International High speed Rail Association (IHRA) and Embassy of Japan in India in collaboration with Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), conducted a Japan Travel Seminar 2019 recently: The Shinkansen- Make your way through Japan with a high- speed Train at The Lalit, New Delhi.
The key agents of New Delhi were invited to the event. The objective of the seminar was to introduce, promote Japan tourism in India and help Indian travellers know about the rich cultural heritage of the country and for travellers to explore it through the high-speed train.
The opening ceremony was kicked off by a welcome greeting by Mr. Masafumi Shukuri, Chairman, IHRA; Mr. Kenko Sone, Minister, Embassy of Japan and Mr. Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Minister of Tourism, Government of India. This was followed by a brief presentation by Mr. Mamoru Kobori, Executive Vice- President, JNTO and Mr. Akihiko Tamura, Former Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner.
“The Shinkansen, commonly known as high-speed train, is the safest and the most reliable mode of transport within Japan. The aim of the high-speed train is to shorten the time people spend on traveling from one destination to another. The high-speed train may change the way tourists travel, leaving more time for them to enjoy the destination. It plays a very prominent role in the country’s economy and lifestyle. Even India has decided to have its own high-speed rail between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, which will help us build a better relationship between the countries,” said Mr. Masafumi Shukuri, Chairman, IHRA.
Mr. Kenko Sone, Minister, Embassy of Japan said, “India is a key market for Japan. Recently the 3rd Meeting of India-Japan Tourism Council summit was held in India in early January 2019 to improve our relationship with India. We have decided to promote Japan in South India and are planning to start direct flights from Chennai and Bangalore as well to Japan, very soon.”
Mr. Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Minister of Tourism, Government of India thanked the gathering and commented that he was looking forward to the inauguration of the high speed rail in India. He also expressed his sincere wish that the relationship between India and Japan should continue to flourish and grow.
Mr. Mamoru Kobori, Executive Vice- President, JNTO made an extensive presentation on the JNTO website, its navigation and features. He also spoke about The Japan Specialist Program, key visuals of Japan and requested the attendees to enrol in the same.
The final presentation was by, Mr. Akihiko Tamura, Former Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner who said, “The Shinkansen is the most effective mode of transport within Japan as it cuts down the travel time immensely. The high speed train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will play a major role in Indian economy and lifestyle as well.”
Several senior officials attended the seminar from the Tourism and Urban Planning and Transportation department of India and Japan.
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