1. Fostering Better Relations with Trade Media – Recipe for Success!
Mr. Sheldon Santwan
Editor & COO (Travel Division)
Saffron Media Pvt. Ltd.
India

2. Indian Media Overview
Increased reliability on Media for influencing travel decision making
Print, Broadcast and Online Media are increasingly being utilized to promote destinations
Media is being utilized by the Marketing agencies to educate the traveler on what to expect from a destination
Media’s dynamic use is critical in promotion of destination as a safe tourist haven
Adverse media reports act as a deterrent for travel planning

3. Does Social Media Influence Travel Decisions
Social Media like Facebook, Twitter, etc are being seen as the best friend for destination marketing
Good feedback on interactive websites and social media sites ensures that the traveler is more convinced to visit the destination
Every single bad review ensures that the travelers decision gets a few points weaker
However, people are smart enough to understand whether the reports are real or have been created simply to attract a tourist

4. India Outbound Travel Behavior
A survey report of Neilsen along with PATA suggests that Internet is playing a vital role in overall research for outbound travel
While traditional media like newspapers and magazines remain the primary source for travel advertising and information for many, the Internet has become a popular advertising channel

5. India Outbound Travel Behavior Cont…
Indian outbound travelers (12%) are increasingly booking their travel online
Overall, Asian destinations account for 72% of international leisure trips and 63% of business trips originating in India
Indians who travel internationally named sightseeing (64%) as the main purpose of their trip, while 47% reported that they travel abroad to explore new countries. About 25% of those surveyed said they travel abroad to relieve stress, to have a good time, or to visit family and friends

6. India Outbound Travel Behavior Cont…
Owing to the convenience of comparing prices/easy access, Internet is becoming a popular choice to conduct online research
What’s interesting to note is that destination marketers have focused a lot on traditional marketing (TV/Print ads), and not on Internet – probably an area of growth for ad networks to tap in?

7. Indian Travel Trends
India is one of the fastest-growing outbound travel markets in the world. World Tourism Organization has predicted that India will account for 50 million outbound tourists by 2020
Traveling closer to home – applies not just to India but to all countries across the globe
Precisely selecting long haul holiday – Travelers select holidays which offer ‘Value for Money’

8. Indian Travel Trends Cont…
Exploring new destinations – with the arrival of many NTOs or Destination Marketing Companies, travelers now are opting for new or emerging destinations
Shopping – it has always been the most preferred activity
Cheap accommodation is biggest factor in destination choice
Travelers are still buying air tickets from travel agents
FIT - the preferred segment of service
Honeymooners to travel the most
Off-line still the best option for booking travel
‘Value for Money’ packages to sell the most

9. What Indian Traveler Wants
Indians traveling overseas expect total ‘Value for Money’
Food plays a very important role in attracting Indian travelers
Indian Leisure travelers expect high standards of service and like being pampered
Indian traveler does not like too many surprises and generally will be very happy to travel to a destination which either has been personally recommended by someone known or he is totally informed about the travel arrangements

10. India’s Growing Market Share
India is the world’s fourth largest economy in terms of GDP (USD 3,298 billion), deriving its wealth primarily from service based industries.
As one of the fastest growing economy, the disposable income in the hands of Indian consumers has increased considerably. This has given rise to an increase in travel and tourism.

11. India’s Growing Market Share Cont…
India’s economic growth is expected to continue over the next 40 years; by 2050, India is expected to be among the top three global economies.

12. India’s Growing Market Share Cont…
Outbound tourism in India is witnessing rapid growth with Leisure Tourism accounting for a large part of the total outbound traffic

13. India’s Growing Market Share Cont…
Nearly 70% trips by Indian international travelers are for leisure purposes. Most of these trips are undertaken by families or couples

14. India’s Growing Market Share Cont…
The population of young Indians travelling abroad is rising

15. India’s Growing Market Share Cont…
Top Destinations for Indian Outbound travelers

16. The Jordan Experience Jordan is ideal site for biblical, adventure and
eco-tourism experiences.
Tourism products “experiences”  in Jordan mainly revolve around:
Leisure and Wellness,
Historical and Cultural,
Eco and Nature,
Religious and Faith (Tracing Islam and Biblical Jordan),
Fun
Adventure

17. Promotional Strategy for Jordan
Get professional help - Hire a PR agency
Training programs for Travel Trade to become specialists in selling Jordan
Organize FAM trips for Media
B2B media interactions with the Jordan trade
Destination features in print and online
Promote Jordan with Bollywood personalities for film shoots and photo shoots
Road shows inviting Travel Agents across the country followed by FAM Trips
Running Contests to increase visibility and appeal and other promotional exercise

18. Destination appeal for Indian travelers
Jordan SWOT Analysis
Jordan set up its India office in In 2009 Jordan received 29,000 Indian tourists. In 2010, the figure was 53,000, an increase of 71.4 %.
Destination appeal for Indian travelers
Mid-haul destination with flying time of five hours from India
Visa on Arrival
On cross roads of Asia, Africa and Europe, Jordan offers interesting blend of East and West
Diverse tourism offerings: Heritage & Culture, Wellness, Adventure, Eco and Religious
Niche destination which is exotic and relatively unexplored

19. Jordan SWOT Analysis Cont…
Opportunities in Indian market
Target segments FIT, Family, Honeymoon & MICE
Will attract the up-scale, experienced, adventurous and experiential Indian traveler
Metro cities of India will be the main markets
Competition and Challenges
Turkey and Egypt both are emerging and niche markets in Indian outbound space
Turkey has a similar blend of Eastern and Western culture with diverse tourism offerings
Egypt has a strong Heritage & Culture and Adventure Tourism offering
Turkey which set up its India office in 2008 recorded 55,200 Indian Tourists in 2009 and 63,400 Indian tourists in 2010, an increase of 15 %.
Egypt which set up India office in 2005 recorded 88,000 Indian tourists in 2009 and 114,000 Indian tourists in 2010, an increase of 30%
Jordan which set up India office in 2009 recorded 29,000 Indian tourists in 2009 and 53,000 Indian tourists in 2010, an increase of 71.4%

20. Jordan SWOT Analysis Cont…
Competition and Challenges
Direct flight connectivity from India to Jordan can be improved. Royal Jordanian operates four flights to Amman from Mumbai and five flights from Delhi per week
Jordan is relatively more expensive destination in comparison to Egypt but on par or slightly cheaper than Turkey. Indian tourist on an average spends USD 160 in Jordan per day excluding expenditure on air travel
Hotel room inventory is also lower in comparison to Egypt
Amman had around 25 branded hotels and slightly over 5,000 branded hotel rooms in 2010, while Cairo had about 45 branded hotels and 15,000 branded hotel rooms in 2010

21. Jordan SWOT Analysis Cont…
Competition and Challenges
Comparison of Amman and Cairo branded hotels & hotel rooms inventory 2010

22. Jordan SWOT Analysis Cont…
Competition and Challenges
Average hotel room rate in Jordan is higher compared to Egypt
Comparison of average hotel room rate of some tourist destinations in Jordan and Egypt for 2010 are given below (in USD):
Jordan Egypt
Amman Cairo City Centre-144
Aquba Aswan-79
Dead Sea Hurgadha-48
Petra Luxor Source: HVS

23. Jordan SWOT Analysis Cont…
Competition and Challenges Comparison table of average hotel room rate of some tourist destinations in Jordan and Egypt ( in USD)
Source: HVS

24. Thanks for this opportunity