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China needs to give tourism a soul
2005-10-17
China Daily
Tourism has not traditionally been connected to China, not until quite recently. For both the visitors and the host country, it is a whole new ball game and many rules need to be fleshed out before it blossoms into a big time bonanza for the Olympics and the World Expo. In terms of infrastructure, manpower and training in language and service industry skills, there seems to be a lot happening.
I have found only those who are truly enthusiastic about the place, people, country and culture can communicate this to visitors and ensure that travel becomes an experience for broadening the mind and uplifting the spirit as it used to be.
Most of the time, we see tourist groups happy to follow the flag of the tour guide as they scurry in a hurry from one end of the city to another. They tick off the must-see spots on their itinerary to make the most of the small fortune they have spent on the trip of a lifetime.
But there is another genre of visitors - those who want to get an insight into the history and culture, understand what makes China so different, check out the local lifestyle and cuisine, and take home something other than mass-produced mementoes.
Modern marketing tools may keep the number of visitors ticking over and cash registers ringing. But to really make an emotional connection with travellers so they go home and share the experience with others, to etch an area in the mindset of visitors so that they speak of China not only as an emerging power but as a country with a great culture and tradition, something else is required.
To teach a child arithmetic, you need three things. You need to know arithmetic, you need to know how to teach and you also need to know your student. To be able to project the best face of China to visitors, you need to know your own culture well and you need to know how to communicate this to visitors - not only with mere facts and figures but with enthusiasm and passion. You also have to know what makes the child tick.
I am of course speaking purely from my own experience as a tourist. A few years ago, we were shooting a TV travel show in Australia, and we had a terrific guide taking us around the country. Not only did she know a lot about the places, was great at making and changing appointments and facilitating the shooting schedule, she was really enthusiastic about the place. And that made all the difference.
So while on long trips between the shooting spots, I learnt a lot from her about the aesthetics of Melbourne and Sydney, funny stories of the ongoing contests between Australia and New Zealand, about the fierce pride and sense of achievement that made a hotel owner put up a placard stating that he is an ex-convict, about the flat society and bonhomie of the people.
No tourist book or travelogue would have told me as much as I learnt from Susan. I came back from Australia with a rich perspective of the place and people and even five years after the trip, I could help others plan an itinerary to suit their taste.
I have been to Singapore twice - two diametrically opposed experiences. The first was a family trip, arranged by relatives who have lived there and love the place. We had a splendid time and saw various facets of Singapore that made it the best holiday ever.
I went to Singapore again some years later, on a shooting trip. We had an official guide, who merely went through the motions, taking us to Tiffin's, giving us Singapore slings, taking us on a trip to the Night Safari and mini golf at Sentosa island. But somehow the magic was missing. Her cynicism and apathy and lack of passion for the place percolated through to us and suddenly Singapore seemed to be a different destination, a commercial con to woo tourists by creating artificial excitement and capsulated history.
Tourism in India is also coming of age and tourist guides are often innovative, if not informed. During a recent visit to Rajasthan, one of the most favoured destinations for overseas visitors, we were zapped by the marketing savvy of one of the guides. Each time he was with a different group, he would regale them with a story of how a foreign princess had mesmerized the local prince, while pointing out a faded painting of her form on the palace wall. But his unique selling point was that the nationality of the princess would change to match that of his group. So on the same day, that poor damsel would be depicted as Thai, Japanese, American or Korean, as the case may be! He scored low on authenticity but high on understanding the concept of marketing for a target group.
So while the best of marketing strategies, infrastructure, language training and skills are important to build the body of the tourism industry, to give it a soul, there is a need to infuse people with passion and pride for all that China stands for.
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