"SAARC countries should explore the ways and means for more exchange of tourists amongst them," Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai said while inaugurating the conclave of SAARC tour operators here.
There are about 45 leading tour operators from India, Maldives, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan participating in the conclave. The conclave is focusing on various strategies to promote tourist destinations and products in the SAARC region.
"We must motivate each SAARC country in such a way that tourism becomes the focus of economic and political agenda," he said.
Acknowledging the potential of the region, Sahai said that SAARC nations have immense growth potential, which till date has not been fully utilised.
"If it could be fully utilised in all possible ways, the SAARC region has the potential to steer the economy of the world. The cultural diversity of the SAARC region is unique, and the combination of scenic landscapes, natural beauty, and ethnic multiplicity
