Interview with Christine Mukharji Director of ANTO (Austrian National Tourist Office) in India

Christine Mukharji is the Director of ANTO (Austrian National Tourist Office) in India and here she has a tête-à-tête with our Editor cum expert on destinations Subhash Motwani as to why Austria should be your preferred European destination to visit in 2006.

What role does ANTO play in promoting Austria in India?
There is a two pronged approach for promoting Austria. We have firstly to interact with the tour operators in India on a regular basis about the product and at the same time when it is matters of marketing and advertising, we are targeting the end consumers to reach to them and inform them what Austria has to offer.

How is the tourism from the western region of India to Austria and what is the projected growth for this year?
We expect a growth of about 20% from Mumbai which will be reflected in the peak months of April to June especially with the start of direct flights into Vienna, courtesy Austrian Airlines. Currently there are 45000 travellers to Austria from India and we are confident to see a large number of people travelling this year.

Which are the popular destinations in Austria?
Most tour operators have Innsbruck within their programme especially the group tour operators who offer Switzerland, Germany, France and Italy in their programme. So it's very easy for them to travel via Tyrol, stop at Kristallwelten which is the Swarovski Crystal Museum in Wattens near Innsbruck and move on to the other destinations. So the tours normally include a visit to Wattens on their way up to Germany or on their way down to Italy. The second most popular destination for Indian travellers is Vienna, as there is a direct flight and some of the travellers want to combine travel to East European countries and Vienna acts as a hub. No 3 is Salzburg which is mainly famous for the Sound of Music tour especially for the Indian travellers.

What are the marketing plans for celebrating Mozart Year 2006?
We have a special marketing group in Vienna which was formed for the purpose for promoting the Mozart Year 2006 and several tour operators have also come out with special Mozart packages. Being the 250th birth anniversary of Mozart, there are several Mozart concerts organized especially in Vienna and Salzburg to commemorate this event.

What segment of travellers from India visit Austria?
70% of Indian travellers visiting Austria stay in high end luxury hotels which is the 4 star and the 5 star category. So we get the top end market. About 40% of travellers visit Austria a second time to explore other areas. This would include destinations such as

Lake District in Upper Austria and the Glaciers in Salzburg and Tyrol where one can see snow and experience skiing or sledging even in May, June or July.

These are popular places as most of the Indians crave to see water and snow, hence these areas are gaining popularity. There is also the Stubai Glacier which is becoming very popular. May and June is the best time for Indian travellers as it also coincides with the summer holidays out here. Even July is an excellent time to be in Austria.

Which are the major markets for Austria?
By far Germany is the big market. We are only 8 million people and we have over 28 million visitors which is more than three times our population. From the far distant markets, no 1 is U.S.A followed by Japan. Besides Germany we have visitors from Switzerland, Italy and generally from all round Europe.

What is your role as Director of ANTO?
I have been heading ANTO for the last 8 years. Initially, my role was to create awareness for Austria. Of late, my role is more of administration and P.R. related. So I co-ordinate with Microsoft, various Television channels and other media for promotions across all levels. In September 2005, we also have set up the Mumbai office to cater to the western region of India .

Which part of India has a large number of travellers to Austria?
Mumbai and Delhi are equally important as from Delhi it is more of the FIT market that travels to Austria whereas from Mumbai it is primarily group travel. With direct flights to Vienna, we expect the FIT market to grow in India. The other important cities for us are Chennai and Bangalore.

What are the challenges you face on your job?
I try to meet all the demands which at times is a little difficult since we are currently two people who handle the market. India is a huge country and we have limited budgets and you have to convince the Austrian people that India is not only a huge market but potentially an emerging market as well.

How do you spend your spare time and what are your preferred destinations in Austria and India?
I am a sports freak. I go everyday to the gym , I love the mountains and I am a great India fan and I love travelling with in India. I have three big dogs which also keep me busy during most of my spare time. In Austria it's my home town Salzburg and the Lake district in the South of Austria and in India it is definitely the mountains - Himachal and Mussorie

Lastly, what is your message to the readers.
My message to readers is that you should come to Austria to see for yourselves the diversity, the landscape, the hospitality that Austria has to offer. And yes, Austria is the safest country to visit in Europe.

7 Wonders of SALZBURG…

As Christine is a Salzburger, here are some important facts about Salzburg one of Austria's most popular areas worth a visit when you plan your trip to Europe. Although there is lots to see in Salzburg, we bring to you the 7 WONDERS of SALZBURG…

1.Eisriesenwelt - The world's largest ice caves.
Open daily between May and October from 9 am to 3.30 pm and in July and August upto 4.30 pm, you can see lovely ice palaces of crystal clear beauty even on a hot summer day. Located 40 kilometres South of Salzburg you can take a cable car to visit the Ice Caves which has an average temperature of 0ºC and a regular ticket inclusive of the cable car ride would cost you 17 Euros per person.

For fitness freaks it would be a good idea to take a one way cable car which would take mere 3 minutes and walk down the other way which is a 90 minutes descent. For more details visit www.eisriesenwelt.at

2. The Sound of Music Tour
In 1965, one of the most successful epic movies , The Sound of Music was shown in the cinemas and eventually ended up winning 10 Oscars. The movie based on the story of the Von Trapp Family from Austria shattered all box office records and this epic movie was shot in Salzburg.

You can relive the “Sound of Music” experience in a 4 hour tour costing 35 Euros where you visit the Mirabell Gardens where the famous “Do-re-mi” was sung, followed by Leopoldskron Castle and Hellbrunn Castle, the Nonnberg Alley and later pick up your Edelweiss souvenir before proceeding to St.Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang in the region of Salzkammergut and finally the Mondsee Cathedral. A tour especially for an Indian traveller who loves Bollywood and Hollywood, you should not miss the Sound of Music Tour when in Salzburg.

3. The Hellbrunn Palace and the Trick Fountains
Known as the summer residence, the Hellbrunn Palace was a place of joy and celebrations and today the major attraction at the Palace are the trick fountains. You will also find mysterious garden grottos, tremendous works of art, magical surprises and an unbelievable park, truly a summer dream of sun, water and art all put together.

4. The Mozart Geburtshaus
A must visit attraction, the Mozart's Birthplace is where Wolfgang Mozart Amadeus was born in 1756 and today is a museum which exhibits the violin that Mozart played as a child, the piano forte, portraits, letters and other memorabilia of the genius and is open to public between 9 am and 6 pm every day and in July and August you can visit the Mozart's birthplace until 7 pm. Nearby you can also visit Mozart's Residence and you can also see the Mozart Monument in Mozart square.

5. The Salt Mines
You can take a journey through time into the legendary Durrnberg salt mountain which has over 450 year old salt mines. You can enter the salt mines wearing traditional salt miner clothes and use the same slides as hundreds of miners used to take to descend to the grottos and the magical world beneath the surface of the earth.

Interestingly, it is the salt which gave the city the name Salzburg. For 16, 15 Euros you can buy a ticket to see the mines and the Celtic village or you can take a four hour guided tour from the city of Salzburg for 43 Euros per person inclusive of a visit to the romantic Bavarian Alps as well as a short visit to Berchtesgaden.

6. Haus der Natur
Located 100 metres away from the Salzach River, the House of Nature is a delight for both the young and old. At 4,50 Euros you can visit the natural world from all corners of the earth from the arctic to the tropical rainforests, the living museum comprising of the aquarium, the reptile zoo as well as the most ancient of kingdoms where you will find living honey bees, bumble bees, leaf-cutter ants, termites and more.

Then there is the segment on people and nature where you take a journey through the human body, the wonders of the sea, the treasure trove where you will find gold and precious stones as well as a unique exhibit of domestic animals. The Haus der Natur is open daily from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm and you can find further details at www.hausdernatur.at

7. The Salzburg Open Air Museum
This is situated a few kilometers away from the city of Salzburg where you will discover a great variety of building and living methods and style in rural culture and become acquainted with interesting details of peasant life in former times. From 60 original buildings dating back over 5 centuries, to old tractors, steam engines, house of sounds, various handicraft presentations, you will find them all.

The museum is closed on Mondays and it costs you 7 Euros to visit this museum which has also won the Austrian Museum Prize. Truly, Salzburg has lots more to offer from Höhensalzburg fortress the largest fortification in Europe, Höhenwerfen the adventure castle, a Salzburg zoo, various museums, dinner concerts with Mozart celebrations as well as some fine shopping for those who want to take back memories of this wonderful region of Austria.

Lastly, the best way to see Salzburg is by buying a 24 hr or 48 hr or 72 hr Salzburg card with prices starting from 20 Euros. The card is of great value as it gives you free admission to all major attractions in the city, free use of public transport including fortress funicular, panorama boat and cable car Untersberg.

You can buy the card at your hotel or if you book a package to AUSTRIA with COMPACT TRAVELS which includes Salzburg, you will get a complimentary 24 hour Salzburg Card. For details on Austria and Salzburg contact (022) 22828208 or 22812593 or email compact@rbcsgroup.com