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Disney World woos Indian tourists with sops

Ashwini Phadnis

NEW DELHI, Feb. 25

Promoters of the Orlando-based Walt Disney World are making an all-out effort to attract more Indian tourists and ensure they spend more time there. This is in the wake of amusement resort becoming a favoured destination among Indian travellers.

``At present, an average Indian tourist stays for between three-five nights. We feel there is potential for them to stay between five-seven nights if they know what the resort has to offer,'' Mr. Shane Hunt, General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Walt Dis ney Company Asia Pacific region, said.

Besides, to promote the tourist attraction, the Group has started selling three-five day passes in India, which are not sold in the US. ``These passes are cheaper to purchase in India than what a similar offer will cost in the US,'' Mr. Wing-Hoe Tan, Sal es Manager, said.

Meanwhile, the resort is also looking at prospects of providing Indian cuisine for visitors. ``We may either provide meals catering to specific requirements of the people from India, think of opening an Indian cuisine restaurant or even look at having an Indian restaurant from the area to serve the tourist,'' Mr. Hunt said.

The resort is looking at the possibility of the tourist attraction being used as a backdrop for the Indian film industry to shoot its movies. ``We will love it if the Indian film industry is able to use the attraction as a backdrop for their movies,'' Mr . Hunt said.

Officials said more details of what the tourist attraction has to offer can be got on its Web site, (www.disneyworld.com).

The Indian market sent about 25,000 visitors last year and is one of the fastest growing markets in the world for us, recording a growth of about 30 per cent a year.

Officials said they were accelerating their marketing efforts in India so that the people going to Florida have prior knowledge of what the tourist attraction has to offer and can plan their stay in Orlando.

What's on offer

A Purchase of day passes in India

A Indian restaurants

A Film shooting invitation