This one report is indeed a token of recognition for the outbound Indian tourists. A report on tourism trends across the world has offered one advice to the European countries — to rise up to the standards of the Indian traveller, along with the Chinese, “who hold the key to the future of Europe’s travel and toursim industry”. The World Travel Market (WTM) and Euromonitor International, in its latest report titled Global Trends Report 2006, state that “Asian giants China and India continue to drive the world economic growth and that the number of Asians travelling abroad is surging”. The report adds “many European countries are currently unprepared to meet the specific demands of the Chinese and Indian tourists, accounting 14 million in 2005, who spend more on holiday than their European counterparts”.Stating that the Indian tourists have benefited from liberalised skies, the report says that Indians, driven by the tremendous economic growth between 2000 and 2005, now travel as never before.According to it, 6.1 million Indians travelled abroad in 2005 and those that travelled to Europe spent on an average $ 5,100 per head.Comparing China and India, the report says that unlike China, India has benefited from liberalised open skies aviation sector since 1991. The advent of long haul low cost carriers and offers like “fly now, pay later deals” have also helped build the growth momentum in outbound tourism in India.Holding the Indian tourists above the Chinese, the report states that unlike the Chinese, Indian tourists coming to the UK do not mind spending more on accommodation. In addition, they also tend to travel in large groups with their families and to engage in cultural activities, such as musicals and plays. Many also buy tickets to watch cricket matches as a part of their trip, which offers a good opportunity to encourage a stopover in Europe.Similarly, while the Chinese, who spent approximately $ 2,300 per trip in 2006, Indian tourists spend $ 1,900 on sightseeing and shopping alone.Moreover, as far as Indian tourists are concerned, the report says visiting friends and relatives and, Bollywood tourism are areas which need special attention. Within Europe, the UK is a top destination for Indian tourists, especially in the visiting friends and relatives sector as the country is home to a large Indian community. The alpine countries such as Switzerland, Austria and France are also popular, as they are the location for many Bollywood films today, the report states.In a reminder of sorts, the WTM report points out, “However, the national tourist boards for each of these countries are not currently exploiting film tourism and their websites carry no mention of Bollywood films shot on location in their countries, unlike New Zealand, which actively leverages its association with the Lord of the Rings.”The report even asks the European companies to target Indian tourists with tailored entertainment packages which would provide Indian food and Bollywood-style entertainment for the Indian traveller.
