THE Government of India Tourist Office will be taking an enlarged stand this year with the main aim of increasing tourism to the south of the country.
UK and Ireland director of the tourist office, Alka Kohli, said she was keen that visitors to the south should see more than just Goa.
“Goa is already well established as a beach resort, but a lot of holidaymakers are repeat visitors and we want to encourage them to see different places,” said Kohli.
“From Goa they can take a tour of the south, visit one of the coral islands or go to Kerala.”
Kohli said the tourist office wanted to make the trade more aware of what the country has to offer.
“We are a country of great contrasts with fantastic beach resorts, jungle resorts, culture and wildlife,” she said.
“It is time to educate people about our country and there will be a lot of operators on our stand selling everything from beach holidays to adventure tours, including camel and horse safaris.”
There will be 65 co-exhibitors in total – 21 more than last year – including Goa which had its own stand at WTM ’98.
The theme of the stand is Timeless India, and it will be decorated with pictures and posters to highlight the many attractions the country has to offer.
Kohli said she was also anxious to get the message across that India’s tourism infrastructure has dramatically improved over the past decade.
“People still ask us whether it is possible to get bottled water in India and I want to let them know that India has come of age,” she said.
“Our resorts compare favourably with the best in the world, we have some excellent trains, and not only can you get bottled water on train journeys but hot food as well!”