TravTalk India Online Magazine
Joseph Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer, IndiJo – the India representative for Visit Utah – discusses why Utah will appeal to the Indian traveller and what’s in store for the travel trade. Among the many opportunities in this western USA state are its remarkable natural beauty and film shooting sites.
Hazel Jain
On behalf of the Utah-office of Tourism, IndiJo recently conducted a destination webinar which saw more than 500 attendees. This, feels Joseph Fernandes, is very good given that Utah is still a relatively new (but extremely exciting) destination for the Indian travel trade. While Utah-office of Tourism has undertaken a few activities in India over the last few years. Utah is one of the most popular tourism destinations in the USA. In fact, it is the first US state to receive the highest rating, and has been recognised for the high quality of service, the beauty of its world-class landscapes, and the concentration of three Michelin star national parks. However, its awareness is relatively low in India. “So as we continue to build the awareness of Utah in India, the focus is to position it as a unique destination that offers a plethora of outdoor attractions with wide open spaces (which is perfect in these times), like national and state parks. Utah offers a range of activities for the entire family, from hiking and skiing to amazing social media-worthy sites, given that many Hollywood movies have been filmed in Utah. Self-drive road trips are growing in popularity in India – Utah is often considered among the top road trip destinations in the world. We are working with key US DMCs as well as suppliers to help in our efforts to support the Indian travel trade in developing Utah products and tours that will resonate with the Indian traveller,” Fernandes adds.
Tade engagement
The Indian travel trade is especially important in the promotion of any destination, more so a long-haul destination like Utah.
“That is why our promotions have been mainly focused on building the awareness of Utah amongst the Indian travel trade. This included participating in roadshows, organising networking events, webinars, etc. We will continue our trade engagement activities with destination trainings, etc., but will further support the trade by providing tools, connections and enhancing their capabilities to promote and sell Utah. We also plan to drive consumer demand through co-op promotions with select trade partners,” he adds.
The response from the trade has been excellent so far. “Numerous operators have reached out to us looking to incorporate Utah in their USA packages. Questions on self-drive, dinosaur trails, geologic wonders, stargazing tours, national parks and small towns are some that we received. We have also received queries about ski resorts in Utah, as Utah is known and scientifically proven to have the ‘greatest snow on earth’, and hence has several world-class ski resorts. However, the most common question is about the DMCs that can support with Utah tours. We have been actively engaging the key US DMCs who offer excellent tours in Utah that cater to the Indian traveller,” Fernandes says.
Getting to Utah
Utah is easily accessible from key US cities like Las Vegas. Its capital city, Salt Lake City, recently expanded its airport, which was one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the USA at a cost of US$4.1 bn. The new Salt Lake City airport promises incredible views, technology, efficiency, local art, and a variety of local shops and restaurants. It also offers best practices in sanitation, making it the newest gateway to western USA.
