India’s tourism sector is adopting a new digital and social media strategy to increase the flow of visitors from East Asian markets, with a focus on chine’s millennials, a senior government official said. 

Speaking to the media after the ‘Incredible India’ roadshow in Singapore on Monday, Rupinder Brar, additional Director General of the Tourism Ministry, said feedback from Chinese millennials has helped understand their travelling wish of experiencing the diversity of India from culture to village lifestyle and culinary skills. The Indian government wants to expand the incredible India footprint in China as well as in Singapore and other markets east of India to attract young tourists. 

“We are currently in the midst of finalising the global media campaign and within that, there is a lot of shift to digital and social media because a lot of information flows on digital platforms in markets eat of India” added Brar. During the roadshows, Indian and Chinese tour operators held various business to business meetings. Post the roadshows, Indian High Commissioner to Singapore, Jawed Ashraf elaborated on the vast and diverse tourism possibilities in India and changes in tourism experience for visitors because of the availability of good information, new visa regimes and price.

There is so much more the Tourism Ministry, and the industry can do.

He also highlighted the excellent connectivity to and within India, rapidly improving infrastructure, expansion on the hotel accommodation sector, great leisure activities, varied culinary and shopping options, and facilities like 24-hour helplines in 12 languages. Further adding on “one of the things we need to do is to have very differentiated marketing. We have to look at different market segments, focus on specific destinations, promote different products for different demographic segments, and focus on developing complete experiences from arrival to departure”. 

Given that there is recent slow down in advertising tourism products abroad, the Indian sector is improving with the lowering of Goods and Services Tax on hotels from 28 per cent to 18 per cent and those in the 18 per cent bracket to 12 per cent in October 2019. However, there is still more the government and the travel industry can do in order to promote tourism products to travellers aboard.