DEPARTURES FLYING TO...
...the BRIC countries
Not since the days of the British Empire has there been anything like the commonwealth of nations - Brazil, Russia, India and China – whose initials form the economic grouping known by the acronym BRIC, writes Colin Ellson.
Where as Queen Victoria’s fiefdom had a population of 458 million at its zenith, and covered one-fifth of the world’s land surface, the BRIC countries are inhabited by some three billion people, half the global total, living on one-quarter of the planet. Even the European Union, comprising around 500 million people, doesn’t come close, accounting for just 7.3 per cent of the world population. So much for statistics. The underlying
message is that the Big Four stand out from other promising emerging markets through their determination to seek out opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment and infrastructure, with the potential to rank among the world’s most influential economies in the 21st century. As such, they look like fulfilling a forecast
made by Goldman Sachs that by 2050 China and India would become the first and third- largest global economies, with Brazil and
Russia capturing the fifth and sixth spots (The US falls to second and Japan to fourth). For UK plc, the BRIC countries form
previously unparalleled opportunities for trade and investment across a broad spectrum of sectors, each with growing middle classes eager for their share of the good life. Brazil, for example, is one of the world’s biggest and most politically stable democ- racies, with the largest number of consumers of luxury products in South America and the most extensive healthcare market too. Back in the Northern hemisphere, UK trade
with Russia has been growing by an average 21 per cent a year over the past decade, the government’s current modernisation and development agenda encouraging 140 million consumers seeking quality goods and services. Meanwhile, the country as a whole needs international expertise and products. While it outpaces the Russian bear, claiming
the world’s second-fastest growing economy, India is a challenging market. But new business opportunities not only exist in traditional economic heartlands such as Mumbai and Delhi but are also stretching to emerging cities around the country. India is second to China in terms of
economic growth. Topping the global league
tables, the vast country has unimaginable potential, although businesses need to keep abreast of the speed and depth of change. That said, whether selling, trading, investing or franchising, the country offers abundant opportunities for UK companies. Happily, most of the main trade centres in
the four countries can be reached on direct flights from the UK, the more remote accessible with one stop en route. Reflecting the stability of the BRIC nations
they serve, international airlines have mostly stayed clear of the issues facing the commercial aviation industry, the emphasis on expansion and consolidation rather than cutbacks. TAM Airlines and LAN, for example, are due
to merge shortly, forming the largest airline in Latin America, while Vietnam Airlines’ new flights from Gatwick to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh offer another option for flying into China. Meanwhile, British Airways and Qantas have
enhanced their agreement to strengthen their Asian networks, one outcome being that BA now flies from Heathrow to Hong Kong, increasing frequency early this year from 14 to 17 services a week. The bad news is that India’s Kingfisher
Airlines, facing mounting losses, has culled all its international routes, including its services
96 THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE
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