INDIA TOURISM: Going Beyond Borders

By M H Ahssan

As the overcrowded plains of India wither in the heat of a merciless summer, the nation’s annual season of travel is ready with irresistible temptations. It is not so much stymied by the ongoing global economic slowdown as it is aided and abetted by superb discounts and better value for the same money. “We are at a very unique point in time,” says Rakshit Desai, executive director for travel at Thomas Cook India, in Delhi. “Holidays are cheaper than they were last year and they are cheaper than they will be next year.”

The trends are already clear. While traditional hotspots in Europe (France, Switzerland and the UK) continue to attract significant numbers of Indian tourists, the South-East Asia (Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore) segment heads the charts, thanks to its proximity, affordability and diversity. Anyone wanting a quick getaway can just buy a tour package from a local travel agent and get a visa on arrival at, say, Thailand. “We are promoting Thailand’s excellent value for money under the Amazing Thailand, Amazing Value theme,” says Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, director of Tourism Authority of Thailand, in New Delhi. In 2009, Thailand expects to receive 550,000 visitors from India.

The top picks are culture trails to Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and Macau, the fabulous beaches of Pengang and Langkawi in Malaysia and Krabi in Thailand, and the exotic appeal of New Zealand, Scandinavia (Finland, Denmark, Sweden), Ireland and Scotland. On the value-for-money front, Philippines, Hong Kong and Dubai are scoring well. The US is back in the reckoning as a very desirable destination because of the exceptional value the dollar is able to fetch now. Surprisingly, as opposed to the attractions of America’s big cities (New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles), it is Florida’s Miami that has emerged recently as a well-liked hub for tours of the US.

As the overcrowded plains of India wither in the heat of a merciless summer, the nation’s annual season of travel is ready with irresistible temptations. It is not so much stymied by the ongoing global economic slowdown as it is aided and abetted by superb discounts and better value for the same money. “We are at a very unique point in time,” says Rakshit Desai, executive director for travel at Thomas Cook India, in Delhi. “Holidays are cheaper than they were last year and they are cheaper than they will be next year.”

The trends are already clear. While traditional hotspots in Europe (France, Switzerland and the UK) continue to attract significant numbers of Indian tourists, the South-East Asia (Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore) segment heads the charts, thanks to its proximity, affordability and diversity. Anyone wanting a quick getaway can just buy a tour package from a local travel agent and get a visa on arrival at, say, Thailand. “We are promoting Thailand’s excellent value for money under the Amazing Thailand, Amazing Value theme,” says Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, director of Tourism Authority of Thailand, in New Delhi. In 2009, Thailand expects to receive 550,000 visitors from India.

The top picks are culture trails to Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and Macau, the fabulous beaches of Pengang and Langkawi in Malaysia and Krabi in Thailand, and the exotic appeal of New Zealand, Scandinavia (Finland, Denmark, Sweden), Ireland and Scotland. On the value-for-money front, Philippines, Hong Kong and Dubai are scoring well. The US is back in the reckoning as a very desirable destination because of the exceptional value the dollar is able to fetch now. Surprisingly, as opposed to the attractions of America’s big cities (New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles), it is Florida’s Miami that has emerged recently as a well-liked hub for tours of the US.

Shore Leave
Beaches would probably win the most laid-back destinations award, if ever there was such a thing. Indians, these days, are bestowing the best beach holidays title on the Key West in the US, the nearby Maldives and Mauritius, and Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia. “They are off-beat destinations and more experience-centred,” says Thottathil of Cox & Kings. For instance, Langkawi showcases some of the prettiest beaches, mangrove tours, island cruises and stunning experiences such as the Pantai Cenang, a walk-through oceanarium with over 5,000 marine and freshwater species.
The really well-heeled, though, favour the Mediterranean, with its trendy hotspots in south of France (Nice, Provence, Toulon, Saint Tropez, Cote d’ Azur), Greece and even the nouveau chic Italian Riviera. Down Under, it’s the Bondi beach outside Sydney and the Surfer’s Paradise on the Gold Coast that are most loved. Honeymooners, on the other hand, favour places such as Tasmania.

“Indian tourists have graduated from sight-seeing and shopping to more novel experiences such as snorkelling, self-driving and adventure sports,” says Jain of Tourism Australia.

In Thailand, since many Indians have already been to Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya, they are actively seeking the less-unexplored charms of Koh Samui, Krabi and Koh Chang. “We are also receiving more high-end visitors who want exclusive services such as chauffeur-driven limos and pool villas,” says TAT’s Ayudhya.

Another name that keeps popping up this season is Macau. Sitting on the western edge of the Pearl Estuary, this unlikely part of the People’s Republic of China is a beguiling mix of east and west, rich with ancient Chinese culture and Portuguese colonial influences.

It’s not so much a beach holiday as it is a vacation that offers good beaches apart from a whole lot of other things including, naturally, its famous casinos.

That said, it would be remiss not to mention that some of the world’s best beaches — and resorts by which to enjoy them — are right here in India. Marari, Poovar, Kovalam, Bekal, Alappuzha and Varkala in Kerala, Alibag, Ratnagiri and Murud-Janjira in Maharashtra, Pondicherry and Tranquebar all by themselves, Goa’s fabulous coastline (Anjuna, Calangute, Dona Paula, Miramar, Bogmalo, Palolem, Majorda), the crystalline waters of Lakshadweep (Bangaram, Agatti, Kadmat, Kalpeni, Kavaratti and Minicoy) and Andaman and Nicobar (Port Blair, Havelock) islands, and the Om Beach in Karnataka’s tiny Gokarna, now also home to a couple of high-end resorts, all display the sure signs of being happening tourist destinations. They don’t necessarily come cheap but the experience can be entirely international.

Take A Hike
The adventurous are doing a great deal more than climbing every mountain. The Swiss Alps remains the Indian adventure enthusiast’s paradise. There are many picture-postcard options here that offer great local stays that enable the entire family to enjoy. One of them is to cycle from Switzerland’s Romanshorn along the Lake Constance to any town on a handy bike trail, passing by fruit orchards, ferry rides, spa towns, plentiful museums and quaint towns — all of which can be rounded off with a spot of skiing at St Moritz and a ride on the Glacier Express rail line from the world-famous resort town to Zermatt. Flyer bikes, available at Romanshorn railway station, come with a little battery that makes it easy to pedal uphill and on long stretches — anybody can do it, kids included.

With Nepal’s many easily accessible hikes invalidated by the incessant political turmoil in that country, the Indian traveller is shifting his craving for adventure to another scenic neighbouring country — Bhutan, which ends, it is said, when a stone rolling off a mountain stops. This beautiful land of steep climbs, dense forests, charming monasteries and sleepy villages is full of luxury travel experiences to its west and pristine budget travel to its east.

There are other favourites in the trip-of-a-lifetime category: the best place to bungee jump remains Australia’s varied and rugged terrain; the expression, though, is from New Zealand. The coast of Queensland has some of the world’s most celebrated bungee jumping sites — among them is the 50-metre high AJ Hackett tower, in north Cairns, which overlooks the Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef. Look out for full moon celebrations, and packages that range from the ‘classic’ to the ‘unlimited’ — even video filming of your adventure is handy.

And for the truly intrepid, there is nothing that quite beats a climb up an active volcano in the world’s greatest volcano country — Indonesia. Undoubtedly formidable, Mount Bromo (also nearby are Batok and Kursi) is also astonishingly accessible. Located at the centre of the Tengger Massif, an eye-popping 10-km wide sea of lava sand, Bromo straddles a national park not far from the bustling city of Jogjakarta. A trek up to its picturesque crater adds a whole new perspective to life.

Jungle Book
At Indian wildlife parks, which come with luxury resorts in the stressed-out buffer zones and rudimentary forest lodges inside the sanctuaries themselves, sighting increasingly rare species is entirely a game of chance. An African safari, though, operates at a different level altogether.

With almost their entire tourist economy tailored around their great national parks, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa are not only well-equipped to handle tourists, nowhere else in the world would you find such a diversity of animal life visible at such close quarters.

Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski provides an evocative glimpse of this in his African memoir The Shadow of the Sun, which has a chapter devoted to a journey from Dar es Salaam to Kampala. “We drove onto the enormous plain of the Serengeti, the largest concentration of wild animals on earth. Everywhere you look, huge herds of zebras, antelopes, buffalo, giraffes. And all of them are grazing, frisking, frolicking, galloping. Right by the side of the road, motionless lions; a bit farther, a group of elephants; and farther still, on the horizon, a leopard running in huge bounds. It’s all improbable, incredible.” Widlife experiences in India can never hope to match this sort of magic.

In Africa, Indian tourists appreciate the improved chances to see the Big Five (in South Africa’s Kruger National Park that would be the elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard and lion but even here the big cats can be elusive). Other universally famous legends include the eponymous Serengeti, as well as the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara in Tanzania, and the exceptional Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara in Kenya.

Accommodation is wide-ranging and includes caravan and tent campsites that have restaurants and shops with basic supplies, bungalows, family cottages and guest houses as well as luxury high-end properties. On some package tours, it is possible to camp, hike, cycle, river-raft and even take a hot air balloon or a chopper over the sweeping treasures of a national park.

But, “much as it is tempting to conclude that more and more Indians are re discovering nature by travelling for wildlife safaris to Africa, in truth, this sector has seen a significant rise in bookings because of the IPL Twenty20 matches — cricket fans who have travelled to catch the games live are quite willing to book a tour or two to one of Africa’s fabled national parks for a spot of wildlife watching,” says Thomas Cook’s Desai. The call of the wild rings far louder in Africa.

Discover The Deep Blue Sea
“A cruise offers everything that Indians look for in a holiday,” says Desai of Thomas Cook. “It is a predictable expenditure product, multiple destinations are covered, the entire experience is very luxurious, and there is a great variety in food and drink.” So fantastic are modern luxury liners that “a cruise typically exceeds the accommodation expectations of a traveller”, he adds.

Indeed, the largest cruise liners are veritable floating cities with something for everyone — from classical music concerts to four-deck-high water slides. Multiple restaurants ply food round the clock — most South-East Asian cruises that draw large contingents of travellers from India not only have Indian food but also vegetarian and Jain options. The day’s schedules are packed to the brim with relentless excitement. There are spas, pubs, discothèques, mahjong parlours, health clubs, casinos, live bands, swimming pools, libraries, games, costume evenings and the aforementioned restaurants. The shore excursions, which offer synopsised sight-seeing at exotic ports of call, have passengers spending their vacation in Penang on one day and Phuket the next. There are also super luxury river boats and expedition cruises to commune quietly with the sea, or even spa cruises that rejuvenate guests as they sail.

While the most number of Indian tourists cruise South-East Asia (Singapore serves as the most convenient hub), the Mediterranean (possible itineraries include Barcelona, Marseilles, Genoa, Naples, Palermo, Tunis, Palma de Mallorca), Scandinavia (Copenhagen, Kiel, Stockholm, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, or Dubrovnik, Istanbul, Izmir, Olympia, Bari and Venice), and the eastern and western Caribbean cruises also draw a discerning and dedicated clientele. The surprise winner, though, is a cruise to Alaska (ex-Seattle to Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord, Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Skagway, Prince Rupert and British Columbia), which draws top money for its value as an exotic experience.

Keep these tips in mind while booking a cruise: a fun-filled cruising experience is best enjoyed when you are feeling energised and fit. Going direct from airport to harbour after a sleepless night flight and some jet lag is not such a good idea. If you are sailing in South-East Asia, look out for better value deals from the Singapore and Malaysia tourism boards. Examine the offer carefully: sometimes, meals and beverages at only a few of the restaurants on board are included in the ticket price and, almost always, excursions cost extra.

Falling Off The Map
The most exciting segment for tourists and industry insiders alike is that which is off the beaten path. Tour operators that BW spoke to say that Indian travellers have now also grown into two distinct segments: the seekers of exotic and novel experiences, and those who still want to travel to the tried and tested.
The new, evolved outbound Indian tourist is “internet savvy, more willing to experience local cuisines, is adventurous and ecologically sensitive, and enjoys wildernesses”, says Bharati of Finpro. The high-visibility Visit Finland and Finnair promos, which included media campaigns, seminars, road shows and freebie trips, spotlit the charms of this faraway land, drawing the second type of Indian traveller.

In surreal Finland, where the Sun does not set for almost two months, it is possible to cross the Arctic Circle and read a book by a lakeside at midnight. It helps that there is no language problem as English is commonly spoken, the atmosphere is virtually zero pollution, vast swathes of the land are inhabited by very few people, and the infrastructure is very highly developed.

On the other hand, shopping, food, wildlife parks and historical sites are the reason why Australia lures travellers every year. Festivals — such as the forthcoming Vivid Sydney, the southern hemisphere’s biggest international music and light fest, held in May-June — also attract Indian tourists. It helps that Tourism Australia’s Baz Luhremann-directed ‘Come Walkabout’ global campaign, based on the movie Australia, has attracted attention. Ireland, Scotland and Korea are other new entrants into this high-stakes arena.

Niche tailor-made itineraries include Holy Land tours that begin from Amman along the ancient King’s Highway stop by Madaba (the ‘City of Mosaics’), the Bahai shrine in Haifa, Golan Hills, Nazareth, Jericho, the sacred sites of Jerusalem city, Bethlehem and Sinai, ending with a round-up of Egypt’s historical wonders around Cairo.

The smart marketing of international destinations in a market with as vast a potential as India succeeds not only because of glamorous advertising but also because “the underlying product works”, notes Desai. “Marketing can take you only so far and no further. The Incredible India campaign, which is fabulously marketed, has inherent limitations, particularly with reference to tourist infrastructure. The sustained interest in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore is also because they maintain constant quality in the overall infrastructure, visa processes, and accommodation and transport — what they say is what you get.”

See France The French Way
Been there and done the eiffel tower, EuroDisney, Louvre and Champs Elysees already? Don’t write off France from your travel map just yet. France-born and bred Caroline Juneja, through her website www.francedecoded.com, promises to show you her country the way only a local can. Juneja chalks out itineraries (including special ones for kids) that allow you to drive through France, stay in amazing castles, tour vineyards, and enjoy nature in luxurious comfort, if that’s what you wish. It is a France you might never see otherwise: at the Puy du Fou Historical Park, for instance, events of French history are recreated with live shows in period villages. Ordering a pizza and soft drink in a 10th century tavern can be huge fun. Shows feature Roman gladiators (a whole stadium has been recreated), the 100-year war of the Knights Templar, the legendary musketeers, and Vikings invading on their drakkars: the use of birds of prey in the Middle Ages is amazingly beautiful.

Caroline’s accrobranches, literally translated as ‘holding to branches’, an obstacle course set 50 ft high amidst the splendid oak trees of a forest, is another big hit with kids. For water lovers, Provence’s gorgeous Verdon offers another not-for-the-faint-hearted activity: canyoning down the river’s waterfalls and gorges without a raft.

Via Ferrata is for those who don’t mind heights — this mountain-and-cliff route is equipped with fixed cables, ladders and bridges. For art lovers, there is the Avignon and its astonishing Popes’ Palace, ‘just down the road’ from the perched villages of the Luberon, where one can retrace the steps of some of the greatest artists of all time — Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso and Cezanne. But if France can only mean romance, head for Grasse, just off the French Riviera, where you can actually visit one of many perfumeries and spend an afternoon making your very own fragrance to take home as a special souvenir — in fact, they note down all your secret ingredients, so you can order your signature perfume for the rest of your life.

Caroline’s other secret is her network of B&Bs (Bed and Breakfast) along the way. A renovated mill, a XVIIth century manor house or a traditional Provence farmhouse. And for breakfast, a taste of the best of French breads, croissants and home-made jams.

And all this ranging from E100 to E150 a night for two with breakfast. A car for five days will range between E260 and E430 depending on the car, and activities vary per person between E25 for an afternoon of Accrobranches, to E60 for Via Ferrata.