March 1, 2007
Riding a 15 percent annual growth in arrivals over the last four years, India will be the partner country at ITB Berlin, the world's largest travel and trade show March 6-11 where it will showcase its rich cultural and scenic diversity that is a huge draw globally. 'As a partner state, ITB Berlin will provide the ideal platform for showcasing India's unique tourism products and promoting India as a preferred destination,' a tourism ministry official said.
'Significantly, it gives an opportunity (for the) Incredible India (promotion campaign) to be the focus of five-six million people for one week and reach out to the largest audience of travel industry representatives, decision makers, the media and potential travellers,' the official added.
'The world is turning towards India and India is open for business like never before. In such an environment, Incredible India is boldly and surely taking on the world,' the official maintained.
As the partner state, India will host the opening ceremony, during which a cultural programme will feature a unique fashion and audio visual presentation - 'The Tree of Life' - portraying the country's rich textile craft heritage in contemporary terms, while retaining its cultural ethos. The show will be a spectacular visual journey across some of the most craft rich areas of India and will tell the historic story of its 16 million crafts persons who, till today, practice their art much as their ancestors did.
Tourism Minister Ambika Soni will inaugurate the India pavilion on March 7. 'As a principal destination for business travellers and tourists, India has established a firm place in world tourism. Due to the country's political stability, its strong economy and an increasingly favourable business and investment climate, the growth prospects for the country in tourism are substantial,' the tourism ministry official pointed out.
Proof of this is found in the fact that Conde Nast Traveller, the world's leading travel and tourism journal, has ranked India amongst the top four preferred holiday destinations of the world.
The website Lonely Planet has placed India amongst the top five destinations in a survey of 167 countries.
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