New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS) A series of ‘Incredible India’ roadshows was held for the first time in the Scandinavian countries - Finland, Sweden and Norway - to promote India as a preferred holiday destination, the tourism ministry said Tuesday.
An outdoor advertising campaign - through hoardings and banners at airports and main streets of Helsinki, Stockholm and Oslo and Incredible India branding on buses, bus shelters, trams and taxis - was jointly organised by the tourism ministry and the Indian and Scandinavian chapters of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), a non-profit travel trade association.

“The road shows (Aug 25-28) provided an effective platform for showcasing tourism products, facilities and services of the country to a select target audience in the Scandinavian countries which are important source markets for Indian tourism, reflecting high growth rate over the last few years,” an official statement said.

Minister for Tourism Kumari Selja led the delegation, which also saw 22 Indian travel trade representatives, including tour operators and hoteliers, participating in these roadshows.

In her address at the Oslo road show, Selja focused on the “varied tourism products that the country has to offer, including cultural and heritage tourism, adventure tourism, rural tourism, medical and wellness tourism.

“The minister urged the Norwegian tour operators to visit India for an ‘incredible’ experience and to encourage their clients to visit the country,” the statement said.

A presentation focussed on health tourism, covering Ayurveda and holistic healing systems in India, which received “an enthusiastic response” from the participants, the statement said.

A total of 49 tour operators participated in the Helsinki road show, 54 in the Stockholm roadshow and 45 in Oslo.

The participants were given a glimpse of Indian culture and cuisine, through a short cultural programme of classical and folk dances and Indian cuisine.