ECOCLUB, Issue 94
7
commission being slashed on airline tickets and plethora of products and services available to the customers, brick and mortar
concepts of business will not be the same in the coming years. The Internet has already revolutionized the way people plan their
holiday within India. Disposable income combined with access to internet has prompted millions of Indians to purchase their
holiday online by-passing middlemen.
Even in such a scenario, the relevance of tour operators seems to be only increasing as
the focus on 'experiential' travelling is on demand. With the new generation tourism entrepreneurs coming out of the user
friendly technology boom more and more work from large travel companies will pursue out sourcing so as to add values based
on their core competencies.
ECOCLUB.com: As India rapidly develops, the impression around the world is that inequality grows with many
people being left behind. What is the situation in India's travel sector, and can small-scale tourism bridge the various
gaps, or do you really need mass investments and resorts?
Gopinath Parayil: India is going through the initial stage of its economic development phase at the moment and at present it is
being visible mostly in the urban areas. Growth in the tourism sector is also reflecting similar trends and the developments are
confined to only certain areas. There is a need for mass investment, but this should not be restricted to resorts or hotels. Mass
investment is needed in allied industries and public infrastructure that will increase the quality of life of a commoner. On a long
term, only if the host community has better living conditions, would travellers continue to visit a destination. It is also important
that the investment has to be spread out with discretion between main gateways and rural India. Small scale tourism projects in
consultation with local communities should be the mainstay in development. Even though the potential of small scale tourism is
enormous, this development itself will not bridge the gap. When we started operating in areas which were not part of the popular
circuits, we faced problems with accommodations like hotels and resorts. What was looked upon as a limitation was later turned
into an add-on-value, as home stays and small properties provided alternative source of income for many families!
ECOCLUB.com: Do you see India experiencing a mass influx of tourists in the near future? Should India try to avoid
it or prepare for it?
Gopinath Parayil: Incredible India campaign at the ITB Berlin, along with various visual media promotions in different parts
of the world has created a lot of interest about India as a destination. All this will certainly bring in a flow of tourists to India in
the near future. I don't see any reason why India should arrest this growth. A trillion dollar economy and the pace in which the
economy is growing will certainly influence the way tourism will develop in the country including the volume and carrying
capacity of destinations. Rather than avoiding the increase in the number of tourists, India should prepare for this, as tourism as
an industry along with its subsidiary industries and associated infrastructure can make positive changes in the lives of common
people. Nevertheless this needs a lot of consultations and planning with various stakeholders.
ECOCLUB.com: What sets Kerala apart from other Indian states and has produced its tourism success?
Environment, culture or politics?
Gopinath Parayil: I would say a combination of all. Even the landscape has played its role in making Kerala as one of the
worlds top destination. The narrow strip of land provides the traveller a combination of rivers, backwaters, beaches, mountains
and stunning wildlife in its forest regions and all these are accessible within short distances. Cultural richness, entrepreneurial
nature of local people (more than 70% of hospitality business are run by people from the state), and sustained marketing efforts
of the successive Governments that came to power irrespective of their political belief has also been influential in making it a
success story.
ECOCLUB.com: You are still in your mid-30s, yet you have accomplished quite a bit for responsible tourism in
India. What are your future plans?
Gopinath Parayil: Tourism projects that are run responsibly can make so many positive changes in a society. The potential of
tourism in providing jobs, alternative livelihoods, and conservation of environment and preservation of many art forms that
would otherwise go into oblivion are mind boggling and as an organisation, we have only scratched the surface in Kerala.
Seeing the potential of the concept and the success of revenue model we are working on, there is a lot of interest being
generated in the country. We are building networks in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal and
North East of India, where the ground work has already started through our local partners.
The idea is to build up local
partnerships where they can design, own, operate and manage the projects in the tourism sector that are sustainable. Our role
should remain only as the facilitator and in another five years I would like to see The Blue Yonder working with communities
around the world.
ECOCLUB: Thank you very much.