Incredible India has placed itself on the list of must see destinations for most travellers for a while now. According to the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), India saw an inflow of '38.36 lakh tourist arrivals with a growth rate of 10 per cent, bringing in foreign exchange earnings worth Rs. 46115 crore during the period January-September 2010. While the focus remains on tourism products such as wildlife, heritage, adventure etc, there is a particular section which is an overlap and is often not considered - that of the long stay segment. India, traditionally, is a long stay destination - the length and breadth of the country does not allow it to be an all encompassing quick getaway destination. Yet, whether the potential of India as a destination for an elongated stay has been tapped, remains a question. To define long stay as a segment is not an easy task. These may be travellers who choose to visit India for minimum average of 30 days, which may get extended depending on the purpose of the visit. As Alok Sawhney, director of Ultimate India, Uniglobe says, â€Long stay travel in India cannot be defined as a segment based on the length of stay but rather the purpose of stay.†The purpose itself is varied, corporate business, medical tourism and backpackers can be considered most common. This is closely followed by wellness (ayurveda and yoga), there are also segments which have not been tapped into by the travel industry such as art and culture, research, education etc. The corporate lure Of the many sections within the long stay market, a progressive growth has been registered in the corporate segment. With India's GDP forecasted to grow at a rate of 9.5 per cent according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), more and more international companies are rushing into India. This has brought in a huge number of expatriates who stay in the country for terms ranging from a month to years at a time. Cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Gurgaon, apart from the metropolises of Mumbai and Delhi have been topping the charts when it comes to the maximum numbers of expatriates working in India. Each of these locations have also been crucial to the development of the number of hotel rooms in the country. According to the HVS report Hotels in India †Trends & Opportunities (Edition 2010), the year 2009-10 has seen the maximum number of hotel openings in India. The hospitality sector is perhaps one of the few which has tapped into the long-stay segment with options such as extended stay accommodations/serviced apartments. These are specially designed for the corporate travellers coming to India on different projects. Bengaluru is an interesting case study when it comes to the extended stay segment. The city has seen large scale proliferation in serviced apartments and extended stay accommodations across price points, catering to not just the expatriates coming into India but also corporate travellers relocating to the city for projects. And it's not just the upcoming cities of India, there is hope for serviced apartments and hence long stay corporate segment to grow in tier I and II cities as well. "Such cities are developing their industries and attract a high number of visitors like senior technocrats, corporate officers, expats, etc for projects. I expect the market to remain buoyant for the serviced apartment segment in the next 15-20 years even if it is low no. It's all part of the economic cycle," Dhananjaai Singh, senior VP at Clarion Collection (Qutab Hotel), New Delhi says. The biggest issue that the segment faces is that it is not looked upon as a serious business element, part of the hospitality sector. Reji Thomas, resident manager at Halcyon Condominiums, Bengaluru says, â€It is time that Ministry of Tourism (MoT) looks at serviced apartments as a mainstream business model with proper legislation,†he adds. He quotes Australia as an example where a strong legislation defines each of the specifications for serviced apartments such as building management, facilities management. States like Goa and Kerala have seen a large number of travellers who have settled in. While Goa is known for its Bohemian-like hippie sub culture with predominantly backpackers, there is also a great number of affluent travellers who choose Goa. They are typically the baby boomers who are now looking at a leisurely life. A lot of senior travellers are also looking at connecting with the country to explore the web of intricate culture and sub culture that India offers. Many of them are also looking to touch base with ties that might have with the country †either because they were born here, or have ancestors who were Indians. According to Sharat Dhall, MD of TripAdvisor India, Goa and Rajasthan top the list of long stay travellers. Kerala comes second. A world of wellness Kerala has seen a proliferation of travellers who stay for an extended number of days, this is predominantly due to ayurveda, one of the biggest draws for the state. Keeping in view that long stay is largely defined by the purpose of the visit, wellness is an upcoming and growing segment. Dr Venu V, secretary - tourism and cultural affairs, Government of Kerala, informs that the state has taken initiatives to promote Ayurveda as a therapeutic segment and not just a leisure activity. Wellness, which incorporates spa, yoga, ayurveda and other similar treatments, create a captive audience for an average of 30-40 days. Glen Schirmer, president and founder, Bio Resurge says, â€The way the programmes are designed to achieve the best results in such a short span of four weeks, it can be a perfect getaway for foreign tourists to come to India and undergo miraculous transformation and return feeling well and healed within. Our programme is unique and focused completely on vanity and health. Because of this unique character, all international clients are choosing India as a long stay destination.†Needs of the guest however differ, Balaji, COO of Shreyas Retreat says, â€For those who come for a shorter stay, one needs to concentrate on immediate and quick results for treatment of jet lag, stress, aches and pain from frequent travels and home sickness etc. Long staying guests come with lot of expectations/ desires/ goals that need a lot of personal attention, care and professional advice. According to him, long staying guests are results oriented and put lot of efforts into learning yoga, meditation, healthy cooking, weight management techniques and overall road map to live their routine life in healthier way.
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