Sujata Agrawal

The Taj Group of Hotels is concentrating on the Indian traveller as it lines up an exciting range of offers to beat the tourism blues

The Taj Group of Hotels, famed for their luxury hotels and world-class hospitality, is gearing up for the peak tourist season by presenting fabulous incentives for the holiday traveller. On offer are special winter holiday tours, value-added packages and a distinctive scheme for singles.

The Taj is making light of depressed tourism prospects in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the United Sates by concentrating on domestic travellers. The already dwindling foreign tourist traffic took a further beating following the attacks, with hotels and travel agents being swamped by cancellations. (India attracts only 2.4 million foreign tourists each year compared with America’s 40 million.)

“The attack obviously has had an impact on hotel occupancy in India and our leisure division, in particular, has been hit,” says Jamshed Daboo, chief operating officer of the Taj’s leisure hotels division. “We expect a lot of foreign tour groups during the winter season and this has been affected quite severely.”

Fortunately for the Taj, the effect of the slowdown has been mitigated by the fact that it has a wide selection of hotels - beach resorts, palaces and wildlife retreats among them - in different places. More importantly, the group has over the past year made a conscious decision to focus on the domestic traveller. “Many Indians plan just one holiday a year. With our attractive holiday packages, we are making it easier for them take more holidays,” says Daboo.

The Taj’s leisure hotels division has laid out a slew of offers and vacation packages that will gladden the heart of any traveller. “Normally we would not have such offers during our prime business season; this is essentially because of the crisis. Our offers are not discounts as much as value additions. We are giving more for the same amount.”

A third night free when you book for two nights, two rooms for the price of one, a fourth night free on the winter package at the group’s hotels in Sri Lanka, Dubai and Nepal - holidaymakers have never had it so good with the Taj. There’s also the incredible ‘Best of Sri Lanka’ offer, where for Rs 24,500 (airfare included) you can enjoy a four-night holiday for two at the Taj Samudra in Colombo and the Taj Exotica in Bentota.

The winter holiday packages offer a memorable holiday at any of the group’s hotels in 30 cities across India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. There are innovative packages for the young to the old, for those seeking the thrill of a wildlife adventure to those wanting some serenity on the beach or up in the mountains.

Honeymooners and other couples can enjoy the ‘Romantic Holiday’ packages at the Jai Mahal Palace or the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, or at Lake Palace in Udaipur. Visitors get a traditional welcome, besides sherbet, buggy rides and a candle-lit dinner. The Taj Retreat at Kumarakom in Kerala offers a sunset cruise in a ‘kettuvellum’ (rice boat).

The Taj’s ‘Pilgrim Holiday’ packages are divine, to say the least.At the Taj Benares, arrangements can be made for a pandit, and a special Tirupathi darshan is on offer when you stay at the Taj Connemara or the Fisherman’s Cove in Chennai. A visit to Shirdi is what tourists get when they stay at the Taj Nashik.

The adventurous can take a trip to the Gir National Park, habitat of the Asiatic Lion, while staying at the luxurious Gir Lodge. Or catch Royal Bengal Tigers at their home in the Ranthambore National Park, among the world’s most picturesque game reserves, while parking at the Sawai Madhopar Lodge.

The Taj Group has also launched ‘Itineraries’, a tailor-made programme for the Indian traveller that offers a complete guide, besides hotel and transport. “We have the advantage of operating a spread of hotels in Kerala and Rajasthan, and the Taj name assures you get the best of everything," says Mr Daboo

Additionally, there’s the Taj’s ‘gift-a-holiday programme’ for friends and family. Available in denominations of US$ 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500, these are valid for stay at any of the group’s 48 hotels and resorts in India.

These offers are valid for a certain period; all the more reason to unwind with the Taj Group during this holiday season. For more information, visit www.tajhotels.com

One is fun If being single is cool, then being single and staying at a Taj Group hotel can be positively delightful. The idea behind the ‘Single Vacation’ concept being promoted by group is for single people to enjoy a holiday without having to worry about feeling alone. The idea is the brainchild of Sandhya Kunjoor, category manager of the group’s leisure hotels division. It came to her after she visited the International Travel Mart at Berlin in March 2000 and saw packages specially designed by international tour operators for singles. “I thought it would be a great idea to cash in since no one else had started anything on these lines,” says Ms Kunjoor. “Also, the Taj name adds credibility and gives a sense of security. There is the element of trust associated with us.” The first Taj singles holiday was held in Goa in February 2001. With 32 people participating, the programme included room, meals, liquor, champagne breakfast, a champagne bath and special activities with local flavour - all for Rs 14,000. “The first evening was crucial, since no one knew each other,” says Ms Kunjoor. “So we started a game where each person had to come up with a pick-up line. This was an icebreaker and people mingled and enjoyed themselves thereafter. Several people wrote back after the trip, saying that they had felt important and special and would love to be invited again. It was very encouraging.” Two more programmes have been held since, at the Fisherman Cove’s, Chennai, in April and at the Taj Hari Mahal, Jodhpur, in October. The last one for this year will be at the Taj Exotica, Goa, from December 21 to 23. This time the Taj is also aiming the package at non-resident Indians, through its website, where people can log in and register their names. The Taj Group has compiled a database of those interested in the concept. The people for each programme are chosen very carefully, since it is important that they enjoy a vacation as a group. With the success of this venture, Ms Kunjoor is planning more such programmes for 2002. To find out more about this unique concept and how you can register, visit www.tajhotels.com