Minister of State for Culture & Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel co-chaired the 8th Meeting of ASEAN-India Tourism Ministers with his Cambodian counterpart Thong Khon through video conferencing. The Meeting was in conjunction with the 24th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers (M-ATM). At the outset, the Ministers expressed their sympathy for the loss of lives and livelihood for people in the region as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The Ministers reiterated the need for cooperative efforts in mitigating the impact of the pandemic on the tourism sector.<br />'' <br />'' The minister appreciated the efforts of the Prime Minister for not only containing COVID-19 pandemic but also lending a helping hand to other countries by supplying medicines and medical equipment.<br />'' <br />'' Minister also touched upon the Ministry's road map to revive tourism activities post Covid by highlighting initiatives such as SAATHI (System for Assessment, Awareness & Training for Hospitality Industry) and the Incredible India Tourist Facilitator (IITF) Certification Programme, an Online learning platform with the objective of creating a pool of well trained and professional Tourist Facilitators across the country. The meeting concluded with a Joint Media statement where the Ministers agreed to further enhance ASEAN-India cooperation in tourism under the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between ASEAN and India.<br />''  <br />