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To promote and accelerate post-COVID tourism in both countries, India and Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation and encourage the expansion of bilateral relations in tourism. This follows after the previous MoU between the two countries signed in 2014, expired in 2019.
The new MoU has been a positive gain for both countries. Australia has been a significant tourists partners for India with the Oceanic country ranked 4th in terms of Foreign Tourists Arrivals to a country in 2019 and contributing about 3.4 per cent of total foreign tourists in the country.
Both of them have also seen increasing numbers of tourists from each other. From 2016 to 2019, the no of Australians visiting India increased steadily from 2.93 million to 3.67 million. The no of Indians has also increased from 2.62 million visitors to 5.89 million in 2019.
The new MoU signed by India and Australia would enhance cooperation and encourage expansion of bilateral relations in tourism. In addition, the agreement will also facilitate the exchange of information and data related to tourism and cooperation between tourism stakeholders, particularly in hotels and tour operators.
