India Assures Safety and Security to Tourists

Incredible India presentation at Montevideo, Uruguay. The persons in the picture are Bidisha Sengupta, Kalyan Sengupta, Minister of Tourism, Uruguya, Honarary Consul General of India, Uruguay.

Bidisha Sengupta along with Leticia from Leveltur, Argentina & Indian Dance performers at India Tourism booth at FIT (Feria Internacional de turismo de America Latina) held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Kalyan sengupta, Assistant Director, India tourism, joined his post in New york two years ago. A quite and unassuming man, he has tirelessly promoted India as a tourism destination in the us since he arrived here from Delhi where he had been posted earlier. in the following interview to NRI Today, mr. sengupta, who joined the ministry of tourism 25 years ago, spoke about the challenges he has faced in the course of his work here and the future of tourism in India.

My term in usA was one of the most exciting & challenging one. usA is the largest source market for tourists for India. thus working in usA has always been a challenge. During my tenure at India tourism, New york, the first ever mega Event in North America – a series of events to showcase India in various parts of New york was staged over a period of three days; then a big delegation of tour operators from India came and a series of road shows with major buyers and the local media was arranged. Besides, there were many other events arranged in the usA and south America. .

The us market is one of the most challenging one. American travelers are very much value conscious. thus we are required to deliver what we promise. As India has so much of variety there are products for every type of tourists. thus it is not difficult to satisfy American tourists.

India’s culture is a unique blend of old and new, tradition and technology. A trip to India offers a delightful glimpse into its exotic culture shaped by religion, history, and artistry. From temples to forts and mausoleums, India offers a plethora of architectural attractions – the incomparable taj mahal, rightfully described by Nobel Laureate poet rabindranath tagore as “a teardrop on the cheek of time;” the well preserved pink sandstone Agra Fort; Fatehpur sikri, a monument to Indian structural design; the erotic sculptures of Khajuraho; the breathtaking craftsmanship of the magnificent Ellora and Buddhist & Jain paintings in Ajanta carved into a mountainside in maharashtra between 600 and 1000 AD, just to name a few.

An "Incredible India" branded bus in Times Square, New York

For nature lovers, we have our rich and diverse wildlife preserved in the 80 national parks, 441 sanctuaries and 23 tiger reserves. For Wildlife enthusiasts, India is the perfect place to see wild animals in their natural habitat. the tea gardens of Darjeeling and the mughal gardens in Kashmir are some of the finest in the country, with beautiful native flowers, various lush trees bordering lakes and manmade water channels. Added to this are the many beaches, deltas, deserts, many luxurious hotels and resorts, picturesque nature sites, and its exotic and varied cuisine that make India a mecca for tourists.

We promoted India in the us market as a safe destination full of variety & as a lifetime experience. the visit to India is for self discovery, self fulfillment & self realization. in addition, we have many new products like Wellness tourism, medical tourism, various kinds of Adventure tourism, miCE tourism, Cruise tourism, etc. however, Cultural tourism still remains as the backbone of our tourism promotion. our promotion with

“Incredible India” branding tries to position India as a unique destination & truly incredible! “incredible India” branding for tourism promotion is one of the most successful brand campaign of the world. Even it got the attention of several us Congressman who referred this brand campaign as an example which may be tried for promotion of tourism in usA. thus incredible India campaign has boosted hugely to promote India as a tourist destination. in fact, the campaign bagged the prestigious Grand Prix Award CiFFt (the international Committee of tourism Film Festivals) in Vienna, Austria recently.

We do not have any figures for 2009. however, in 2008, the us was the No.1 country as the source market for tourists to India. in 2008, about one million American tourists visited India. mumbai terrorist attack is an act by some outside terrorist groups. this type of incident can happen in any parts of the world and can be compared to the 9/11 tragedy in New york. Global terrorism has affected many countries, including India. the Indian government’s prime concern is the security and safety of tourists and it has taken various steps in that regard. under the directions of the ministry of tourism, various state governments have introduced special police squads to protect tourists. here in New york, we arranged an event for the tour operators and media at the Consulate General of India in Ny after the mumbai terrorist attacks, where Consul General Prabhu Dayal assured all the tour operators and media about the steps being taken for the safety and security of tourists visiting India.

The ministry of tourism has evolved various kinds of new tourist products to boost the tourist traffic to India. As mentioned earlier we are promoting Wellness tourism, medical tourism, miCE tourism, Cruise tourism, various kinds of adventure tourism, rural tourism, etc.

India tourism, New york, will continue its promotion of tourism with incredible India Branding in 2010 also. it will try to Position India as a unique tourist destination; Promote India as a global brand to take advantage of the burgeoning global travel trade and its vast untapped potential as a destination; Promote India as a safe and affordable destination; and, ensure that the tourist gets physically invigorated, mentally rejuvenated, culturally enriched, spiritually elevated and “feel India from within.”

Until now, the Golden triangle - Delhi- Agra - Jaipur is the most popular with American tourists. But there other places in India’s eastern and southern parts that require to be promoted more and need more attention and we are currently in the process of bringing those areas to the notice of international tourists.

Your message to the readers!

The visit to India is once in a lifetime experience. in India tourists are regarded as God. We call in sanskrit “Atithi Debo Bhavo.” thus we like to invite everybody to visit our India, which is truly incredible.

[A. Sharma]