Deccan Odyssey To Finally Grace The Tracks Of Maharashtra And Goa

Achal Dhruva - Mumbai

Maharashtra is certainly moving on the tourism fast track. The state has added a premium tourism product to its portfolio with the launch of Deccan Odyssey. The luxury train is slated to be flagged off by the prime minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee on January 16, 2004 from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai. This new addition to the Maharashtra tourism portfolio will further enhance the state’s potential as a world class destination.

A joint effort of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), the ministry for railways and state ministry for tourism, Deccan Odyssey built at the cost of Rs 32 crore is positioned against the great luxury trains of the world, like the Orient Express or the Royal Scotsman. Deccan Odyssey will be the world’s eighth and the country’s third luxury train after Rajasthan’s Palace on Wheels and Royal Orient of Gujarat.

Targeting high end travellers, both international and domestic, the seven-night-eight-day journey on the 21 coach train comprising 48 suites and four presidential suites includes two restaurants, one bar (one entire coach), one conference or board room coach with the state-of-the-art facilities, a gym, beauty salon, yoga centre, ayurveda treatment, staff of 50 with two valets per cabin and capacity of hosting 96 travellers. This product is billed as a journey of myriad discoveries and last word in luxury and personal service.

MTDC has outsourced catering and housekeeping services to the Taj Group and the cuisine on board will be a representation of the different regions through which the train passes. Deccan Odyssey for USD 350 per person per night and USD 700 per person per night for the presidential suite would pass through popular world class attractions in Maharashtra and Goa like Ganpatipule and Bhatye, pristine beaches of Ratnagiri, scenic fort of Jaighad, the sea fort of Sindhudurg and virgin Tarkarli beach, Goa, Pune, historic Ajanta and Ellora caves near Aurangabad, Jalgaon, winery near Nashik.

“MTDC is quite clear about who its target customer is. “It is really for train buffs and seasoned travellers who have already done a lot of things and are looking for something new,” stated Ashish Kumar Singh, managing director, MTDC. Subsequently, in Singh’s opinion aims to break even by the end of the third year.

A four-ad print campaign was launched early last year in select publications such as Conde Nast Traveller, Travel Agent, Tatler and Tutturismo, in Europe and the US. In keeping with the premium image of the train, the campaign targeted countries such as France, Germany, Italy, UK and Japan. This the train was promoted at various travel meets like WTM, ITB, etc and through roadshows abroad.

Singh opined that the concept will work if the route, pricing and marketing is right. “We are far superior to Palace on Wheels and at half the price of the Orient Express. High tarrif is just a mindset which has to change. A journey between London and Paris on Euro rail, a no frills affair cost 100 Euro and no one says its expensive. For one lakh 15 thousand all expense paid trip is a good deal. A business class Mumbai-London airfare is one lakh 40 thousand and all flights are full,” stated Singh.