Incredible India - Final Report

A Report on

Incredible ndia A Marketing Perspective Submitted in partial fulfillment of the course in

Customer Acquisition and Retention

On 05 October 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.

The

Indian

Story…………………………………………………………… …………5 2.

Pre2002…………………………………………………………… …………………….6

3.

Impact

of

09/11…………………………………………………………… …………9 4.

The

Incredible

!ndia

Marketing

Story…………………………………….10 4.1

Why

Incredible

!ndia?.

………………………………………………….11 4.2

“Incredible !ndia”- How the campaign gathered steam…………………………………………………… ………………………12 4.2.1

The

Initiation-Testing

Waters…………………………12

2

the

4.2.2 The

Turning

Point………………………………………………… 14 4.2.2.1

ITB, Berlin……………………………………… ……….14

4.2.2.2

India

Now………………………………………… …….16 4.2.2.3

Cannes

Film

Festival………………………………..16 4.2.2.4

India

@

60,

NY

2007……………………………….16 4.2.2.5

The

Colors

of

India………………………………….17 4.2.2.6

Motherland

India……………………………………17 4.2.2.7

Atithi

Devo

Bhavah…………………………………18 4.3

The Marketing Strategy – Key Highlights……….. …………….21 4.3.1 Establishment

of

India……………………………….21 3

Brand

4.3.2 Use

of

!

symbol……………………………………………… ……21 4.3.3 Rewards

and

Recognitions…………………………………..22 4.3.4 Value Proposition………………………………………… ……..23 4.3.5 Positioning……………………………………… …………………..24 4.4

Focus

on

2009……………………………………………………… ………25 4.4.1 Focus India………………………………………………… ………..25 4.4.2 Rural Tourism…………………………………………… …………26 4.4.3 Awareness Abroad……………………………………………… .27

4

4.4.4

Print campaign………………………………………… ………….28

4.4.5 Social Media……………………………………………… …………29 4.4.6 Resolute

India

campaign………………………………………29 4.4.7 Tie-up

with

Oscar

and

Grammy

Awards……………….29 4.4.8 Tie-up

with

Global

channels…………………………………30 4.4.9 Visit

India

2009………………………………………………… ….30 5.

Challenges

for

Tourism

in

2009……………………………………………..31 6.

The

Road

Ahead…………………………………………………………… ……….32 7.

Areas

of

Improvement………………………………………………… ………..36 5

8.

Survey Analysis………………………………………………………… …………..38

9.

Recommendations

and

Analysis……………………………………………49 10.

References…………………………………………………… ……………………….58

1. The Indian Story India is a multi-faceted nation. Home to the largest diversity in Culture & Tradition, it can trace its civilization back to over 10,000 years. It has timeless pre-historic relics, caves, paintings and artifacts. It is home to some of the erstwhile great Empires who’s Monuments, Palaces and Legacies continue to live on. India is home to some of the World’s best Ancient Architectural wonders inspired by Hindu, Persian, Buddhist, European & other Architectural styles. India’s Cultural & Social diversity is unmatched. With over Ten Millennia of civilization, India has grown to be the genesis of varied Cultures, Languages, Traditions, Beliefs and Rituals. With relative isolation of various Societies, these have grown to leave an indelible mark on its followers. Four major religions of the World have their origins in India: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. This had led to India becoming the

6

home to many Pilgrimage sites. India is also the home of various Spiritual practices like Meditation and Yoga. India is also home to the tradition system of Naturopathy medicine: Ayurveda. India is rich in Bio-Diversity, with varied Flora & Fauna, many of which are native to India and are found only here. There are many Wild Life Sanctuaries, Botanical Gardens, Nature Reserves and Protected Ecology Zones. India also has varied Geographical features like Mountains, Plains, Forests, Tropic, Hilly Terrain, Marshes, Archipelago, Rivers, River Rapids, Inland Lakes, Beaches, Ocean, Bays, Seas et al. Lately, India has been making rapid Economic Progress. This has led to enormous strides in Infrastructure, Private Health Care, Education, Research & Development, Information Technology, Tourism, Urban & Rural Development and other fields. With its new found confidence, India aims at leveraging its enormous potential and aims at becoming the Beacon in Asia.

2. Pre-2002 The Ninth 5 year plan came up with following proposals in order to boost tourism in India. •

Development of basic infrastructure

•

Development of trekking, winter sports, wildlife and beach resorts

•

Exploring new source markets in region and countries having cultural and religious affinity.

•

Environmental protection and cultural preservation of national heritage projects

•

Launching of national image buildings and marketing plans (this eventually led to incredible India campaign)

7

•

Providing inexpensive accommodation in different tourist centers so as to facilitate all classes of potential tourists

•

Streaming of facilitation procedures at airports

•

Human resource development

•

Creating awareness among citizens

•

Facilitating private sector participation in development of infrastructure The government of India had identified following institutions through which the objectives had to be achieved.

1.

Department of Tourism (Under the Minister of Civil Aviation & tourism) The functional areas of the departments were basically classified as

following•

To formulate and implement the policies and program for tourism development.

•

To attract foreign tourist by developing infrastructure, publicity and promotion, travel agencies, etc. It had 21 filed officers in India providing facilitation services as in 2000.Apart from it, it also had 18 international offices to promote the cause of tourism .The department had collaborated with Air India to make joint promotional effects in US, UK, Europe, Australia and other countries.

2.

India tourism development corporation (ITDC) It is a public sector unit established in 1966 and was primarily involved in construction, management and marketing of hotels restaurants, etc. the broad objectives of the corporation were•

To construct, take over and manage existing hotels and market hotels, Beach Resorts, Travelers' Lodges/Restaurants

•

To

provide

transport,

entertainment,

shopping

services •

To produce, distribute, tourist publicity material

8

and

conventional

•

To render consultancy-cum-managerial services in India and abroad

•

To carry on the business as Full-Fledged Money Changers (FFMC), restricted money changers etc

•

To provide innovating, dependable and value for money solutions to the needs of tourism development and engineering industry including providing consultancy and project implementation

3.

Indian institution of Tourism and Travel management Established in 1983 IITTM is an autonomous body to educate tourism and travel management for tourism personnel. It also organizes entrepreneurship development programs, seminar, workshops, etc. The efforts of the Institute led to n evolving the fundamental framework for tourism education and training in the country. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has also entrusted the institute to conduct regional level guide training programmes for all the regions of the country. A number of promotional events were conducted by various agencies

like •

India travel market 2000, Mumbai-a travel and tourism exhibition promoted by ITE (International travel and exhibition), UK.

•

The ‘India Show’ sponsored by SIDBI and promoted by FICCI in St Petersburg, Russia to display the diverse profile and tourism potential of India at international platforms.

•

The year 2000 was identified as ‘Explore India’ year by the Ministry of Tourism and it included various promotional events also. As a part of the event the famous rock band VENGABOYS also performed in Hyderabad.

•

The central government had also started identifying performing states and crediting them for their success. The state of Kerala was awarded the title of best performing state by government of India in 1999-2000.

•

The government also targeted the potential of certain areas which had relatively better infrastructural facility and promoted then accordingly.

9

As a part of this exercise ‘Delhi-Agra-Jaipur’ was put on the world famous ‘golden triangle’. •

In the year 1985 a mega event named “The Festival of India in the USA" was organized. This festival was organized in the setting of rural India followed by Festival of India in France, USSR and Germany. These conferences were generally followed by dinners with the theme of rural India. It was in fact an image building exercise - a marketing strategy to develop Rural Tourism.

•

The central government in association with private players had also initiated medical tourism in India. The objective was to brand India as a place which provides ‘first world treatment at third world prices ‘. Apollo has been a forerunner in medical tourism in India and attracts patients from Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The group has tied up with hospitals in Mauritius, Tanzania, Bangladesh and Yemen besides running a hospital in Sri Lanka, and managing a hospital in Dubai. India’s share of global international tourism at 2.64 million foreign arrivals through its borders in year 2000 was relatively small in volume (about 0.38 per cent), but almost twice as high in terms of US$ receipts (about 0.69 per cent). On the other hand, India’s share of global domestic tourism was much higher (around 4.6 per cent of estimated global domestic tourism). The tourism sector’s contribution to the national development priorities and strategies has so far been relatively limited but it has got tremendous potential (year 2000 figures). Ministry of Tourism, Government of India had estimated that every Rs.10.00 lakhs invested in Tourism created 47.5 jobs.

The same amount if

invested in Agriculture & Manufacturing sector can create only 44.7 and 12.6 jobs respectively. The government identified and classified their promotional strategy based on the tourism potential life cycle of a particular area. For

10

example there were regions like Goa and Shimla which had reached maturity levels .They no more required promotion and had similarly exhausted their carrying capacity (infrastructural, environmental or social impacts). Their problem was of retaining their image, checking the decline and doing away with the negative impacts of tourism. Their requirement was internal marketing, product improvement, checking the decline, proper maintenance, etc. On the other side was region like Kumaun which was struggling hard to promote its attractions in different cities and rural areas and develop its tourism products. In such a situation the destination may not take off at all or the entire developmental investment may go waste. It was also imperative that if tourism was to be promoted, geographical boundaries of various states should be abolished. Proper marketing channels were the most significant challenge of this strategy.

It was a usual

phenomenon that local bodies were either not aware about the developmental role of tourism or were constrained by their own politics or lack of funds.

3. Impact of 09/11 Tourism industry is a significant contributor to the GDP of several countries. But the growth of industry itself depends on number of external factors. Frequent wars, terrorism incidents, political and economic instability, outbreak of contagious diseases are some of the factors that may seriously hamper the revenues from tourism. Though there is an unending list of such incidents but the 9/11 attacks on World Trade Centre and Pentagon led to an unprecedented impact on international travel and tourism. This tragic incident had profound effects on US in particular and world in general. On one hand it revealed the vulnerability of the most powerful

11

nation of the world and on the other hand it exposed the anti American resent worldwide .US retaliated without delay by bombing in Afghanistan and hence the fight against terrorism was directed towards South Asia. The 9/11incident had significant impact on security dynamics of neighboring nations. India being one of the neighbouring countries was also affected by these developments. The repercussions extended beyond activities directly associated with tourism like airlines, hotels and catering, to sectors that supply intermediate or final goods that are purchased by firms and employees in industry. "Long-haul travels to India whether for leisure or business is bound to get affected. The severity of the impact will depend on how long the war lasts," said Maharaj I.S. Wahi, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators.

4. The Incredible !ndia Marketing Story The stage was set in 2002 to embark upon a campaign to re-vitalize the Tourism Industry. Amitabh Kant, former Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in conjecture with V Sunil, Creative Director at O&M, Delhi, conceptualized the Incredible India campaign. Earlier Mr. Kant was pivotal to the success of Kerala Tourism’s ‘God’s Own Country’ campaign. Earlier promotion campaigns were left largely to tourism offices with each of them coining their own tag lines right from Spiritual India to Unbelievable India. Clichéd images of India were promoted: Saffron-clad Sadhus, Snake Charmers, Elephant trails, etc. India managed to attract increasing volumes but very little value.

12

India had to be re-positioned as a “Premier Holiday destination for highyielding tourists” and as a destination for the rich, famous, upwardly mobile, up-market travelers. The strategy had to be Aggressive Marketing coupled with an Efficient and Creative Advertising Campaign. It had to appeal to higher end market. Inspiration was found in the phenomenal success of the “God’s Own Country” Campaign for Kerala, largely attributed to Creating Branding, Marketing, and Advertising. Kerala has managed to re-position itself as a Value Destination & not just a Mass Destination. India had to be marketed globally in a unified and consistent manner. While most countries claimed breathtaking locales, the mysticism of the Orient, the draw of the civilization, the call of the wild, etc, India was all that and much more. It is a journey of mind and soul It is a journey of five senses It is a journey of self-discovery It is a journey of self-fulfillment This had to be conveyed to the World. The biggest challenge remained, changing the perception of India in the world. It is difficult to change deep-rooted notions about what India is and what it has on offer.

4.1

After being convinced about the need to re-position India, O&M embarked upon the task of choosing a Campaign Name. Considerable amount of time was invested. Several names were bandied about including

13

Mystical India, Welcome India, Ageless India, etc. The product “INDIA” had to be re-positioned in the Global Tourists’ mind. The Dictionary defines “Incredible” as “Beyond belief or understanding”. The word was chosen since it represents all that is truly India. “Incredible” was chosen to leverage the existing stereotypes about India but in a positive, engaging and sophisticated manner. The branding of India as “Incredible” has been enormously successful since it evokes a sense of mysticism, creativity, & boundlessness and at the same time grounded, seminal and mundane at times. The

in the branding compliments the word “Incredible” and adds a

visual impact of shear wonder, intensity and awe. All aspects of India, be it Economic Progress, Kaleidoscopic culture, Spirituality, Geography, et al are conveyed. The Vermilion (Sindoor) represents the Cultural grounded-ness & timelessness of India. This certainly was Creative Planning at its best where-in all that India has to offer is conveyed by a symbol.

4.2

“Incredible !ndia”- How

the campaign gathered steam It was clear that the Campaign required the best creative brains, hence while deciding on a campaign partner the Ministry of Tourism decided that 80% emphasis will be given to quality and just 20% on cost. Eventually, top notch creative agency Ogilvy & Mather was roped in for the campaign. The Ministry of Tourism and O&M had identified that the “Incredible ! ndia” campaign had to explore all possible media and also innovate with

14

new media to market India. The “Incredible !ndia” campaign explored all available media as well as came up with never-before-tried ways of Marketing India. Leena Nandan's, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism 2005 says that, during the initial years, the campaign focused only on India’s great monuments & images of beautiful locales. It then focused on the promoting Yoga & Ayurveda. Later, it zoomed in on the various fairs and festivals that the country hosts and the grand Plant & Animal Life. The focus now is on Vibrancy and Diversity of India.

4.2.1 The Initiation: Testing the waters In 2002, the “Incredible !ndia” campaign took off on a low note with an outlay of just Rs. 15 Crore. Traditional markets such as the UK, Italy, France and Germany were the first targets. The lack of significant movements in the US market dissuaded the propagation of the campaign there. The campaign was initiated with the primary goal to create a Distinctive Identity for India. Most Markets monitors called it the “Testing-the-water” campaign. The result was the iconic “Incredible !ndia” logo, where the “!” mark used to form the “I” in India was used to great effect across media. The campaign successfully established India as a high-end tourist destination, registering a 16% increase in tourist traffic in the first year itself. During 2003-04, the focus shifted entirely to Spiritual Tourism, which led to a phenomenal increase of 28.8% in tourist traffic and the No.1 ranking in the “Travel+Leisure” Readers Survey. In 2003, Condé Nast Traveller rated India as among the top ten preferred tourist destinations for discerning travelers. “India’s results are very exciting and show the country’s increasing popularity amongst

15

sophisticated travelers. It also reflects very positively on the individuals involved in promoting India as a premium tourist destination.” Sarah Miller, Editor, Condé Nast Traveller, 2003. In January 2004, survey conducted by Lonely Planet in 134 countries to select the world’s favourite destination for individual travellers resulted in India being ranked among the top 5 favorite Trans-national destinations. The respondents were at least Degree Holders and in the age group of 25-34. Lonely Planet opined that this was a very good sign for the Indian Tourism Industry. The 2003/04 campaign won Gold at PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) and the Bombay Ad Club. Most campaigns on Indian Tourism were bowing, scraping & condescending. 2006-07 changed all of this by projecting India as a wry, self-assured, confident, proud & progressive. The print and outdoor executions combined spectacular images with confident tones.

4.2.2 The Turning Point 2007 was a pivotal in the evolution of the “Incredible !ndia” Campaign. India, celebrating 60 years of Independence was the momentous occasion.

4.2.2.1 In March 2007, the “Incredible !ndia” campaign extended to the Internationale Tourismus Bourse (ITB), Berlin. The ITB is the world’s largest travel and tourism show and India participated in the capacity of the only Partner Country.

16

The Campaign transformed Berlin into a giant canvas, covering the city with large billboards, branding on buses & taxis, vibrant graphic art & 3D installations. The new level of sophistication was largely unexpected and the “Incredible !ndia” Campaign at ITB overwhelmed International Trade and Media. Overall area: 150,000 sq. m. No. of exhibitors: 10,923 No. of countries: 180 No. of foreign exhibitors: 7,215 No. of German exhibitors: 3,708 No. of visitors: 177,154 No. of trade visitors: 108,735 Partner country: India India benefited immensely from the status of a Partner Country with a total attendance of 177,154, ITB Press Release dated 12.03.2007. India at ITB was an experience for every participant with the Campaign covering every Point-of-Purchase. Invitation: Over 5,000 Industry Leaders were to participate and to garner their attention was no mean task. The initial invitations cards were followed by an e-mail reminder detailing the program schedule. Various visitor touch points including taxis, hotels, and galleries had over 500,000 program fliers and cards listing the daily program schedule. Arrival: The India experience began right at the airport. Massive billboards, banners and posters with tongue-in-cheek comments, messages and headlines boldly announced the presence of the new confident India at the ITB. Street: Giant hoarding and billboards playfully highlighted the dramatic contrast between Indian and European cultures. Cabs, Taxis, trams and

17

buses were wrapped in campaign-themed skins, giving commuters with almost door-to-door brand awareness. Welcome to the party: For the first time in ITB history, the Partner Country hosted a huge pre-launch party. The India Evening dazzled guests with a kaleidoscope of fashion, culture and fine cuisine, whetting their appetites for the week to come. Art: Installation 1: A souped-up scooter rickshaw was specially flown in to showcase ‘India version 2.0’. Installation 2: ‘Wool Wall’ - Bundles of brightly colored wool stacked in a glass cube provided a vibrant 3D background for the brand. Exhibition: National Geographic staged a special India-themed exhibition at ITB, showcasing some of the country’s best photographers. India Pavilion: It was a week filled with business meetings, presentations, art shows, craft displays, ayurveda demonstrations, astrology sessions, classical dances, folk music, tea-tasting, bangle stalls, henna and a mock wedding. The National Geographic issued a special collector's edition in Deutschland titled 'The Magic of India’ to coincide with the event. Booklets and posters During the ITB emphasized India’s position – and tremendous potential – as the world’s fastest growing democracy. "ITB Berlin is an international media event and the partner country gets enormous coverage worldwide. As a principal destination for business travelers and tourists, India has now established a firm place in world tourism.” Astrid Ehring, Press Officer, Messe Berlin. “ITB Berlin 2007 – the leading international travel industry meet – set new records. There were 15% more trade visitors with an increasingly international dimension. The ITB Convention had 9,000 participants (a 25% increase) and highly topical subject matter.

18

4.2.2.2 India Now was a three-month long campaign designed to showcase India’s accelerating economy and ever-evolving culture. It was organized from July to September 2007 in London and featured events, activities and festivals across the capital dedicated to Indian art, film, food, theatre, music and fashion. As part of the campaign, buses and taxis plying along the main routes in London wore vibrant Incredible India colors and messages. Outdoor panels in 150 bus shelters featured images of India that corresponded to the names of famous London Underground stations, creating a dramatic and amusing contrast. An estimated one million Londoners and visitors to London participated in these events. There was also a 16% jump in inbound tourism from the UK.

4.2.2.3 Cannes Film Festival This special campaign was designed to attract a global film crowd at the International Film Festival at Cannes. Large outdoor posters showed off India’s diverse and picturesque locales - from the golden beaches of Kerala to the Tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh - with cinematographicthemed headlines such as ‘Location for Hire’ in French.

4.2.2.4 India @ 60, New York 2007 The year 2007 not only marked the 60th year of independence for India but also celebrated the arrival of India on the global platform. The Incredible India@60 campaign was launched in New York from 23rd26th September 2007 to coincide with the UN General Assembly session. The combination of the four-day event and the General Assembly created the perfect opportunity to showcase the best of India to world leaders, top international business moguls and the public. Incredible India@60 took

19

India’s extraordinary energy and cultural diversity to the watching world. Billboards at Times square, taxis, buses, bus shelters, TV and radio announced the arrival of a brand new India. With eight ministries, eight overseas partners and 41 events – including four gala dinners, 13 conferences and panel discussions, nine cultural shows, seven receptions and eight ongoing events – it was a grand show that maximized India’s presence and visibility to the world. This complex project was choreographed and made possible by Amitabh Kant and V Sunil, with the support of Ministry of Tourism officials.

4.2.2.5 2007: The Colors of India campaign emphasized India’s diverse cultural spectrum. Featuring breathtaking images and color-based headlines such as Coffee Brown and Red Hot, the campaign was launched globally in 71 leading newspapers and magazines. Using traditional and interactive media - print, outdoor and the internet - India was positioned as a unique and vibrant destination for tourists. This was the second campaign developed by Leena Nandan, Joint Secretary (Tourism) and V Sunil, Executive Creative Director, Wieden+Kennedy Delhi.

4.2.2.6 2008 Motherland: India The India Tourism 2008 campaign was based on the experiences of those who came to visit India as tourists and stayed back to make India their home. It takes a special bond with the country and its people to give up everything you know and set up home, take roots in India. These are the people who’ve truly embraced the culture and assimilated it into their being. As opposed to those who’ve simply being ‘bitten by the India bug’. Staying back is prompted by a decision that will change their lives forever. It is not a mere whim or adventure. It is the

20

commitment of a lifetime. There are several people like this in India and we went through a careful process to select the ones who we felt could be ambassadors to our culture. The creative idea employed a simple device that stated their country of birth, followed by text that said ‘Motherland: India’. After the success of the Pilot phase, the Planning Commission decided to increase the allocation to the campaign to Rs. 165Crore for 2007-08 and Rs.235Crore for 2008-09. Tourists In India 2004 2005 2006 33734 38597 45948 5 7 9 33169 36984 43909 7 4 0 29318 35209 39100 5 4 9 22388 24841 30920 4 6 8 18550 22539 25500 2 4 8 22312 24697 27837 2 0 0 27245 30787 33733 6 0 2 25330 27385 30438 1 6 7 22677 25718 29789 3 4 1 30744 34775 39139 7 7 9 38523 42383 44241 8 7 3 41752 47941 54157 7 1 1

2007 53208 8 49880 6 44418 6 33394 5 26775 8 31010 4 37747 4 36008 9 32589 3 44071 5 51098 7 57514 8

2008 58476 5 56065 8 50992 6 36967 7 29078 5 34452 6

-

Foreign 2003 27421 5 26269 2 21847 3 16094 1 14150 8 17632 4 22535 9 20494 0 19133 9 26056 9 29058 3 31927 1

20730 25

27262 14

34574 77

49771 93

26603 37

Nov

2001 28375 0 26230 6 24896 5 18533 8 15109 8 17671 6 22443 2 19651 7 16232 6 18160 5 20968 5

2002 22815 0 22752 9 22555 8 15537 8 13299 8 14310 0 18643 2 16147 7 15172 1 21219 1 24356 6

Dec

-

Tot al

22827 38

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct

39186 10

21

44471 67

-

For instance, green of massive tea plantations, red of spicy dry chillies, white of the Taj and yellow of the hot vast deserts. So, in this journey we have covered everything from spirituality to wildlife and beautiful landscapes to effervescent people. The campaign is running in several countries, including the UK, USA, ASEAN countries as well as far-east. It is through Incredible India that people in these countries know India as an immensely vibrant and diverse country.

4.2.2.7 Atithi Devo Bhavah Campaign "Atithi Devo Bhavah" was designed in 2005, to compliment the "Incredible India" campaign of the Ministry of Tourism. As Indians are renowned for their warm hospitality, "Atithi Devo Bhavah", (Guest is God) is an appropriate campaign to boost the Indian tourism industry. The main objectives of "Atithi Devo Bhavah" Campaign are as follows: •

Preserving the rich heritage and culture of our country

•

Sensitizing the main stakeholders of the tourism industry towards the tourists, with the help of training and orientation

•

To reinstall the sense of pride and responsibility among the natives of our country towards visitors, so that more number of international tourists preferred India as an ideal destination for holidaying

Seven Components of "Atithi Devo Bhavah" Programme These are the set rules and trainings that would be imparted to stakeholders participating in Atithi Devo Bhavah progamme. 1. Samvedan Sheelta or Sensitization This campaign sensitizes the various stakeholders of the tourism industry about how each of them can contribute in the growth of the Indian tourism industry and how it will benefit them. 2. Prashikshan or Training and Induction

22

This involves the training of the people involved in the tourism industry. Here, the stakeholders are made to realize the needs and expectation of the tourist and how they should respond and behave with the tourists to satisfy their needs. 3. Prerna or Motivation This component is useful in motivating the stakeholders to participate in this campaign through various measures such as awards for the best worker in the segment. The Rewards helps to motivate stakeholder and increase their efficiency to deliver their best. 4. Pramani Karan or Certification Certification to ensure standards shall be done at an appropriate stage in the training program 5. Pratipushti or Feedback This involves getting of feedback from tourists about the various services they have received and the experience they had. It tends to improve the training program on a continual basis and help in remolding of programs, if needed. 6. Samanya Bodh or General Awareness Help from various mass media forms are undertaken to create general awareness among the public about the requirement and the benefits of the Atithi Devo Bhavah programme. 7. Swamitwa or Ownership Swamitwa is one of the programme under Atithi Devo Bhavah that urges all segments of the Indian society to adopt, and look after the culture, heritage and tourists as they take care of their own self. To popularize "Atithi Devo Bhavah" campaign among the grass root level people i.e. the taxi drivers, tourist guides, immigration officers, tourist police and other personnel who interacts with the tourists,

23

Ministry of Tourism has used famous Bollywood star Aamir Khan as the brand ambassador for this campaign. Till date, Aamir khan has done two television commercials, print advertisements and posters for the promotion of this campaign. Film lyricist Prasson Joshi and film director Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra are also aiding Aamir Khan in promoting the rich cultural heritage of India and ways to preserve and enhance it. As Aamir Khan has great impact over the masses, he is an ideal person to reinstill the right attitude inside the citizens of our country and make them implement the true meaning of "Atithi Devo Bhavah". Aamir khan is spreading awareness among the general Indian citizens as well as to the key stakeholders of the tourism industry about the issues related to tourism like •

Hygiene and Cleanliness in the historical monuments, tourist spots, tourist vehicles, hotel rooms, restaurants, shops etc.

•

Conduct and Behavior of the people who interacts with the tourists directly such as taxi drivers, tourist guides, immigration officers, tourist police and other personnel. They should behave in a courteous and polite manner.

•

Integrity and Honesty of the people providing services to the tourists. It will bring confidence among the international tourists about our country.

•

Last but not the least, Safety and Security of the international tourists who visits India to have a nice experience of lifetime that lingers into the memory for entire life.

24

4.3

THE MARKETING STRATEGY – KEY HIGHLIGHTS

4.3.1 ESTABLISHMENT OF BRAND INDIA Incredible India had been envisioned to market India as one of the best tourist destinations, globally. It aimed to project India as an opportunity for physical invigoration, mental rejuvenation, cultural enrichment and spiritual elevation.

4.3.2

USE OF! SYMBOL To convey the mind boggling depth and intensity of the Indian experience. Every aspect of India be it’s over accelerating GDP, extreme geography, kaleidoscopic culture, deep rooted spirituality or photogenic chaos- the simple yet profound exclamation mark sums it all. This concept is also known as Creative Planning wherein a message is created in such a way that it is able to penetrate the barriers and filters of the target audience and leave a memorable impression. The brand focussed on to position India as a destination for the rich and the famous. It was targeted at an upmarket elite traveller something like the rich and famous to allow revenues to flow in. The strategy also included the use of aggressive marketing and an efficient as well as a creative advertising campaign. Prior to the launch, Kerala was the only state which had created a strong brand identity for itself. The brand, 'God's Own Country' was all set for global recognition in a relatively short span of time and Kerala as

25

a destination managed to stand out in a crowded market place, thanks to the creative branding, marketing and advertising. In Leena Nandan's words (joint secretary, Ministry of tourism) "Incredible India has had many facets right from its inception. In the initial years, it boasted of the country’s great monuments and images of beautiful locales. It then focussed on promoting yoga and ayurveda. Then, there was a promotion of various fairs and festivals that the country hosts. We also spoke of the grand wildlife our country has. We showed various hues of India through black and white images and one-liners. This year the focus has been on the vibrancy and diversity of India. We often hear foreign tourist commenting that India is a colourful country. So, we used the inherent colours of India to showcase various tourism products. For instance, green of massive tea plantations, red of spicy dry chillies, white of the Taj and yellow of the hot vast deserts. So, in this journey we have covered everything from spirituality to wildlife and beautiful landscapes to effervescent people. The campaign is running in several countries, including the UK, USA, ASEAN countries as well as far-east. It is through Incredible India that people in these countries know India as an immensely vibrant and diverse country.

4.3.3 Rewards & Recognitions for the campaign •

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) ‘Grand Award’ for marketing in 2007 was awarded to the ‘INCREDIBLE INDIA’ campaign at Bali, Indonesia.

26

•

India also bagged two Gold awards for Cultural Tourism (Aranmula) and marketing brochure (Kumarkom) awarded to Kerala Tourism.

4.3.4

Value Proposition Millions of people around the world choose to spend and implement their vacations in India each year. They take a lot of time to plan their tours and holidays in India. In fact an Indian tour is a tradition in some of these families. But a lot of people choose not to take a tour to India because of the high cost that is associated with these types of trips. While others may not be able to implement Indian holidays due to the fact that everyone has a relatively busy schedule. A family tour to India however does not have to end up being expensive. There are numerous places that a family can go to that do not cost much. Good facilities are offered even in resorts and 3 star hotels in India. A family trip to India is not just about the place that you decide to visit; it is about the quality time that you can enjoy together as a family in Incredible India. A family trip to India brings members together and allows the members of the family to truly enjoy the company of each other. In a time such as today when the world has become a global village, Incredible India aims at giving you a place away from all the rush and devoted to an amazing time spent with the family. Everybody has responsibilities and commitments and there is not much time left to relax and get the proper amount of rest. Children have to attend schools and meet up with the academic

27

aspirations; parents are normally working to meet financial obligations. Hence families must work together to take time off and go for a vacation where they may relax and get the rejuvenation that they need. It is a time for reflections on the year that has ended and to make plans for the coming times. Things that make India a truly incredible destination for family vacations - Leisure holidays are all about having fun and experiencing the colours of India. India, the land of kings and tigers, witnesses record arrival of foreign tourists as well as domestic tourists. It continues to be one of the most popular tourist destinations of the world. Globally famous, India attracts tourists from France, USA, Germany, Britain, Italy, Canada, Japan, Australia, Switzerland and Bangladesh in quite good numbers. Full of a royal splendour and an enduring legacy, India has lots to offer tourists with invincible monuments and elegant palaces that grandly stand to narrate the saga of a bygone era, a rich culture, a glorious past, colourful practices and tradition, majestic monuments and palaces, beautiful forts and temples, historical cities, rustic villages, shimmering sand dunes, exciting desert safaris, camel rides, forest safaris, mountains, lakes, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, and much more.

4.3.5

POSITIONING Essentially, 'Incredible India was a positioning and branding strategy that differentiated India in the global marketplace. It was developed so that all tourism offices, tour operators and organizations promoting India as a destination could market it in a unified and consistent manner. Incredible India was built on a solid

28

research foundation that resulted in a set of descriptors for the personality and values of India and an “essence” that captures the underlying spirit of the country. Therefore, Incredible India captured its unique spirituality, the colours of its landscape and the distinctive character of its people. The strategy was to reposition India as a premium destination for upscale tourists with all communication sharply focused to attract the up market clientele i.e. the early adopters who lead the way to the rest of the markets. Markets are differential and responsive to the views and requirements of upscale tourists, which in turn have a positive impact on the nature of development itself. A brand-line for promoting a destination must cut across key markets, to an extent that even French-speaking people must start accepting the phrase “Incredible India”. It’s not the word alone. It is the creativity behind it, projected through 360-degree marketing. The imagery must connect to the mind of the consumer. Based on a well-researched strategy, a marketing plan was worked and the Incredible India communication strategy fell in place. The positioning of the destination was clear; it was looking at India which was going to appeal to the upper end of the market. This strategy at a small scale had been attempted in Kerala which had moved from a mass to value destination.

4.4

FOCUS ON 2009

29

Year 2009 has been particularly challenging for the tourism sector. Tourism has been deeply impacted due to the global economic crisis and the terror attacks in Mumbai. The Tourism Ministry is taking initiatives to ensure that the growth momentum of the tourism sector since the launch of the Incredible India campaign in 2002 is maintained. Some of the major initiatives undertaken by the tourism ministry include:

4.4.1

Focus India With an aim to provide the necessary stimulus to the travel and tourism sector in these challenging times, the ministry of tourism s decided to extend its Incredible India campaign to the domestic market. All forms of media, TV, print and radio are being used to target the domestic tourists. While some of the initial ads released in India are from the ministry’s international campaign, the ministry is also developing new ads especially adapted for the domestic market. The ministry has set aside a budget of 60 crores for marketing and promotions for domestic tourism. While in the past the ministry has taken several initiatives to promote India as a destination for rural tourism and adventure tourism, it also plans to develop Caravan, Wellness and Heliport tourism. The private sector is also very enthusiastic about these niche tourism products and the ministry is exploring a private public partnership model for this initiative.

4.4.2

Rural Tourism With almost 74 per cent of its population residing in over seven million villages, rural tourism has a lot of potential in India. Building on the tagline “India lives in villages”, tourism ministry

30

has begun a process of developing a strong platform around the concept of rural tourism and has identified around 137 locations in various states of India to attract foreign tourists. One of the features being offered as a part of Rural tourism is home stay, where a tourist can stay like a guest in a house and experience the traditions, heritage and culture of a particular area. Even the ubiquitous “Incredible India” campaign reflects the shift in marketing; one sign in New Delhi’s international airport assures travellers that washing machines might get their clothes clean but don’t make for good photos—the advertisement shows colourful saris drying on steps. A website ‘www.ExploreRuralIndia.org’ has been created for promoting Rural tourism, through which the ministry of tourism and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are focusing on rural tourism as a means to generate employment and promote sustainable livelihoods in India’s villages. The website lays out the rural attractions of 15 locations (21 more will be added in the next six months). The Rural Tourism lays special emphasis on tourists who come on their second or third trip to India. These tourists, already familiar with the major tourist sites, want to dig a little deeper and Rural tourism provides exactly that. Another segment being targeted for Rural tourism includes nationals and foreigners who have a taste for something different and want an interactive experience.

4.4.3

Awareness Abroad The Tourism Industry has undertaken many initiatives to increase the awareness of the Incredible India campaign abroad. The focus has been on highlighting some of India’s legendary tourist

31

attractions and also on showcasing the incentives being offered as a part of ‘Visit India, 2009’ campaign. Some of these initiatives are as follows:

‘Incredible India’ spots The Incredible India spots featured during the telecast of Oscar, Grammy and BAFTA award Functions. Incredible India spots are placed on major pan European channels during renowned world events. The ministry also placed advertisements in the print media to coincide with the World Economic Forum and the G20 summit. The ads will also feature during the popular “Hollywood Bowl” held in Los Angeles in September.

‘Visit India 2009’ campaign in Dubai India Tourism, Dubai branded a high rise building with the Incredible India– Visit India Year 2009 message to attract potential tourists from UAE . This was one of the many initiatives undertaken by India Tourism, Dubai as a run-up to the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in May 2009, as well as to the summer campaign roll out, to make India a destination of choice with the Arab tourists.

Incredible India Bus Wrap, Beijing The Tourism Ministry started the first phase of the Incredible India outdoor advertising campaign in Beijing in March by putting on road the first public bus wrapped in Incredible India images. For a month thereafter, the public bus plied through some of Beijing’s trendiest quarters.

Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention, Miami

32

India Tourism, New York participated in the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami, USA, one of the largest cruise industry events held in March. It offered India an excellent professional platform to showcase its tourism potential. Cruise Tourism is being recognized as a growing segment in the market. India also showcased the developmental initiatives undertaken by the major ports of India as well as the significant policy initiatives of the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways. The Ministry of Tourism’s promotion of cruise tourism was also highlighted at the convention.

4.4.4

Print campaign In Jan 2009, Wieden+ Kennedy India has launched a print campaign targeted at inbound tourist traffic to the country, which will be released in leading luxury travel and lifestyle magazines abroad, primarily North America and UK. The print campaign has been shot by photographer Bharat Sikka. The theme is 'Motherland India' consisting of a series of five print ads. It looks at foreigners who have settled in India after falling in love with the country. It also emphasizes the need identified by the tourism industry to spread the campaign through word of mouth as they plan collate individual case studies that the W+K team unearthed and put them together online to build community. This would be an important stop for information for all those interested in visiting the country.

4.4.5

Social media

33

It is being used to build an online passionate community that would include featuring documentaries of personal testimonials from Indophiles, sharing their experiences in India. The target audience for the print campaign is primarily inbound global tourists. One of those featured includes danseuse Devayani, a Frenchwoman who earlier went by the name of Anna Chaymotty. She visited India on a personal whim and ended up staying back in the country, being fascinated by Bharat Natyam. She has been in India for the last 25 years, practicing extensively as a Bharat Natyam performer. Another woman featured is Julie Martin, who teaches Yoga in Goa, and was earlier working in Hollywood. She had always yearned to come to India and eventually ended up staying back for good.

4.4.6

Resolute India campaign Another campaign launched on Jan 7, 2009 focuses on a resolute India. The media campaign has both print and TV commercials which send out messages of teamwork and unity while promoting various places in the country. According to a report in today’s Times of India (TOI) by Himanshi Dhawan, ‘Global meltdown’ is another theme that MoT used in the campaign as the campaign wanted to strike a note with the people. Another feature in the campaign included a visual of a tiger stating Mahatma Gandhi’s quote, “I want all the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.” One of the ads shows the famous Onam boat with the tagline, “Here everybody moves as one body. Teamwork and unity of purpose reflective of quintessential India."

4.4.7

Tie up with Oscar and Grammy Awards

34

The Incredible India spots would appear during the Oscar, Grammy and BAFTA award Functions on “E! Entertainment Channel”, trying to catch the attention of the world population. While Oscars are the most prestigious Hollywood award functions, the BAFTA or the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a British charity that hosts annual award shows for excellence in film and television. The Grammy awards, given for outstanding work in the music and spoken recording industry, forms a major televised event.

4.4.8

Tie up with Global channels Apart from these major events, Incredible India spots will also be placed on major pan European channels during renowned world events. Such spots will also appear on CNN television, mainly during the “Talk Asia” programme, aimed at attracting the ethnic Asian population. The ministry will also place advertisements in the print media to coincide with the World Economic Forum and the G20 summit. The ads will also feature during the popular “Hollywood Bowl” held in Los Angeles in September. The Hollywood Bowl is a famous modern amphitheatre in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles in California that is used primarily for music performances. It has a seating capacity of 17,376. The Incredible India brand is also set to be featured in all road shows to be held in Moscow and St. Petersburg in September 09.Apart from road shows and television spots, the advertisements will appear in the in-flight magazines of all major international carriers.

4.4.9 VISIT INDIA 2009

35

In an effort to reverse the decline in international tourist arrivals in the country after Mumbai terror attacks, India launched a new tourism promotion campaign to woo foreign visitors, termed as ‘Visit India, 2009’. The new campaign ‘Visit India Year 2009’ was launched at the current International Tourism Exchange in Berlin to present the country as an attractive destination for the holidaymakers. The campaign was a joint initiative by the government and the tourism industry to win back international visitors who had turned away from India due to terrorism and global economic downturn. International tourist arrivals in India continued to grow last year even after the financial crisis began to unfold in some major tourism markets such as the United States and Britain, but the Mumbai attacks dealt a severe blow to foreign tourist travelling to the country. The government has joined hands with leading airlines, hoteliers, holiday resorts and tour operators in this ambitious marketing campaign to bring back foreign tourists by offering them a wide range of incentives and bonuses during the period between April and December, 2009. The airlines participating in the campaign, Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines will offer a “companion free ticket” for every ticket purchased for international and domestic flights. The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has agreed to join this campaign and has given its consent to conduct a series of road shows in 20 cities of different countries that includes Singapore, Malaysia, USA, UK, Japan, Australia, Ireland, Canada and South Korea. The road shows commenced from Melbourne,

36

Australia on 25 February, 2009. Even the member airlines of this scheme are offering door prizes by a lucky draw during these road shows.

5. Challenges for Tourism in 2009 Tourism sector has been badly impacted in 2009 due to the economic crisis and Mumbai terror attacks. India has seen its tourist arrivals drop in recent months for the first time since 2002 when it launched its hugely successful "Incredible India" campaign that enticed millions of well-heeled tourists from around the world to explore the wonders of India. Foreigners appear to have been targeted as the gunmen attacked two luxury hotels, a popular night spot and a Jewish centre in India's financial capital. Since then, countries have issued advisories against travelling to India and popular tourist areas such as Goa have been on alert for more attacks.

6. The Road ahead 6.1 Tourism marketing potential during the Commonwealth Games Delhi will be hosting the Commonwealth Games in October 2010.What makes the CWG so important in sporting events and a coup for Indian tourism segment, is that the Olympic and Commonwealth Games are the second largest sports events held in modern times. Other cities that have hosted the CWG have recorded major spurt in tourism since their chance at this excellent reason for global travellers to come together in a spirit of competition, learning and life experiences while also giving the countries a chance to present a newer, vibrant youth-appeal to their land. According to the estimates the percentage of foreign tourists

37

arrival in the country will increase by 15- 20 percent, as compared to the last year growth of merely six percent which was hurt by the Mumbai attacks.

Steps taken by GOI towards boosting tourist inflow for CWG The Government of India in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Archaeological Survey Of India (ASI) has plans to launch special programme 'Discover India in CWG 2010' and for same must they are supposed to organize road shows in Australia, South Africa, US, Singapore, Canada, Mauritius etc. as tourists arrival in India is expected to be more from these countries. Since the Common Wealth Games are scheduled to be held in the India's capital city – Delhi, the government has come up the new development plans to change the look and feel of the city, for the better. Further the new project have come up to discover new heritage, religious, adventurous tourists sites in the northern states of India bordering Delhi including the Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.

6.2 Incredible India and Malaysia – Truly Asia, the ground realities Malaysian tour operators, who spoke to some visiting Indian journalists, would tend to think that India's glossy tourism promotion campaign is masking some ugly realities after feedback from their clients whom they sent to India in recent years. Most tourists returning from India complain that they have been misled. Often, the complaint is about dirty tourist sites, which are far removed

38

from what is usually depicted in official brochures. A case in point: 'Incredible India' brochures depict crystal clear blue water gushing past the Taj Mahal, the 17th century marble monument in Agra. However as per Mohammed Hashim, who visited India last year along with his family, "All we saw was filthy river (Yamuna) water stagnated behind the monument.” He also recalled being hounded by beggars and aggressive vendors and fleeced by uncouth taxi drivers while visiting Ooty in Tamil Nadu. "We went there to travel by the steam engine-hauled train," Hashim explained. "Why do people travel? They travel to fulfill their dreams and to look for serenity," he said. According to Cindy Lim, director (international promotion division) of Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) the mixing of dreams with reality is fine as long as it’s not disproportionate. A senior executive of a leading travel agency in Kuala Lumpur said Malaysians, who have returned from India, have complained that New Delhi's promotional literature puts a gloss on some ugly ground realities of the country. In the process, the campaign may end up putting off repeat visitors. Though foreign tourist arrivals in India have risen over 17 per cent since the launch of the 'Incredible India' campaign in 2003, travel operators in Kuala Lumpur feel that New Delhi has a difficult task of ensuring tourist loyalty. A market research undertaken by World Tourism Organization, shows that Building and maintaining credibility is fundamental in tourism promotion. The research pointed out how Bahamas was criticized in the international media for using photographs in its advertising that were taken in Hawaii, the Seychelles and Florida. Though all photos for the 'Incredible India' campaign were shot in India, there is a gross misrepresentation of reality.

39

However in Malyasia that was visited by more than 172,000 Indians last year, the feedback was that they were able to see all of what was shown in the 'Malaysia Truly Asia' ad campaign. Since its launch in 1999, Malaysia Truly Asia campaign has helped almost triple tourist inflow into this Southeast Asian country. From 5.5 million tourists visiting the country in 1998, there were over 15.7 million tourists in 2004, a whopping figure for a nation of a little over 22 million. On the other hand, the Indian ad campaign has only helped marginally increase tourist arrival from 2.72 million in 2003 to 3.36 million in 2004. In contrast, foreign tourist inflow in Malaysia had nearly doubled within two years of Malaysia Truly Asia campaign's launch. The Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board is already concentrating on moving forward with the campaign, which would target the repeat visitor, besides the special visitor.It wants to promote nature package and get our visitors to stay back for longer durations India hence, needs to set its house in order before showcasing itself as an incredible destination.

How were the efforts different in Malaysia? After the severe recession in the mid 1980’s the government had given a very high priority to the development of the tourism industry. The seriousness of the government in promoting the tourism industry was manifested by the establishment of the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism in 1987. In 2004, this ministry was restructured into three ministries and one of them is the Ministry of Tourism which was assigned to take care of, coordinating and implementing government policies and strategies pertaining to tourism development. Various tourism-related agencies at the state level were also set up, besides having some promotional activities such as the declaration of Visit

40

Malaysia Year’ (VMY) in the 1990’s, 2000, and 2007, and active participation of the private agencies. As a consequence, total tourist arrivals increased dramatically especially in 1990 and thereafter. In 1990, there are 7.4 million of tourist arrivals compared to 4.8 million tourist arrivals in 1989. However, the following year (1991), due to lack of promotional programme tourist arrivals dropped to 5.8 million. Tourist arrivals continued to escalate to 7.5, 10.2 and 15.7 million in 1995, 2000 and 2004 respectively. In the 1990’s (1991-2000), the annual average growth of tourism was quite high at about 11 per cent.

6.3 Great Barrier Reef by Australia The Best Job in the World campaign, a global search for a “Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef,” with a six-month, AUD $150,000 ($117,986) contract, was launched in January. More than 34,000 applications from almost 200 countries were received with the U.K.’s Ben Southall announced as the Island Caretaker in early May. Southall will begin his six-month contract on July 1 and will spend his time exploring the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef and reporting back on his experiences. The campaign has so far generated more than AUD $200 million ($157 million) in global publicity value for Queensland. Tourism Queensland will launch a global search for four mates to share exploring the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef with Best Job in the World Island Caretaker Ben Southall. The friends will report back to Ben about their experiences with photos, videos and via a guest blog on “www.islandreefjob.com.” Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor said the latest campaign which was dubbed the 'Best Experience in the World' would roll out shortly through www.islandreefjob.com.

41

7. Areas of improvement Unless India makes it to offer quality tourism products and worldclass infrastructure, branding exercise alone can’t turn up returns. In a country like India, tourism is largely a regional phenomenon, while some areas are flourishing with activities; some are unexplored yet even as they have potential. Tourists still gather at the conventional sites of some prominent cities of India like Delhi, Agra, Mumbai, etc. Given the range of diversity; and heritage pool, we could have adopted measures to disburse foreign tourists to each corner of the country. Our land is already a tourists-savvy one. All we need is a strategy involving public and private participation. There is acute shortage of hotels and manpower to deal with escalating number of tourists. Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in many cities is still inadequate. France has little to flaunt in terms of cuisine, geography and culture; and a country six times smaller than India, can attract 20 times number of tourist that India did. India is insecure. The cases of tourist murder are being reported every month, the tragic murder of scarlet recently has added to the woes of foreigners. Foreigners are fleeced everywhere. Many hotspots in India are connected unacceptably. It is high time for India to embark on a mission to develop the unexplored sites across India, connect them properly; increase the number of hotels; provide infrastructure; offer security to foreigners and finally to wake up Indians to work jointly to make our country the best travel getaway of the world. Mere branding efforts wouldn’t work.

42

In the words of Ambika Soni… The ITB is looking at working with various other ministries and state governments to address the problems of rail, road and air connectivity, in important tourist destinations, besides creating additional hotel rooms. The Ministry is keen to have public-private partnership models to create infrastructure. It’s special Large Revenue Generating Scheme could be utilized for this purpose. The Finance Minister had also provided tax incentives for budget category hotels up to four-star in the NCR region. Another significant development in this regard was the B&B scheme according to which a house owner could rent out up to a maximum of five rooms for tourists without having to pay any commercial taxes. It had also been able to get the FM's approval for abatement of service tax up to 75 per cent for tour operators to help them achieve greater competitiveness. Public-private partnerships are most useful modules in creating tourism infrastructure. Private participation is encouraged in the upkeep and preservation of India’s monuments and libraries. Not only the expertise but also the resources are needed. It is for this purpose that the National Cultural Fund has been set up. Members of the corporate sector, industry, private and philanthropy could contribute to this fund and avail full tax incentives for their contributions while helping to preserve India's heritage.

43

8. SURVEY ANALYSIS An online survey was conducted through website http://www.esurveypro.com generating 150 responses from both Indian and foreign nationals.

44

45

46

Individual break-up of each of the above parameters in terms of preference

47

48

Individual break-up of each of the above parameters in terms of preference

49

Individual break-up of each of the above media in terms of preference

50

Individual break-up of each of the above measures in terms of preference

51

Individual break-up of each of the above measures in terms of preference

As per the survey conducted the Incredible !ndia campaign generated moderate awareness and is negligibly effective. It could be judged from the fact that after seeing the campaign only 12% people made their travel plans to or within India. Atithi Devo Bhava campaign was started under the umbrella of Incredible ! ndia campaign by Ministry of Tourism to generate nationwide social awareness among the people of India to preserve the rich cultural heritage of our country. To popularize the campaign at the grass root level, Ministry of Tourism used famous Bollywood star Aamir Khan as the brand ambassador. According to the survey conducted 82% feel that the campaign plays a vital

52

role to boost the tourism sector in India and also the idea of campaign endorsement by a celebrity is well accepted by 69% of the respondents. According to 77% people India still lags behind other countries with respect to tourism. The campaign is advertised on a massive scale employing several strategies to lure tourists to India in the form of sights and scenic beauty, conducting state-wise campaigns, employing background music so on and so forth. The survey results reflect that the catchiest aspect about the campaign among respondents is ‘the sights and the scenes’ which constitutes 49% of the responses. According to the survey the most important factors that attract tourists to India are natural beauty and historical places .India with its diverse culture and unique landscapes is blessed with the Himalayas on one side and the Bay of Bengal on the other side. It also has the rich heritage of forts, palaces and different historical structures which allure the tourists the most. Tourists are least interested in viewing India as a destination for Educational and Scientific opportunities. Whereas the most dissuading factor for the foreign or the domestic tourists are the safety concerns at the tourist spots, poor facilities and services. India is one of the most vulnerable places for terrorism and hence tourists are very afraid of coming to India for vacations. Other than that another important factor is the lack of adequate infrastructure which leads to very poor facilities and services. One interesting aspect was that the least important factor came out to be the presence of tout or the middlemen. Usually they always create a menace and have been a big deterrent for the tourists.

53

Now when it comes to reaching out to the masses the television or the audiovisual medium is the favourite choice for the people garnering a 28% vote. In this era of cyber communication Internet has been a close second with 24% of the votes. The print media, radio and word of mouth, all have got a fair share of the votes though. The most important measure suggested by the voters for the campaign’s improvement is to recruit and employ more competent personnel in the Tourism Industry. However involvement of the Private sector and spread of the Campaign through word of mouth both came a close second with 21% of the voters going for them. India should really focus on the heritage tourism sector as people find it the most important factor to focus on; it got a 27% majority vote. Second comes Eco tourism with 23% and 3rd comes the Adventure Tourism with 21% of the votes. Some of the Special Comments that are worth mentioning are the following: •

“Tourism reflects the culture of a country. India has got wide range of places of varied interests reflecting diversity in culture. All we need to do is consolidate our resources to best possible use. People can bring a difference to this. The attitude should be first that of hospitality and then of filling pockets.”

•

“The campaign looks promising and very interesting. I would suggest displaying the name of the places on screen shown in the commercial so it looks more authentic and gives a cue to the audience on where to begin with, for their tour to India.”

•

“1) Increase awareness about the campaign 2) Along with state based campaigns (eg. Madhya Pradesh, TN etc), more area based ones, as in the case of North East. 3) Advertise the tourism package options. 4) Ensure high Quality of Service to tourists who actually tour, influenced

54

by the campaigns & enhance their experience. 5) Provide tourist package options for different economic segments.” •

“Have to create awareness among rural people because India has rural population more since they do not have much idea of internet some camps to be arranged to give them the enough information. Plastic should be banned in those areas. Preference should be given to "Timely cleanliness".”

•

“Rural tourism has huge potential as that concept is something very unique and viable for India. Also medical tourism, although we are only able to attract very few due to inefficient infrastructure, but has huge potential as study shows it fetches maximum revenue. Another important field to be tapped should be MICE in which US is the leader and China is also a leader in Asia apart from Singapore and Hong Kong. Eco tourism with alternative therapy again has particularly huge potential in India due to exotic locations and therapies like herbal SPA and Yoga. Incredible India running in 11 countries as of now is able to reach a certain level but need more aggressive campaigns in domestic market.”

•

“Promote and spread the true Indian spirit everywhere...its historical monuments, its natural beauty, its multi-cultural values and warmth which is omnipresent in each and every Indian’s heart. Campaign INDIA in a manner that makes us PROUD INDIANS and fills the viewer with an insatiable desire to visit and experience the value of INDIA-the queen of the world.”

•

“It could be more effective if more effective channels of communication are used to promote it. Also just devising a campaign does not end the work of promoting and marketing, it needs to spill over in the ground work too what’s shown has to be followed in practice through various state tourism departments which is generally seen to be lacking in India all the time.”

55

•

“Some system should be there to gauge the penetration of this campaign. Research should be done to identify the loopholes, but above all the government should be actually willing to promote tourism in India leaving behind their selfish political motives.”

9. Recommendations & Analysis 9.1 Domestic Tourism Hari Nair, the founder and CEO of HolidayIQ, India's largest travel and holiday information portal, has given some insights in the field of domestic tourism. As incomes rise, a very large number of Indians will transit to becoming the "consuming middle class" and this consumption will be disproportionate and tilted more towards experience purchases rather than product purchases. Vacation and travel is hence one of the experience purchases that even the domestic consumer is looking at today. Tourism is already very big in India, for instance take into "pilgrimage travel" alone constitutes a significant volume. Domestic tourism in its various segments is still not properly accounted as India has always been preoccupied with inbound westerners. However travel and holiday information is still in its early stages in India as compared to other countries. With increase in travel by Indians, the need for reliable travel information is set to explode and one key platform to exploit this opportunity is to be a "trusted advisor". Online collaborations enable travellers to share views and feedback and this is one area that is becoming a trend as the internet user base in India increases and becomes more broad-based.

56

As Hari observes, 2 emerging trends in the domestic sector are: (I) Growth in short breaks/weekend breaks (as there's less and less time that a person can spend away from work) (II) Growth of the small town traveller (this is growing incrementally on an yoy basis)

So Incredible India should look at a more aggressive campaigning strategy in the domestic market as well in terms of not only exploring new destinations but also creating brand awareness among the growing segment of domestic tourists.

9.2 Building Tourism Friendly Environment to look at Repeat Tourists through exploring PPPs As the numbers show poor facilities and infrastructure are one of the most significant factors that defame India as a tourist destination A survey conducted by Gallup, at the behest of the Ministry of Tourism, in 13 major source markets in October-November 2006 reveals certain important factors. The survey says that the major concerns about India were cleanliness and hygiene, safety and security, transportation, promotional support (it’s more of a concern that travel agents have) and affordability, which is mainly because of the unrealistically high room rates of Indian five-star hotels. Likewise, a Synovate survey for CNN, also reported that though India scored high in cultural terms, it ranked very low on the tourist friendliness score.

57

A brilliant campaign can get jettisoned by the ground reality. (i) The Incredible India story would have been spectacular had the state governments, together with municipal bodies and industry leaders, addressed infrastructure issues. E.g.: Agra is a case study of how state governments botch up great opportunities. The reason why the city of the Taj Mahal hasn't developed as a destination where tourists stay overnight, which explains why its five-star hotels can be counted on fingertips, is its inability to develop any shopping attractions to give tourists a reason to stay on. E.g.: Another city with a great tourism potential, Varanasi, is also a bad example of being tourist unfriendly because of its poor infrastructure and a short supply of quality hotel rooms. Incredible India and the Indian tourism, as Kant points out, is a multisectoral activity that can succeed only if there's healthy interaction between state governments and private stakeholders in developing the infrastructure and backing it up with marketing and promotional activities. (ii) States will have to recognise the employment creation potential of travel and tourism to give their political backing to higher investments in the development of infrastructure in tourist circuits. (iii) Another suggestion is a tie up with corporate for promoting India in terms of MICE in which US is the leader and China is also a leader in Asia apart from Singapore and Hong Kong. Companies have a lot of international level conferences and meetings that take place throughout the year. If the ITB can explore such an opportunity with an MNC, it could be a huge source of stable revenue considering the fact that the delivery meets the expectations. This can further be exploited through

58

Word of mouth publicity in the corporate world for the further strengthening of “Brand India”

9.3 Rural Tourism Building on the tagline “India lives in villages”, tourism ministry has begun a process of developing a strong platform around the concept of rural tourism and has identified around 137 locations in various states of India to attract foreign tourists. (i) There is a need to link the Atithi devo Bhava campaign to rural India because if this is where the potential lies for “repeat tourists”, then they should receive the hospitality that is promised to them in the Incredible India campaign. One of the numerous suggestions that came up in the survey was that “The attitude should be first that of hospitality and then of filling pockets.” (ii) The need to create awareness among rural people is all the more imperative as these people have no access to information through internet. The Government can look into organizing camps and workshops to give them enough information. The negligible awareness of the Campaign in Vernacular Newspapers drastically affects the Campaign success in Semi-Urban & rural areas. Hence, the campaign has to spread itself to these parts of India to ensure that the tourists are appropriately taken care of (iii) Tourism in itself is a huge revenue generator and the rural people need to be informed about the benefits their villages can get through the inflow of tourists. Another aspect that the Government can look at is a tie up with a corporate like ITC which has e-choupals reaching out to

59

lakhs of villagers in the country. Awareness campaigns and spread of information can be aided through such partnerships.

9.4 Medical Tourism According to a study by McKinsey and the Confederation of Indian Industry, medical tourism in India could become a $1 billion business by 2012. Dr Devi Shetty, the icon of healthcare in India mentioned that the total number of heart operations in all the hospitals in Singapore is lesser than the number at just the various Narayana Hrudayalayas in Bangalore and Kolkata. 30% of our patients there are foreigners. There are very few hospitals in the world, which can operate on new born babies, operate for complex heart problems like reconstructive operation, and provide homograph lab or valve replacement. The bypass surgery is a common operation, but the Narayana Hrudayalayas have different surgeons for different specialities. Such institutions that provide an entire spectrum of services are not available in other countries, so there is an inflow of medical tourists. The Indian Government should look at replicating such models in other cities across India not only in the field of cardiac care but other niche biological segments as well. Another aspect to look at is getting uniform accreditation among all hospitals so that foreign patients can go to their choice of hospitals. Accreditation like the Joint Commission International rating–the gold standard for healthcare means a lot as it indicates that you are no lesser than other JCI rated hospitals anywhere in the world.

9.5 Eco tourism

60

Ecotourism is part of the general growth in tourism and reflects increased environmental awareness and the desire for more authentic natural and cultural experiences. India is a land of varied geography and offers several tourist destinations that not just de-stress but also rejuvenate people. Places like the Himalayan Region, Kerala, the northeast India, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and the Lakshdweep islands are some of the places where one can enjoy the true joy of the wealth of Mother Nature. Thenmala in Kerala is the first planned ecotourism destination in India created to cater to the Eco-tourists and nature lovers. With abundant sources of flora and fauna, 80 national parks and 441 sanctuaries for the protection and conservation of wildlife resources, India has a tremendous potential not only to attract special tourists but also look at repeat tourists. However, awareness is something that is lacking in this sector also. E.g.: Two Sikkim tourism officials represented India in the World Ecotourism Conference (WEC 2009), which was held at Vientiane, Capital of the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic from July 15 to 17. The Conference also allowed showcasing of Sikkim’s ecotourism products and tourism potential to the participants of the conference. Most delegates evinced keen interest in Sikkim due to its exotic and mysterious appeal and many were eager to visit the place, the release further said. (i)

Much can be done to market Sikkim and North East India to the ASEAN region as there is great similarity in natural, religious and cultural backgrounds between the two regions. In the ASEAN countries there is a lot of private and foreign

61

participation in ecotourism ventures and activities supported by a very strong Government policy and funding by UN and other international agencies. This is a model India can look at not only for the North east region but also for other unexplored states like Uttarakhand. (ii)

The symbiotic relationship between ecotourism and biodiversity conservation – especially in the light of 2010 being declared the International Year of Biodiversity needs to be looked at in promoting such places as a part of Incredible India.

(iii)

Sustainability also needs to be looked at through:-

-

The help of local community

-

Providing a link between local business and tourism and enable local people gain economically as well.

-

Training and education programmes should be instituted.

9.6 Adventure tourism According to PHD chamber of commerce and industry, adventure tourism in India has immense potential and can become the biggest foreign exchange earner in the coming decade. The revenues generated in the sector, presently around US $91 million, is expected to reach 20$ billion by 2010. States like Himachal pradesh, Uttranchal, Jammu and Kashmir and even Karnataka are positioning themselves as adventure tourism destination. (i) Change in the target audience - As there has been a boost in the number of domestic tourists opting for Adventure based holidays, Incredible India needs to relook at its target audience. It was initially aimed at high end customers in their middle age; however the trends

62

now indicate a move towards adventure; hence the market strategy needs to change accordingly so that India appeals to a relatively younger population as well. (ii) Creating awareness in domestic markets - Adventure tourism finds a lot of takers in the domestic segment as well and hence the need to attract Indian travellers through campaigns can lead to a lot of revenue generation. (iii) Sustainability – With adventure tourism come a lot of employment opportunities for the local population in these areas such as guides and equipment selling stores. The more this concept is propagated and exploited, the better it is economically for both the Government and the other stakeholders.

9.7 Promotional advertisements The promotional ads create a tremendous impact.

An interesting suggestion that came up in the survey as far as advertisements were concerned was to display the name of the places on screen shown in the commercial so it looks more authentic and gives a cue to the audience on where to begin with, for their tour to India.

63

9.8 Feedback system As discussed earlier, a major flaw in the entire campaign that also comes out in comparison to that of Malaysia’s campaign is the lack of a proper feedback channel. Tourists coming to India have no way of voicing their concerns to the concerned authorities. The survey results are coherent with this finding as the people actually say that Just devising a campaign does not end the work of promoting and marketing, it needs to spill over in the ground work too .What’s shown has to be followed in practice through various state tourism departments which is generally seen to be lacking in India all the time. This can only happen once the cycle is complete form the consumers end and the ITB actually works upon the suggestions given by the tourists. With the use of online portals and social media marketing, obtaining feedback should not be that difficult a task. As in the case of any model, to make the campaign sustainable, the ministry has to look at completing the circle by implementing what is promised.

9.9 Customized tourist packages Currently visitors have an option of choosing from many offered travel

64

plans. However, potential tourists can't customize their travel routes. The website/ tourist offices need to be equipped with systems in place so that the tourists can "Customize" the travel tour for themselves hence ensuring adequate time for planning. Since India is not short on High-end, inexpensive hotels, lodges & guest rooms, it is quite possible to enable the Traveller to customize the travel plan and be provided with all possible options of stay and travel. This will also enable the Travel agencies to build on a suitable itinerary to ensure tourists' safety as well

65

10. REFERENCES •

http://www.campaignindia.in/news/w_k_s_incredible_india_campaign_put s_spotlight_on_die_hard_indophiles

•

http://incredibleindiacampaign.com/campaign2007.html

•

http://incredibleindiacampaign.com/indianow.html

•

http://www.franchise-incredibleindia.com/Promotion-tools.html

•

http://incredibleindiacampaign.com/campaign2008.html

•

http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15710929

•

http://www.incredibleindia.org/newsite/atithidevobhava.htm

•

http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=360419

•

http://hr-hr.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=74959608069

•

http://www.lbhat.com/advertising/incredible-indias-incredibleadvertising-journey/

•

http://www.articlesbase.com/exotic-locations-articles/incredible-indiasinroad-into-world-tourism-map-435127.html

•

http://www.expresstravelworld.com/200712/market09.shtml

•

http://www.livemint.com/2007/11/29183925/Airtel-Golf-Festival-as-parto.html

•

http://www.pib.nic.in/release/rel_print_page.asp?relid=29373

•

http://www.blonnet.com/catalyst/2007/04/26/stories/200704260017040 0.htm

•

http://www.indiatravelinsights.org/hari_nair.html

•

http://www.tq.com.au/news-room/corporate-media/mediareleases/index.cfm?

66

col2Includes=infopieces.dsp_story_full&obj_uuid=128DC374-9EBED325-CA6A-5802D85003FA&appendPageTitle=WANTED%20-%20'Best %20mates%20in%20the%20World' •

http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=57440

•

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_hinderances_in_development_of_to urism_in_India

•

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index? qid=20061223051149AABslmf

•

http://www.recoverdiscover.com/

•

http://www.123eng.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=14598

•

http://m08.cgpublisher.com/proposals/247/index_htmls

•

http://www.bharatbook.com/Market-Research-Reports/Asian-MedicalTourism-Analysis-2008-2012.html

•

http://www.bharatbook.com/Market-Research-Reports/Booming-MedicalTourism-in-India.html

•

http://www.domain-b.com/industry/Tourism/20090129_aamir_khan.html

•

http://blog.taragana.com/n/india-singapore-sign-joint-action-plan-ontourism-cooperation-129876/

•

http://blog.taragana.com/n/india-still-gets-fewer-tourists-than-singapore104470/

•

http://www.expresstravelworld.com/20090315/market01.shtml

•

http://blog.taragana.com/n/iit-delhi-to-hone-marketing-skills-at-tourismministry-128685/

•

http://blog.taragana.com/n/tourism-ministry-holding-roadshows-abroad128723/

•

http://www.allbusiness.com/services/business-services/4343496-1.html

67