New council to harness Australia-India tourism links

New council to harness Australia-India tourism links
By admin


The launch of an organisation to harness tourism links between Australia and India has been welcomed by tourism leaders as they work towards attracting 300,000 Indian travellers to Australia by 2020.

The Australia India Travel and Tourism Council (AITTC) will aim to build relationships, promote travel and ultimately increase the number of visitors travelling between the two countries.

Launched in Sydney last night, its founders said it will provide a platform for "individuals and businesses to connect, communicate and collaborate on Australia-India tourism matters".

It will also aim to provide "future opportunities" for hotels, international and domestic airlines, travel agents and tour operators.

The launch comes at a delicate time for Indian tourism with its image taking a battering following a number of high profile incidents that have made headlines around the world.

Chairman and travel writer Sandip Hor, said: "Our next major task is to formulate a strategic plan for the council to outline our future direction, and specifically identify initiatives to implement, to add value to both the industry and our members."

AITTC will also host networking sessions to "share knowledge and identify issues" and sponsor round table discussions.

Singapore Airlines senior marketing manager Dale Woodhouse is also among the founding members, along with Arnold D'Souza, managing director of Sydney-based ACR International Travel and Tours.

Tourism minister Martin Ferguson welcomed the launch, describing India as one of the world's fastest growing tourism markets.

"Organisations such as the AITTC will play an important role in increasing the number of visitors," he said. "Through travel we can increase cultural exchange and understanding between Australia and India and the economic benefits that accompany tourism."

Tourism Australia wants to increase spending from Indian visitors to between $1.9 billion and $2.3 billion by 2020.

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