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India-Singapore pact to promote tourism

By T.S. Shankar

GOA, FEB. 21. Increased air capacity between India and Singapore and the twinning of business opportunities and tourism promotion would form the major components of the proposed comprehensive agreement planned to be signed between the two countries, the Singapore Minister for Trade and Industry, George Yeo, said today.

Addressing a news conference here after formally launching the Marketing Advisory Council (MAC), India, the first of a series of Councils formed by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to develop the Indian market, Mr. Yeo said the comprehensive pact to be signed with India in April had been postponed in view of the Lok Sabha elections.

"We are confident that this milestone economic agreement will be signed during the middle of the year which will further strengthen tourism cooperation between India and Singapore," the Minister told journalists.

Singapore attached great importance to the Indian market as it figured in the top 10 visitors generating market, he said.

The members of the MAC (India) sought his intervention in further relaxing the visa regulations for Indian travellers and ensuring "hassle-free" travel arrangements for promoting tourism.

"We are also exploring the feasibility of promoting not only Singapore to the Indian travel market but also Indonesia, Angkor Wat and China as a special circuit and, likewise, India could come out with a package for the Singaporeans," Mr. Yeo said.

Later, Lim Neo Chian, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive of STB, and Ranjit Malkani, Chairman of the Kuoni Travel Group (India) and Co-Chairman of the MAC (India), outlined India-specific joint promotion initiatives.

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