Airport or mall?

Spare a thought for those unlucky few who have had to travel on business during the festive season that has just gone by, while the world takes a break or parties their socks off. Believe it or not, there are a fair number who are forced by business compulsions to make that unwilling journey all alone over the New Year to transact some goddamned business that can't wait. So what does the business traveller do today? Does he stand lonely and desolate in transit, waiting for his next flight connection? Not any more… consider that a scene from the past, as today's business traveller has far more options to choose from. Airports have transformed, transit is no longer akin to prison. As our cover story in this issue reveals, airports are a great source of entertainment, mini-destinations in themselves and have even more to offer especially during the festive season. Never mind the hip and trendy business lounges, most airports have now come to resemble malls or multiplexes and are armed with a whole range of options from games and cybercafes to multi-cuisine and speciality or fine dining restaurants. And then there is the lure of shopping that even the best of us often fall prey to. Shopping is today probably one of the most unavoidable eventualities of any travel plan, especially to a true-blue Indian. Being a compulsive shopper myself, I tend to identify with the poor souls who very often fall unwitting prey to the lure of the super-quick and painfully convenient duty-free shopping that gets ever more attractive at airports around the world. Of course, personal favourites are bound to exist - Dubai and Singapore are mine - but almost every airport today is arming itself with a range of duty-free offerings. Even ITDC is revamping its duty-free strategy and is keen to consolidate its presence at the Indian airports. While Indian travellers are amongst the highest spenders in the world, shopping forms a sizeable chunk of this spend. And 'travel shopping' is just one of the entertainment avenues on offer, so who says airports are boring?

Sheldon Santwan
EDITOR, feBusiness Traveller
Sheldon can be reached at editor@businesstravellerindia.com