India - JAXFAX Travel Marketing Magazine

India: Closer Than You Think
“ Although we have many languages and dialects
in India, we really do speak the same language... ”
Snar Lyne Khyriem the Regional Director, India Tourism
Office, New York, is responsible for marketing and promotion
of India tourism in North America, South America
and the Caribbean Region. Below is his message to agents.
“Last year, India counted 680,534 U.S. visitors so we passed
the half million mark; our goal for 2010 is one million. Americans
are ready for India and we are ready for them.
This is our time and your time as travel agents, to aim for the
clients who have been curious about China and Africa -- this is
your market for India, which is home to 26 World Heritage Sites
alone. Americans are definitely losing their fear of visiting this
giant country of ours – with one billion people that speak 18
languages and 1,600 dialects – and if they have not visited before,
it is safe to recommend a tour. There are so many tours
that cater to many tastes, offering flexibility and the security of
structure, it makes getting around India much easier than to
drive on your own for instance, which, is unimaginable.”
Celebrities and Hollywood
India is very popular now among celebrities like Madonna and
Richard Gere; Indian culture is becoming more and more prominent
in the U.S. through personalities such as Deepak Chopra
and authors like Arundhati Roy who wrote The God of Small
Things and London-based Zadie Smith whose White Teeth
was made into a film that aired on public TV. Jhumpa Lahiri’s
best-seller The Namesake will soon be released in the U.S. as
a film about a family whose move from Calcutta to Boston
brings many themes home to American viewers. Some of our
film directors -- Ishmael Merchant, Mira Nair and Deepa Mehta
– are also becoming known in the U.S. through their work. New
York City’s ImagineAsia Theatre on 59th St., presents Indian
films. And who can forget the impact of Monsoon Wedding?
From Yoga to Wildlife, Trains and Cruises
We are seeing a rise in all sorts of programs: culinary tours led
by well known chefs such as Julie Sahni and Madhur Jaffrey, to
architectural, garden, archeology, safaris, rural tourism, bird
watching and river cruising. Additionally, our traditional health
and healing arts are attracting Westerners – yoga retreats and
ayurveda, an alternative medicine used primarily in India—are
also very popular.
Yes, many people do not realize how many wildlife viewing opportunities
there are in India. Recently Taj opened Mahua Kothi,
the first of its new Wilderness Lodges in partnership with CC
Africa. It is set on 40 acres in
the rolling Satpura hills of Madhya Pradesh.
This sort of development opens up another market for us -- the
wildlife safari market. Visitors will see tigers, leopards, jackals
in the jungles of Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
Also rural tourism explores very local villages in hill towns,
many of which are only accessible by train. We have two luxury
trains that travel along more than 40,625 miles of train track;
as well as a vintage train that visits hill stations between Rajasthan
and Agra.
We are seeing more of two types of cruises: river cruises and
big-ship cruising on the Indian Ocean. Assam Bengal Navigation
has just introduced a new river boat and the Vivada, a 32cabin
boat cruises along the Ganges on wildlife expeditions to
see tigers in the wild.
Access and Accommodations
Nonstop direct flights take just 14 hours now from New York as
opposed to the former 18. Since the Open Sky Agreement with
the U.S. went into effect in January 2005, ample airlift is coming
our way. Delta has just entered an interline agreement with
Kingfisher Airlines (as of Nov. 1, Delta is operating flights from
JFK-New York to Mumbai); Continental operates flights out of
Newark to Delhi, American from Chicago to Delhi, and Air
India operates 28 flights weekly from four gateways. Air India
is expected to add more non-stops to India. Additionally, British
Airways, Air Emirates, Lufthansa, Singapore and Virgin Atlantic
also serve India.
We have always had a strong hotel inventory; among the international
brands in India are: Four Points Sheraton, Hyatt,
InterContinental, Kempinski, Leela, Marriott, Oberoi,
Shangri-La and Taj. Accor has just opened the Novotel Hyderabad
located in this hi-tech city near the Indian Institute of
Information Technology, the School of Business. Business travelers
are among our best ambassadors as they visit on business
and return soon afterwards with their families; or just
extend their stays.
Message to Agents
Sell India, it is a magnificent country with a tremendous variety
from wildlife safaris to spiritual retreats. India is also a good ticket
item for agents, yet the dollar is worth much more than in many
other destinations today. Although we have many languages and dialects
in India, we really do speak the same language – English.
2 SEPTEMBER 2008 • JAXFAX INDIA SALES GUIDE SUPPLEMENT