5 Aug, 2023

Unlocking the real value of “India’s Best Kept Secret”

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok – In his welcoming remarks at the inaugural Odisha tourism roadshow in Bangkok Mr. J.K. Mohanty, Co-Chair of the Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Tourism Committee, highlighted the historic significance and value of visiting the East Indian coastal state via its capital, Bhubaneswar. The people of Thailand are Buddhists, he said, but how did Buddhism come to Thailand? He responded to his own question by noting that the Indian emperor Ashoka, deeply distressed by the death and destruction caused by the bloody Battle of Kalinga (B.C. 261-262), underwent what the official roadshow press release called a “reform of … character”.

In other words, Emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism. This is how an official guidebook of Odisha Tourism describes it…

The Wikipedia entry on the Battle of Kalinga also provides a graphic description of the carnage, specially citing its importance as an event of great global geopolitical and spiritual significance. Nearly 2,500 years ago, that lone act by an Emperor ended an era of wars, violence and suffering caused by the mindless pursuit of conquest, power and territory and replaced it with an era of peace and calm.

Following his “reform of character”, Emperor Ashoka dispatched Buddhist monks on missions to Southeast Asia and worldwide. That’s how Buddhism reached Thailand and beyond. Now, thanks to the airline Indigo’s twice-weekly direct flights from Bhubhaneswar to Bangkok, Buddhist devotees can visit the site of the Battle of Kalinga and its commemmorative Shanti (Peace) Stupa (pix below).

The story of Emperor Ashoka’s conversion is not generally well known in the non-Buddhist world. That it happened in Odisha is truly “India’s Best Kept Secret.” Given the social, ethnic and geopolitical conflicts raging in India, Asia and beyond, it no longer deserves to remain so. In fact, it has become more relevant than ever.

Commercial contacts are only a starting point. For Mr Mohanty to have prominently mentioned this Unique Selling Proposition itself is noteworthy. As Chairman and Managing Director of the Swosti Group, Mr Mohanty’s objective, as well as that of all the members of the Odisha tourism roadshow who visited Bangkok in the last week of July, is primarily to attract visitors and boost business. That will come easy. The more challenging — and the most valuable — deliverable will require profound reflection on what Emperor Ashoka did, why and what lessons can be learned in an era when peacemakers are facing extinction.

Odisha Tourism is on a global mission to publicise the recently opened Indigo air links from Bhubaneswar to Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai, with more cities on the way. On July 26, about 130 Thai Tour and Travel Operators held B2B and B2G sessions with Odisha tourism stakeholders. Director Tourism Mr Sachin Jadhav flagged Odisha’s ancient maritime connection with what was then known as Siam. He said Odisha Tourism is focusing on strategic master planning and development of priority destinations to attract multiple categories of travellers, ranging from backpackers to high-end spenders. Niche tourism offerings include houseboat and cruise tourism, camping, homestays, caravan tourism, culinary tourism and a lot more.

Speeches lauding the economic and cultural outcomes of the roadshow were made by Indian Ambassador Mr. Nagesh Singh, Vice President, Tourism Council of Thailand, Mrs. Somsong Sachaphimukh and Customer Service Supervisor Indigo Airlines Ms. Prapaporn Junmuenwai. Those were followed by a discussion moderated by the Indian embassy’s First Secretary (Economic & Commerce) Mr. Dharmendra Singh featuring panelists Director Belgadia Palace Mrinalika Bhanj Deo, Managing Director Vikash Eco Resorts Srinivas Valluri, CMD Swosti Group J.K. Mohanty, Secretary Odisha Tour Operators Association Yugabrata Kar, President Mayfair Hotels and Resorts Manoj Gouda and Head PMU Odisha Tourism Lokesh Kumar.

Just focussing on business and commerce diminishes the true value of the product. The key to unlocking India’s Best Kept Secret and globalising the benefits of that roadshow lies in flipping the value of the commercial-spiritual nexus.

The press release described Odisha as “a land of cathartic spiritual experiences.” What value can be attributed to promoting a better understanding of these experiences? Will a visit to the Peace Stupa and reflection on the Battle of Kalinga lead merely to higher visitor numbers and room occupancies? Or will the visitors themselves, like Emperor Ashoka, become peace-makers, whether as leaders of families, communities, societies, companies or countries?

Will they help reduce conflicts and suffering? Will they improve the state of humanity?

Such questions are sidestepped in Travel & Tourism industry forums; they transgress all its sensitive comfort zones. Today, however, that pre-Covid era mindset is badly in need of a reset. Mr Mohanty clearly reminded the audience that the Battle of Kalinga was the catalyst for the global expansion of Buddhism. As an industry, Travel & Tourism, too, needs to undergo a similar “cathartic spiritual experience”, a “reform of character” to pursue peace, not just profit.

As one of the world’s newest destinations ready to counter its own marketing slogan of being “India’s Best Kept Secret”, this is the wondrous lesson that Odisha can share with the world.

Videos of the event are available here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kIqOgbJshayhsjJj8X33eF1jr2Dhk_5c/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18y1xTFdgNDmC8Qy84RGxHPU_x65VNmAD/view?usp=drivesdk

For more information about Odisha, please visit: https://odishatourism.gov.in/content/tourism/en.html

Editor’s Note: My thanks to Mr Anshuman Mitra and Mrs Somsong Sachaphimukh for inviting me to the Roadshow.