India’s Tourism Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, exhorted the British Indian diaspora to join the Chalo India campaign and turn into travel and tour ambassadors of the country of their heritage.
During his visit to London for the World Travel Market (WTM) last week, the minister said: “I feel with this Chalo India campaign you are going to work as travel and tour ambassadors of our great nation,” Shekhawat said during a special Indian-themed gathering on the sidelines of WTM. All our diaspora bharatiya (Indians) in the UK will be brand ambassadors of this initiative and invite their non-Indian friends to witness new India in all its glory.
“Together, let’s say Chalo India (let’s go to India) and bring the world to witness the grandeur, the glory and the growth story of Viksit Bharat.”
A special Chalo India cultural gathering aboard the historic Cutty Sark ship at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Maritime Greenwich in London brought together community leaders, artists and professionals to showcase India’s rich tourism offerings in one of its largest source markets of the UK. Tourism ministers from Telangana, Uttarakhand and Goa and the Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha were among those making up the Indian delegation to this year’s WTM, among the world’s largest annual gatherings for the travel trade.
Guests were treated to traditional Bharatanatyam and Garba dance performances and British Indian travel writer Monisha Rajesh shared her experiences of a four-month journey around India by train.
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The gathering also marked the launch of a new Chalo India portal, an online platform through which overseas citizens of India can refer up to five friends for a free tourist e-visa to experience any of India’s several tourist attractions.
Among the Indian state delegations at WTM – one of the world’s largest annual gatherings for the travel trade in London – included Tamil Nadu, which pitched itself as home to iconic monuments that reflect remarkable architectural and historical significance.
*Info: Chalo India
