Inaugurating a two-day International Buddhist Conclave in Varanasi recently, Ex-Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai said that tourists from countries having sizable Buddhist population such as Thailand and Malaysia would be provided the Visa-on-Arrival (VOA) facility. Sahai added that with India being the land of the origin of Buddhism, it is a major attraction for Buddhist tourists from across the globe. The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) is continuing with its efforts in identifying more and more Buddhist Circuits and developing them in a holistic and integrated manner, he stated. Sahai further revealed that his ministry has decided to develop a ghat in Varanasi in the name of Lord Buddha on the banks of the River Ganga.
The Conclave welcomed over 130 guests from 30 countries including international Buddhist scholars, tour operators and media, both domestic and international, who actively promote Buddhist tourism. The Conclave was an important tourism marketing event designed to bring together international buyers from around the world, particularly from the popular Buddhist destinations like Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, China etc, to interact, promote and sell their products and destinations, with the objective of increasing tourist arrivals to India, specifically to the Buddhist sites in different states.
