Luxury Holidays in India Offering Unique Cultural Interactions

India is fast climbing up the ladder as a favored global destination for travel and tourism. The major drivers of growth when it comes to tours to India have always been the history, heritage, culture, Ayurveda and Yoga. Whereas in the recent past the exotic appeal of the India drew the travelers from around the world to this incredible country, India as a one of the favored luxury holiday destination is a recent phenomenon.

Opening up of the economy and subsequent development led to the India’s rise in global economy. When it comes to travel and tourism industries, the effects of liberalization is now visible in the world class infrastructure, development of tourist destinations and presence of the renowned players in global hospitality industry. If the recently studies are anything to go by, luxury holidays in India is one of the fastest growing travel segment.

Luxury holidays nowadays have become synonymous with creating exclusive experiences at the destinations. There is a huge demand for unique cultural experiences among the new generation of tourists and what better destination to offer these insider experiences to the global nomads than “incredible India”.

The cradle of the Indus Valley Civilization, India’s cultural heritage is unparalleled. To tap into the vast potential of this allure among the overseas tourists, the players in Indian travel industry have come up with a range of exclusive tour packages. Luxury holiday packages in India are an eclectic mélange of the unique cultural experience which blends seamlessly with the modern India milieu and gracious hospitality.

Of the many options available for luxury holiday in India, the luxury train tours are fast catching up the attention of the connoisseurs of the luxury travel industry as well as affluent tourists from around the world. The history of luxury train traveling in India began with the introduction of Palace on Wheels in 1982. After its resounding success more luxury trains followed. The crescendo of the luxury tourist train in India was reached with the introduction of the Maharajas Express.

Launched in 2010, Maharajas Express was touted to be the India’s answer to the Orient Express of the West. The train won accolade and hearts of the connoisseurs of luxury travel across the globe. With its state of the art amenities and 5 pan-Indian itineraries, it is considered to one of the most luxurious trains in the world.

Besides luxury trains, there are an assortment of options to choose from for planning an unforgettable vacation in India. Rajasthan is the favored destination when it comes to cultural interactions and glimpses of royal India. The land of the former Rajput warrior princes, Rajasthan has much more to offer than just forts, palaces and desert sand dunes. From painted havelis to the heritage hotels offering authentic experiences of royal living to the colorful bazaar speckled with artifacts and handicrafts, the activities to indulge in could confound even a fussy traveler in Rajasthan.

An important aspect of the luxury holiday in India – be it Rajasthan, Kerala or Goa – especially when it is arranged for by players of travel and hospitality industry is the exclusive experiences. Creating insider experiences that range from pre-packaged, off-the-beaten-track tours with local guides, to customized outings and self-guided tours with the input of the concierge staff are highly popular among the overseas tourists.

Adding to the vast repertoire of luxury tour packages in India is the everlasting appeal of the ancient art of Indian healing system Ayurveda and Vedanta. Kerala is the hub for Ayurveda tours in India with home to several award winning Ayurvedic resorts. Ananda in Himalaya is another globally renowned destination offering an array of therapeutic massages and beauty treatment to the guests in a pristine locale. Set atop Himalaya overlooking the holy Ganges near yoga center Rishikesh, Ananda in Himalaya offers a truly blissful and rejuvenating stay to the guests looking for luxury and wellness.

Another major luxury holiday destination in India and probably the most acclaimed global beach destination in India is the tiny emerald of Goa. The unruffled ambience and the unique stupor weaving ‘susegad’ while staying in the pampering of world-class resorts are seldom found anywhere else in India.

French View of American Cinema – Cultural Values

Cultural exchanges serve a variety of purposes. They can be used to bridge political divides, increase the understanding of another nation, or provide an export market for products and services. When one culture’s domination of a particular medium exists, their may be mistrust and resentment when it is exported to other parts of the world.

In the United States, the making of films is considered an industry. In this view, Los Angeles is a factory town that produces films, television shows, and musical recordings in the same way that Gary, Indiana produces steel and refines oil. In other parts of the world, however, the making of films is considered an art form much like writing a novel or poetry. Nowhere is this cultural divide more apparent than the consideration of cinema in the United States and France.

The French view of American cinema is well expressed by film producer Marin Karmitz. Karmitz has stated that, “the U.S. movie industry is big business, but behind the industrial aspect, there is also an ideological one. Sound and pictures have always been used for propaganda, and the real battle at the moment is over who is going to be allowed to control the world’s images, and so sell a certain lifestyle, a certain culture, certain products, and certain ideas” (Francesco 441). Is French culture threatened by the importation of American films and entertainment? A closer examination of the two competing cultures, and the role of the cinema in each, is important in finding the answer.

American and French Cinema

The Role of the Cinema in France

The Battle of France and the resulting German victory in 1940 led to an era of intense internal examination of French culture as a means of finding an answer, and fixing blame, for the defeat. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the case of the 1937 film “Le Grande Illusion” (which was banned by the French Government in 1939). Jean Renior’s film was one of the most popular French films of the interwar years and was the culmination of a series of anti-war films that began with Gance’s “J’ Accuse” in 1919. The “Grand Illusion” is that war solves anything (Jackson 148). After the defeat, this movie, along with novels by Proust and Cocteau, were blamed for creating a pacifist culture in France that led to the defeat. Marin Karmitz’s comments about the power of film quoted above, therefore, are well grounded in French history and culture.

The Motion Picture Industry in America

In contrast to foreign filmmakers, the American film industry views its products as a commodity. The object is to make a film, market and distribute it, and reap the profits (Francesco 442). While “Slaughterhouse Five” and “One Flew over the Cuckoos’ Nest” are examples of American filmmakers producing thoughtful, philosophical pictures, these are exceptions rather than the rule. Most American films are produced purely for entertainment value and, at the same time, do well financially both in the U.S. and overseas.

Contrasting French and American Culture

As stated in the text, “organizational and national cultures influence organizational behavior” (Francesco 13). An understanding of the differing views of the entertainment industry between the United States and France can only be arrived at by an examination of their cultures.

Hofstede’s Dimensions of Cultural Values

Hofstede’s Dimensions of Cultural Values provides a useful tool in examining the differing cultures in France and United States. Based on his analysis of over 100,000 IBM employees across the world, Hofstede determined that there are dimensions to explain differing cultures: individualism/collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and masculine feminine.

Individualism/Collectivism

In individualist societies, people are more concerned with themselves and their families than with others. Reflecting this, organizations attempt to honor the individual and base promotion and compensation on individual effort. This holds true even when individuals are part of a team.

In collectivist countries, the overall good of the group is paramount. This holds especially true in the former Soviet Union and its satellites despite their conversion to free market economies. The expectation in these societies is that individuals will subordinate their goals for the good of the group.

Under Hofstede’s analysis, both the United States and France are individualist societies. In both countries, individual initiative is important and rewarded. Applying this analysis to the film industry, it is easy to see that films in both countries are primarily identified by their lead actors and producers.

Power Distance

Power distance is defined as the level to which less powerful members of an organization accept that power is unevenly distributed.

A small power distance society is uncomfortable with power distances. These distances may be based on economic wealth, education, or organizational ranking. It is considered positive behavior for someone in a high-level position to treat someone at a lower level as an equal. Organizations in small power distance societies tend to have more participation at all levels in the decision making process.

In a large power distance society, an individual’s societal or organizational level influences their behavior and the behavior of others toward them. While persons in a higher organizational or societal position treat others with respect, the differences in rank are clear and never fully forgotten. In large power societies, decisions are made by leaders with little or no input from those below them on the hierarchical ladder. Delegation of decision-making is rarely done.

While the U.S. is a small power distance society in Hofstede’s analysis, France in contrast is a large power distance society. This fact was parodied in a 1941 political cartoon. In the cartoon “two bemused French peasants are being told by an intellectual: ‘How can you be surprised [about the defeat]? You gorged yourselves on the works of Proust, Gide, and Cocteau.’ All these writers shared in common the fact that they are homosexual” (Jackson 4). Not only does this cartoon portray the ideals of the elites, it also points out again the importance of the arts in swaying French public opinion.

American organizations in theory, if not always in practice, value the input of individuals regardless of their societal or organizational rank. Several years ago, Sperry Rand Corporation ran an advertising campaign based on the idea of listening. In its advertisements, it portrayed an executive at the end of the day discussing the company with an older member of the maintenance department. The message Sperry Rand tried to convey was that its executives were open to ideas regardless of their source.

Uncertainty Avoidance

Uncertainty avoidance defines the preferred amount of structure in a society. This structure may involve civil laws or strict conduct of behavior at the one extreme, and the acceptance of a wide range of behaviors at the other.

In a strong uncertainty avoidance society, people prefer structure and explicit rules of behavior. As is true in many large power distance societies, there is a strong respect for experts. The risk avoidance behavior found in these cultures can lead to a dearth of new commercial ventures and a desire among managers to remain employed by the same organization for a long period of time.

In contrast, weak uncertainty avoidance societies favor unstructured situations, strong feelings of personal confidence, and entrepreneurial behavior.

French society is marked by strong uncertainty avoidance. This may be explained in part by the painful experiences of two world wars in the 20th century and may explain its attitude toward the arts. In a society where experts and intellectuals are respected because of their social rank, high value is placed on the arts and the protection of native culture.

American society in contrast is marked by weak uncertainty avoidance. The entrepreneurial nature of the American movie industry is underscored by two facts. The first is that the early movie pioneers in California did not move to the West Coast for its abundance of sunshine, but to be free of Thomas Edison’s lawyers who were demanding royalties for the use of Edison’s technology. Secondly, many of California’s early studios were founded by Jewish businessmen from the East Coast, who because of prejudice, were blocked from pursuing traditional careers in banking and big business.

Masculine/Feminine

In masculine societies, success, assertiveness, and competition are rewarded. In feminine cultures, personal relationships, care for others, and quality of life are highly valued. Hofstede defines American society as masculine and French society as feminine.There are several ways to view the motion picture and entertainment industries in this light. On the one hand, American films tend to be action oriented with an assertive and successful hero or heroine. At the same time, American studios were founded by risk takers who were rewarded financially for their efforts.

French films in contrast tend to be contemplative and less action oriented. As “Le Grande Illusion” illustrates, French films are often overtly political in nature.

Conclusion

French and American films are different. Likewise, the attitude of French and American filmmakers toward their industry’s role in society is different. Hofstede’s Dimensions of Cultural Values provides a framework with which to explore these differences. French society can be characterized as individualistic, large power distance, strong uncertainty avoidant, and feminine. In contrast, American society is characterized as individualistic, small power distance, weak uncertainty avoidant, and masculine.

The Party Industry – Service is Golden

The party services industry is a broad and large industry that encompasses services from the likes of party planners, inflatable rentals, tent rentals, children entertainers, clown service, table and chair rentals, videographer and photography service, catering service, concession machine rentals, DJ service and more. As large as the industry is and as many services as it encompasses, it still has one thing in common, it is in the service industry. This means that all companies provide a service, an intangible good to consumers. The quality of the service determines the quality of the company and its image to consumers. Just like the quality of products for retailers and manufacturers determine the success of the business, the quality of service determines the success of a service company. So what must you do to improve your company’s image and service?

Every company must have a mission, goal, or objective in the endeavor. The company’s corporate culture, along with the mission, goal, or objective, must be represented by every member in the organization. The members of the company and the quality of service they provide represent the company to the customer. This can be the customer service representative, the manager, the delivery personnel, or even the attendant service the cotton candy. Every direct line of communication is important and must be coherent in its level of quality and service. Yes it is difficult to align all members of an organization to provide the same level of service since individuals are different and act differently. However, managers and executives should seek to identify the levels of direct communication between the company and the customer, what information is passed, how communication is done, and how company representatives can be trained or directed to providing a service that’s coherent to the company.

Customers view individuals within a service-oriented company as being the image of the company, and therefore it is important to create a corporate culture that establishes practices and rules for everyone to adhere to. Creating a corporate culture and mission for the company can be important for everyone to know, and it can help identify what the company’s goals and objectives are. Without an established framework for people to follow, individuals are left to themselves to provide services at their discretion. This can be seriously damaging and can cause the company’s image and perception to go down. Providing a corporate culture and establishing a framework helps reduce differences in the level of quality from everyone in the company and can contribute to creating a successful image that customers will value.

Training and education is also important in service-oriented industries because you want people that will be able to help answer any question a customer might have. Having a knowledgeable and experienced staff is key to providing a high level of customer service. However, as any business owner knows, it can be costly hiring experienced and talented staff members or establishing training programs. So how can this obstacle be tackled? Providing training for new products, or services, and how to deliver the good is a necessary start. Employees can learn by trial and error, but this can contribute to losing customers through mistakes and creating a bad image. Therefore, it is essential to train employees in the processes that they will be conducting. For a customer service representative, you want to train them on things such as communication skills, greetings, sales, and knowledge of the product or process to help answer questions. Delivery personnel must know how to setup and operate the product and also be good with skills such as communication, socialization, and timeliness. Each individual in a company has tasks that are specific to them and must know how to do them successfully that both adhere to the company culture and mission and portray a high level of service.

Quality and consistency of service are the golden keys to success in the party service industry. Being able to identify the levels of communication and the methods of communication are key to knowing who deals with customer and how they do so. Creating a corporate culture and mission statement for everyone to follow is essential for paving the way for others and having a framework for them to abide by. Then training and educating your staff on the processes that identify their tasks and giving them the tools to learn and grow can help create a successful workforce, company, and a high level of customer service.