ASEAN can do better in India

The tourism industry in ASEAN recognizes  the potential of India?s expanding urban middle class, but there are issues to overcome to tap the this lucrative outbound segment. Study reveal the need to tackle pesky issues of visas, food choices and prejudices if the ASEAN travel industry is to expand its makers share. Indian travel agents  also need to introduce new products and experiences beyond trips to ASEAN?s gateway cities focusing on shopping and nightlife.

These were some of the realities spelt out by associate professor at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, Dr Sanjay Nadkami, who is based in Dubai. In a recent presentation entitled ?Growth Drivers and Challenges for India Outbound Tourism to ASEAN, ? he told tourism leaders and student at Bangkok?s college of Innovation, Thammasat University, that ASEAN?s tourism destinations needed to create new products and sell them convincingly to Indian travel agent and adapt to Indian consumer preferences.

?Many India travelers to ASEAN are first timers. They are very dependent  on travel agency?s advice. ? When Indian travel agent say,? I?ve been there ? it reassures the Indian travelers, said Dr Nadkarni.
?However, many Indian travel agent only sell a limited selection of packages to ASEAN member countries. They are popular and profitable.  Demand is high. So why change? ?. On the inbound handling side, Bangkok based Khiri Asia?s CEO, Ashok Kapur said:?We are trying our best with travel agents to sell more than Bangkok and Pattaya.? The company specializes in ground handling in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam serving India travel agencies. ?We are promoting Chiang Mai and Cambodia, which have great hotels, entertainment and deep India cultural roots. But it is quite difficult. Over 90% just want Bangkok plus Pattaya or Phuker, ? he said.

Dr Nadkarni suggested travel agencies tap India?s second tier cities such as Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Ahmadabad and Amritsar. Cities with an affluent IT sector such as Bangalore and Hyderabad also have major potential for ASEAN destinations. The elusive single ASEAN visa for Indian tourist would drive growth encourage more multi destination holidays in ASEAN, but it is unlikely to materialize in the near future, said the college?s director of service innovation programmed, Walter Jamieson. ?However, we are seeing step towards joint visas for twin destinations that India often visit such as Singapore and Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia he observed. ? Dr Nadkarni noted  that the number of India tourist taking more than one leisure trip a year was increasing at 16% annually, with the number of Indian talking three or more leisure trip at a rate of about 200%.

He noted that Indian where high spenders on shopping, prefer luxurious hotels properties and loved to tell their social peers their had been to exotic location such as Bali where a six day holiday with flight could cost lees than  a domestic holiday to  Goa or Kerala. Dr Nadkarni warned that the availability of an Indian chef could be a deciding factor when Indians books a group or MICE holiday.

Many Indian are vegetarian for religious o health reasons. ASEAN destinations need to be aware that group from North India will expect a deferent kind of Indian cousin from group from South India.
They also tend to be more resilient, continuing to travel to destination that are  under the hammer of negative travel advisories.?Indians tend to ignore travel advisories and will travel anyway. They have an innate sense of defiance, ? he told delegates.       

 

Sourced=TRweekly