Showcasing India’s wildlife
India’s wildlife is not just restricted to snakes, tigers and elephants, it goes much beyond. finds out how stakeholders work towards attracting international visitors.
India’s exotic wildlife tourism offerings range from a variety of fauna, yet unexplored, from the lap of the Himalayas to the depths of the Indian Ocean. Giving an account of the diversity Tejbir Singh
Anand, Founder & MD, Holiday Moods Adventures, says, "Being a niche segment, the demand for this sector has always been high. The Snow Leopard, Kiangs, Marmots, are exclusive to India. The Royal Bengal Tiger, One-Horned Rhinos and exotic bird species etc make India a top wildlife destination in the world."
While the tiger and the rhino attract both domestic and international tourists to national parks, the domestic traveller is higher in num- ber than their international counterparts. Vikram Madhok, Hon. Treasurer, PATA India Chapter, and MD ( India), Abercrombie & Kent India, says, "We receive tourists from the US, UK and France. We provide luxury experiences like high tea in the
We get tourists from US, UK and France. We provide luxury experiences in the wild Bengal Tiger, One-Horned Rhinos and exotic birds make India a top wildlife destination
wild to offer tourists a luxury experience."
Shobha Mohan, Founder Partner, RARE Destinations, points out that Wildlife Tourism has been on the rise, based on the increasing number of visitors coming to their lodges. "There is an increase in numbers to lesser known parks like Pench, Tadoba and Satpura which takes pressure off parks like Ranthambore, Bandhavgarh and Kanha and indicates that the traveller is looking at more than just tigers and jeep safaris as jungle experiences," she adds.
Elaborating on the products on offer in wildlife tourism, Sanjay Basu, Managing Director Far Horizon Tours, says, "From eco-lodges ranging from 3-5 star and deluxe categories to very high quality expedition style river cruise ships like the M.V Mahabaahu on the Brahmaputra river from which elephant, jeep and boat safaris are being done in Kaziranga National park are available." Mohan identifies species such as leopards, sloth bears, gaurs, elephants, wild dogs, reindeer, snakes, etc. also make for a good wildlife experience.
Basu feels that India’s wildlife is an undersold story with a high degree of focus on the tiger alone and not much promotion of the vast variety of fauna available. Mohan adds, "Marketing Wildlife tourism has a very narrow scope presently because the entire diversity of offerings are not being projected."
Talking about the challenges being faced by this segment, Madhok identifies that this segment picked up well in the last quarter of 2015 but has not flourished yet in comparison to previous years. Basu says, "Incredible India needs to get across the message globally that India is the world's second best destination for wild mammals and one of the best destinations for bird species."
Vinayak Koul, Director, SnowLion Expeditions, adds "The uncertainty in safari prices is a serious crisis amidst lack of infrastructure and facilities inside and around the parks. Fewer numbers of allotted daily safaris from the parks is hard to manage during season time and non- practical time limits to book safaris months in advance is a deterrent."
Anand feels that selling wildlife is a very specialised sector. It is imperative that the agents spend time on ground with firsthand knowledge. Knowledge of flora, fauna and photography is the expectancy. Right season, up to date knowledge of the changes in habitat, stories revolving on the particular national park, make packaging even more interesting.
The industry feels there is a need to promote wildlife apart from the tigers and lions and hopes for better government initiatives and campaigning on a global scale to harness the potential of wildlife tourists.
Marketing Wildlife tourism has a very narrow scope presently because the entire diversity of offerings are not being projected. India needs to get across the message globally that it is the world's second best destination for wild mammals The uncertainty in safari prices is a serious crisis amidst lack of infrastructure and facilities inside and around the parks