Hot Seat

The grand old man of travel

Inder Sharma, former chairman of SITA World Travel, is a name synonymous with the Indian travel and tourism industry. From being a third division Economics graduate with no definite career prospects to being one of the most sought after and respected travel professionals in the country, Inder Sharma has indeed come a long way. Radhika Mathur Bhasin gets him to share some of his memories and visions for the future of the Indian travel industry

Inder Sharma Former chairman SITA World Travel

“It was my sheer incompetence that initiated me into the world of tourism”- From a man who is fondly referred to as ‘The doyen of the Indian travel industry,’ a claim of this nature only reflects the extreme humility and subtle humour that is his endearing personality.

The beginning

As a elected president of the student congress, young Inder Sharma was in fact keen on politics. Having refused his father to either opt for a career in the civil services or become a doctor, Sharma in 1953 was left with no choice but to accept his first job as a transfer assistant with Mercury Travels at a then measly salary of Rs 150 a month! Recollecting his first challenge, he said "All I wanted then was the first available job. The first tourist that I addressed asked me two very basic questions namely what is the altitude and the other the population of Delhi for which I had no answer. This triggered in me an interest to delve into facts about our country's enormous tourism potential that was also critical for my survival in this profession."

How many engines run an aircraft, distances between the various locations in the country; history of Delhi's monuments and so on. Sharma spent the next six months getting his tourism facts together. His meeting with Late Som Nath Chib, India's first Director General Tourism, provoked him to study tourism in greater depth. Soon after his meeting with Jack Dangler, owner and president of SITA, Sharma decided to set up an office to handle its operations in India. Recalling the time when Indian tourism was at a nascent stage, he said, "Inbound tourism then was a mere trickle of American tourists, who out of sheer curiosity came to see this nation of a little over half a billion people who attained freedom without fighting a war. SITA in 1956 used to receive 18 groups a year and were predominantly the largest American tour operator to India handling a maximum of two-three transfers a day. By the time I retired from this business in 2000, SITA was handling more than 100 transfers a day!,” informed Sharma. Domestic tourism however was an area whose potential was still untapped. The facts about the economic importance of domestic tourism came to him only several years later through his interaction with SK Misra presently Chairman of INTACH and former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, who pioneered the concept of Domestic Tourism.

His principles in life

'Work hard, try to be successful but remain humble,' 'When you are in doubt, treat others the way you want to be treated' was some of the advice given to him by his parents that he follows till today. .Sharma's strengths are reflected by the fact that when PHD chambers of commerce introduced for the first time an honour to be awarded to a member of an organisation for 'ethics is good business,' Sharma and SITA were the first recipient of this honour. Ethics and hard work according to Sharma is the secret of all success. "In all modesty I can say that I tried to be as ethical and as conscious of consumer satisfaction than anybody. We always felt that the customer was always right and within reasonable ground would go out of our way to please him. Willingness to work beyond your daily working hours is the second most important virtue," avers Sharma.

Ethics according to him is also a matter of changing values. "In those days commissions and kickbacks were considered unethical and now that is prevalent all over the world as long as it being recorded in the books and one is paying taxes on it. When the industry grows at this rate, sometimes unfortunately the standards of professionalism overall decline. I firmly believe that 'profitability is my birth right, but profiteering is not'. Give an honest promise to a service, follow through and do not cheat," he added.

According to Sharma, India's domestic and international leisure and travel industry, in the absence of a global war is bound to flourish, "With the growth of economy coupled with tensions of today's work load, nuclear family structures with increasing number of working couples, easy availability of information, direct and more cheaper flights, this is an industry which will continue to grow. The biggest challenge for any country or an organisation however is going to be how good is their infrastructure, both as a nation as well as an organisation. A nation has to have connectivity, airlines, communication, good roads, sufficient accommodation of varying standards, both to and within the country where tourists should not be fleeced or cheated. Travel professionals will also have to sharpen their pencils - as margins will gradually drop but volumes will increase."

Commission conundrum

When asked about his take on the zero commission regime he said, "Thirty years ago we called ourselves travel agents. Today travel management companies, which are managing complete portfolios of big companies have a greater future. There would be a greater need for genuine professional consultants. Zero commission is bound to happen when costs are so competitive. One will have to earn a reward for the services provided to a customer and as per the kind of services you provide."

Sharma's personal concentration is on tourism education. Established in 1970, the International Fellowship Foundation of India is a non-political Trust devoted to promote awareness and education in the field of tourism and travel. The foundation has so far awarded 200 scholarships at various universities. Sharma also devotes his time giving lectures and interacting with students, "The youth tend to get attracted by the glamour of this industry but are not fully aware of the hardships and cut throat competition that one faces in this industry. The prospects for an aspirant who enters the hotel industry are fairly good. In the travel business, it is only the big players who can afford to hire expensive staff and give them promotions. Ancillary options related to tourism like aviation, road transport, shopping, restaurants, offer a wider scope of career prospects."

Foreseeing a growth in the industry, Sharma says, "I presume a growth factor of 10-12 per cent per year for the next five years. It could even grow beyond 12 per cent if the infrastructure is put in place and we do not continue to make mistakes like not building our airports in time. It will also depend on factors like world economy, political conflicts or any natural calamities."

Selling SITA was a conscious and sound business decision and not an emotional one. "We realised that either we have to grow very large to be able to compete with the international giants or we will be loosing our profitablities. We were a middle level institution with 28 offices run professionally. I could see the writing on the wall and foresee the future of middle level institutions. I offered my children greater opportunities. They are now creating institutions of their own and earning their own reputations. For the last 50 years, my underlying philosophy was 'I am not going to let anybody surpass me'. Today it is just to rest, relax and enjoy. I am a retired but not a tired man."