ndia is a fast-growing and increasingly important outbound market for foreign airlines. The true import of this statement becomes clear when we take a dekko at the adspends of the international airlines targeting fliers from India. According to data supplied by ADEX India, the combined adspend in television and print media of international airlines operating out of India was to the tune of Rs 124 million from January to December 2003. The big spenders were Malaysia Airlines, Emirates Airlines and Thai Air with individual spendings of Rs 53.5 million, Rs 35.3 million and Rs 11.2 million respectively. (This industry is known to have barter arrangements with media owners. So the figures mentioned here reflect the value of media placed and not necessarily money exchanging hands.)

This clearly signals the arrival of tourism-related communication in India. One prime - and the most obvious - reason for the increase in such advertising is the increase in the number of Indians travelling abroad, a direct corollary of ticket prices heading southwards. "The reason for the spurt in the foreign airline advertising is that air travel has become cheaper," says Basabdatta Chowdhry, general manager, Delhi, Madison Media. The fact that the rupee has steadily strengthened against the dollar has helped, too. ... more