'Chander Pahar' fuels interest in South Africa

KOLKATA: With the success of 'Chander Pahar', Kruger National Park and Kalahari Desert had generated even greater interest in South Africa among tourists from Bengal. This was what tourist officials from the country, who took part in a road show in Kolkata on Monday, believe. They expect a spurt in the number of tourists from the city to South Africa.
"The film has shown South Africa very beautifully. It will definitely generate an interest among tourists from this part of the country. Figures show that Kolkata and Bengal already have a big interest in South Africa. 'Chander Pahar' should fuel this interest even further," said Hanneli Slabber, country manager of South Africa Tourism. tnn
Kolkata ranks fourth among Indian cities in terms of the number of tourists visiting South Africa. While 76,116 Indian tourists have visited South Africa between January and August 2013, a 8.4% rise vis-a-vis the same period last year, 5,000 from Kolkata visited the country.
Interest in South Africa has been fuelled further by 'Chander Pahar' that was shot extensively in the country, said Slabber.
"We have been receiving hundreds of queries over e-mail from this part of the country. These are people who have seen the film and are excited. We expect the film to lead to an even greater interest in South Africa in other parts of India as well," she said. The film is eagerly awaited in South Africa, too, she added. "It shows the country so beautifully that it is bound to have an impact. It would be nice to see how far that translates into tourist visits," said Slabber. It could be clear as early as May-June period, which sees the largest tourist inflow from India.
As many as 65 new products were launched at the roadshow. These include new tours, accommodation, bungee jumping, canopy trips and safaris. A Nelson Mandela package was also launched, which includes a visit to Gauteng. A Mandela - Kwazulu Natal trip was also announced along with a Mandela-Eastern Cape itinerary.
Mumbai ranks first in the number of tourists from India followed by Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata. "We expect a spurt for unlike the dollar, the rupee is still strong against the Rand. So, you get more for less money in South Africa," said Slabber. An average 10-day three-star accommodation trip to South Africa costs Rs 1 lakh.
Other than tourists, destination weddings were also turning popular in South Africa. Although the tourist officials didn't have figures on how many Indians opted for destination weddings in South Africa, there has been a huge jump in the number, they said. "The inquires that have come into our office on destination weddings seen an increase of over 300%. So we are definitely going to see a big growth in destination weddings in the coming years," said Slabber.
More than 150 Indian travel agents took part in the roadshow. More than 70,000 Indian tourists cisit South Africa every year.