Strategy

An oasis of luxury

Among the many types of accommodations available to travellers, the tented ones arouse the interest of many. Its origin goes back to ancient times when it was used as shelters by the nomads of China and Mongolia. With the passage of time, tented accommodation came to be associated with the wars and the Romans began to use it principally as a portable military shelter.

But it was through the Arabs that the tent became an important part of the cultural and social life. It was the Turkish Ottomans who gave it a new impetus making it a royal structure set for the sultan during ceremonial occasions. Ordinary tents began to be crafted elaborately with silk and rugs. A peek inside the tent revealed ample moving space replete with cushions, carpets, throw rugs, perfumes and ornate furniture.

The sultans' favourite weapons and toiletries found place amidst other bric-a-brac. The tent followed the sultan in his march for war, his hunting trips and other visits and ceremonies. In India, the tent culture reached its zenith during the reign of the Mughals. Even their war tents were elaborately decorated, made of red velvet and embroidered with gold thread. While Mughals used it during war times while on their conquering spree, the British used them for hunting purposes.

Camping tourism

Consequently, the concept of using tents to accommodate tourists was experimented with by state governments and a few private parties. As part of its efforts to promote tourism in Kashmir, in 2004, the Jammu and Kashmir government set up a unique tent village in a health resort called Valley of Flowers.

This group of 10 tents overlooking the valley of flowers comes with luxurious facilities. The move was made by the government of Jammu and Kashmir to counter the lack of proper accommodation in the state. To move away from run-of-the-mill concrete houses, it was decided to start something unique, and tented accommodation presented them with such an opportunity.

Located at the foothills of the Himalayas 16 kilometres from Rishikesh is another tented camp called Leopard Beach Tented Camp. There are numerous other tour operators who have invested in camping as a form of adventure tourism. Packages either involve wildlife safaris or nature/bird watching. Camping tourism is also being developed at the Shergarh Tented Camp located along the southern end of the Kanha National Park. Tour operators have understood the potential of developing this form of tourism into a standalone product, and the number of such luxury resorts in India confirms this.

Internationally too, the concept of luxury tents has been used by many countries. The Governors` Camp in Africa was its first and most famous tented safari camp. The entire camp, consisting of 37 tents, are all under one canvas with all the comforts of a luxury hotel. Each tent has its own bathroom and serves meals.

In India, tented accommodation isn't confined to the northern regions. Rajasthan with its sparse foliage and desert landscape also began to sell tented accommodation to travellers. A number of luxury tent camps lie between Bikaner and Jodhpur, but all on flat ground. And they would perhaps have remained that way, had someone not built on the concept and converted it into an innovative home-stay strategy.

Case study: The Dera Sand Dune Resort

If military tents came to be replaced by plush ones, this form of accommodation has evolved into something completely offbeat. An unbelievable first in the world, located between Bikaner and Jaisalmer, is the world's only resort to be located entirely on sand dunes - the Dera Sand Dune Resort. A concept that has never been experimented with before and is one that has awed visitors, cottages have been constructed on 100-ft high sand dunes in the parching heat of the Rajasthan desert.

Close to 500 truckloads of concrete was used to construct these cottages and 19 of them stand elevated on sand dunes. The idea was conceived in 1999 by the managing director of Horizon Tours, Sanjay Basu and the project took shape in 2001. The primary focus, says Basu, was to create an experiential product.

To move away from the traditional ways of accommodation in Rajasthan, which includes palaces and heritage hotels, Horizon experimented with setting up tented accommodation for travellers at the base of sand dunes. Needless to say, the concept has never been experimented with before either by the government or a private tour operator.

The tents became popular with travellers from the middle-class primarily for two reasons: it was cheaper than up-market hotels and offered travellers, particularly international, a slice of Rajasthan from close quarters. The immediate success of the camp made Basu rethink the strategy. If makeshift tents gained this much popularity, having concrete luxury cottages at the precipice of sand dunes would be even more interesting.

The idea was to create a product that made tourists get the 'feel' of the place. Perched 100 feet above the ground, all 19 cottages are air-conditioned and come with modern amenities. "Tourists say that they have never experienced sandstorms in air-conditioned luxury," comments Basu.

The logistics of the project were put in place in four stages, none of which were by any means simple. Transporting concrete up 100 feet and the actual process of constructing the cottages in inhospitable weather conditions posed a challenge. However, the project was completed in six months.

Apart from being the first of its kind, The Dera Sand Dune Resort is an initiative to introduce travellers to the rural and sometimes real side of Rajasthan. A weather-beaten track to the inner recesses of the desert leads to the resort. Basu is pleased that the endeavour is contributing to strengthening the bond between tourists and the local tribes of the region. He is also working in tandem with the government of Andhra Pradesh to set up the India's first river cruise liner along the River Brahmaputra. The maiden voyage expects to commence in October 2008.