Countries target global tourism in different ways - AAHOA Update

Last month, I led a delegation of Asian American Hotel Owners Assn. leaders to India. While there, we participated in many events, including the second annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas marks Mahatma Gandhi's return from South Africa to India--which took place Jan. 9, 1915--and is recognized as the largest gathering of the global Indian family.

On Jan. 10, AAHOA partnered with India's government and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry to co-host a session on the tourism and hospitality sector, "Tourism: Branding Strategies for India." During this panel, AAHOA leaders discussed brand image and its importance to travelers as it relates to India attracting international visitors.

Building a brand is a long-term effort, and that's what India is doing in the global marketplace. As shown by the 2003-2004 Reassurance Campaign through India's department of tourism, India is well aware of the challenges it faces with branding and the importance of reputation management in international press and markets. This campaign appears to be successful because India has seen consistent growth of the number of visitors during the last several months. However, India still receives only one half of 1 percent of the world travel market. That's fewer than 3 million international travelers annually.

The United States has been evaluating its own brand image to international travelers, recognizing the importance of their expenditures to our economy. On Feb. 14, 2003, Congress passed legislation providing funding to establish a campaign to promote the United States as a desirable travel destination. Unfortunately, on Jan. 22, the Senate passed the fiscal year 2004 Omnibus Appropriations conference report. When adopted, this conference report will result in the rescission of $40 million of the previously approved $50 million funding.

This is a huge setback for the hospitality industry. The United States ranks third behind France and Spain among the world's most popular travel destinations, according to the World Tourism Organization. France and Spain have their own tourism ministries and each country spends tens of millions of dollars each year on overseas marketing efforts. To be competitive, the United States must increase its marketing efforts as well.

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. Now we need to join together as an industry, educate our representatives and ensure our place in the global market.

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hmm@advanstar.com

Hitesh Bhakta, the 2003 chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Assn., practices law as a real-estate and business litigation attorney in Southern California. A second-generation, multiproperty hotelier, Bhakta owns and operates a number of hotels in California and Texas with his family.

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