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'India Now' festival in London

          New Delhi: Union Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni will take part in the 'India Now' Festival in London. London mayor Kenneth Livingstone had invited Soni. The Regent Street Festival, to be held on September 2, will see London's premier shopping street being transformed into an Indian streetscape with music, food and artisans. Regent Street is home to some of the very best retail brands and flagship stores. Several activities on the day include cultural performances of music and dance, a food quarter with three restaurant areas on Regent Street serving Indian cuisine, Indian market stalls selling spices, herbs, silks, arts and crafts, in-store promotions, competitions, food sampling and many more activities. 'India Now', an event being coordinated by the office of the Mayor of London, is being held in London from July to September 2007. The event comprises a series of India-centric events and activities showcasing India's contribution to world culture, its rich tradition and more importantly, contemporary India and new Indian trends across art, film, theatre, food, music and fashion.

         Over 150 cultural organizations from London will participate. It is expected that at least a million Londoners and visitors to London will take part in the event. It is the biggest festival of India to be staged in the UK, with activities planned across London for the entire season. UK is one of the most important source markets for India, with over seven lakh tourists from the UK visiting India during 2006, an increase of 12.8 per cent as compared to the previous year. Tourists from UK account for over 16 per cent of the total tourist traffic to India. Various promotional activities are being undertaken to tap the immense potential of this market further, and to augment tourist arrivals to the country from UK. One of the major promotional activities is advertising through various media to ensure greater visibility of "Incredible India" in the market.
- August 31,  2007