TAAI must evolve to ride the change

By Sunil Kumar

MUMBAI, Feb 2: Wasn't the first time, when one attempted to swim, a huge challenge to every swimmer? Some considered getting into water as crazy and identical to committing suicide.

Wasn't the first time, when one got up to speak before people, it was an impossible task to every speaker? Many were convinced that "Public Speaking" is among the top ten fears.

More recently, wasn't the first time, when one moved from a manual mobile to a "smart phone", it seemed a grueling task to manage complex technology? Some gave it up at the first instance and recommended others to keep away.

Try asking an excited smart phone user to switch-back to manual mobile or that popular speaker to “read his speech” or that animated swimmer to wear a floating rubber while swimming. For sure, these are most embarrassing and uncomfortable experiences. We get upgraded when we break the routine. Often, we don’t advance into better forms, because of our indifferent or delayed responses to opportunities. We possess immense potential and abilities to perform new roles that better define us. Despite this abundance talent within, we fail to upgrade to higher quality of life and enhanced identity.

As we age, we gradually lose the thrill of an “adventure”. By saying “no” to difficult and un-attempted roles, we are limiting our potential. I recall my often used passage..

Having tried and failed is …understandable.
But, having failed to try is … unpardonable.

The old statement "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" meant that any system or process that is working well need not be modified or replaced, unless it is broken.

Management guru Tom Peters instead advocated "If it ain't broke, you haven't looked at it hard enough, meaning you are not as focused to bring in the change. He concludes to suggest that even if ain’t broke - Fix it anyway”. It is great learning that we cannot wait to bring in reforms because the old still works. The “old” or “established” may soon turn obsolete and we may be pushed far behind and lose our leadership. In order to control the advantage or optimize the investment – we must get ready to challenge the status-quo. Life doesn’t rise to superior levels when we are content with the existing or are unwilling to stretch beyond our comfort zones.

The challenge of any successful business is to stretch-its-sustainability and keep it going and growing. This happens when it meets the needs of the fast changing environment. The demands of the external environment are consistently on the rise.

It does matter for us to blend our practices in tune with it. To wait to replace something until it is broken or has become redundant may prove dearly to keep the viability alive. Absence of a vision to merge our current with the fast arriving future can cause serious set-backs and the consequential time lost to regain that “relevance to the current” can keep businesses behind. Businesses therefore must be often reviewed to “Fix” the “Existing” as well in order to re-engineer them for a greater impact.

The objective is to excitedly surpass “who we are” or “what we have achieved before”. If we don’t fix it, because it ain’t broken yet, we may miss the “connect” with future. In order to grow stronger, we must compete with the best of external.

To “fix” something after it is broken, is “reactive”. To “fix it” before it breaks, proactively gives us that competitive advantage, and gifts rewarding experiences.

Like any business – established Associations of such business persons, can create incredible approaches to manage the unpredictable tide.

Yes. TAAI must evolve. Our best way to increase its vibrancy is to invest on best practices rather than to major-on-minor issues. If we are BIG – let’s ring in the change.

I invite “all of us” to identify practices that keeps us in the lead and rings in relevance for the future. TAAI, surely, must be more than what it has been. Our strength is our members. When we roll-up-their-sleeves to unitedly strategize and condition markets – there will be no looking back. When we pool our resources to chart our future practices we actually take over controls. Unless we create benchmarks and that gusto in our approaches, we cannot stay ahead and boast of that cutting-edge.

We have exceptionally great business Leaders in you. It is important to align these with bigger tasks that can sustain our success.

Let us commence a new journey by taking lessons from our “evolving world” and ride the change. We certainly deserve more. Why stop at what we have? Let us progress into better forms. Let’s do it together.

@ Sunil Kumar is Acting TAAI President

India, A Tourism Partner That Australia Should Embrace

By Carolyn Childs

NEW DELHI, Jan 15: I'm writing this in transit from Delhi to Mumbai while participating in Australian Business Week in India. It is the largest overseas trade mission to India by any country: some 450 delegates at a senior level (c-suite or director level) across many industries.

So far it has been an exhilarating but exhausting trip, including meetings with Air India and other tourism industry stakeholders.

Leaders from many industry streams including cultural services (my sector on this trip), agriculture, technology, education, health, resources, sport, life sciences, health and assisted living, water and tourism, are all here.

Bilateral relations have a good foundation. There are India-Aussie synergies such as English language, love of cricket, and a desire to be friends before we work together. And there are opportunities: a fast growing Indian-Australian population, a huge education market (which boosts VFR travel), the presence of direct air links (Air India flies from Delhi to Sydney and Melbourne). More importantly, the Indian market wants to hear from us.

The economics and demographics are compelling too. According to Amadeus and Frost & Sullivan India's middle class is forecast to grow from 5% of the population now to 50% by 2030 – only 15 years away. Because India is forecast to outpace the world average on population growth, that will mean a market of 750 million – over twice the size of Europe and a lot physically closer.

Of course, not all of India's middle class will travel overseas. In 2010 only 13 million Indian outbound departures were recorded (about 1% of the population).

Nevertheless, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) estimates that there will be 50 million outbound Indian travellers by 2020, rising to 80 million by 2030.

Their expenditure is already significant. In 2011, Indian outbound travellers spent $US13.3 billion on international travel.

Tourism Australia anticipates India will be worth $AUD1.9 billion-2.3 billion to the Australian economy in five years' time (up from $AUD0.7 billion in 2013).

Furthermore, 47% of Indian arrivals to Australia in 2013 were repeat visitors. Indian visitors like to come and spend again.

Unfortunately, despite this amazing opportunity only two businesses are representing Australia from travel and tourism on this trip: Sydney Airport and Sovereign Hill.

That said, as we go around India, my stream of Australian business representatives is full of amazing people. They are here to help India fulfill its enormous inbound tourism potential. Australia offers India world-leading skills in interpretation, heritage conservation and planning.

The education stream on this trip has globally-recognised institutions. They are here to support Indian tourism businesses by training the next generation of tourism leaders. Our industry is missing a fantastic opportunity. India is waiting to hear from us - they want to be our friends.

So wake up folks! Australia's tourism, hospitality and destination marketing leaders need to open their eyes and embrace India.

@ Carolyn Childs is co-founder of MyTravelResearch.com