Breaking the fall

By Vikram Madhok
MD, Abercrombie & Kent

Since India is currently over-priced, it might see a fall in tourist arrivals in 2008. India is currently out-pricing itself leaving a negative image of the country to the world. The travel agents and tour operators are finding this extremely detrimental to their business prospects.

The phenomenon would impact the tourism as a whole and the travel trade by 2008. The saddest element is that the country is itself responsible for this, canceling out the past and the future efforts for its promotion as a preferred destination. This would also result in people choosing other options rather than India as their holiday destination. As a result, year 2008 might see a serious drop in the number of leisure travelers to India.

Government agencies, with its Incredible India campaigns, are still focused on the maximum number. It is not the time to be opportunistic but to focus on long-term gains and look beyond and work on the existing negative aspects. We must take care that the situation does not take a downward spiral and go beyond repair.