Qatar, India have solid bilateral ties: Ambassador

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Doha, Qatar: Qatar and India have friendly and solid bilateral relations and the cooperation between the two countries in diverse sectors has been growing, Ambassador of India to the State of Qatar H E Vipul has said.

The envoy pointed out the importance of increasing tourism between both countries which in turn con-tributes to strengthening of people-to-people ties. He highlighted that India and Qatar are connected by more than 200 weekly flights which should enable greater tourism exchange between both countries.

Addressing an event to commemorate the National Tourism Day of India organised by the Embassy of India in association with the Indian Business and Professionals Council, Ambassador Vipul said, “I think we have all the fundamentals in place but still I don’t think that we are able to encourage people from Qatar to visit India in the numbers that we should. We have about 210 flights from Qatar to India every week and that’s a good number.”

India has taken huge strides in the tourism sector and ranks 22nd in the global rankings of the most visited countries in the world. About 10 million foreign tourists currently visit India annually and by some estimates, this figure should increase to 30 million by 2028.

“In terms of attracting foreign tourists, our target is about 30 million by 2028 and 100 million by 2047. I feel that with the economic growth in India and with the options made available to tourists and cooperation of all the stakeholders, I think it should happen more quickly,” Ambassador Vipul said.

“The country has all the offerings and if we promote India in a better way, we should be able to achieve those figures much earlier than the target,” he reiterated.

Elaborating regarding the offerings, the Ambassador noted that “we have heritage tourism, all the buildings and the places of great historical importance. On one hand, there is Taj Mahal, on the other hand, you have the Ajanta caves, Red Fort, Charminar and many other heritage sites.”

The tourism sector is projected to contribute roughly $250bn to the GDP by 2030. It is also assumed that it would generate employment for 137 million individuals, making the tourism sector the largest industry that could provide the largest employment.

Also addressing the event Chairman of IBPC J K Menon highlighted the contribution of the travel and tourism industry to India’s economy and the remarkable growth in the tourism segment in India further promoting it as a premium global destination. He also underscored the potential of the tourism sector in India in employment generation and enhanced contribution to the country’s GDP by 2030.

Guest speaker, Er. Nasser Jeham Al Kuwari, former CEO of QChem & QAFAC, shared his thoughts about the warm relationship that India and Qatar enjoy.

He said that tourism is a significant bridge between the two countries and that India, from the Himalayas to the shores of the Indian Ocean, has attracted people for a long time. He mentioned India as a place of natural wonders and also praised the good air connectivity between the two countries.

The keynote presentation on luxury tourism in India was made by Pronab Sarkar, Managing Director of Swagatam Tours Pvt Ltd. and former President of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO).

Two popular social media influencers, Khalid Mohd Al Jaber and Dr. Mohammed Aflahe also participated and contributed in the event. Al Jaber, a businessman by occupation and a traveller on bike by passion, shared his experiences of his travel on a bike across Ladakh and Spiti valley.

The event saw a panel discussion on the topic of various facets and prospects of tourism in India and ended with closing remarks by Jaffer Us Sadik, President of IBPC.