Indian tourism officials want more people to visit and learn about the beauty of the country’s rural areas.
India is aiming to promote itself as a year-round destination for a number of niche tourism sectors.
At the moment, the majority of holidaymakers either catch seasonal flights to Goa or head to the Taj Mahal and golden triangle of Agra, Delhi and Jaipur, but tourism director Usha Sharma believes that the country has plenty more to offer.
“We definitely want more [family] trips to India so people can learn more about the countryside,” she said.
Ms Sharma was speaking after a series of roadshows aimed to promote adventure, medical, wellness, golf, cruise and polo tourism to Australian holidaymakers.
Last year saw the Antipodes region enter India’s top ten tourism source markets and the number of Aussies and Kiwis going to India looks set to grow.
This growth is expected to be fuelled by Air India’s decision to resume direct services to both Melbourne and Sydney when it acquires the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Written by Alex Cochrane