Australia launches big bang outreach to India - Maitri initiatives and T20 World Cup will woo Indians Down Under
As Australia reopens its international borders to fully vaccinated tourists and business travellers from February 21, it is looking at India - its fastest-growing source of international visitors - to revitalise its tourism industry, especially during the T20 Cricket World Cup later this year. Over 800,000 fans are expected to attend the ICC T20 cricket extravaganza, which Australia will host for the first time in October. Such has been the buzz surrounding the event, in particular to see one of the world cricket’s biggest rivalries, that the general ticket allocations for India vs Pakistan encounter at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 22 were sold within five minutes of going on sale, last week. "Hosting the T20 cricket World Cup this year will be a fantastic opportunity to encourage more Indian tourists and business travellers to visit Australia," Dan Tehan, the country's Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, said following extensive meetings with India’s