Puducherry administration has been taking intensive steps to create tourism infrastructure facilities and branding Puducherry for positioning as a preferred destination in the International market. As a step towards achieving this goal, Welfare and Tourism Minister P Rajavelu, along with a delegation from Puducherry, inaugurated the Puducherry centre under the Indian pavillion in the World Tourism Market (WTM) in London. An official release here said on Tuesday, Rajavelu distributed ‘travellers brochure’ consisting of details of tourist spots in Puducherry to the organisers and stakeholders of the WTM. Along with brochures, CDs, power point presentations as well as a short film were shown at the WTM.
Rajavelu also took part in a news conference along with Parvez Tiwan, secretary, tourism, Government of India. By setting up a tourism centre in the market and providing tourism directory consisting of details about Puducherry and its culture and heritage, the former French colony was integrated with the World Tourism Sector. This would help to lure tourists from different parts of the world to visit Puducherry. Rajavelu will next visit France from November 8 to 11 and also present a road show at Paris highlighting the potential of Puducherry. He will meet the county council of Ille-et-Vilaine and discuss about the MoU signed between France and Puducherry on tourism promotion. The MoU was for beach development, eco tourism, renewable energy, preservation of heritage and exchange of expertise and good practices in education, coastal zone management, solid waste management and green building concepts.
Department of Tourism had entered into MoU with other County Councils of France in the interest of tourism promotion in Puducherry. In the past, MoU was signed with French territories of La Rochelle and Villenuv-sur-Lot which will also be pursued.
Currently, around one lakh foreign tourists are visiting Puducherry annually out of which 17 per cent are from France. Rajavelu also had a discussion with Parvez and explained to him about Puducherry administration’s plans for setting up an oceanarium, expansion of Puducherry beach and conversion of the Puducherry airport into one with international standards. Rajavelu urged him to provide central assistance for the projects. Several ongoing tourism development schemes in the UT were also briefed to him.
The government is trying to make Puducherry a complete tourism destination for a week-long stay, said Rajavelu. Chairman of Pondicherry Tourism Development Corporation V Manikandan, secretary (tourism) WVR Murthy and tourism director A S Sivakumar is accompanying the Minister.
Source: The New Indian Express
Posted in: Pondicherry Tourism Department,Tourism Minister P Rajavelu,World Tourism Market
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