Jamaica, Korea and Germany are among the latest to set up shop in India to woo the outbound tourist. | |
| The list of countries wooing the growing tribe of Indians travelling overseas "" projected at 8 million this year "" is expanding fast. |
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| What is more interesting though is the diversity of countries which have taken to tourism promotion in India "" from Egypt to Korea to Germany to Kenya, the latest on the list being Jamaica. |
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| With the ICC Cricket World Cup slated in the Caribbean island country in 2007, the timing for entry into this cricket-crazy nation seems apt. |
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| That is not the real reason for their entry though, informs Rajeev Nangia, assistant director at Trac Representation, which represents Jamaica in India. |
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| "India's status as a growing outbound destination was the main driver for Jamaica," he says. And they are not looking for your penny-pinching backpacker to travel to Kingston or Montego Bay. The marketing effort is aimed at "only the high-end well-heeled travellers in India." |
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| Germany opened its representative office in Delhi in March 2006 "" dubbed the German National Tourist Office (GNTO) "" just a few months before the FIFA World Cup in Germany, which helped them to increase awareness about the destination in India. |
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| Historically a business and tradefair destination for Indians, Germany is now targetting all segment of travellers from India. In addition, cities like Munich and Berlin are carrying out city-specific promotions through their offices here. |
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| Closer home, Korea has been trying to entice the high-end traveller by pitching itself as the "gateway to the countries in the east". |
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| It has invited Bollywood too, to ensure that there is a significant addition to the 58,000 Indians who travelled to Korea last year. |
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| A little more than half that number "" 32,000 actually "" travelled from Gujarat, Bangalore, Hyderabad and the usual Delhi and Mumbai, to Kenya. |
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| The East African country, which relied on roadshows earlier to appeal to the nature and wildlife enthusiasts, has now established a permanent presence in India. |
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| Holland set up a representative office in India with Buzz Travel Marketing a year back. Sanjeet, the India representative for Holland, says one of the main reasons for interest in India is the fact that Indians, surprisingly, are one of the highest spenders in the world. |
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| "We want Indians to drive into the destination, stay for 2/3 nights and move to other Schengen countries," he says. |
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| The buzz is that Poland will be the next to set up an office here, having already done the groundwork through Bollywood "" the hit movie Fanaa was partly shot there! |
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