India has found itself unique brand ambassadors. A group of foreigners — from Australia to Belgium — are promoting travel to India. The group primarily comprises impressed holiday makers who want to spread the word. It also includes some who have worked for Indian companies overseas and want to sell India as a travel destination.

“I came here in 2009 and thought that this is a country that should be experienced by other Australians,” said Ms Victoria Gibson, promoter of Boutique India Travel, a travel portal that she launched last July to introduce Australians to the country. Since then Ms Gibson has had 25 bookings from Australians.

In Belgium, it was the opportunity to represent Jet Airways that convinced Mr Michel Van Caster that the future for tourism was in India. After quitting his job with Jet, Mr Caster joined a travel company which allows him to market India not only as a tourist destination but also as an ‘incentive' destination, ie, for tour packages a company awards an employee.

While Ms Gibson and Mr Caster are recent converts to the India story, Mr Heinz-Gunther Milz, Managing Director, Columbus Tours and Events, continues his quarter of a century-long passion for the country. Mr Milz discovered the sub-continent as Air India's Sales Manager in Germany in the early seventies. “We are now building an online portal for people wanting to visit the country. The Indian market is now becoming more popular with Europeans,” he said.

These brand ambassadors may not be a match for the more established India-centric travel agencies, but they are adding to the in-bound numbers, said to be over five million annually.

And going by a leading travel expo, ITB Berlin's offer to have one more hall for participants keen to market India as a destination to European travellers, the situation can only get better for the domestic tourism industry.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW