Monaco Devises programs to Garner Indian Travel Market share

The tourism department of Monaco in collaboration with the Indian respective office has concluded five-day long programs including road shows at the two major cities of India to promote Monaco as a primary tourism option to the new Indian rich. Although it is the worlds second smallest country, Monaco - with its legendary reputation as the home to royalty, luxury suites and multi-million dollar penthouses - receives more than 4.5mn visitors every year.

The Monaco Government Tourist Office and Convention Authority (MGTOCA) had opened an administrative centre in India early this year to further the objective. Monaco boasts of jazz festivals, luxury yachting, casinos, high fashion, luxury sea-facing resorts on the French Riviera and thefamed Monte CarloFormula One Grand Prix.

The road shows were designed to provide update on Monaco as a happening tourist destination which is second home to many rich and famous including sportspersons and movie stars. The street demos held between 21 and 25 Nov in New Delhi and Mumbai, the former, the capital and the latter, dubbed as the commercial capital of India, trained their guns on the upper middle class of India.

Besides, theMonacogovernment has tied-up with the high-end Monte-Carlo-based SBM resorts and Cox & Kings to promote destination tourism inIndia. JeanFrancois Gordon, a top government official from Monaco told that there was significant increase in the number of Indian tourists to Monaco this year compared to 2009. In 2011, we are expecting 600 additional Indian tourists to Monaco when a leading Indian citizen hosts a family wedding in the principality, he added.

Guillaume Rose, Deputy General Manager of the MGTOCA while in India said that the principality would never stop investing to ensure that its infrastructure remained at the highest level of excellence, in order to cater to even more visitors, especially from India. The MGTOCA diversified to India after observing a marked growth about 44 percent visitor arrivals from India in 2010 as compared to the previous year.

Monaco is cashing in on forthcoming big ticket events such as, 35th International Circus Festival in January 2011, Rolex Masters in April 2011 and 79th F1 Grand Prix in May 2011.

By Jose Roy.