Indian panorama

campaign. Spend: Rs 100 million. Returns: Rs 1.5 billion.

India is making a big splash the world over. Be it "India everywhere" at the World Economic Forum in Davos (that too twice over!), the India splash at Frankfurt Book Fair or the trade fair at Hanover, brand India is getting only stronger.

The latest in the series has been the extravagant blitz at ITB Berlin 2007, one of the largest international travel shows, which wowed the world and India alike.

Such was the dazzle that Indians back from the show can't just stop raving about it. "It was the best show ever by Indian tourism that I have seen in the last 30 years," says Sunirmol Ghosh, MD, Indo Asia Tours.

The local media, too, was floored. As one local newspaper put it: "The show put up by India sets a new benchmark and makes it difficult for the next partner country at ITB." As it goes, India was the partner country at ITB this year. According to Amitabh Kant, joint secretary, ministry of tourism, about Rs 10 crore was spent on the whole show.

And not without results. The amount of business that India sellers saw at Berlin was mind boggling, says Ghosh.

"The travel trade comes in for the first three days of the show and the next two days are predominantly open for public. This time, though, our team of six was busy with agents through all five days," he exclaims.

As part of the festivities, there were performances by 70-80 cultural artistes from India besides a unique fashion show by Ritu Kumar that had 30 Indian models participating in it.

Two exclusive exhibitions on India were also screened "" one of them by National Geographic's best known photographers. But what really stole the show was an authentic Indian wedding of a German couple who met in India when they were learning the tabla and kathak.

Outside, too, it was India all the way. Buses and taxis sported Incredible India banners. Huge outdoor ads with brand new Incredible India creatives adorned the streets of Berlin. Even at the railway station and the airport, it was Incredible India dominating the scene.

"Additionally, CNN, BBC, National Geographic, Euro News "" all gave us additional spots for our electronic campaign," informed Kant. And this will stay in the city for another 2-3 months.

The India evening was a hit too, with a 29-course Indian meal on offer for over 4,500 people. The Indian hotels "" Taj, Oberoi, Maurya and Hyatt "" had flown in their speciality chefs for the event.

"The total business transacted for India was $1.5 billion," informed Kant. The best thing for India was participation from products from smaller and newer Indian cities like Indore, Shekhawati, Arunachal Pradesh.

Proof that business was good for the Indian pavilion is that people were willing to look at new products and readily booked themselves for the summer months of May and June when told that November and December were sold out.

"People came to us with inquiries for lesser known festivals such as the elephant mela in Sonepur (close to Patna) and some other cattle fairs in Rajasthan," says a leading tour operator.

According to Kant, next on the cards is a big outdoor splash at Cannes and, if all goes well, it will be the World Travel Mart London later this year.