Travel Trade On The Threshold Of Transition

For India to succeed as a premier tourism destination and a leading force in the global market, it is imperative that all proposals come with a time schedule and are completed accordingly feels Himmat Anand

Having spent two decades in the industry, I had always been cynical of all proclamations, which were touted to be steps forward for travel and tourism. It was mostly a case of ‘old wine in new bottles’ and statements which sounded good but lacked action and sincerity. I must admit of having lost hope on more than one occasion and accepted the fact that India, despite it's tremendous potential, would continue to slumber along blindfolded.

A Fresh Start

For the first time in many years, there is finally a definite buzz happening in tourism, which is refreshingly new. The shake-up we have been looking for since the early nineties seems to begin, albeit a little slowly and uncertainly. But yes, that buzz is there.

And what has changed? For one, final recognition that tourism is important for the nation and can contribute to the economic upliftment of the common man by creating direct and indirect employment - a key agenda for the present and past governments - and that it is not necessarily an elitist activity. I am sure that on the list of government priorities, tourism will now move up from the tail-end position it had - just above Lighthouses! There is today, a genuine eagerness to drive this economic war-horse quicker and higher. Giving boost to this upbeat mood, are positive listings of India as a 'must see destination once in a life time' or then 'amongst the top 10 tourist destinations world-wide'. Also nudging us forward are statistics - 30 per cent plus arrivals and 45 per cent plus foreign exchange earnings over last year.

The ever oft debate of what really is 'Open Skies' and if India is ready for it seems to be a thing of the past. In the last 12 months', more than five international carriers have added India to their schedule; existing carriers have been allowed additional services; our domestic airlines have already touched Colombo and Kathmandu, with hopes to reaching Europe and the Far East shortly. Charter guidelines have been liberalised - although the procedure has been made more complicated.

Staying with aviation, there has been a rationalisation on fuel surcharges and taxes, although more needs to happen. Low cost carriers have commenced operations in the country and a lot of activity will be seen in this sector in the coming three years'.

Tapping The Latent Potential

We have finally realised that our airports are no more than glorified railway stations and probably 30 years' behind competing countries. There is a firm commitment to upgrade and make them world class. Work is yet to start and results need to be seen. I do hope that those in authority realise that if airports are not taken on a war footing, not only will tourism suffer but it will also affect the economic thrust of the country. Corporate honchos spend a lot of their time at airports and get a feel of the economic standing of the country from there.

Rs 40,000 crore has been allocated for highway infrastructure. Work is already under way at many places and once completed, this network would be a boom for domestic tourism and in turn give rise to huge highway related businesses - motels, petrol pumps, entertainment and fast food joints, etc. Truly an exciting opportunity.

The Taj Mahal can now be viewed in its true glory - in moonlight. A long-standing proposal has been implemented finally, though in a rather complicated way with various roadblocks, but at least there is a beginning. Can Visa on Arrival become a reality in the not too distant future? For once we can say "yes" with limited optimism.

Realising the potential that cruises and conventions have, the government has allocated funds for the development of ports, and work has already started on a new port in Goa. Plans are also afoot to build four convention centres in major metros. While these are long-term projects, one does see some focus and some movement in the right direction.

We are finally waking up to nightlife, which is non-existent in our cities. New Delhi has taken the lead with extending bar timings; the tourism minister has initiated various steps of night bazaars etc, which are all a move in the right direction. A second ship in Goa has been allowed to operate as a casino and Haryana is toying with the idea of allowing casinos to open in the state.

The Future Is Bright

Moving away from travel and tourism, India is also in the news for the right reasons. The economy is very strong and the rupee stable - the government seems to have earned the trust of the industry having completed its 100 days in power. World-wide, India is being seen as on of the very few countries which will have a consistent GDP of seven per cent and above - compare this to some one to two per cent of many European countries. IT, Biotechnology, Business Processing, Medicine, disinvestments by the government and the like, are all driving India to a stage where even the World Bank for the first time has publicly announced that India is one of their key partners for future funding and lending.

In all this optimism, we should not loose sight of reality, which is staring us in the face.

As a nation, we are a great one for making statements, not necessarily implementing them. And this is where the greatest danger lies. It is imperative that all proposals come with a time schedule and are completed accordingly. We have huge challenges to overcome before we become truly world class. All things remaining normal, India will be on a high for the next four years or so and it would worthless to have all the above listed projects completed only once we come into the platueing phase. There could not be a better opportunity than the present one, for us to move away from the humiliating tag of being a receiver of just 0.50 per cent of international tourists in spite of our size and potential.

(The author is COO, SITA Inbound division, New Delhi)