In a historic step toward strengthening bilateral ties in tourism, the Consulate General of India in Auckland, in collaboration with The Indian News, organised an insightful seminar focused on fostering tourism cooperation between India and New Zealand. The event was held at the Consulate office in the SAP Building, 151 Queen Street, Auckland, on Sunday, 2 November.
The seminar drew an impressive turnout of representatives from New Zealand’s travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors, along with several industry experts and stakeholders from India who joined virtually. The session commenced at 5 p.m. with an inaugural address by Consul General Dr M. M. Sethi. In his opening remarks, Dr Sethi emphasised that this seminar marks the beginning of many more such collaborative initiatives designed to exchange ideas and identify strategies to boost two-way tourism between India and New Zealand.
Dr Sethi underlined that the event’s primary goal was to connect tour operators and tourism associations from both nations to explore partnerships and new business opportunities. The focus was on encouraging open dialogue and idea sharing to enhance mutual travel and cultural exchange.The panel discussion was opened by Mr Pradeep Kumar, Managing Director of Eco Travels NZ, who outlined key factors that make destinations attractive to tourists. He highlighted the importance of educating travellers about local cultural sensitivities, ensuring access to accurate, real-time information about tourist attractions, and providing meaningful travel experiences.
Several distinguished speakers from India joined the conversation online. Among them were Dr Himanshu Talwar, noted author and columnist; Mr Neelkanth Parath, Managing Director of WebCRS Travel Technologies Pvt Ltd; Mr Ravi Gosain, President of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO); and Mr Vikram Trivedi, CEO of My Tour Box. They discussed a wide range of topics, from adventure and wellness tourism to avenues for deeper cooperation between the two countries.
Speakers unanimously commended the Consulate for taking the initiative to highlight a largely unexplored area of bilateral collaboration. They emphasised the importance of promoting awareness of India’s vast tourism potential, particularly in light of the country’s recent advancements in infrastructure, hospitality, and visitor experiences.
Over the past decade, India has made significant progress in modernising its infrastructure, with world-class roads, railways, airports, and automated service and payment systems now in place. Clean and well-maintained travel corridors, digitalised tourism services, and government-backed initiatives to support travellers have greatly enhanced India’s global appeal. As several speakers noted, India today offers a seamless travel experience that competes with the best in the world.
Following the formal discussions, Consul General Dr Sethi engaged with the participants, thanking them for their active involvement and constructive suggestions. He reiterated that this seminar is only the beginning of a series of similar initiatives planned in the coming months. Expressing optimism, Dr Sethi said he was confident that, with the support of the Indian diaspora and local partners in New Zealand, bilateral tourism relations would soon reach new heights.
Participants collectively agreed that tourism between India and New Zealand remains a largely untapped field with tremendous potential for growth. They emphasised that regular interactions, seminars, and networking opportunities like this one could play a pivotal role in unlocking that potential.
Several attendees proposed expanding the focus of future discussions to include emerging sectors such as health tourism, wellness retreats, and technology-based tourism. They suggested developing customised tours that showcase lesser-known yet significant destinations across India , experiences that go beyond traditional sightseeing to reveal the country’s diverse and rich cultural, spiritual, and technological landscape.
In his concluding remarks, Dr Sethi observed, “While today’s event may appear small in scale, it represents the beginning of a long and promising journey. With continued collaboration and enthusiasm, we will see this initiative grow into something truly transformative in the months and years ahead.”
The seminar concluded on a warm and positive note, with participants sharing ideas informally over light refreshments. The event was widely appreciated as a pioneering platform for dialogue, partnership, and innovation in the tourism sector, one that set the stage for stronger, more dynamic engagement between India and New Zealand. -Yugal Parashar