Lead Story

Tripartite IBSA agreement to be signed this month

Draft agreement promoting three-way tourism between India, Brazil and South Africa signed at KTM

Neeti Mehra - Kochi

The Kerala Travel Mart witnessed a momentous handshake between India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) as the IBSA Joint Working Group on Tourism finalised the broad guidelines for a tripartite tourism agreement to be sealed in Delhi later this month. Representing their respective countries were Carlos Rebiero, an official of the Brazilian foreign ministry, Zukiswa Nkhereanye, deputy director, tourism and international, Government of South Africa and Leena Nandan, joint secretary, Ministry of Tourism, India. The IBSA Joint Working Group Meeting stressed on the importance of interaction between the private tourism stakeholders to develop better understanding of the tourism products in each other's countries. Approximately 26 operators representing the two countries were present at the workshop, besides operators from India. Nandan, giving a broad outline of the agreement, said, "This will develop better understanding of tourism products in each others' countries and would promote ties in tourism-related activities." In the pipeline are exchange programmes for students and faculties between leading academic institutions for tourism in IBSA countries for manpower development, ease of logistics of long haul travel and an attempt to minimise travel procedures, as well as joint itinerary promotions. While Brazil attracted nearly 11,000 Indians in 2007, South Africa attracted nearly 52,000 travellers, said Vijay Thakur, president, IATO, who made a presentation on India. Inbound figures into India from both the countries were marginally lower than the outbound. Also present were Dr Venu V, IAS, tourism secretary, Kerala Tourism, and Thomas Isaac, finance minister, Government of Kerala.

This was the first such initiative taken that promoted tourism between the three countries. Each country representative presented a snap shot of their country and discussed various issues. IBSA is a trilateral, developmental initiative between India, Brazil and South Africa to promote South-South cooperation and exchange that was set up in 2003 and works on co-operation in agriculture, climate change, tourism, defense, education, health, etc.