Fate has been kind to me in some ways, it has given me a few chances to see places that perhaps not all get to see.. I have been to a few foreign countries, where I got to roam around alone. And I did - and though at the beginning I never used to be sure, the more I went out on my own, the more I realized that it really is easy to travel in foreign countries and cities - by these foreign countries I mean some big cities in US and now a few places in Europe.
And that got me thinking about what made the travel so easy..and so pleasant. These are a few points I think that make these cities "tourist friendly". I would love to see something like this happening in India.
1. Metros and buses have very good online sites that one can check out, and see the timings, maps, schedule and the ticket rates. Most of these cities have three modes of transport - Trams, Metros and Buses. All three put together, you have an excellent cheap means of travel.
2. Detailed maps of the city can be found on all the roads and at bus stops.
The sign boards, directions are very consistent and can be found all over the city - though I agree, unlike India, you don't always find a person whom you can ask for directions, but these good sign boards, maps kind of make up for it.
3. In every train and bus, the name of the next station / stop is displayed one stop prior to reaching it. Just make sure you sit facing that display.
4. I feel the best way to promote tourism is what these people do - have weekend tickets / culture tickets which are really cheaper as compared to the ordinary tickets. For example: The train ticket, return journey from Brussels to Brugge cost me a mere 7 Euro on Sunday instead of the normal 23 Euro ticket! One day passes, weekend passes - good thing to remember and ask for something like that if you are traveling on a weekend.
5. One of the other smart things these people have done is having Gift / Souvenir shops at the exit of the tourist spots. It is kind of made mandatory that you get out via one - so I guess at least half if not all of the tourists will end up buying something. A cool idea to make money, apart from promoting the tourist spot.
6. Photos - Yes, if you have traveled in US, you must have observed that at almost each big tourist spot, you will have a photographer taking photos at the entrance, whether you like it or not!. And then, when you are just about to leave the spot, you will see your photo staring back at you, in the form of a key chain or a post card - surely tempting you to buy one as a souvenir..
7. You have to give it to these people for the way they present and package the entire thing. Most of these places have nice guided tours, good information placards all around the place telling you about the history / significance of the place.
Facility of toilets at all the tourist spots, cleanliness, great roads - all these are bonuses on top of all this. Everything put together - traveling in developed cities in Europe and US is definitely a pleasure and an amazing experience in itself.
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4 comments:
Can we direct this BLOG post to our tourism department? It would form a very valid comparison and identify some concrete areas for improvement.
While you are at it, though, please be warned...
1) Pick pocketing and robberies are rampant in most of Europe - trust me, I have had my laptop snatched from between my feet at Brussel's Midi train station in the middle of a busy day!
2) When roaming around alone, please stick to the main throughfares and tourist places. Mugging is not uncommon, and you can quickly get lost and find yourself in some very dangerous situations if you stray off the beaten path.
3) Most of the population in Europe does not understand English - communication can be a serious problem in certain places off the beaten path
4) In the US, you better carry your passport and other identification - carrying a camera and taking picture, especially of random buildings and places is viewed very suspiciously by the police. I was questioned for 15 mins by the police in Minneapolis for taking pics of the townhouse. Even when I had Madhavi and Sanam in tow!
Siddhesh - you missed the point about this blog.
While I agree with most of the things you say, the points I have listed in this blog are what the system (read public transport, maps, facilities / tours at the tourist spots) provides you with, which I believe is very important for making a place where tourists find it easy to travel.
Thieves I guess will be present everywhere. And to be on the safe side, it is always better to carry your passport anyway when you are on foreign land. And yes - there are always some parts of the city you need to avoid at nights or late evenings.
I did get the point, Arati - but while we praise all the good things, we should also spare a thought for the bad things which sometimes go unnoticed until it's too late :)
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