VisitBritain Contemplates Agent Specialist Programme

Bhisham Mansukhani - Mumbai

Tom Wright

With India set to become Britain's second largest long-haul market, VisitBritain cites the time as opportune to consider an agent specialist programme for the market. With a presence of close to 15 years in the country, VisitBritain is also contemplating a closer focus with offices in each of the four Indian regions.

VisitBritain CEO Tom Wright was in India recently and in an exclusive to ET&T, evinced intent for launching a specialist programme for the Indian market as well as a dedicated website for its travel trade. "We expect India to be our second biggest long-haul market with a 30 per cent increase in traffic annually. Half a million visas have already been issued which should effectively overtake Japan as inbound to Britain. While the Japanese spend more, the Indian have a longer average stay (26 days) compared to the Japansese who have a seven days stay. In spend terms, Indians spend over 900 pounds while the Japanse spend just about 800 pounds," Wright noted. He added that the specialist programme will identify agents who are willing to partner with VisitBritain for whom it will create value in the relationship.

He recognised Mumbai as a key market in India and stressed the need to get the Indian film industry to shoot more in the UK. VisitBritain sees Bollywood as a key driver for its dispersal strategy and plans to offer the industry a coordinated presentation of Britain through a website and make certain regions more accessible for shooting. Britain also enjoys an advantage as a destination for Bollywood shooting locations as it has a large number of Indians living there, Wright pointed out.

VisitBritain also plans to create itineraries, which will span a larger footprint of Britain. A roadshow has already been planned for January 2006. A training module which it has developed for some other developed markets will be customised for the Indian market as well. VisitBritian board member and London-based businessman, Kumar Muthalagappan who accompanied Wright and Beecham on the trip that included Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore, said that the board was also looking at the profile of Indians vacationing in Britain. "Many Indian tourists coming here don't want to be a part of the Grand European Tour. They seek a longer experience within Britain and include activities in their trip that are not reminiscent of the typical Indian tourism profile in the past." In 2004, there were 2,56,000 visitors from India, which was an increase by 28 per cent from that of 2003. Visitors to UK in 2004 spent a total of A$ 239 million (up 54 per cent from 2003).

Part of the reason for opening regional markets, Wright said, was to increase product knowledge amongst the trade and eventually, the consumer. "The concentration seems to be lopsided with more focus on London as far as Indian inbound to Britain is concerned. Of the 28 million international visitors, 14 million vacation outside of London. But in case of India, 70 per cent of them go only to London and that is a trend we hope to change. That is the key reason why we need to be on the ground here, work with the travel trade locally and change that perception. We need to tell them about countryside attractions like the Lake District and art in Liverpool's museums. Travel agents need to introduce this hue of Great Britain to Indian tourists," Wright revealed.

Keith Beecham, regional manager (South Asia) for VisitBritain, added, "Britain is also able to compete in terms of value for money with some of its southeast Asian counterparts. We are getting competitive thanks to the receding air fares. Public transport and access to many of the attractions in Britain can be pre-bought, so it helps budgeting. Travellers must also know that shopping at factory outlets in Britain is also a big rage wherein some of the biggest brands are sold at a fraction of the cost."