New markets for inbound

Ravi Gosain, Managing Director, Erco Travels, believes that the Tourism Ministry needs to focus on promoting India in the emerging source markets to boost inbound tourism.

TT BUREAU

Reporting stupendous growth in the year 2017 compared to the previous 2-3 years, Erco Travels is expecting a fair rise in inbound business in 2018. Last year, Erco Travels added South Africa to the inbound business division where it appointed a local representative to conduct marketing and PR activities for India. “Inbound is a difficult business because there are more players in the industry than the number of tourists visiting India on an organised trip. Thus, to sustain and remain in business, we have to be different and our approach should be original,” says Gosain.

Talking about challenges plaguing the inbound tourism industry in India, Gosain asserts that direct connectivity to some new emerging source markets remains a challenge. He adds, “There are regular promotions for India in our important source markets which is essential, but the focus should be to reach out to new markets and conduct intensive research for systematic growth. In my view, every market has a potential to generate business. How ever, we need to educate local tour operators, journalists and opinion makers. The expenses which the Ministry of Tourism incurs today in these new markets can be a good investment for our country in the future. Indian embassies in the emerging source markets can be roped in to market tourism to India.”

Inbound is a difficult business because there are more players in the industry than the number of tourists visiting India on an organised trip. We have to be different and our approach should be original

Gosain points out that ITB Berlin is an important platform for the company. “It offers us a networking platform and some serious business opportunities with our counterparts from across the globe. We have high expectations from ITB Berlin but I feel the show organisers should work hard to bring decision makers and quality buyers for the better future of ITB and its participants. ITB still holds its reputation for serious business meetings and I hope it remains like that because other small travel trade exhibitions in Europe are fading away due to less interest from buyers or useful customers,” Gosain concludes.