Wall Street Journal Coverage on Travel in India
February 17th, 2008
For those of you staying in India to travel when the course ends, click HERE to read the nice coverage the WSJ had this weekend on travel in northeast India. A good mix of tourism, travel, business, marketing, etc. Get your checkbook out. The rich in India are generally richer than the rich in China, and the poor in India are generally poorer than the poor in China. The shadows of this article touches on this difference.
I am also half-way through the book that just came out which I recommended several weeks ago … Billions of Entrepreneurs — How China and India Are Changing Their Futures, and Yours. It is really an outstanding book. By the juxtaposition between India and China this Harvard Biz School profs presents, you will move to a deeper level of knowledge and understanding about these two countries and their economies. This is an even better book, in my view, than the Elephant and the Dragon book I list in your syllabus. It is not an easy book to read — you really have to concentrate and read it carefully — but the quality of information presented makes it well worth the slog. Your spring quarter book review?
Entry Filed under: Beijing, China, India, New Delhi, Pre-Departure
8 Comments Add your own
1. Matthew Perez | January 3rd, 2010 at 1:44 pm
The article on forts and estates converted into hotels was quite interesting. It is nice to see that historical buildings are being preserved in India for future generations. The fact that former nobles and rulers of these estates are now the owners of these hotels would make these hotels very intriguing places to visit. The owners would be able to provide historical information about the estates that only these noble decendents would know. My only complaint about these operations is that the price seems rather steep. I think I would need a much a higher paying job than the one I have now to afford a visit to one of these remarkable hotels.
2. Jason Silver | January 19th, 2010 at 10:57 am
This article, although short, really gave me some great insight as to travel around India. I personally plan on extending my trip and trying to enjoy some of the wonders of India. Until this article, I had no idea that old fortresses were being converted in to grand hotels. These hotels seem like perfect places to stay and relax, while being able to enjoy Indian hospitality.
I now know that I should contact an established travel agent with experience in India. This article has really opened up my eyes to the many options of traveling throughout India. I hope that I can convince a couple of MBA’s to stick around and explore with me, look on the bright side, we can stay in a palace!
3. Tim Lynds | January 23rd, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Who wouldn’t’ want to stay in an old Indian fort full of history? I think it is great that these historic buildings are being preserved and basically open to the paying public consumer to explore. This is just another reason to further explore India after the MBA trip is over, which is a definite possibility for me.
The more I learn about India, the more I want to explore India. It is such a massive and populous country that has an almost overwhelming amount to offer tourists. As an American with limited international travel under my belt, I tend to view individual countries as unique single-culture entities with exciting and unique histories. India has so many distinct regional cultures, religions, histories and traditions; it’s like 100+ countries in one. Pay to tour India, get 99 extra countries free! Anyone have suggestions on the best places to visit in India after the trip this summer?
4. Kirk Story | March 3rd, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Sounds like a great idea. Tourism can serve as an excellent channel to export and import ideas and currency from various parts of the globe. It is nice, however, to dodge certain tourists traps. While traveling in Jamaica, I was repulsed by the all-inclusive resorts. It seemed absurd for wealthy tourists to travel to a poor island, surround themselves with other wealthy tourists, and funnel all their travel funds into the hands of a few (often foreign) wealthy resort owners.
On my last trip to Brasil, my brother-in-law was blown away when he dropped me off at the airport and I walked toward the glass doors with a laptop bag filled with my belongings. He rolled the window and yelled, “Hey! You forgot your luggage.”
I responded, “Naw, I’m good for the plane ride. I can buy stuff when I’m there. I’ll fit in better with the locals if I’m wearing the same gear. I plan on exporting some US currency.”
I encourage others to be mindful of how they dispense their valuable tourist dollars when traveling abroad. I personally, would rather dump my dollar on the have-nots.
5. Catherine Kristensen | March 8th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
The article is very intriguing, but I personally will not be travelling like a Raja after GSB 563 ends. Or should I say I won’t be travelling like a Rani (feminine). I intend to continue my travels East through Asia until the end of October and I won’t accomplish that by staying at $400/night forts or palaces!
I have a friend who runs a Surf Retreat near Mangalore, in Karnataka, that will be one of my first destinations. I am hoping to catch some waves between monsoons and will likely be earning my keep while staying there; I anticipate helping with the cooking/cleaning on Day 1. I am sure the tiny town that he is in will be drastically different from Mumbai. The USA has a varied landscape - Seattle is very different from Yosemite, just as Hawaii is very different from NYC. I am positive that the American “variety” in people, locale and culture pales in comparison to the huge spectrum that is India.
Tim’s line is great - “Pay to tour India, get 99 extra countries free!” The varied culture of each region will likely be overwhelming. From the food, to the religion, to the language, to the physical appearance of the people, each region presents a new set of traits to accustom yourself to.
6. Chase Janvrin | March 10th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
What interested me most about the WSJ article was the final line, from the wealthy nobleman,”I’m a hotel operator now,” he says, shifting gears. “That’s what I want to be.” It’s this type of overwhelming desire to not just be financially successful, but to really be an entrepreneur, that’s the backbone of India’s rapid rise. It seems that in America we’ve grown too accustomed to the wealth we have, we feel we’re owed success for some reason. And once we have it, it’s game over. I think this is largely a cultural thing, we are so focused on the prize that we forget how enjoyable the game is. Or worse yet, play a game that we hate just in hopes of winning a big prize. I hope each of us in the MBA realize that simply being financially successful isn’t shouldn’t be the #1 priority in life. If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.
7. Jordan Wente | March 18th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
The article brought up a really cool concept. I have heard of this before but I never looked more in detail about it until this article. It seems like such a great idea to combine history and leisure. Since there is a limited amount of hotels in India compared to other places this seems like an ideal entrepreneurial venture. Its is inspiring to see people doing what they love like the hotel operator. Chase you are so right financial success should never be the number one priority in life, you can’t buy happiness. However I do hope that I am financially successful enough to someday experience what these hotels have to offer.
8. Leslie Mann | March 18th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
How nice it would be to stay in one of these beautiful hotels, however, like many have said, affording even one night would unfortunately be something I would have to save for a future trip. The WSJ article brings to mind the castles of Europe and though I have not yet had the pleasure to experience them first-hand, I can only imagine it would be a similar experience you would not forget. Castles in Germany, France and Scotland have transformed themselves into elaborate hotels with rooms at an affordable rate of $40-$100 a night. Of course their luxury suites are bit steeper at $140-$300 but many hotels in Los Angeles and San Francisco cost well more than these prices. Though the price seems high now, in the future (when the economy picks up again), I believe more and more tourists will seek adventure in the comforts these palaces have to offer. Ironic to think these forts, designed long ago to keep visitors out, are now inviting them in.
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