My first visit to India was in 1965, as a part of a backpacking trip,” recalls Gael de La Porte du Theil “I have been here about twenty times since.”
An ardent traveller, Gael has seen the country change dramatically, after the turn of the century.
“I remember New Delhi airport from two years ago and New Delhi airport now. Bangkok airport seems old compared to the one here.” .
In an age of speed travel, Gael understands the industry’s changing needs.
“Tourism, “ he observed, “is not restricted to basking in the sun. There are new forms. You might head to an ashram and unwind for some days. There is medical tourism. And sports destinations.”
Gael’s passion for travel has taken him to various corners of the world and given a better understanding of the global citizen. “There are three key points to keep in mind,” he shares.
“First, tourism is a progression. You have to associate population with tourism. And finally, you must respect a country’s culture.”
Citing the example of Mauritius, he says, “I saw the place in1972. It was an island 100km from north to south. A beautiful country, with people of varied origins living peacefully together. It received a few hundred visitors each year. Today, an overbridge connects north to the south. And they have more tourists each year, than the local population, which is a million people.”
The key to success, he feels, lies in proper strategy.
“I was a part of France’s board of tourism. We created villages in the mountains as winter sport resorts. Earlier, villagers settled a little below the snow line which had seasonal snow.
“We built 10 or 12 resorts above snow line, so tourism would remain unaffected through the year.”
He feels a similar strategy could work in India. “Instead of travelling to Europe, Indian mountains could become the new winter sport destination,” he says.
“Travelling by local trains, and seeing the country first-hand adds much to experience,” he went on. Gael cites his own example. “When I backpacked in India during 1965, a war broke out between India and Pakistan. I was forced to stay in Mumbai for some time.
“I befriended another backpacker from New Zealand. We stayed at Victoria Terminus.”
He recalls what happened next. “I woke one morning to face a stranger staring at me. ‘Are you prepared to work in a film?’ he asked me,” adding, ‘The extras we hired are stuck outside town, because of the war. We need a European actor.’ ”The movie the resulted, Love in Tokyo became a huge success. But it was only after a couple of years that Gael saw his Bollywood screen debut!
Talking about the vast opportunity India provides a tourist, Gael comments, “People say they have been to India. My most obvious question is ‘which part?’ To me, India is not a country, it is a continent. There are mountains and valleys, seas, beaches, deserts… everything.”
He seems very taken by the Incredible India concept. “I saw an advertisement about a guy who travels across the country, and sends postcards. It documents India very beautifully,” he says.
As a cinema fan, using the medium to promote tourism comes naturally. “I have a friend who works with Cannes Film Festival organisers. He suggested there should be a provision of an exhibit where interested countries send representatives to share what their country has to offer to filmmakers.”
His company, Interface Tourism, also promotes work by bloggers. “Some days after the natural disaster in Tokyo, we picked feed from a French blogger in the city. We figured from his feed, that the situation was not so bad after all.” Explaining the significance of involving bloggers, he says, “It is sometimes better not to have a mediaperson report on affairs. A layman is seen as a real person, who has witnessed the ordeal, and is in a better position to comment about the state of affairs.”
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