Telangana, France to strengthen tourism & cultural ties; proposes joint working group
Telangana Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao meeting French Consul General Marc Lamy and Deputy Consul Pascal Loreau
The proposal was made by Telangana Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao during a meeting with French Consul General Marc Lamy and Deputy Consul Pascal Loreau.
The Telangana government has invited France to deepen collaboration in tourism and cultural exchange, positioning the state as an emerging destination for French travellers while exploring long-term partnerships in heritage conservation and destination promotion.
According to online reports, the proposal was made by Telangana Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao during a meeting with French Consul General Marc Lamy and Deputy Consul Pascal Loreau at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat in Hyderabad on June 29.
Highlighting Telangana's rich historical, cultural and architectural heritage, Rao said Hyderabad has successfully evolved into a global city while retaining its distinctive heritage and identity. He noted that closer cooperation with France could help unlock new opportunities for tourism, investment and broader economic development.
As part of the proposed collaboration, the minister invited the French government, embassy and tourism stakeholders to promote Hyderabad and Telangana's diverse tourism offerings among French travellers. He also suggested expanding cultural exchanges through reciprocal visits by artists, scholars, tourism professionals and cultural delegations from both sides.
To provide a structured framework for future engagement, Rao proposed establishing a joint working group to identify areas of cooperation, including heritage conservation, tourism promotion and cultural exchange initiatives.
The French delegation described tourism as a key contributor to economic growth, employment generation and international engagement, noting that France welcomes more than 100 million international visitors annually.
The meeting also underscored the growing people-to-people connect between the two regions, with the French delegation noting that nearly 200 French nationals currently reside in Telangana, creating further opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
