Netherlands fair showcases major Indian tourist spots

Seeking to attract more Dutch visitors to India, a holiday fair showcasing major Indian tourist destinations is being held in the Netherlands' city of Utrecht.
Mayor of Utrecht, Jan van Zanen inaugurated the 'Incredible India' and Kerala tourism exhibitions yesterday, a statement by the Indian Embassy here said.
Among the attractions, is a virtual reality tour of India's select tourism spots for visitors to the 'Vakantiebeurs' fair.
The mayor was the first to view major Indian tourist attractions in 'virtual reality' - a novel initiative by the Indian mission in collaboration with India's tourism department, it said.
As a special attraction, visitors also had an opportunity to take pictures of themselves with monuments such as the Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar among others as well as wildlife and natural landscapes, the statement said.

Virtual reality offers immersive, 3-D experiences via videos with 360-degree perspectives through which visitors are able to enjoy the experience of visiting the Qutub Minar, Amer Palace, Khajuraho, Nalanda, Kailashnath Temple, Athirappiliy waterfalls, Alappuzha backwaters and various other cultural and natural landmarks in India.

The stalls were inaugurated with the mayor and India's Ambassador to the Netherlands Venu Rajamony lighting the traditional Indian lamp.
'Vakantiebeurs' or holiday fair, is held every year in Utrecht in the heart of the Netherlands and attracts a large number of visitors.
There has been a steady increase in the number of tourists from the Netherlands to India with approximately 21,000 electronic visas issued in 2017.