ATLANTA, December 31, 2003 - Asian American Hotel Owners Association
(AAHOA) Chairman Hitesh Bhakta will lead a delegation of AAHOA leaders
to the second annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi, India, from
Jan. 9-11, 2004. On Jan. 10, AAHOA will partner with the government
of India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI) to co-host a special session on the tourism and hospitality sector
Tourism: Branding Strategies for India.
"Evidenced by the 2003-2004 Reassurance Campaign through India's department
of tourism, India is well aware of the challenges it faces in branding
and the importance of reputation management in international press and
markets," said Bhakta. "This campaign appears to be successful, as
India is seeing consistent growth in its number of visitors over the last
several months. However, it's important to continually evaluate India's
audience and brand reputation. With that information, India can continue
enforcing their consistent, positive image and message."
In Tourism: Branding Strategies for India, AAHOA leaders will discuss
brand image and its importance to travelers:
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Brand image invokes an emotional response and greatly influences travel
decisions. According to Asia Market Research Dot Com, Hong Kong,
Thailand and Singapore are the three most recognizable and perhaps most
visited travel destinations in the Asian marketplace. All three of
these locations have strong brand recognition and a clear reputation in
the global marketplace. For example, according to a 1998 survey commissioned
by the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board, Singapore is seen as "clean,
modern and safe," while Thailand is viewed as "exotic, fun and friendly."
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On its Web site, India's department of tourism lauds the diversity of India
calling it a "vivid kaleidoscope of landscapes." Tourism strategies
need to include emotive appeal to world travelers. It should also
address issues of concern to today's traveler such as safety and security
issues. Travelers today are more cautious and concerned about safety
and security than perhaps they were three years ago.
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As with any brand image goal, enforcing India as a safe and desirable travel
destination can be most easily accomplished through joint efforts between
the public and private sector. Individual resorts and destinations
need to work with India's department of tourism to market their location
and their country with consistent messaging to reinforce the perception
of India in the global marketplace.
"Building a brand is a long-term effort. Just as India has made great
gains in the last several years in the international marketplace, Indian
hotel owners in the United States have been working through AAHOA to build
a national brand image for more than a decade," concluded Bhakta.
"Through Tourism: Branding Strategies for India, we hope to bring the benefits
of our experience and an outside perspective to India's campaign."
Founded in 1989 and representing more than 8,400 members, the Asian
American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) is a leading force in the hospitality
industry and one of the most powerful Asian-American advocacy groups in
the United States.
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