The Hindu Business Line : `Incredible India' unveiled to the world

THE Department of Tourism has rolled out an integrated campaign for positioning India as the "safe tourism destination of choice for discerning travellers."

Mr Amitabh Kant, Joint Secretary (Tourism), Government of India, said the campaign (electronic, print and Internet) seeks to establish the branding `Incredible India', and is aimed at acquainting domestic and international travellers with the many unique of experiences that the country offers.

The global electronic media campaign, spearheaded by TV commercials on international beams on BBC, Discovery, Travel Channel and CNN, showcases facets of India's rich cultural heritage and geographical diversity. The focus is on the Himalayas, deserts, wildlife, body, mind and soul and heritage.

Response to the campaign has generally been positive, especially in middle, upper-middle and upper income parts of Hong Kong and Kowloon, where unaided recall was 9 per cent. In Australia, the electronic campaign has received enthusiastic response, including from wholesale and travel agents. On the Internet, the Department of Tourism has unfurled the campaign (Incredible India) on MSN, Yahoo, CNN, Wallstreetjournal, Nasdaq, Discovery, Washington Post, Google, Travelocity, Indiatimes, Rediff and more. As a result, the page views and hits to the Web site (www.tourismofindia.com) have recorded an increase of approx. 80 per cent, Mr Kant said.

``We are running multiple contests on the site and some more contests are in the pipeline. The Incredible India contest on MSN, offering a free Rajasthan holiday for two as prize, has attracted over 17,000 entries in less than 15 days. We are about to launch contests providing free (air travel, accommodation and site seeing) trip to Chattisgarh and Gujarat soon,'' Mr Kant said.

The National Geographic Traveler, in a special issue, has featured Taj Mahal in `The World of Pictures - 24 Places You'll Love'. Mr Kant quoted the author, Macduff Everton, as saying that "some places surpass your expectations." The Taj, among the most photographed structures on Earth, "surprises me each time I see it," Mr Everton said.

Determined to create a surprising image of his own, the author boldly cropped out the most striking features of the 17th-century mausoleum - its domes. Yet the majesty remains. "This is a view most people haven't seen," he says, "but you still know it's the Taj Mahal." (Clues include the minarets at either side and, in the distance, a domed mosque.) Mr Everton shot the picture in winter, when fog often rolls in off the adjacent Yamuna river, enveloping the site.

National Geographic in French, Special Issue, has also covered India extensively. Tatler magazine, March 2003, covers the country's Royal Palaces in `Take me to Nirvana". The article says, "There are two schools of thought about India: the besotted and the bottom liners. The former consists of raffish romantics while the bottom-liner's picture of India is framed by a porcelain lavatory bowl."

Vogue, March 2003, features the `Jewel of India'. Lufthansa has run a cover story on the country. The Taj Mahal, Humayun's Tomb and Fatehpur Sikri are all covered as examples of the Mughal legacy in India, where the emperors' architecture was rich in sensuality and elegance.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication

Stories in this Section
Award for ISB team

Ensuring equity across generations

ASCI to report on environment

Duty-free access to Bangladesh on 39 tariff lines

GAIL plans to invest Rs 20,000 cr for grid

High import duty hurting plastics sector: CII study

Kerala puts off VAT

Industry flays Kochi tax on luxury items

With VAT ticking, fears lurk in deep recess

`Cut in CST only after Finance Bill passage'

Bengal trade body to support bandh against VAT regime