INDIAN players brushed off yesterday’s Delhi bomb blast as an aberration that will not dent tourism growth, even as some buyers interviewed by the Daily showed concern.
The bomb exploded in front of the High Court, 2km from the venue of PATA Travel Mart, which was being inaugurated by India’s tourism minister Subodh Kant Sahai.
Indian tourism officials were deadpan when queried by the Daily about the impact of terror on their inbound hopes during yesterday’s PATA media briefing.
On the floor, Indian sellers put on a stoic face. Vikram Madhok, managing director, Abercrombie & Kent, said: “The US had its 9/11, and so did India (referring to the Mumbai attack), but we came back beautifully. Our growth story remains intact.”
Arjun Sharma, managing director, Le Passage to India, said: “This is a random occurrence, and it is always sad when lives are lost. But tourism is resilient. I will discount this as an aberration and it will be business as usual after the intial shock.”
Buyers are split over the impact, with those from more crisis-sensitive markets such as the US and China saying India inbound will suffer a price.
– Read more in TTG-PTM Official Daily – Day 2 issue
