Luxury Trains

India has been known for the luxury, that its kings and rulers have lived in. All of them left behind signs of their luxury, in the form of palaces, forts and even clothes in some cases. Many of these properties today are being managed by some of the top hotels in the world. There are so many luxury destinations in India. 2 of Oberoi group's hotels figure in the top 10 hotels in the world (both in India).

Barring Rajasthan, no other state of India has really seen the potential that this form of tourism brings to the state; or have made attempts to capitalise on the same. Rajasthan introduced the 'Palace on Wheels' which is amongst the most talked about railway experiences in the world. They created this experience through the understanding of the heritage and the inherent need for people to connect with that heritage of the place. The government of Maharshtra and Karnataka recently launched their versions of their own, and I guess in due course of time, if there is proper effort that has been put into creating a connection with the history and heritage of the place, these trains will also be successful.

There is such great potential that exists in the Indian Railways and so many opportunities going begging and it never fails to surprise me. I think that every state in this country should have a luxury train that brings out the best of that state. They say a lifetime is not enough to see France; in that case several lifetimes would not be enough to see India. India with its vastness and its beauty has so much to offer to the tourists who visit the place.

The Indian Railways is excellently positioned to cater well to there tourists and to give them the very best that India has to offer. The airplane does not do justice to all that is India and all that can be seen in India. I feel that the time has come when the Indian Railways and the states, start taking themselves more seriously and do something about creating remarkable experiences. Stop investing in useless ads and start putting together mind-blowing experiences for the people who visit the land, so that they can go back and talk about these wonderful trips that they had. Word of mouth is the strongest form of marketing!

Have you ever seen an Ad promoting tourism in Switzerland?