MOT appoints Association of Buddhist Tour Operators to promote Buddhist tourism

Ministry of Tourism has appointed Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) as Advisor in National Tourism Advisory Council (NTAC). The ministry had nominated the association to the council for preserving heritage monuments and promoting Buddhist tourism in the country.

“ABTO is a platform for all tourism service providers and others stakeholders engaged in the promotion of Buddhist pilgrimage tourism in India, Nepal and other Asian countries. Our association has been working hard to promote, protect and preserve Buddhist monuments and pilgrimage sites around the Buddhist circuit on national and international level for the last four years. We are trying to raise awareness among tourists about the importance of these heritage sites. We also organize heritage walks around these monuments so that people can get to know more about the cultural and historical significance of Buddhism in India,” said Dr Kaulesh Kumar, Secretary General, ABTO.

Dr Kaulesh Kumar also thanked Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism, KJ Alphons for imparting the accolade.

“With all these initiatives, we are aiming to increase the tourist footfall in the Buddhist sector. I am happy that our work has been appreciated by the Ministry and we have been nominated to NTAC. We have also organised the first-ever International Buddhist Travel Mart in Bodh Gaya for the travel trade. After receiving appreciation from the industry, ABTO is now going to organize roadshows in nine countries – Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Japan starting from April 2019. It will provide a good platform to everyone, who is looking to promote Buddhist tourism on an international level.”