Macroview

MoT ties up with airlines to promote India

Sanjeev Bhar - New Delhi

The Ministry of Tourism is taking initiatives to market its Incredible India campaign along with airlines. It recently tied up with Singapore Airlines where its 58 inbound flights will show small promotional videos of Incredible India through its in-flight entertainment system KrisWorld. CW Foo, its GM (India), said, "The management is also contemplating to showcase 30-minute documentaries about various destinations of India sourced from MoT in the documentary section of our in-flight entertainment."

Leena Nandan, joint secretary, MoT explained that the promotional video will be six to 60 seconds long and would include generic elements of promotion related to culture, wildlife, adventure tourism, and rural tourism projecting different states. There will be no voice-over and would be based on thematic music ending with the common signature tune of 'Incredible India' campaign.

The ministry, along with the ministry of civil aviation, is contemplating extending this to other international airlines that are set to fly India as well. "We have floated this idea of in-flight promotion with many airlines. Now we are looking at creating symbiotic relationships with others where Indian carriers could return the favour when they fly out from India with the support of the civil aviation ministry," informed Nandan. Though, there are certain restrictions of technology in this regard with respect to flights, adaptation of AV streams in the system apart from the various norms that need government clearances has been established, she added.

The ministry is also upbeat about the interest being generated in China by the India tourism office in Beijing set up four months ago. "The reaction has been encouraging. With FHRAI organising its 44th annual convention in Shanghai, we expect to generate a lot of interest there," summed up Nandan.