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Capital View
Making merry
November and December are the months when the Capital experiences
a spate of road shows by nations seeking to enlarge their share of Indian outbound
or first timers looking for a slice of it.
Among the new comers were the Philippines, Sarawak and Jamaica. Switzerland,
which prides itself as the first from continental Europe on establishing a presence
in this country (and which also has the distinction of pioneering the use of
Bollywood as a major promotional tool) was in Delhi with a large contingent
of agents from nearly all its popular destinations. Sri Lanka, our neighbour
in the south for which India is already its largest (and natural) source market,
concentrated on the MICE segment this time around. Among other developments
change of guard at Delhi-based FHRAI and WTTC occupied the space left by NTOs.
 The
newcomers first. A high powered delegation led by the Philippines tourism minister,
Joseph Durano, supported by the country's lady ambassador in India and the announcement
of a representation in Delhi made an appropriate beginning. Durano came straight
to the point. "Unlike our traditional tourists who go for beaches and sightseeing,
Indian travellers love the many facets of the metropolis and have a strong preference
for shopping, entertainment and gaming. They spend an average of US $1,200 per
visit, which makes them highly appreciated tourists." Conceding that lack
of direct air services between the two countries could come in the way of larger
flows, he said that this was proposed to be overcome by an arrangement with
Singapore Airlines (which has the most convenient connections) to offer special
packages which would be announced in the new year.
Sarawak's is an interesting story. One of the federation states of Malaysia,
it is almost as big as the rest of the country in size. But being separated
1,600 km by the South China Sea (part of Borneo) it has been hosting a little
over two million of the 18 million visitors that come to the mainland. It has
an abundance of tourist attractions - 200 rivers, national parks, golf courses,
marine parks and underwater jungles, city life in the capital Kuching and air
connectivity. Sarawak Tourism Board's Mary Wan Mering was at her diplomatic
best when she said that by taking up individual promotion, Sarawak was only
"supplementing" the national effort. We are like Kerala” she
quipped. Sarawak intends to set up its own representation in India but for the
moment it is depending on assistance from one of the Indian travel agencies,
Twenty First Century Travels headed by Naresh Trehan.
And now Jamaica. There is a good reason for it to take the lead amongst the
Caribbean tourism boards for a foray into India because of the cricket World
Cup to be played in the islands in 2007. The third largest of the Caribbean
group, Jamaica is using the World Cup as its starting point in India and has
already chosen TRAC Representations (the Kavi Ghei outfit which promotes a number
of other countries as well). Like the Philippines, the Jamaican delegation was
also high powered led by the country's ambassador at large, Courtney Walsh,
tourist board’s deputy director marketing, David L Shields, and Robert
Bryan head of the local organising committee of the World Cup. Five Indian tour
operators have been identified by the ICC to sell packages in India. The base
packages commences from INR 1,20,000, which includes airfare and accommodation
for seven days/six nights. They are SOTC, Pyramid Travel, Trust Travel &
Tours from Mumbai and Air Cruise Travel and Friends Globe, Delhi.
Finally, Switzerland. As always the Swiss ambassador was by the side of the
tourism delegation both during the presentation to the media and the evening
get-together at the Imperial Hotel's Ball Room, which turned out to be a treat
for the travel fraternity thanks to a jazz performance by a band specially flown
in from Zurich. An upbeat Federico Sommaruga of Switzerland Tourism said his
country has already welcomed 2,50,000 Indian visitors in the first eight months
of this year. The target of 3,00,000 Indian tourists, he said, in 2006 is well
in sight. India is already the eighth-largest source market and Indian spends
of US$ 217 per day are bettered only by the Arabs and the Chinese. He also announced
that Switzerland has concluded the Schengen protocols and visas under this scheme
will be available to Indians latest by January 2008.
FHRAI has not only a new president in Rajesh Mishra but also a new secretary
general, Kamal Sharma. Mishra is MD of Mishra's Group of Hotels & Restaurants,
Kolkata and Sharma is an industry veteran who in an earlier avatar had turned
around Air India's loss-making Hotel Corporation. At the WTTC's India Initiative,
Nakul Anand, divisional chief executive of ITC Hotels Division, is the new chairperson
while search is on for a secretary general in place of Ashok Pahwa, who resigned
recently. Anand has his task cut out - redefining the body's mission in India
in the changed tourism scenarios, where much of the WTTC's pleas for a push
to the sector have already been conceded.
(The writer is a freelance journalist. He can be reached
at rabseth@yahoo.com)
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