An India tour operator's view on The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

I'd heard this film was cringe-inducingly stereotypical, but I was pleasantly surprisedI was apprehensive about seeing this film: I'd heard it was cringe-inducingly stereotypical, but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not aware of India being a place for retired Brits to live out their final years, as the characters do, but it's a brilliant idea. Not only are older people given greater respect in India, it's also normal for families to have live-in staff (my mother was born in India). Given the enterprising nature of Indian business, I can imagine a flurry of Best Exotic Marigold-style retirement hotels popping up all over the country.None of the Indian hotels used by my company are quite like The Best Exotic Marigold: ours have doors for a start, and functional plumbing. But the hotel's mottled, peeling walls and air of fading grandeur are true to some of India's smaller boutique hotels.The film does capture some of Jaipur's wonderful atmosphere: the bustling markets, the tuk-tuks, the religious festivals. But it's a narrow, old-fashioned view. We see almost nothing of the modern, thriving city: motorways, McDonald's, the BMWs. Nor its cultural heritage: the ancient sites, the gem-makers, the astrologers.Maggie Smith's character has come to Jaipur for a hip replacement and it is true that medical tourism is a booming industry: Taj Hotels, a chain we work with, has a whole department devoted to it. You pay a fraction of what you'd pay to have the operation privately over here, and you get excellent after-care. Some of the other characters reminded me of tourists I've met over the years, too. Around 60% of our customers are over 60: they tend to have more time to spend travelling, and India is a bucket-list destination for them. Some are couples ? like the one played by Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton ? where one person falls in love with India, and the other isn't enjoying it at all. I think of it as a Marmite destination: you either love it or hate it. But there's an awful lot to love.? Tanya Dalton is a director of Greaves TravelIndiaAsiaLaura Barnettguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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