Marketing India...

“We look at marketing India rather than selling India,” said Madhu Dubey, Regional Director, India Tourism, Australasia. gives details on travel agents’ views.

LEKHA SHANKAR “It’s

good that we will have a common ‘Asean’ zone like Europe, but it’s also important to do a market segmentation and identify the markets for each region. What sells in Kuala Lumpur doesn’t necessarily sell in Thailand or Vietnam. It’s our job to get details of the varying market demands, so that we can work out an action plan accordingly,” stated Dubey. She spoke at a roadshow in Bangkok, which was the last stop in a three- nation tour that included Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

BANGKOK

Dubey said she was aware that the ‘short haul’ market of the Asian region had become important due to their strong economies.

“But we need to identify their individual markets,” she added. This is Dubey’s eighth roadshow, since she joined her new office five months back. They have included three big cities in Australia - Sydney, Melbourne, Perth - as well as Vietnam’s two big cities - Hanoi and Ho Chin Minh. She said she planned to do roadshows in China and Tokyo soon, as she has been given additional charge of these regions too.

“I have just understood that the young Japanese are as interested in the Buddhist circuit as their senior citizens,” said Dubey, stating that she was aware of the importance of the Buddhist circuit in the Asian region. “We need to develop on niche destinations like these,” she said adding,