Incredible India

Kant’s experience with the tourism sector began when he was posted as Secretary Tourism in Kerala. He was part of the team that conceived Kerala’s ‘God’s own Country’ campaign. When he moved into the India Tourism Development Corporation, he was given the task of rebranding India to boost falling tourism rates. “We’d just witnessed 9/11. Right after that there was war in Pakistan, consumer demand (for India) had really slumped and the challenge was to revive consumer demand,” he says. The ITDC had to “do an integrated 360 degree marketing campaign” to remind people of why they should come to India.

The Future of Tourism

Kant sees tourism as an ‘antidote to terrorism’, an industry that brings together people from different backgrounds and cultures rather than privileges or differences between them. He thinks that India’s tourism industry has only one way to go: up. Now with the introduction of the visa-on-arrival scheme for more than 180 countries, demand for this part of the world is likely to increase, he says.  “India has got great history, great culture, great character. It should emerge as one of the top destinations in the world. It was once a difficult destination to travel to,” he concedes, but now with the new scheme, a major bureaucratic hassle is out of the way and should tempt travelers.

Why choose this Sector?

Kant definitely advocates the tourism sector as a good career path for students looking to do something a little different career-wise . He says that there are “opportunities across various areas from hotel management to travel agencies to guides, chefs, airlines. It can be immensely satisfying.” The tourism sector is one “that gives you both good earning as well as professional satisfaction,” he says – adding that one does not need to worry about having a specific academic background in such a varied field.