Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi today called on Civil Aviation MinisterAjit Singh to discuss strategies for the maiden launch of Air India's Dreamliner flight from Delhi to Sydney and Melbourne next month. The launch of the Dreamliner service between India and Australia on August 29 could further increase the tourist traffic between the two countries. Australia already ranks among the top ten source destinations for in-bound tourists to India.

"In order to effectively leverage the launch of the Dreamliner, Tourism Ministry will be organising road shows in Australia, with the participation of Air India and the travel and tourism industry to build on the better connectivity between two countries," said a senior Tourism Ministry official. The number of Australians visiting India has significantly risen in the last five years, from 1,35,925 in 2007 to 1,86,002 in 2011. Besides the large Indian diaspora in Australia will also be benefited through the service.

Both Chiranjeevi and Singh are scheduled to travel on the maiden Dreamliner flight and participate in the road shows in Sydney and Melbourne to spread awareness and boost the prospects of bilateral tourism.

It may be recalled that the then Australian Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson had met Chiranjeevi in December last year and had requested for direct air connectivity to boost tourism between the two countries.