Tourism Ministry launches "Incredible India" events in Russia

A performance by well-known dancer Tanushree Shankar and her troupe was the highlight of the Incredible India event held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Moscow yesterday as part of the Year of India in Russia.

The programme by Ms Shankar showcased India's rich cultural heritage and was organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.

Ms Shankar and her group will present another performance at the Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg tomorrow, an official press release said here today.

The primary objective of the Incredible India events, to be held upto September 27, is to highlight the tourism potential of India and to place India as a favoured destination for Russians.

The events will include four-day India Food Festivals in Moscow and St Petersburg, for which a team of 12 top chefs from India's premier hotel chains have been specially flown to Russia to popularise the best of Indian cuisine in Russia.

The Ministry of Tourism is also participating in the Otdykh Leisure Show 2009 in Moscow by putting up an India Pavilion. The show opened in Moscow yesterday and the Indian pavilion was inaugurated by Mr Sanjay Kothari, Additional Secretary, Tourism.

The India Tourism Office in Frankfurt has, simultaneously, launched an integrated outdoor advertising and print media campaign in Moscow and St Petersburg.

According to the release, tourist arrivals from Russia to India are showing a steady growth. In 2008, India received 91,423 tourists from Russia as compared to 75,543 in 2007.

"The Incredible India Events provide an effective platform for showcasing Indian culture, cuisine and myriad tourism products to a large gathering of elite audience in Russia. Russia is an important source market for Indian tourism, reflecting high growth rate over the last few years and it is expected that this growth will increase still further," the release added.

NNN