Three things that are wrong with the Indian travel industry

It's summer vacation here in India, and soon will be in most of the tourist destinations in the Northern hemisphere. Pick up any newspaper, and you find advertisements that jump out at you: USA, Europe, South-East Asia, Exotic locales... You name it, and there are holiday packages available for those who dare (or should I say wish?) to go.

Well, vacations are no doubt a time to relax, enjoy, discover and well, splurge ( if you can afford it!). The average Indian vacation-eer has no doubt started dreaming big. Call it the boom resulting out of higher disposable incomes, the downtrend in the economy (making vacationing a higher priority than say, buying that dream home for which you pay through your nose), or just the urge to live in the moment!

All that's surely a good thing, for the traveller and of course, the travel industry at large - more tourists means more business, naturally. But look more closely and one has to wonder, what is the deal with the (oh, well,) travel deals?! Domestic Holiday Packages for a bare minimum 3N/4D type, typically start at 25,000+ INR, per person. So, for an average family of four, that's a cool 100,000INR! International Packages probably start in the 30 or 35,000 INR range, and what's worse, it's usually without airfare or visa fees, etc. I can see ads today for a vacation to HongKong or Singapore, that's nothing less that INR60,000/-. Per Person, that is!!

Sure, the rupee is losing its value, and more so, in comparison to the US Dollar, but is this really what good vacations (must) cost? Is this what is the perceived value? Personally, I think that that's just way too much. Yes, the dollar, and jet fuel and taxes have risen, and made hotels and air travel more expensive, but the question that we need to be asking is, what's a fair value deal for a holiday package? For those in the travel industry, the same question may be put as, 'What's the sweet spot for someone to take this package?' (assuming, they are in the business to gain and encourage more people to travel during the vacations).

I don't get the big deal (no pun intended) in pricing a package like so, and then trying to offer discounts and that too for the really 'lucky' handful who somehow 'qualify' for the "*Terms and Conditions/Conditions Apply" of almost all the special offers. It could be funny, but it's often frustrating and irritating. There's so little predictability in the whole deal. It makes planning that vacation so much harder.

So, here's my personal view (and others are free to opine differently) on 3 things that are just not right for the Indian Travel Industry:
1. Planning a family vacation is just too complicated
Surely, with bookings being possible online in the past few years, things have been getting better. Indian Railways, offering  online booking is no doubt a great advantage for many. Leading travel portals have also played a role in aggregating deals and bookings to help the traveler. But, this is only a means. What still remains a very time consuming exercise, is finding the 'right' deal, checking availability - the end-to-end stuff - and the uncertainty about inclusions/exclusions, and confidence in getting value for what you pay for.

2.If it's a family vacation package, why not treat it that way?
This one is not easy, as the 'best' price is not going to be the same for everyone. And, then there are indirect costs - the dollar-conversion, airport taxes, fuel surcharge, etc. A 3N/4D deal @ 25,000/- pp may be okay for some, but will definitely start to look attractive if the whole deal for a family of 3 or 4 could be offered as a real package at 50,000/- or 65,000/-!! What's the idea to still quote the rates as a 'per person' for a family vacation? (That's another thing which gets me: hotel rooms being charged on per-person basis, for double rooms or larger. But that's for another day's rambling)

3. Do not add time (and money) - add value
Many packages imply a "value" by extending the duration, to 7N/8N/10D/12N. But that's not cutting the deal (well, at least for me). It's harder to justify a whirlwind tour of 5, 7 or 10 places all packed into this kind of a package to possibly justify the 'value'. Apart from accumulating stamps on your passport, it's going to leave you quite exhausted. Offer some flexibility to fine-tune the duration, depending on the place and interests of the family.Itemize the tours and costs, and allow one to pick (even if it's from a set list of items).

Don't get me wrong - travel services are not an easy business for anyone to be in. Competition is not making things any easier. And, some travel service providers are trying hard to address some of these aspects through new and creative ways. But, a vacation is all about the value and we need to find better ways to ask and deliver value.

Happy holidays!

10 Great Inspiring Quotes by Steve Jobs

"Steve Jobs, the iconic leader of Apple, has logged out", proclaimed the headlines on almost all news portals and newspapers, the world over, despite more pressing events like Hurricane Irene, the issues in Libya and Syria, and even our very own 'War against Corruption', here in India. Such has been the influence of this individual in his long and illustrious career that he is undoubtedly an 'iCon' to many.

From the early years, he has always demonstrated his ability to 'Think different', and this has probably been a source of inspiration to many in the world, who are fans and followers of not only the Apple brand, but the current generation that has taken a huge following of the hugely successful and truly disruptive influences of this age - iTunes, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad!

Steve Jobs has provided inspiration in almost everything he has said and done. Here is a listing of what I found as his most inspirational quotes (and more):

1. Steve Jobs' 2005 Commencement Address at Stanford University: “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” (Watch this great video here)

2. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And, the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

3. “No one wants to die. And, yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life's change agent.”

4. “Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn’t what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really grok what it’s all about. It takes a passionate commitment to really thoroughly understand something, chew it up, not just quickly swallow it. Most people don’t take the time to do that...”

5. “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”

6. “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

7. “When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something."

8. “I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.”

9. “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.”

10. There's many more, but I think, even his style of resignation stands out: “I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come...” - Jobs, August 25, 2011.

The Best National Anthem in the World

Happy 65th Independence Day, India - and it's billion-plus folks. How things have changed in these six and a half decades... It is indeed interesting, that the attention in the world is once again shifting to this booming economy, and we have Google (with it's trademark doodle) paying tribute to this nation and it's well being on this important milestone. Just as in the era gone by, India may be becoming the center of attraction - what with a newer globalized planet. Indians sure would be proud of what's been achieved in these years, while at the same time hoping that the long-waging battle against corruption and terror be won soon.

Things have changed for all of us, no matter which demographic you may belong to. But, if there's one thing that hasn't - or, well, is different? - is the sound, the melody and the awe of our national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. We've all learnt this, and our children continue to adore this masterpiece. However, this week has seen a new development - the discovery of the "missing" stanzas of this beautiful compositon by Rabindra Nath Tagore.

Here's a look at the complete song, hitherto unknown, and like the previous masterpiece of 'Mile Sur', is performed by the legends of Indian music:

Jaya he, Jaya he, Jaya he!

Auto Malinga!

Now, here's something to match the personality of Malinga!

(Source: http://static.adayinlife.timesofindia.com/usermedia/photos/2011/Mar/d346cb472e44382853ac4099935e11fb.jpg)