Friday, January 30, 2009

Roxana Siu: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur


Upon visiting these three cities, in which they are dubbed “the golden triangle,” I have gained a sharper understanding of how the tourist industry works and how the economy capitalizes on tourists. I come from Hawaii and its economy survives on tourism, and I was never quite clear about how the processes worked. It was fascinating, and a bit intimidating, to learn that not only the stores, but the tour guides, taxis, and even the bus drivers, are all involved together to gather tourists and take them to specific areas of consumer consumption. Delhi, Agra, Jaipur are the prime areas because they are the places most traveled to. I found the most fascinating aspect of the tourism industry, is the government regulation and how strictly it is enforced. There is a closely monitored check and balance system, in which store owners are not allowed to treat customers with any form of disrespect and aggressiveness. If a store in this area misbehaves in any way that a tourist finds insulting and is reported, the store will immediately shut down. While shopping I also noticed that several stores along the same route is owned by the same person or the family of a previous store and I felt almost uncomfortable knowing that the store owners were a very tight knit group and that they were planning something. A difference in the shopping experience from Delhi to Jaipur, is that the store owners were very much more calm and less aggressive than in Jaipur. Store employees also cared a bit less, because of the high amount of traffic they get in comparison to Jaipur. Trying to separate the tourist part of me was a very difficult task, and I hope that with more traveling experience, I will be able to better do so, in order to get the full experience of a country. I do like to think though, that out my shopping experience in India, I gained a certain level of skill in bargaining, though I definitely need more practice!