PDR. They committed ASEAN and India to implement all the tourism-related activities highlighted in the ASEAN-India Plan of Action to further strengthen cooperation in tourism between ASEAN and India. The Ministers were pleased to adopt the Terms of Reference of the ASEAN-India Tourism Working Group that concretized tourism cooperation between ASEAN and India. The Ministers noted the progress made by ASEAN-India Tourism Working Group which covers cooperation on joint tourism promotion and marketing, human resource development, pilgrimage tourism and tourism investment.
The Meeting was attended by:
i) H. E. Pehin Dato Dr. Awg Haji Ahmad Haji Jumat, Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Brunei Darussalam;
ii) H. E. Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, Cambodia;
iii) H. E. Smt. Ambika Soni, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Government of India;
iv) H.E. Mr. Jero Wacik, Minister of Culture and Tourism, Indonesia;
v) H. E. Mr. Somphong Mongkhonvilay, Minister, Chairman of Lao National Tourism Administration, Lao PDR;
vi) H. E. Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Minister of Tourism, Malaysia;
vii) H. E. Brig. Gen. Aye Myint Kyu, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Myanmar;
viii) H. E. Mr. Oscar P. Palabyab, Under Secretary, Department of Tourism, Phillippines;
ix) H. E. Mr. S. Iswaran, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Singapore;
x) H. E. Dr. Suvit Yodmani, Minister of Tourism and Sports, Thailand;
xi) H. E. Mr. Hoang Tuan Anh, Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam; and
xii) H. E. Dr. Suring Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN.
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