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Foreign boards vie for Indian tourists

BS Corporate Bureau

Foreign tourist boards are targeting Indians traveling abroad in a major way. While Singapore plans to invest in developing integrated circuits that can be used as gateways to the country, the Hong Kong Tourism Board is planning to introduce space trips from 2003.

The Sri Lankan Tourism Board is increasing its advertising and marketing spend and Australia is widening its product portfolio to boost adventure tourism.

"The Hong Kong Tourism Board expects to attract over a million space tourists by 2020," HKTB executive director Clara Chong said. The board is also offering adventure tours to families.

The Singapore Tourism Board, on the other hand, plans to promote its tourism industry by investing in circuits, thus making the region a gateway to Singapore.

The board's chief executive, Yeo Khee Leng, said investors from Singapore were interested in investing in tourism circuits where there was a complete master plan to develop the area.

He said research teams were already working on the possibilities of investing in various circuits which were being developed by the Union ministry of tourism and various states.

"We will invest in areas that have connectivity with Singapore, so that the region can be used as a gateway to Singapore," Khee Leng said.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Board is planning to develop its rain forests, linking itself with science and eco-tourism.

"Since 2002 has been declared as eco-tourism year, the initiative will put Sri Lanka on the world tourism map," SLTB director-general Tissa Warnasuriya said.

"The board is also developing trekking routes in tea plantations to widen its offerings," he said.

The Australian Tourism Board is offering 20 products to adventure tourists, including snorkelling, scuba diving, skiing, ballooning, bungee jumping and white-water rafting. Small wonder, the boards are targeting Indians.

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