The industry stakeholders at the IATO Convention unanimously agreed that with enhanced global visibility and consumer-focused campaigns, India can better position itself as an attractive destination for international tourists.
Despite India’s rich array of tourism options and its renowned hospitality, its global tourism ranking does not fully showcase its potential. As the country seeks to capitalize on its diverse tourism assets, it faces important questions about how effectively it can utilize its current tourism capacity and address the challenges hindering its growth.
The panel discussion, “Revitalizing India’s Inbound Tourism: Marketing and Promotion Strategies,” held at the IATO Convention in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, sought to address these questions. The session focused on developing effective marketing and promotional strategies to attract international visitors.
The session featured panelists Aashish Gupta, Consulting CEO-FAITH; Delna Jasoomoney, Vice President-Travel Industry Sales at IHCL; Ravi Gosain, Director-Erco Travels Pvt. Ltd; Nitin Sachdeva, CEO-Venture Marketing Strategy & Planning-MRM; and Vishal Bhatia, Country Manager-VisitBritain who explored strategies to enhance India’s appeal as a travel destination and address current challenges. The discussion underscored the necessity of an appropriate marketing approach to attract more international tourists.
Gupta opened the discussion with a critical assessment of India’s tourism performance. Despite a promising increase in international airline seat capacity and growth in outbound tourism, inbound numbers remain slow. Gupta noted, “Pre-COVID, our inbound tourism was about 13% below 2019 levels, despite a 20% increase in seat capacity.” This gap underscores the disconnect between potential and actual tourist arrivals.
Gosain stressed the importance of effective marketing, arguing that “Marketing is a continuous process.” He criticized the lack of global visibility for India and suggested that “India needs to be showcased as a tourism product with good infrastructure and safety.” He linked the current slowdown in tourist numbers to inadequate marketing efforts and a lack of demand generation.
Sachdeva emphasized the role of consumer-focused campaigns in creating demand, stating, “The government’s role should be to generate demand through consumer-focused campaigns. Once demand is established, B2B efforts can be more effective.” He advocated for leveraging public-private partnerships to optimize marketing budgets and target specific market segments more effectively.
Talking about the issues of accessibility and affordability, Gupta highlighted the difference between the line of effective marketing strategies used by global brands like Coca-Cola and the tourism sector. He argued that similar to Coca-Cola’s focus on affordability, accessibility, and availability, India must also position itself as an attractive, accessible destination. Gosain countered, “Affordability doesn’t always translate to increased tourism. We must focus on the value provided rather than just lowering prices.”
Jasoomoney gave a detailed perspective, stating that India offers some of the best hospitality and products in the world. With the current strength of the rupee, India has actually become more affordable compared to many Western destinations. She emphasized that India’s diverse offerings could cater to a wide range of travelers, not just high-end tourists.
Bhatia emphasized the need for efficient use of available funds and targeting high-return segments. He proposed, “Efficient use of available funds is crucial” and suggested leveraging segments that can yield the highest return. He also added, “With constrained budgets, it’s important to focus on segments that can yield the highest return,” and further stressed the importance of collaboration across the tourism industry to enhance marketing effectiveness.
The panelists agreed that a shift towards micro-marketing and targeted strategies is essential. Jasoomoney highlighted the importance of focusing on different consumer segments, such as Millennials and Gen Z, who prioritize travel. She noted, “Gen Z allocates around 29% of their income to travel, and this demographic should be a key focus.”
Sachdeva emphasized the need for consumer marketing, stating, “The government’s role should be to generate demand through consumer-focused campaigns. Once demand is established, B2B efforts can be more effective.” He suggested leveraging public-private partnerships to optimize marketing budgets and target specific market segments more effectively.
Bhatia addressed the challenge of limited marketing budgets, proposing that efficient use of available funds is crucial. “With constrained budgets, it’s important to focus on segments that can yield the highest return,” he said. Bhatia emphasized the need for collaboration across the tourism industry to maximize the impact of marketing campaigns.
Gupta also raised the issue of converting India’s existing global brand share into actual tourist arrivals. He referred to the successful global marketing campaigns like the Reliance Wedding, suggesting that similar strategies could be used to promote India. To which Sachdeva agreed, proposing that private sector players could capitalize on high-profile events and existing global brand recognition to attract tourists.
Jasoomoney highlighted the power of social media, advocating for the use of customer-generated content to promote destinations. She noted, “Encouraging travelers to share their experiences on social media can be a highly effective form of marketing.”
The panelists stressed the importance of strengthening digital marketing efforts, including improving SEO and boosting social media engagement. Developing customized travel packages to cater to diverse preferences was highlighted as crucial. Additionally, they underscored the need for improved infrastructure, such as better transportation and accommodations, to enhance the travel experience. Collaborating with travel influencers and bloggers to create authentic content about India and involving local communities in tourism initiatives were also key strategies discussed.
Concluding the talk, Gupta highlighted the need to focus on key events and support inbound tourism by getting the right narrative. He called for a public-private partnership approach, urging all stakeholders to work collaboratively with central and state governments.
