Om Prakash, former chairman, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) Western Region and director, Inorbit Tours, presents his analysis of Shanghai and Mumbai, in terms of numerous facets of tourism and infrastructure services
China has emerged as one of the largest travel volume handling country for inbound. It has over 50 million domestic and inbound tourists annually. If India has to think of such numbers then which factors do we need to address seriously?
In 2007, I had written an article on the same subject. However, nine years have passed, but the dream of Mumbai to become like Shanghai is yet a dream. Although the world is progressing at a jet speed, but the developments of Mumbai and its infrastructure does not find any major changes. Hence, Om Prakash is compelled to write again after nine years to evaluate if we have moved towards the fulfillment of our former Prime Minister’s dream, “Can Mumbai be like Shanghai?”
A major percentage of China’s tourism is attributed to Shanghai. Let’s analyse some key highlights of Shanghai and its infrastructure. The article is divided into two parts – airport infrastructure and city infrastructure.
Shanghai is China’s largest economic centre, with a leading port, airports and also China’s well-known historical business and cultural city.
Airport infrastructure
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Shanghai has two international airports with international flights covering the world’s 73 countries and regions. Both airports have a capacity of handling five crores passengers annually.
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A multistoried terminal building with over 60 aerobridges and a vast parking space for more aircraft. The modern architecture provides arrival, departures and public transport on separate floors of the airports.
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Satellite check-in areas: Each satellite marked A to J have more than 20 check in counters and a huge helpdesk (not existing at Mumbai airport).
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Clearance at airport: Although there is a language problem, Chinese immigration officers and custom officers speak negligible English, but their simplification of rules and systems helps to clear loads of continuous arrivals and departures speedily. Pictorial signs throughout the airport help passengers to overcome language difficulty.
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Items of public interests: The needs of arriving tourists is kept in mind such as mobile phones, foreign exchange counters, shopping, restaurants, public transport, taxis, transit infrastructure, and high-speed transport.
Mobile SIM cards are sold in various denominations at various kiosks. One can buy a new SIM cards which are instantly activated with new mobile numbers without any legal or other formalities. This makes the visitors well connected immediately on arrival. Whereas, this facility is not available in India.
At foreign exchange counters in pre and post immigration sections, local Chinese currency is exchanged at uniform rates from airports to bank and hotels. Whereas, exchange rates at Mumbai airport are much higher.
A large number of shops of branded goods in the check-in and duty free area and a vast shopping complex in the boarding gates area are present.
In large numbers, there is a presence of international brand such as McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut and others in areas of pre-departure for public and passengers and similarly post immigration for passengers.
Public transportation is available for all directions of the city of Shanghai at the airport. A unique system is provided to avoid cheating of foreign visitors by taxi drivers. The moment the driver puts down the taxi meter, there is a recorded announcement first in Chinese language and then in English. It says, “Welcome to Shanghai”. It also informs passengers about the rate per km, reminds them to take the bill which has the fare and the number of the taxi driver. The announcement further says, “If you are not satisfied and you wish to complain, please fill the card kept in the pocket in front of the seat. Just fill and handover to any policemen or drop in the letter box, without affixing postal stamp.”
International passengers can clear immigration formality at the same gate of arrival and then board the next destination domestic flights from the same terminal. This saves transfer and transportation hassles and needs less of connecting time.
The fastest train, Maglev, with magnetic technology, flies above the tracks. Distance of 30 km is covered in 7.5 minutes with highest speed touching 431 kmph (the fastest in the world). This train itself provides tourists an attraction and experience.
City infrastructure
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Multi-miles and multi-layers of flyover road network is built of hundreds of kilometres. At some points five-seven flyovers are one upon the other.
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Suspension bridges are built with no support pillars to cross the rivers.
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Tunnels below the river Huang Pu in Shanghai for road traffic is a unique innovation.
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Tourist attractions: Shanghai has 25 museums covering history, culture, industry and other subjects. Entrance to most of the museums is free. Huang Pu River flows in the centre of Shanghai city. It is converted into tourist boat cruises with tremendous illumination in the evenings; some with dinner and music. Tremendous lighting on both sides of the banks of the Huang Pu river provides a spectacular view which beats some of the famous skyline cities of New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong and even London.
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Highrises of 88-120 floors, where tourists can buy tickets and transported by high speed lifts in less than a minute to 120 floors. A circular atrium view from top can be experienced. There is an observatory on the 120th floor of the Shanghai World Trade Centre Tower.
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The tallest addition of Disneyland in Shanghai will further attract much more tourists and will provide more hotel nights by tourists.
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Restaurants representing most of the countries are available in sufficient numbers throughout the city of Shanghai, including many Indian restaurants.
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Shopping streets with pedestrian area only (no cars).
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Shanghai has more than 350 star rated hotels with over 65,000 rooms.
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Some of the most modern and high-end trade exhibition venues built with German collaboration, house over 100 trade exhibitions in Shanghai which attract lakhs of business visitors from all over the world. Similarly many of the five-star hotels are having convention facilities to host upto 4,000 delegates. These exhibition venues are instrumental in boosting the economy of Shanghai and China.
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Intercity railways and buses: Tourists can enjoy long distance train journeys with soft sleeper cabins, where immaculate white linen, pillow, blanket, towel, tooth brush and dining car facilities are available. Train-wise waiting lounges are available for passengers at Shanghai station. Jet-speed trains are also available, which compete with flights.
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Similarly, intercity buses have separate terminals and even luxury buses with reclining seats, reading lights and are equipped with air-conditioners. Announcements on TV monitor in the buses in Chinese and English are frequently made.
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The public places of interest are full of dozens of tourist buses. One can see thousands of tourists during the sight-seeing tour of Shanghai.
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Development of city business: Such large volumes of tourists contribute to the economy and various businesses such as hotels, restaurants, shopping, travel agencies, guides transportation, airlines, airports and international business development and the domestic industries. To encourage expatriates, there are 50 associations formed by various nationalities settled in Shanghai. They meet periodically.
Comparative scenario at Mumbai
There are many more aspects of Shanghai which convinced our Manmohan Singh to create a dream to convert Mumbai to Shanghai. I do not wish to publish the poor infrastructure, poor systems, massive slums, difficulties of tourists, which puts off the tourists and create a poor impression about the financial capital of India. This cannot be even compared with our neighbouring destinations like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Dubai. India has been struggling to increase inbound arrivals which has been increasing at a scrawling speed of a tortoise, whereas the neighbouring countries and Shanghai are catering to the tiger’s speed and volumes. The potholes on roads during monsoon could not be solved in last 68 years of independence.
INR 12866-crore investment by the BMC for Shanghai dream: A ray of hope
Bombay Municipal Corporation had allocated INR 12,866 crores to upgrade Mumbai’s infrastructure and facilities. The projects include high-tech cleaning machines for roads, public toilets and installations, beaches clean up, to develop 16 theme parks, public plaza at Gateway of India, beautification of Haji Ali and a disaster management unit. We have certainly built an ultra-modern airport Terminal 2, which deserves appreciation.
Indo-China friendly relations
Indo-China friendship has been steady inspite of some differences. Both countries have signed agreements to facilitate and encourage exchange of trade, cultural tourism and to increase flights between the two countries over and above trade agreements.
Visa
China has been successful to increase Indian visitors to China in a big way. Visa regulation is simplified for Indian visitors. However, Chinese visitors to India are facing stringent rules and even business visitors do not get visas easily. Many a time, Chinese business visitors are deprived to participate in conferences and trade exhibitions in India for not getting Indian visa in time. Promotion by Indian Tourism Ministry needs aggressive and continuous efforts. Today Chinese tourists are dominating Europe, the USA, Japan and South East Asia in outbound. China’s inbound has achieved greater heights.
Appeal to city planners
I appeal to the city planners and the ministers to improve the infrastructure of Mumbai and identify projects by keeping pace with the world, if we wish to multiply our incoming tourists. Let the reforms help to create more of public-private partnership projects and let the Indian cities follow the international examples which can be certainly possible. The question still remains, ‘Can Mumbai be like Shanghai?.’