Reema Lokesh – Mumbai
Visit Scotland recently visited India on a three-city road show stopping at Mumbai, New Delhi and Chandigarh. The tourism department along with a delegation of eight DMCs and product suppliers, met industry buyers across cities to reassure their faith in the India market. The region is positive about expecting increase in tourism traffic from India due to the improved airlines connections between India and Edinburgh.
Vineet Lal, senior market manager, long haul & emerging markets, Visit Scotland, was positive about the tourism ties between India and Scotland. Speaking exclusively to Express TravelWorld, Lal stated that Scotland has its own charm and it has a unique appeal to the discerning traveller. From whiskey tasting to the castles, it has a special connect that is aspirational.
“We have a lot of faith in the India market and such visits prove that we are in touch with our partners in India. We work very closely with the trade and are keen to increase our network further. The new visa policy and the improved air connectivity will only help us bring in the numbers. We are also looking forward to interact with the tourism associations and other travel professionals to work in harmony and to understand each other’s needs better,” said Lal.
The Indian suppliers feel that Scotland can be sold well as a leisure and an incentives destination. It can work well as a honeymoon destination and also as a hotspot for film tourism. Bollywood Scotland was an interesting initiative, which was activated in the recent times as series of films were shot at various spots across the country. Samuel Pasquier, sales manager Europe, Cashel Travels, Freda Newton, MD, Jacobite Cruises and Pramod Kumar Kandala, of Kandala Travels, were very positive of their India visit and were glad to meet the right partners in the trade.