Outbound

Monaco to develop strategy for Indian market in 2008

Retains its focus on tapping the upscale leisure segment

Andrea Lopez - Mumbai

With an increased interest in new destinations for outbound travel, the national tourist offices of various countries too, are expressing a renewed interest in the Indian market. The Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority was on a roadshow in Delhi and Mumbai recently, to showcase its products and hold discussions with members of the travel trade.

Currently, the number of Indian visitors (recorded by the number of overnights) into Monaco is negligible. The main markets remain concentrated in Europe - although China, Japan and India are on the radar. Come 2008, and the tourism body of the country is gearing up to put a special strategy in place for the Indian market. Unwilling to disclose details, Jean-Jose Bertani, director, leisure travel, MGTCA said, "The awareness of Monaco and its varied products is lacking in India and we hope that our renewed strategy will enable us to position ourselves better in the market. We are looking at tapping both the leisure and MICE segments. In fact, Monaco has a large number of hotels in the luxury category; 75 per cent, to be precise, thus making this a promising destination for MICE travelers."

The country's leanings, however, are towards a very niche clientele. "We want our products to be serviced only by the upscale market. We do not wish to tap revenue-minded clients, but rather travellers who want to sample the best of what Monaco has to offer, irrespective of the costs involved," said Bertani. The delegation is also working towards familiarising itself and forging alliances with the travel trade, having already interacted with around 70 travel agents and tour operators, with plans to have them subscribe to the tourist authority's electronic news letter.

Also present at the road show was Benoit Badufle, sales manager for Japan, Asia and South America of the Societe de Berns de Mer, that works with hotels, spas and casinos in the region. He pointed out that Monaco was an upcoming destination for MICE travel. "The Monte Carlo Bay hotel, which is one of the largest in the region, has excellent facilities and will be very suited to Indian MICE travellers," he said. In addition, going by what most other players in the industry are doing, Monaco is hoping to increase its visibility in the market - quite literally, by playing host to a Bollywood production in the near future.