I have seen numerous tourism ads that give a beautiful vista of the sights and sounds of the country being highlighted, however, I have never experienced one as the Incredible India ads which did what I call “reverse immersion” on me. The television ads are like a video diary of a tourist’s journey through the country, even with the unfortunate incidents which are enriching parts of the tourist experience. After seeing the video, I immediately felt to book a flight.
This campaign came about when around 2001/2002, the Indian tourism sector witnessed a fall in foreign tourist arrivals because of the 9/11 attack in the United States, the war in Afghanistan and the border conflict between India and Pakistan. To improve on arrivals, the Incredible India campaign was developed in 2002, aimed at building the brand image of India in the global tourism industry and also to increase foreign exchange earnings. The results were incredibly positive.
The web site is quite incredible too. See for yourself: http://incredibleindia.org/
