India's Golden Triangle

Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The three points that form the Golden Triangle of India have attracted tourists, backpackers and luxury seekers alike for centuries. Though there has been no dearth of leisure travellers, the culturally rich region has not been able to penetrate into the global meetings and incentives market. According to government sources, less than than 15 per cent of total inbound visitors are from the CEI segment. The Indian tourism industry has taken notice and is now aggressively promoting the Golden Triangle as a rich amalgamation of traditional and living arts along with the presence of world-class hotels boasting facilities that can support the biggest and most challenging of meetings and conferences. Incentive-related travel to this destination is becoming particularly popular. Incentive choice Arup Sen, executive director of destination management company Cox and Kings, says: "Sightseeing opportunities are an important aspect of incentives. A theme dinner at the Samode Palace near Jaipur or a sunset cocktail party on the hill that overlooks the Taj Mahal form truly rewarding experiences. "Activities such as fast-paced horse polo, complete with private boxes where champagne and caviar flow like they were going out of fashion. Slower-paced activities such as elephant polo can be provided." Delhi should be a natural choice for CEI events coming to India. It is the most convenient point in terms of access, it has the best infrastructure of major Indian cities and is the nation's capital. For the incentive market it is a convenient starting point to visit Agra and Jaipur, and it is natural progression for CEI events coming to Delhi to cover sightseeing options in the Golden Triangle. These days time is a luxury that very few corporates enjoy and regular incentive itineraries have been cut from seven nights to four or five nights. It is therefore a challenge to pack in all the attractions. "Delhi-Agra-Jaipur is a circuit that encompasses the true essence of India and can be done in a minimum number of days — let's say five or six," says Sujit Kumar, one of the founders of Yatrik, a destination management company. "All three cities have some of the best hotels and services that India has to offer. Activities here can include elephant rides, dinners at palaces and all three are shopping paradises too." Over the next couple of years, Jaipur will see around 5,000 new rooms built in the twoto five-star categories. To tap the elite meetings and incentive traveller, most high-end hotels are rolling out their red carpets and buggies, hitherto reserved for visiting royalties. "We often received requests from corporates for medium-sized meetings with ten or more breakout sessions of around five to ten participants each," says Christopher Viegas, director of sales, conferences and incentives, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. "In most hotels, this would be a challenge given the number of meeting rooms usually available. At our Palace Hotels, we have come up with a unique solution by way of 'tents' that are not only functional, but also, being derived from the local setting, do add to that special charm. Aself-declared "non-hotel" chain in India is the Neemrana, which has been wooing the top end of corporate and incentive travellers. By taking what are, in effect, historic ruins and turning them into hospitality jewels, the group's flagship property on the Delhi-Jaipur highway has some unique meeting rooms and spaces that have been used as the venue for some very prestigious conferences, including diplomatic talks between India and Pakistan. Aman Nath, co-chairman of Neemrana Hotels, says: "Neemrana has many unique settings. More companies now book an entire Neemrana 'non-hotel' to conduct their business in privacy." The Jaypee Palace Hotel in Agra boasts a state-of-the-art international convention centre with a built-in stage, green room, an exceptionally large pre-function area and a seating capacity of 1,500 theatre style, and is one of the biggest in this part of the country. Rajeev Kohli, director of marketing, Creative Travel, says: "As our facilities for the CEI market improve, our client base increases. We are getting more and more clients that are discerning in their tastes and have better budgets. We are getting people that want unique experiences and are willing to pay a premium for them."