The Arabian tales

At this year’s ATM, the India pavilion, although comprising just 24 participants, was abuzz with talks of business and almost every stand had visitors swarming in by the minute. Feedback on Middle Eastern travellers’ trends from Indian travel suppliers at the mart revealed that Mumbai and Kerala are the two main cities that are frequented usually for business, wellness or medical tourism, along with the Golden Triangle being the next most popular tourism circuit.

Apart from these two areas, the North East region was also brought in focus at the biggest trade show in the ME region to showcase the diversity of the country. But any travel professional would be able to point out that the North East, while extremely beautiful and untouched, is more appropriate for a seasoned traveller. If the lack of ample five-star properties (which are currently in pipeline) and dearth of halal-certified eateries are taken care of it might help to bridge the gap between the product and the target audience. If the industry is aiming to up the numbers from Middle East market, it needs a more focused approach on promoting the right destinations to the right audience.