India celebrates tourism day in Ottawa

India was in the spotlight last night (Oct 15) as the high commission of India in Canada, in partnership with India Tourism and Services International Ltd., invited about thirty travel agents to an event themed around "Paryatan Parv," an Indian tourism festival. 

Garima Shamsukha, responsible for International business development in Canada, hosted Ontario and Quebec travel agents at Indian restaurant Host India in Ottawa. 

International Service, a major tour operator in India, began operations in Canada in 2012. It offers dozens of packages nationwide as well as tailor-made trips. 

"Essentially, we personalize absolutely everything for small and large groups. We have our own fleet of vehicles, driven by drivers with more than 10 years of experience," said Garima Shamsukha, who is based in Toronto.

The business development manager of International Service stated that the prices are extremely competitive because there is no intermediary with the company and the agents. In addition, we are committed to responding to all agent requests by email within 24 hours, she said.

The International Services website is also available in both official languages of Canada, in English and French.

MORE CANADIANS VISITING INDIA 

Last year, 335,439 Canadian travellers visited the country of 1.3 billion inhabitants, an increase compared to the 317,239 Canadians who visited in 2016. 

During his presentation, Roman Pereira, tourist information officer at India Tourism, reviewed the destination’s attractions. Of course, the Golden Triangle, a circuit that connects the cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, to the north of the country, remains a must.  But the tourism agent of India Tourism, who will soon be leaving Toronto to move to New York, expressed other ideas to travel agents: luxury trains, such as the Maharaja Express, the Golden Chariot and the Palace on Wheels.

Other attractions include :

• Seaside holidays in the south of the country, especially in the province of Goa. 
• Adventure trips in the north of the country - 73 percent of the Himalayan chain lies elsewhere in India. 
• Spiritual retreats, meditation, yoga or Ayurveda.
• River cruises across the Ganges. 

A SIMPLIFIED VISA

With more than 10,180,000 foreign tourists last year, a 15 per cent increase compared to 2016, India continues to develop its tourism offerings and infrastructure.

The launch of an e-visa for Canadian tourists has greatly simplified the procedures for entering the country. Now, Canadian travellers wishing to visit the country for less than 60 days can apply online for this visa for 80 USD and receive it by email in less than 48 hours. 

The visa allows for double entry, which is convenient for those who wish to visit other countries in this corner of the planet.