IndiaTravelInsights.org Announces Its First Series of Interviews on Indian Travel and Tourism

Delhi, India, June 20, 2007 --(PR.com)-- IndiaTravelInsights.org announces its first interviews in a new series which queries leading experts from around the world regarding the state of travel and tourism. As a result of burgeoning interest in India, the initial set of thought leader interviews draws on a wide range of experts, from budget travel to luxury accommodations. Included within the panel are Indians and non-Indians from inside and outside India.

The new web site is a companion to the popular travel blog PassingThroughIndia.com, the brainchild of American writer Lee Gimpel whose recent travels through were spurred by rising global interest in the subcontinent.

"Despite India's growing importance on the world stage, Westerners often sum up the world's second most populous country as one of spicy curries, cows and call centers," says Gimpel who adds that much of the literature about the country calls to mind a dated India of 10, 50 or 100 years ago. "I wanted to add more voices and more insights to the discussion of travel and tourism in India."

The interviews expand on the first-hand accounts and reflections of PassingThroughIndia.com to offer a far-ranging and balanced look at the trends and issues affecting Indian tourism today. While the country's number of foreign arrivals is still quite small next to major tourist destinations like the United States and France, has seen dramatic growth in its tourism market over the past decade. Indeed, according to India's Ministry of Tourism, foreign arrivals nearly doubled between 1995 and 2005; from 1991 to 2005.

Experts in the first series of IndiaTravelInsights.org include:

Sheldon Santwan - associate publisher and editor of Express Hospitality and Express TravelWorld, two of 's leading travel industry magazines.
Robert Arnett - author of India Unveiled, winner of three national book awards, and a nationally recognized speaker.

Arjun Nadkarni - owner of the research and review site, CruisingIndia.com, as well as IndiaMike.com, a leading online resource for travelers to and through India.
Colin Todhunter - British writer based in who writes for some of India's largest newspapers and also the author of Chasing Rainbows in Chennai.
Paul John - head of venture capital firm, Bloomingdale Investment Co., and chairman of Kumarakom Lake Resort in Kerala.
Sunil Sharma - editor of Mood Indico, a publication for South Asians living in North America.
Tim Leffel - author of The World's Cheapest Destinations and Make Your Travel Dollars Worth a Fortune and editor of PerceptiveTravel.com.

Topics covered by the panel range from the rise of India's middle class to India's spiritual allure for travelers to the role of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in shaping the country's tourism economy. The series of concise Q&A interviews is available free online at www.IndiaTravelInsights.org.

As part of the site's mission of broadening the knowledge base of travel and tourism in India, interviews are ongoing. For those who have significant expertise on the topic and are interested in sharing their views in future interviews, a brief query form is available for the purpose at www.indiatravelinsights.org/contact.html. In addition to specific travel and tourism expertise, experts will also be considered if they can speak with authority on topics (such as economics, politics or terrorism) that affect travel and tourism in India. Readers who wish to nominate experts or suggest interview topics or questions may also do so at www.indiatravelinsights.org/contact.html.

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