TravTalk

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A DDP PUBLICATION

Pages: 72 (Excluding cover)

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Vol. XXV No. 5; March 1 st fortnight issue 2013

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‘To double arrivals, rope in trade’ In an exclusive conversation with at his office in Delhi, K Chiranjeevi, Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge) shares his strategic vision to engage travel trade in doubling inbound and domestic arrivals during the 12th Plan Period.

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countries, including representatives of UNWTO as well.

The chief objective of these interactions had been to adopt a proactive approach towards tourism.

“The Ministry of Tourism (MOT) has conducted several meetings with tourism ministers of various

Moving forward, I want the travel trade in India to leverage the foundation laid by the MOT and achieve our 12th Plan Period target,” said Chiranjeevi.

T T B U R E AU Chiranjeevi had always been proactive in terms of engaging with his counterparts in various countries. As per the Minister, all meetings are in line with the objective of doubling the inbound and domestic arrivals during the 12th Plan Period, wherein the travel trade needs to play a pivotal role.

“The travel trade professionals are the ones, who can take these discussions forward with travel fraternity in countries expressing interest in India. I myself will interact with both of them to help in all possible ways,” he added. Lately, the Minister had met Hiroshi Kajiyama, Japanese Senior ViceMinister of Tourism in February. In early February, he had also met Artur Mas, President of Catalonia province of Spain in Barcelona and Taleb Rifai,

In January, Chiranjeevi held bilateral discussions with Jose Manuel Soria Lopez, Spanish Minister for Industry, Tourism & Trade in Madrid.

He had also called on Khampheng Saysompheng, Governor of Luang Prabang province of Lao PDR at Luang Prabang city, which is situated in North Central Lao PDR, during the Indo-Asean Tourism Ministers’ summit.

VIVEK SETHI

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he recent foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) statistics released by the Ministry of Tourism has made some stakeholders

concerned in terms of need of initiating measures to stimulate demand. Many others term the slow pace of growth as an aberration as Incredible India continues to march on a high growth trajectory.

“The rate of inbound growth has slowed down in Dec. and Jan. which needs attention. We should initiate measures to stimulate demand for Incredible India,”opined Arjun Sharma,

MOT brings Infoline for Incredible India

See full story on page 5

Learning from the past

See full story on page 10

See full story on page 20

New-age parks add perks for tourism See full story on page 30

K Chiranjeevi Minister of State for Tourism

The rate of inbound growth, which has slowed down in the months of December 2012 and January 2013, needs attention and stimulatory measures including release of new promotional campaign and other policy initiatives.

Secretary, Ministry of Tourism

1

Filling the skill gap

Secretary General of UNWTO in Spain to promote tourism in India.

Inbound needs a shot in the arm Parvez Dewan

TRAVTALK

travtalkindia.com

MARCH 1 ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2013

Managing Director, LPTI and TUI India at the PATA-India Chapter interactive session with The Ministry of Tourism held in February.

Contd. on page 8

What’s in store at ITB 2013

See full story on page 31

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MOT

India rolls out red carpet for Japan Japan is one of the top 10 tourist-generating markets for India. Its contribution has grown from 2.91% to 3.07% in terms of tourist arrivals to India.

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he Ministry of Tourism roadshows in February got an additional thrust with the meeting held between K Chiranjeevi, Minister of State for Tourism with Independent Charge and Hiroshi Kajiyama, Japanese Senior Vice-Minister of Tourism held in Delhi on February 12, 2013.

“India and Japan have resolved to strengthen cooperation in the tourism sector.

Both the countries will identify areas for working together and explore new opportunities in tourism sector, especially in the field of human resource development, exchange of tour operators, investment in the tourism sector and exchange of information related to tourism,” said Chiranjeevi..

K Chiranjeevi presenting a memento to Kajiyama

“India and Japan are important tourism markets to each other. Japan is one of the top ten tourist generating markets for India. Going forward, there is a possibility of signing an agreement between India and Japan,” he added.

The MOT roadshows, led

by Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism were held at Tokyo (February 18), Osaka

(February 20) and Seoul (February 22). In fact, the Tourism Secretary took help from his Japanese counterpart to nominate names of Japanese travel companies, who are promoting, or are keen on promoting Incredible India to be made part of these roadshows after the said meeting in Transport Bhawan among the two leaders. MOT has hosted a total of 25 hospi-

tality guests in 2009-10, 15 guests in 2010-11, and 14 guests in 2011-12 from Japan. This year, so far nine guests have visited India under hospitality scheme.

There is a strong interest of Japanese tourists in |places connected with Buddhism in India. JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) has extended a loan of 7331 million Japanese Yen (` 299 Crore) for Development of Ajanta Ellora Conservation and Development Programme– Phase II).

Growing Numbers Year

No. of tourists

2008

145352

2009

124756

2010

168019

2011

193525

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STATISTICS VIEWPOINT

India gets engaging

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he Ministry of Tourism is striving towards attaining the target of doubling the inbound arrivals, as to garner one per cent share of the global arrivals during the 12th Plan Period. It has also started aggressively engaging with the world to make every possible opportunity count under the leadership of K Chiranjeevi, Minister of Tourism for State with Independent Charge and his team.

The Ministry of Tourism has conducted several meetings with tourism ministers of various countries, including representatives of UNWTO as well. The chief objective of these interactions had been to adopt a proactive approach to promote inbound tourism. The minister now also wishes that travel trade professionals take these discussions forward with their overseas counterparts, who have shown a strong interest in India.

In a short span of time, our Minister had already met with Hiroshi Kajiyama, Japanese Senior Vice-Minister of Tourism in February; Artur Mas, President of Catalonia province of Spain in Barcelona; Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of UNWTO in Spain and Jose Manuel Soria Lopez, Spanish Minister for Industry, Tourism & Trade; Khampheng Saysompheng, Governor of Luang Prabang province of Lao PDR among many others.

The ministry is now in the process of aggressively rolling out the second phase of the Incredible India campaign - 'Find What You Seek' in strategic overseas markets. The consumer-focussed promotional campaign will create incremental demand for Incredible India and also dispel the fears of a palpable slowdown in the inbound space in 2013.

Lately, some sections of the travel trade had expressed their concern looking at the recent statistics. There has been a growth of 2.6 per cent in January 2013 over January 2012 as compared to a growth of 9.4 per cent registered in January 2012 over January 2011. Similarly, there has been a growth of 1.7 per cent in December 2012 over December 2011.

The new promotional campaign will also be backed by the roll out of an Info Line for tourists coming into India in six UN languages, which will boost India’s positive image as a safe round-the-year tourist destination.

Vikramajit Chairman SanJeet Publisher Deepa Sethi Editor

Editorial Ratan Kr Paul Vivek Sethi Megha Paul Devika Jeet Anita Jain News-Editor Peden Doma Bhutia Desk-Editor Archana Sharma Sr. Sub-Editor Hritvick Sen

Advertising Gunjan Sabikhi General Manager Karishma Khanna Sr. Manager Marketing Shailendra Shukla Sr. Manager Marketing Udit Pandey Sr. Manager Marketing Geetika Pathak Manager Advertising Amit Sarkar Asst. Manager Marketing Photographers Simran Kaur-Delhi Bharat Dangiya-Mumbai

Navigating the cloudy horizon Economies outside North America and Europe are expected to lead the world in GDP growth. But airlines in India have a stiff challenge battling tough government norms and taxes before exiting this phase.

(FICCI-PWC report)

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here is a strong correlation between the gross domestic product (GDP) and the aviation industry. As a country’s per capita GDP grows, so does its residents’ desire and ability to afford travel, and this desire in turn fuels the demand for aircraft.

By 2030, more than 50 per cent of the top 10 economies are expected to be outside the Western Europe and US region. Countries of AsiaPacific, Latin America and Russia, where long-term GDP growth is forecast above average are expected to have a profound impact on commercial aviation.

grown at a CAGR of over 17per cent and if this growth were to continue, India is estimated to be among the top three aviation markets in

amounting to about 34per cent of the operating costs.

The situation has been worsened by the steep depreciation of the rupee versus the US dollar.

National policy related challenges: India has one of the highest taxes on ATF imposed by state governments (three to 30 per cent). This, along with the social obligation to fly uneconomic routes deals a double whammy on airlines.

The high interest rate regime has particularly hit airlines with a large debt. Poor infrastructure at the airports resultGlobally, airline revenues have increased throughout the period of economic recovery, from US $476 billion in 2009 to US $597 billion in 2011, representing a 9.3 per cent yearon-year increase. In terms of the total net profits too, airlines have recovered from a net loss of 26 billion USD in 2008 to a net profit of 7.9 billion USD in 2011. The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Director General, Tony Tyler says, “The industry has reshaped itself to cope by investing in new fleets, adopting more efficient processes, carefully managing capacity and consolidating.”

IATA has increased its profits forecast for global airlines in 2012 to over US$4 billion. From an Indian perspective, a global recovery will not only encourage foreign interest, but also help in strengthening alliances and joint business agreements.

Between 2009 and 2011, the total domestic passenger traffic in India has

Advertising (Mumbai) Suchita Saran Branch Manager Harshal Ashar Deputy Genral Manager Priyanshu Wankhade Asst. Manager Advertising Rishika Karra Sales Coordinator Advertisement Designers Vikas Mandotia/Nitin Kumar Design: Nityanand Misra Sudhir Mudgal Production: Anil Kharbanda Circulation: Ashok Rana

the world by 2020. Freight traffic is expected to increase six-fold over the next decade.

This is consistent with the emergence of low-cost carriers such as Indigo, Go Air and SpiceJet, besides freight players such as Blue Dart and Deccan Express Logistics which has provided an impetus to air and freight traffic.

Indian carriers have placed orders for an additional 436 aircraft to cater to increasing domestic and international travel demand. However, due to lack of proper infrastructure and training facilities, other than growth in terms of traffic, aircraft and MRO, there is little scope for creating a supply chain in India.

The airline industry is faced with numerous challenges which can be broadly classified into three heads:

Global challenges: Volatility in fuel prices has been the foremost challenge for airlines. Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) represents the single largest expense for airlines, on an average

TRAVTALK is a publication of DDP Publications Private Limited. All information in TRAVTALK is derived from sources, which we consider reliable and a sincere effort is made to report accurate information. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. The publisher regret that he cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this publication, however caused. Similarly, opinions/views expressed by third parties in abstract and/or in interviews are not necessarily shared by TRAVTALK. However, we wish to advice our readers that one or more recognised authorities may hold different views than those reported. Material used in this publication is intended for information purpose only. Readers are advised to seek specific

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ing in delays in take-off and landing, high airport charges, interference in pricing, imposing a five-year track record requirement for international flying, etc. have all contributed to stifling growth, raising costs and making airlines unviable.

As per the IATA estimates, many countries including India earned an increased US $2.2 billion in tax revenues in 2011 from the aviation sector on account of taxes imposed in

various forms. This is ironic, considering most domestic airlines made losses that year.

The government has in the last six months addressed some of these concerns.

Airlines have been allowed direct imports of ATF, FDI by foreign carriers in domestic airlines has been allowed, but this has been clubbed with FII investment, thereby diluting the impact of liberalisation.

Company-specific challenges: Lack of focus, faulty M&A decisions and failed mergers are perhaps the top three reasons for poor per-

formance of Indian carriers.

What followed was a sequence of largely unsuccessful attempts to integrate the merged entities. Attempts to run two different kinds of services, full-cost carriers as well as low-cost within the same airline created serious problems as there were differences in costs, the turnaround time of aircraft and the distribution models. In essence, each had a different DNA.

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MOT

MARCH 1 ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2013

TRAVTALK

5

MOT brings Info Line for Incredible India ‘Info Line’ aims at fostering Incredible India’s positive image. Its 24/7 services will be available in all six languages of the United Nations.

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ccording to Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism (MOT), “We are finalising the details of ‘Info Line’, which will be available in all six languages of the United Nations that include Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. We have decided to depute native speakers of theses languages to man the Info Line, which will be available on a 24-hour basis.”

Dewan was addressing a select gathering at the PATA-India Chapter interactive session with the MOT in early February. “This will help create an upbeat sentiment about the safety aspects in Incredible India, which will also be followed up by launch of second phase of the campaign ‘Find What You Seek’ to stimulate demand,” said Dewan.

Dewan also dispelled the fears of the travel trade, who had been worried over the lack of momentum in December, which they feared may adversely affect the start of the summer bookings. “India is way below in terms of ranking, which mars various popular

Reaching Masses Infoline services will be available in six different languages on 24x7 basis The languages include Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish

GREAT Britain in Mumbai Stylish couture, groovy melodies, cocktails and canapés - all under one platform mesmerised Mumbaikers as they experienced the Brit extravaganza at The GREAT Big British Bash. British Airways and VisitBritain recently hosted a four-day grand event at Phoenix Mall, Lower Parel in Mumbai.

Christopher Fordyce, Regional Commercial Manager - South Asia, British Airways said “The Big British Bash that was hosted in Mumbai was a perfect opportunity for visitors to taste true British culture”

travel destinations. The MOT is undertaking several initiatives and has adequate budget. The latter has grown three fold in the 12th Plan allocation,” revealed Dewan.

Anand Kumar, Joint Secretary, MOT, in his pres-

entation to the PATA-India members showed a creative for the new international campaign that the audiences appreciated. Kumar also assured that select creatives of the new campaign will also be made available with the trade participants shortly.

Dewan addressing the PATA India Chapter interactive session with the MOT

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TIME MACHINE

22 years ago...

Gujarat Tourism on the March Rajen Bali The rapid strides made by Gujarat in tourism and their extremely progressive tourism policies can be a role model for tourism authorities in many other states.

Having granted tourism the status of an industry quite sometime back, Gujarat is way ahead of other states in selective privatisation and incentives to entrepreneurs.

They have different incentives for different formulated categories with a six year common period of incentives. These are applicable to hotels, motels, amusement parks, ropeways and water sports facilities. The incentive are inclusive of varying exemptions on sales tax on cooked food, electricity duty and luxury tax. In some cases, there is a 100 per cent exemption from entertainment tax for the first six years.

The areas for tourism promotion and development have been identified and include places on the coastline and religious importance, hill stations and wildlife spots. These suggested areas include Dwarka, Palitana, Patna, Saputara, Pavagadh, Ahmedpur, Mandvi, Kutch Mandvi, Madhavpur, Chanch, Ubhrat and Tithal. Efforts are also afoot to develop more fair sites. The fairs at Tarnetar Somnath, Bhavnath and the festivals like International Kite Festival, Janamashtami, Navratri and Makarasakranti festivals are already very popular with tourists from home and abroad.

Gujarat has a vast heritage of places of religious interest like Somnath, Dwarka, Pavagarh,

Palitana, Mahudi and Shankeswar-of great importance to Hindus and Jains. It has the longest coastline in India. Two excellence resorts have been built for sea lovers based on erstwhile palaces at Chorwad and Ahmedpur Mandvi. Full advantage is being taken of the unique wild ass sanctuary in Kutch and the Sasan Gir Lion Sanctuary, the abode of the Asian lion. For wildlife enthusiasts, there are also a great variety of birds and other animals, Porbandar is a great attraction for tourists with its rich tradition of colourful textiles and handicrafts, spanning hundreds of years and the tourism authorities are taking full advantage of this aspect. Rural Gujarat is being projected through folk art, folk dance and folk music. Gujarat tourism’s plan appears to be multipronged and very well conceived.

They have also decided to go in for aggressive marketing in various parts of the country. Not long ago, a high level team from Gujarat tourism had come to Calcutta to interact with central and state tourism officials and representatives of the tourism industry. They came fully equipped with attractive packages to woo the tourists from the eastern region and their packages included all budget levels and also an offer to tailor packages to suite the requirements of travel agents and individual clients/groups. Their dynamic efforts are bound to make them one of the leading states in tourism.

November 1991 Vol 1 Issue 3 Page 4

... AND NOW

Investors eye Gujarat Since 2009, Gujarat has seen a five-fold increase in its budget for tourism promotion. reports more…

PEDEN DOMA BHUTIA

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he Vibrant Gujarat-2013 Summit provided enormous prospects to the State to display its strengths, progressiveness, initiatives taken to improve governance, investor-friendly climate and art and culture of Gujarat.

Basking in the glory of the successful completion of the summit, Vipul Mittra, Principal Secretary, Gujarat Tourism, says, “Vibrant Gujarat is primarily focused on bringing in investments in

various sectors. This year too, a lot of investors showed interest in investing in the tourism sector, primarily in the form of hotels and resorts.

This will provide better infrastructure and also generate employment for the state.”

Mittra says, “Tourism is an important sector for the economy of Gujarat, and we see a strong positive correlation between the advertising budget and tourist inflow.

The average increase in the total number of tourists in Gujarat has been more than

16% for the last 2 years (170.11 lakh in 2009-10 to 198.11 lakh in 2010-11 and to 223.57 lakh in 2011-12).

Gujarat always had the potential to be a good tourist destination as we had something to offer for every traveler, be it hill stations, deserts, beaches, forests, spiritual and cultural experiences. With the success of the 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' campaign, people took notice of Gujarat and the number of visitors increased dramatically.”

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ASSOCIATIONS

MARCH 1 ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2013

TRAVTALK

7

‘Create, connect to increase business’ PATA India has proposed to partner with Ministry of Tourism on two roadshows in 2013, covering Australia and West Coast USA for this year, reveals Runeep Sangha. reports...

M E G H A PAU L

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he PATA India Chapter, over the last five years, has taken its roadshows to countries such as the US, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Talking about where its roadshows will take place this year, Runeep Sangha, Executive Director, PATA India reveals, “The MOT is working on a calendar of roadshows for 2013. PATA has proposed to partner with MOT on two roadshows in 2013 covering Australia and West Coast USA. Australia remains an enticing destination and it is important to expose the Incredible India product in the market for two to three years to get sustained and desired results.”

Runeep Sangha Executive Director PATA India

MOT is aware of the challenges the industry faces and is listening to both the trade and the tourists PATA recently hosted a meeting with the MOT for the travel trade fraternity outlining initiatives for boost the tourism portfolio in India.

“The meeting affords both the trade and policy-makers a platform for free and frank exchange of ideas. This particular meeting witnessed articulation of marketing and promotional needs of Incredible India during a slow growth phase. Plus, the initiatives that MOT was taking to help accelerate interest in India as a year-round, multifaceted destination focused on the tourist. MOT is also harnessing technology to bring information related to Incredible India closer to the tourist. MOT is aware of the challenges the industry faces and is listening to both the trade and the tourists. Such meetings will be held regu-

larly and at least twice a year,” he informs.

Talking about the challenge in promoting Incredible India abroad, the ED points out, “While India is a truly ‘Incredible’ destination with wide-ranging offerings, it is an ‘Out of the Ordinary’ destination and therefore, is an inspi-

rational destination for aware travellers. India Tourism has to capture its share of the mind, wallet and time of the traveller to successfully attract larger numbers. Given that it is a long haul destination for the majority of our tourists, we have to change the mindsets of potential tourists.”

This will be achieved through high visibility, world-class infrastructure, best-in-class facilities, positive global press and the confidence that it is a safe destination for tourists. The needle must move from Incredible India to My Incredible India, Sangha suggests.

“PATA India Chapter leverages its global Chapters to carry road shows to key source markets. This initiative is supported by India Tourism offices and helps take Incredible India to the doorstep of potential tour operators and wholesalers,” he adds.

Incredible India India Tourism has to capture its share of the mind, wallet and time of the traveller to successfully attract larger numbers.

Given that it is a long haul destination for the majority of foreign tourists coming to India, we have to change the mindset of potential tourists

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COVER STORY

Incredible India back with a bang Contd. from page 1

In fact, the statistics point out that FTAs during January 2013 were 6.99 lakh as compared to FTAs of 6.81 lakh during January 2012 and 6.23 lakh in January 2011. There has been a growth of 2.6 per cent in January 2013 over January 2012 as compared to a growth of 9.4 per cent registered in January 2012 over January 2011. Similarly,

December 2012 and January 2013. The quarter of the present fiscal year had been good. In fact, all leading companies in the luxury inbound space had set aggressive targets in subsequent months and whole of 2013.”

“The growth in leisure inbound luxury segment is backed by the resurgence in the global economy led by the USA and UK. However, the

Arjun Sharma

Vikram Madhok

Managing Director LPTI and TUI India

Managing Director Abercrombie & Kent India

We should initiate measures to stimulate demand for Incredible India

FTAs during December 2012 were 7.50 lakh as compared to FTAs of 7.37 lakh during December 2011 and 6.80 lakh in December 2010.

There has been a growth of 1.7 per cent in December 2012 over December 2011.

Dipak Deva, CEO, Destination Management India & South Asia, Kuoni Destination Management, echoing similar opinion believes that the slowdown has been largely a result of global economic slowdown.

However, Vikram Madhok, Managing Director, Abercrombie & Kent India, has a different perspective on the inbound luxury market.

“We had good business in

We had good business in December 2012 and January 2013 decision by hotels to increase rates in 2013 increases downside risks given the present global economic environment and the slowdown in European markets,” he added.

Here Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism is confident that the new marketing campaign that will soon be rolled out in strategic overseas markets will help stimulate demand. According to him, this will further increase with the image booster that Incredible India will get with setting up of tourist ‘Info-Line’ in all six languages of the United Nations.

Madhok also believes that the new marketing campaign will be of great help.

“Incredible India had gone quite silent in the international sphere. The new marketing campaign will get the excitement going again,” added Madhok.

All said and done, there is an urgent need to overhaul the visa regime. “The campaign is a marketing activity which is important but we need to convert interest into business. The clients are booking late. Visa turnaround time would help a great deal in getting back volume. Countries like UAE and Thailand as well as Sri Lanka

operators should be exempted from service tax requirement for a minimum of 3 years, as currently, Indian DMCs are at a disadvantage and losing business and foreign exchange earnings to SAARC countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, etc,” said Sodhi.

“Lately, there has been an increase in demand for one-of-a-kind travel experiences. Another emerging trend is that of product and service sampling- as travellers need not go with the full array of services and can

Dipak Deva

Surinder Singh Sodhi

CEO, Destination Management India & South Asia Kuoni Destination Management

Senior Vice President Leisure Travel (Inbound) Thomas Cook India

The slowdown has, largely, been a result of the global economic slowdown are taking full advantage of the late sales and are able to convert the special offers into business. India can't take advantage as we are taking 2 weeks to deliver a visa,” said Deva.

Surinder Singh Sodhi, Senior Vice President Leisure Travel (Inbound), Thomas Cook India also has a long list of suggestions to stimulate inbound demand.

“The Tourism industry should be given industry, export and infrastructure status and inbound tour

Inbound tour operators should be exempted from service tax for a minimum of 3 years hand pick what they want, customise it, and pay less. Luxury travel has also seen resilience. The search for value, a necessity borne of a weak economy, is trending towards a status symbol- the mark of being a smart luxury consumer.

It’s interesting that even within the gambit of ‘value’, the luxury traveller is willing to pay a premium for authentic experiences and the use of experts. So, a safari with a trained naturalist guide is highly valued,” added Sodhi.

AirAsia-TATA waiting in the wings AirAsia through its investment arm, AirAsia Investment Ltd. (AAIL) has submitted an application to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, India (FIPB) to seek approval to invest 49% into a proposed Indian joint venture with Tata Sons Limited and Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace.

Subject to FIPB approval, the proposed joint venture company will make an application

to Indian aviation regulators for the Air Operators’ Permit. The parties have signed a Memorandum of Agreement with regards to the proposed partnership.

As a pioneer of the lowcost carrier model in Asia and currently Asia’s largest LCC with 118 aircraft and over 350 orders, AirAsia believes Indian aviation has enormous long-term growth potential

and is expected to produce tremendous upside for first movers. The joint venture plans to operate from Chennai, Tamil Nadu focused on providing domestic Tier II/Tier III city connectivity to Indian travelers. Currently, AirAsia through its operations based in Thailand and Malaysia already connect Chennai, Bangalore, Tiruchirappalli, Kochi and

Kolkata to ASEAN. AirAsia founder and Group CEO Tony Fernandes remarked,

“The current environment is perfect to introduce AirAsia’s low fares.”

AirAsia is confident that it can replicate its success across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and other joint ventures.

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ASSOCIATIONS

Learning from the past In a special story, speaks to a few past presidents of the leading travel trade associations to seek their expertise on the present trends and to know how the trade associations can deliver better. Here comes the ďŹ rst part...

VIVEK SETHI

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he tourism industry is now globally recognised as next big engine of growth, which means many new opportunities for private players. These players depend heavily on their

trade bodies to put forth their collective perspective. to leverage opportunities in tourism industry in favourable policy framework. Along with the opportunities in the travel and hospitality sector, the challenges are also growing and

the private players need to gear well in advance.

Here are the insights of the people, who had been at the helm of affairs at the various travel trade bodies, who share their insights on the present trend and the likely future.

Remember the little agents Any trade association’s foremast purpose is to take care of even the smallest agent. Today the industry is divided. Our principals, the airlines, also know this and hence are not willing to address travel agents concerns. As a result, the commissions have shrunk and also a ban on transaction fee had also been imposed, which means that all the streams of revenues are diminishing. The present leadership at the helm in the travel trade association need to insist on discipline in all the member organisations. I had gone against the tide in interest of small agents during my tenure as Chairman, when we introduced insurance for bank guarantee.

It initially had very few takers, but eventually everyone appreciated the benefits of decision that was to safeguard small agents and help creating level playing field for them.

Balbir Mayal Past President, TAAI

Agents need clear solutions Travel Agents are confronted by plethora of old and new challenges, which have led to diminished importance of travel agents services. The entire system of IATA accreditation and its ever eroding value is another major cause of concern.

Some airlines have disenfranchised hundreds of agents - preferring to deal only with a select few; others compete openly with their own accredited agents; zero commissions coupled with backend productivity linked incentives have effectively rendered IATA accreditation meaningless, since 80 per cent of agents are unable to issue tickets under their own validation. A new model needs to be found urgently. Unless these critical issues are addressed, forget navigating - agents adrift without a rudder.

Ajay Prakash Immediate Past President, TAFI

Need long-term strategic framework The global economic environment has been challenging. As a result, the small and medium inbound business has been facing ever increasing pressures on the margins. The best way forward in these times is to create a dedicated framework for medium-term and long term. The travel trade association here has a very important role to play. In the present context, our trade bodies have only reached the halfway mark. To deliver in such a dynamic economic environment, they all need to go back the black board and devise strategies and also guide with the policy makers in creating a well-laid plan for medium and long-term. It will be of great help to the small and medium-sized private players to organise themselves and tap growth opportunities in a business-friendly environment.

Vijay Thakur Immediate Past President, IATO

Industry needs one voice One of the current challenges is to bring together all the stakeholders under one umbrella and create a single voice for the tourism industry. There had been many attempts to create such a platform.

But, nothing concrete has happened so far. However, we all need to stay positive and strive in the right direction.

There are instances, when mistakes are made. Here, the stakeholders need to be considerate and realise that mistakes happen only when action is been carried out. The best way forward under such circumstances is to learn from the mistakes and strive ahead with a firm determination to not repeat the past mistakes and treat them as vital lessons.

Rakesh Lamba Immediate Past President, ADTOI

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HOTELS

More hotels here than China Carlson Rezidor’s transformation into a company focussed on management contracts in Asia instead of franchising agreements is moving at a rapid pace with India leading the charge.

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s a testament to the group’s growing presence in India, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group will open 13 hotels in the country this year.

According to Simon Barlow, President- Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor, India is a priority for the group. “We have more hotels here than in China,” he adds. Despite economic turmoil in India, we performed decently well in India. We managed to open 13 new hotels last year. Out of which 11 are managed properties and only two are franchised properties,” Barlow reveals.

The domestic market in India is becoming the real opportunity where mid-market hotels will flourish, he opines. The chain, which started operations near the Delhi airport with its four-star property Radisson in 1998, is bullish on Country Inn and Park Inn by Radisson. “While there are 28 Country Inn hotels, the company is in the process of re-launching Park Inn by Radisson. With around 20 of these hotels expected across India, the company has come up with a new design concept for Park Inn targeting the aspi-

Simon Barlow

K B Kachru

President- Asia Pacific Carlson Rezidor

Executive Vice President – South Asia, Carlson Rezidor

Despite economic turmoil, we performed decently well in India rational young traveller,” he points out. The company has customised its room size and F&B options to suit the Indian consumer. Barlow adds the idea is not to give a “bland hotel” just because it is mid-market.

Throwing light on the way forward for the group in

Carlson Rezidor will also invest ` 213 crore in Gurgaon and Mohali by 2015 India, K B Kachru, Executive Vice President – South Asia, Carlson Rezidor confirms, “We have signed a strategic partnership with Bestech Group, giving it the exclusive development rights to develop 49 Park Inn Hotels by 2024.

Carlson Rezidor will also invest ` 213 crore in Gurgaon and Mohali by 2015.”

Claridges’ expansion spree Oliver C. Martin, Regional General Manager at The Claridges Hotels & Resorts feels the relationship with the Worldhotels has boosted the group’s recent initiatives.

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laborating on his new role as the regional GM of the Claridges brand in India,

Oliver C. Martin Regional General Manager The Claridges Hotels & Resorts

Martin says the challenge is now to consolidate marketing strategies, and streamline cost management, revenues and good hospitality practices.

Talking about the growing relationship of the hotel

brand with the Europe-based collection of independent hotels and regional hotel brands – Worldhotels – since 2007; Martin informs, “Being part of Worldhotels’ global portfolio provides us with access to advanced reservation and distribution system.

It also boosts the group’s recent initiatives to further expand and develop the Claridges brand across other major gateway cities in India.

The share of reservations from this segment has now risen from the initial five per cent to thrice the number.

Thus, 15 per cent of our

bookings for The Claridges New Delhi are generated through their booking channel and this will only grow in the future.”

Claridges currently has a portfolio of three luxury hotels at New Delhi, Surajkund and Mussoorie.

“Our next property will come up in Bharatpur. A boutique palatial property, this hotel will take two years for completion. The hotel brand’s sub brand in the four-star category, Atrium Surajkund is also being refurbished,” he adds.

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HOTELS

All about asset management Mandeep S Lamba, President & Founder, TEN Hotels And Hospitality Solutions LLP talks about the role of the company in promoting hospitality growth.

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ccording to Lamba, the company was founded in November 2011 with a motto to set up an advisory and consulting practice that could assist fresh investors to set up businesses across the hospitality spectrum and also to provide customised solutions to existing businesses.

“There is a large void in the professional advisory business in the Indian hospitality sector that can provide end-to-end solutions.

And with the enormous growth anticipated in this sector, it was clear that a large demand exists for professional consulting across several hospitality verticals.

TEN Hotels And Hospitality Solutions was set up to cater to this demand and to occupy

leadership position over the next five years,” he says.

The company is working closely with several leading real estate developers in assisting them with their hos-

Mandeep S Lamba President & Founder TEN Hotels And Hospitality Solutions LLP

pitality ventures and with several leading international and domestic hotels and brands for the Operator search and executive search verticals. “Currently, we are involved in Asset Management or Operator Search assignments with sev-

eral projects across the country, over a dozen assignments for Executive Search and Training and two Master franchise searches for International Restaurant chains out of New Zealand and US wanting to enter India.

Several other dialogues are in the pipeline and we will be making more announcements shortly,” he reveals.

The group recently collaborated with Hotels Solutions Partnership, UK. The JV enables a wide market reach in Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Regarding the next move to market Ten Hotels in these geographies, Lamba points out, “This gives us instant access to clients globally who are looking at hospitality investments in India and are approaching our partners Hotel Solutions Partnership at various locations worldwide. Equally, the JV gives us Contd. on page 20

From standalone to stopover India’s first private forest reserve – The Kikar Lodge – has witnessed a five-seven per cent year-long growth from the travel trade segment…

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ndia is experiencing a huge shift from the conventional holidays towards adventure and experiential travel.

Betting big on this segment

ture sports is just growing in India. In times to come, it is these areas in the smaller nooks and corners of the country that will drive tourism,” he says.

The resort has seen an increase in bookings through the B2B segment. “We have managed to identify around 50-odd agents in the NCR. But having our own sales team also gives the property a major push. Over the last

a span of three days, the region received around nine lakh visitors. And, we are just 20 km from the area. So the property gets a huge inbound bulk, especially from France, Germany and Spain. The festival days get booked a year before in advance. And it is for these chunk bookings that we rely solely on the travel trade fraternity,” he adds.

Interestingly, the destination has always been a stand-alone

Amrinder Singh Chopra CEO The Kikar Lodge

is the The Kikar Lodge.

Nestled in the Shivalik foothills at the northern periphery of Punjab, The Kikar Lodge is India’s first private forest reserve spread over 1,800 acres of forest.

According to Amrinder Singh Chopra, CEO, The Kikar Lodge, the idea was to develop the place on the lines of the game lodges in Africa. “The quest for holidays with adven-

seven years, The Kikar Lodge has witnessed a five-seven per cent growth year-long from both the segments,” he reveals.

“In March, Anandpur Sahib plays host to the vibrant festival of Hola Mohalla. Over

destination. “But now that people have discovered that it is midway to Manali, the Kikar has become a stopover destination as well,” he reveals.

The adventure activities offered include quad biking, paintballs, ziplining, horse safaris, rapelling, etc.

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STATISTICS

FTAs thumbs-up to Maharashtra In the recently released stats (number of travellers) by MOT, it is evident that Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu lead the chart. reports the shift which has come to fore in terms of domestic & foreign arrivals in India.

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n the see-saw of tourists figures, there have been some changes in the rankings in the year 2011 according to figures from the Ministry of Tourism. In domestic visitors, Uttar Pradesh and AP tie with 18.3% and 18% of the total visitors. But foreign tourists give these two states a wide berth, preferring to head towards Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu instead.

Most of the States/Union Territories (UT) have observed a general increase in the number of domestic and foreign tourist visits during 2011. The States/UTs which recorded a decline in domestic tourist visits in 2011 over 2010 were Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Sikkim and Uttarakhand. The States / UTs which experienced decline in foreign tourist visits during 2011 over 2010 were AP, Chandigarh, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, Mizoram and Uttarakhand.

The top five states in domestic tourist visits in 2011 were Uttar Pradesh (155.4 million), Andhra Pradesh (153.1 million), Tamil Nadu (137.5 million), Karnataka (84.1 million) and Maharashtra (55.3 million).

These five states accounted for about 68.9% of the total domestic tourist visits in the country. In respect of foreign tourist visits in 2011, the top five states/UTs were Maharashtra (4.8 million), Tamil Nadu (3.4 million), Delhi (2.2 million), Uttar Pradesh (1.9 million) and Rajasthan (1.4 million). These five states/UTs accounted for about nearly 70% of the total foreign tourist visits to the States/UTs in the country.

The Taj Mahal in Agra leads tourism leads figures for visits from both domestic (46,46,203) and foreign visitors (6,68,903).

Ups & Downs In domestic visitors, UP and AP tie with 18.3% and 18% of the total visitors But foreign tourists give these two states a wide berth, preferring to head towards Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu instead The states/UTs which recorded a decline in domestic tourist visits in 2011 over 2010 were AP, Bihar, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Sikkim and Uttarakhand.

TECHNOLOGY

‘Indians want the best rates’ Wego.com is the one-stop portal, where one can do air tickets, hotel bookings, package tours, all at one go. talks to Jackson Fernandez, General Manager, Wego.com to know more about the company… rated all the major OTA (online travel agents)makemytrip.com, arzoo.com, goibibo.com, sulekha.com, holidayiq.com.

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hey call themselves, “The one-stop on-line shop, to save time, pay less, and travel more.” Whether its www.tripadvisor.com; www.hotel.com, www.holiday.com , one can find their respective rates, in wego.com, making it the allimportant tourism advisory for the online-savvy individual who has an unquenchable thirst for travel.

“We don’t do any sales ourselves, but provide a neutral platform that aggregates the rates of others, so that the consumer can avail all information under one roof ,” said Jackson Fernandez , General Manager of the company at their brand-new office in Bangalore.

Fernandez informed with pride that they had started operations in India only late last year, but already had 1 million visitors every month on their portal.

Fernandez was proud that they had opened an office in India at the right time. “Our statistics show that the Indian travel market size has risen to $23 billion, growing at 13 per cent, while

Jackson Fernandez General Manager Wego.com

Our portal had seen a steady 15 per cent to 20 per cent increase in visitors, without us doing any marketing at all 15 per cent-20 per cent increase in visitors, without them doing any marketing at all. Wego.com, in fact, referred in excess of $1.2 billion potential bookings to the websites of its various travel

How Wego came up Wego.com was first launched in 2005 in Singapore by Ross Vetch who formerly worked with Yahoo and Craig Hewitt, who earlier worked with the Intercontinental group. They saw the big travel-boom in the Asian region, thanks to the growing economies and influx of low-cost carriers. Soon, they realized the need for a good meta-search engine. That was how www.wego.com (pronounced as ‘We go’) was born.

Today, wego.com has set up offices and portals in Indonesia, Dubai, Australia, with a representational office in China. In Dubai, they were the first-ever meta-search engine in Arabic language. With a strong presence in Asia, they are now slowly expanding to the US, Latin American and European markets. the Indian online travel industry size has reached $6 billion, growing at 28 per cent. There’s also a 32 per cent increase in people who are booking on online travel sites. Today, there are 18.5 million users on online travel websites!” he stated.

He informed that their own portal had seen a steady

partners. “That’s because the Indian travellers want the best rates, in every part of the world, and since we have operations in 50 countries, in over 20 languages, we offer them numerous choices,” he stated.

As for the Indian portal, he said that it had as many as 11 languages, and incorpo-

Fernandez informed that they had struck deals with over 20000 hotels and resorts of various categories, and recently launched a ‘Holiday Rentals’ section, with niche products like houseboats, heritage houses, home-stays etc .

He said that that they were now looking at linking up with top travel-companies, state tourism-boards (they are already powering international tourism boards like the Singapore Tourism Board ),and also new tourist segments like the Buddhist circuit .

“Our worldwide footprint allows greater visibility to Indian OTAs, hotels, and travel companies and in outside markets, at lower costs,” he stated.

According to Fernandez, who has previously worked with Fortune 500 companies in New York and Mumbai, the ‘in-demand’ Asian tourist destinations were Phuket in Thailand, Bali in Indonesia, and New Delhi and Goa, in India Asked who their competitors were, he mentioned, www.kayak.com, in the US. In India, they were one of a kind. “We’ve taken the concept of meta-search to another level,” he said with pride.

As for the future, Jackson informed that the company planned “to become more aggressive in the B2B sector.” “The Indian market has multiple travel players, the industry is pretty unstructured, which is why the potential is enormous,” stated Fernandez.

“Our inventories are huge, and that’s why India has become one of our primary markets.”

Jackson added that wego.com planned to start offices in New Delhi and Mumbai, by the end of 2013.

Get ready for the world’s biggest airline Once the US$ 11-billion American Airlines and US Airways merger is completed, the resultant group will be the largest airline service in the world. The new company will be flying to 56 countries with 6,700 daily flights to 336 destinations, serving 187 million passengers.

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AVIATION

TRAVTALK MARCH 1 ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2013

Jet-Etihad: Changing the game rules?

If Jet-Etihad merger happens, this would be the first foreign airline investment transaction in Indian aviation since the long-awaited approval granted by the Indian Cabinet in September 12, 2012. reports...

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ccording to a CAPA report, allowing foreign airline investment is an important step in establishing a more professional aviation sector in India. Such investment not only brings strategic capital and expertise into the market, but as a result of its presence, other institutional funding may also feel more confident about investing alongside.

cant strategic mistake, the acquisition of Air Sahara.

Integration of the two carriers proved to be far more challenging than anticipated and drained capital which made the airline vulnerable. As a result Jet

enue in excess of USD3.4 billion in FY12/13;

Timely boost for Jet; yet Advantage All Most likely are changes at the senior management level of Jet Airways, much deeper codesharing and schedule coordination

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Combined Jet Airways/JetLite fleet size of 116 aircraft;

•

20 years of experience during which time it has

Etihad expected to acquire 24% of Jet

Further foreign airline investment may not be far behind

So far, Etihad will acquire a stake of up to 24% in Jet Airways at a valuation of US$1.3 billion-$1.4 billion through preferential shares and warrants. At a later stage, Etihad’s stake could be increased to 49%, at which time the de-listing of Jet Airways may be an option.

Etihad is expected to secure a seat on the Board of Jet Airways and have a say in the induction of some key executives, subject to obtaining the necessary regulatory and security clearances. As a result, Naresh Goyal, Founding Promoter and Chairman of Jet Airways, will for the first time relinquish complete control over the airline.

Key strategic mistakes for Jet Airways In 2007, Jet Airways conducted its most signifi-

Jet Airways may also choose to directly import aviation turbine fuel from Abu Dhabi to circumvent the onerous sales taxation on local purchases. For Jet, the deal also provides multiple benefits including an infusion of cash for debt reduction and to provide capital for growth; access to a large global network; scale economies for procurement and the ability to tap into a large pool of experienced management.

Airways’ customer proposition has been deteriorating which, up until the last few years, was acclaimed for its high standards.

It is somewhat ironic that Jet Airways is likely to be the first beneficiary of foreign airline investment under the newly liberalised regulations given that the carrier opposed the reform for many years. But Jet Airways’ status as the India’s longest surviving private carrier is a result of having proven itself astute in adapting to change.

between the two carriers and joint purchasing arrangements.

Etihad will gain access to a huge emerging market, which despite recent challenges is expected to be amongst the fastest-growing in the world over the next two decades. Jet Airways is a highly valuable medium through which to access this opportunity, representing: •

An airline with forecast consolidated group rev-

Kerala makes a mark at FITUR The Kerala Tourism themed its stand on the breathtaking Western Ghats at the prestigious International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR) in Madrid this year. Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi made it a point to visit the Kerala Tourism stand at the tourism fair. The Kerala Tourism delegation was led by state tourism Secretary Suman Billa.

Built on a 56 square metre area, the Kerala Tourism stand saw a stream of visitors, who were thrilled by the depiction of the beautiful flora and fauna of the majestic Western Ghats. It is to be noted that the Ghats are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. "We are happy that the Kerala Tourism stand was a big hit among the FITUR visitors," said Billa. "The Spanish market is very important for Kerala Tourism and we have seen an increase in awareness about the state in this market," he added.

carried over 100 million passengers; •

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Access to scarce infrastructure, particularly in the key premium market of Mumbai; Operation of India’s leading loyalty program.

The two airlines have links that go back several years when several Jet Airways executives assisted in the setting up of the UAE carrier, and more recently a successful codesharing arrangement.

SpiceJet could be next off the block and is understood to be in advanced discussions with more than one party, including reportedly an aggressively expanding Southeast Asian LCC, as well as private equity funds. A deal could be announced before March 31, 2013.

GoAir is another potential candidate and it too is in discussions with foreign airlines.

Minister Ajit Singh and the Government of India deserve credit for permitting foreign airline investment, an issue which was mired in considerable political complexity.

What about Air India?

The national carrier has in the last six months shown a substantial improvement in financial and operational

performance, but has suffered a major set-back with the grounding of the B787 this month. At present the government’s position is that Air India is not open to a strategic partnership with a foreign carrier. The government will need to commit to a major financial restructuring of the flag carrier before such an option can be considered.

With aviation viewed in the UAE as a critically important tool of economic development, Etihad and other carriers from the region are likely to have a higher risk appetite. An investment by Etihad in Jet Airways, although just the first step, would be a defining moment in the development of India’s aviation sector.

(CAPA Report)

Etihad’s Gains An airline with forecast consolidated group revenue in excess of USD3.4 billion in FY12/13 Combined Jet Airways/ JetLite fleet size of 116 aircraft 20 years of experience during which time it has carried over 100 million passengers Access to scarce infrastructure, particularly in the key premium market of Mumbai

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AVIATION

Filling the skill gap To fill the demand for skilled manpower, GMR Aviation Academy has decided to expand its horizons. talks to PS Nair, CEO-Corporate, Airport Sector GMR Airports to know more...

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e had an immediate objective of providing professional training and enhancing the knowledge and skill-set, predominantly of GMR Airports personnel,” said Nair. The focus was to address the technical competency gaps, minimise dependence on external vendors in designing various training programmes and providing talented manpower for the global aviation industry, especially for Asia-Pacific region. Within a very short span of time the academy has emerged as a global gateway for aviation learning, thanks to its accreditation by world-renowned aviation bodies like ACI, IATA, ICAO, DGCA and BCAS. GMR Aviation Academy has already started offering training to fresh students as well as industry professionals. It is also planning to tie up with many renowned universities that have excelled in aviation studies. “As a significant agreement, about 3500 AISATS people from Passenger Service and Ramp Service disciplines are being trained We have also recently signed an MoU with Celebi ground handling in Delhi to train about 500 of their

PS Nair CEO-Corporate, Airport Sector GMR Airports

We have a strong faculty to cater to all aspects of the aviation, travel & tourism and air cargo industry employees in DGR,” informed Nair. In view of the increasing demand from the industry including airlines and travel agents GMR Aviation Academy has decided to further intensify its initiatives for the industry.

Nair asserted that GMR Aviation Academy is known for its professional standards

and an ideal training centre for students and professionals of airports, airlines, cargo, safety, security, travel agencies, tour operators, other airport service providers and corporate aviation. The academy has its own distinctive advantage of utilising the airport facilities for hands-on practical experience for the course participants. It plans to amalgate the GMR managed Asia-Pacific Flight Training Academy for pilot training. It has already acquired three Diamond DA 40 aircraft for pilot training.

“We have a strong faculty for catering to all aspects of the aviation, travel & tourism and air cargo industry.

Depending on the nature of training, we also depute our faculty members to the clients’ premises to conduct training,” Nair added.

GMR Aviation Academy is an Authorized Training Center (ATC) for various IATA and ACI professional courses.

With its successful launch and completion of training for the first IATA batch, the Academy is now set to start the next batch. The ongoing training programmes include IATA (3month part-time) courses in travel & tourism, airport operations, cargo introductory course and DGR.

A professional intermediary Contd. from page 14

access to an enviable pool of professionals from across the globe for every possible hospitality vertical. It helps us extend our reach beyond India and we are currently working together on a project in Sri Lanka. One of Hotel Solutions Partnership clients has approached them with a mandate to find opportunities in India to acquire operating hotels in resort and heritage locations and we would soon be working on this assignment as well.”

Throwing light on the Asset Management concept, Lamba opines, “It is a relatively new concept in India.

Internationally, in developed hospitality markets, asset management is extremely popular and a very effective tool used by hotel and restaurant owners. The concept is now beginning to see increased demand in the Indian hospitality sector.”

As an asset manager, TEN Hotels would serve as a professional intermediary between owner and operator so as to maintain a healthy and spirited relationship between the two at all times while ensuring that the hospitality project delivers the best results. Through its team of professionals, TEN Hotels would constantly monitor the operating performance of the asset in the market that it operates on behalf of the owner and provide required feedback to the operator and owner on areas where they may be any discrepancy or inefficiency. The asset manager works as an extended arm of the owner allowing the owner to free himself from the nitty gritty of the hospitality project leaving that in the safe hands of a professional company while providing to the owner, simplified MIS on the performance of the asset along with key competition information,

best practices and global benchmarks. “The asset manager takes away the fatigue that commonly occurs in an owner operator relationship due to constant and direct interaction. Equally, the asset manager assists the operator in communicating effectively with the owner to ensure that the brand standards of the operator are always met. At an extremely small cost, the owner not only gets the complete range of services of a top class team of hospitality professionals but also far more accountability from the operator,” he explains.

Modus Operandi As an asset manager, TEN Hotels would serve as a professional intermediary between owner and operator so as to maintain a healthy and spirited relationship between the two at all times

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NTO

India is a priority market In terms of visitor arrivals, Malaysia Tourism is aiming to get 7,80,000 visitors from India in 2013 while in 2014, it expects to cross the 8,00,000 mark.

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ourism Malaysia is aiming to tap almost eight lakh tourists from India during 2013 compared to seven lakh tourist arrivals from the

Amran Abdul Rahman Director Tourism Malaysia

country last year. The Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia is going beyond the Tier-I markets to Tier-II and Tier-III to target a million visitors from India.

According to Amran Abdul Rahman, Director, Tourism Malaysia, during January to December, 2011,

Malaysia registered 6.93 lakh tourists from India.

the top ten markets for Malaysia currently.

“For 2013, we are targetting 7,80,000 tourists from India to Malaysia while our overall tourism targets are to achieve 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion (approx. USD55 billion) in tourist receipts by the year 2020.

In the year ahead, Tourism Malaysia will promote high-end tourism segments such as spas, eco-tourism, golf and exotic destinations.

Talking about the different segments of travellers that are doing the rounds, he pointed out, “We see mostly families coming to Malaysia. Big entourages have come with Indian weddings, which have mostly been held on beaches of Malaysia. Indians also come for F1 – our leg is in the first quarter of the year from March 21-22. Then there is the MotoGP that happens in the last quarter of the year. Last year, we promoted MotoGP with Mahindra Holidays among their members. We did online promotions and 129 people from India came to the event.” Emphasising on the ease of visa processing for Indian travellers, he revealed Tourism Malaysia is hopeful of opening more VFS offices in Tier-II cities in the country.

India is our priority and Malaysia would market its potential in markets such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata,” he added.

As of now, the country receives maximum visitors from Singapore (about four million per annum), Indonesia (1.6 million) and Thailand (1.2 million). In terms of tourist arrivals and income receipts, India is at number six and among

Looking beyond Moscow To further enhance the robust multi-faceted strategic partnership with India, Russia is working towards increasing the Indian tourist inflow this year.

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here is a keen interest among Indian tourists to explore Lake Baikal region, Golden Ring and Trans Siberian Railway journey.

‘The World without Borders’ Association, under the aegis of Rostourism, recently participated at OTM in Mumbai. It showcased the highlights of the country with a presentation for travel trade. It is aiming to increase the Indian tourist traffic by 50-60 per cent this year by educating the travel trade about Russia and emphasising the growing business market of the country for corporate travellers.

It has appointed Mumbai-based Salvia Tours to promote Russian Tourism in India to work closely with Indian agencies. In 2012, Indian arrivals to Russia shot more than 90 per cent as compared to 2011. Manish Synghal, Director, Dimaz Group strongly believes that regularity and consistency are most important in holding pre-

sentations on Russian Tourism in India.

He said, “A single event may only arouse the interest for Russia, and stimulate and provoke the travel bug of a curious traveller to explore the novelties unique to Russian Tourism. In my opin-

Indians have a very strong interest in Russia, primarily, in the business and leisure tourism industry. Furthermore,

Indian tourists are now more inclined to visit destinations beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg; there is a keen interest to explore the Lake Baikal region, the Golden Ring and the Trans Siberian Railway journey, informed Synghal.

Manish Synghal Director Dimaz Group

ion, such presentations should be held on the eve of summer tourist season which is interesting for Indians.”

Meanwhile, the longstanding relations between the two giants continue to keep Russian interest high among Indian outbound tourists.

It is targetting family travellers and business travellers from India. The company will also hold promotional activities with trade partners in India to double the Indian arrivals. Currently, Aeroflot provides direct connections from India (New Delhi) to Russia (Moscow and St Petersburg) but soon the services would be extended to other cities in both the countries (Mumbai, Bengaluru, Krasnodar, Yekaterinburg, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod and Vladivostok).

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NTO

Mexico goes India way The tourism board aims at 35-40 per cent growth from India, with its prime focus being Mumbai.

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n a bid to increase Indian footfalls, Mexico Tourism has started proactive sessions in the country.

To start with, it is in talks with top tour operators and online travel agents (OTAs) to include Mexico in their US travel itineraries. It is also looking at developing unique itineraries for every segment of Indian high-end travellers by taking feedback from these tour operators about Indian travellers’ needs, requirements, behaviors, booking patterns, etc.

With no plans to open an office in India or appoint a representation in near future, the tourism board is working closely with Mexico Embassy in New Delhi for providing tourism information, promotional materials and visa information to the travel trade.

Talking about the performance of Indian market, Guillermo Eguiarte, Regional Director – Asia, Mexico Tourism Promotion Board said, “We are promoting Mexico in India for the last six years with a good response from the trade and travellers.

Before the recession (2008), we recorded a growth of about 150 per cent from India which was excellent but post that, due to recession and swine flu breakout in 2009, the growth figures dwindled.

Guillermo Eguiarte Regional Director – Asia Mexico Tourism Promotion Board

We are going to work closely with travel agents through joint marketing activities, building itineraries and also supplying promotional materials However, we are recovering from that. In 2011-12, we saw a growth of 30 per cent from India and are expecting 35-40 per cent for 2012-13.

This is only possible through travel agents and thus we are going to work closely with them through joint marketing activities, assistance in building unique itineraries and also supplying promotional

materials.” The prime focus of the country is Mumbai with secondary focus on New Delhi and Bengaluru. It is also considering approaching few production houses next year as first it intends to consolidate in B2B space. “China is a bigger market for us in Asia in terms of numbers, but when it comes to expenditure and duration of stay, Indians lead the race. Indians not only spend more, but also experiment with local food, have no language barrier and explore more destinations in Mexico,” adds Eguiarte.

Tourism is Mexico's third-biggest source of foreign exchange after oil exports and remittances from expatriates, accounting for close to 9 percent of gross domestic product and providing employment to 2.5 million people. Last year, Mexico received 23 million international tourists and the industry generated more than US$11 billion in total revenue.

Fast Facts Tourism is Mexico's thirdbiggest source of foreign exchange after oil exports and remittances from expatriates, accounting for close to 9 percent of gross domestic product and providing employment to 2.5 million people

Indana opens up to travel agents Indana Hotels & Resorts, a Gundecha Group Venture is doing everything possible to encourage and incentivise their strongest channel partner – travel agents. Currently operating its flagship property in Jodhpur, the group will be soon opening properties in Jaipur (mid-2015), Udaipur, Nagpur, Agra and Mumbai.

Besides organising Fam trips, it will showcase the Indana Jodhpur property to foreign and domestic tour operators during the forthcoming edition of Great Indian Travel Bazaar-2013 (April 14-16, Jaipur). According to Poonam

Poonam Gundecha Director Indana Hotels

Gundecha, Director, Indana Hotels & Resorts, the group believes in forging partnerships and creating long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with travel agents across

India. She said, “We consider our travel partners as partners; they will be our major distribution channel. We intend to build a symbiotic relationship with them. Jodhpur is largely a leisure destination and we intend giving full support to our travel partners in selling Jodhpur as a destination not only for leisure, but also for inbound and domestic travel, besides weddings and MICE markets. We plan to cement our relationship with regular emails updating them about special deals and offers at the hotel along with timely dispersal of incentives.”

Egypt’s ban on alcohol triggers tourism concern In a recent development, the Egyptian government has moved to ban alcohol in the country, which has raised new concerns for the already-depressed tourism industry.The New Urban Communities Authorities (NUCA) said that the government would no longer issue licenses for the sale of alcohol in new residential settlements on the outskirts of Cairo, Alexandria and other big cities.

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Hearty response brings smile for SA Tourism In conversation with Hanneli Slabber, Country Head, South Africa Tourism, more about Durban and the growth in tourism arrivals after the convention.

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couple of years ago, SATSA (which is the South African equivalent of TAFI) contacted TAFI and decided to work together and had mutual agreements.

Initially when the agreements started, they wanted to know more about tourism promotion activities and see how they can work together. “Our counter-

parts in South Africa are the ones who have actually won the TAFI conference. They signed an MoU and the conference is a combination of all their efforts.

Kudos for winning the conference must go to them.

SATSA in South Africa have been the driving force behind organising TAFI this year,” says Slabber.

Badge of Honour

finds out

Welcoming TAFI

We are very excited about TAFI and had worked on a really good campaign to attract many attendees. We had around 840 seats, and they were all gone. We could have accommodated more people on ground, but on those specific dates, the airline seats were all sold out. People were taking different routes for the conference. Kwa-Zulu Natal is also the home to the largest Indian population in South Africa. South Africa also has the second largest Indian population outside of India.

Growth prospects for 2013

Hanneli Slabber Country Head South Africa Tourism

TAFI is a badge of honour for SA’s travel industry and they are all very excited about it. From an exposure point of view, there are not only agents who sell the destination but also those who do not have South Africa on their product list.

This provides us the opportunity to show the destination to the agents and show everything beautiful that we have to offer.

There are a huge number of pre- and post-tours being organised. First the fams are going to the provisional tourism authority, and then after their capacity is full, they are moving on to other provinces. The delegates got the opportunity to choose from a lot of options.

2013 going to be an interesting year for us. Last year, we had just under 90,000 tourism arrivals from India. Till September 2012, we crossed 80,000 and are very confident that we will break the record. We are looking at a 10 to 15 per cent increase in tourist arrivals. This is because we have major air constraints. We only have daily direct flights from Mumbai. That said, Emirates, Qatar, Kenya Airlines offer good connections. The route is good and a lot of non direct flights are moving their schedule to provide better connectivity to South Africa. We need flights out of Delhi and South India. Our visa process is also very easy. Our roadshow this year has been very important. It is one of the biggest roadshows in terms of participation from buyers and sellers. We have 65 products on the floor with over 100 South African participants. We said ‘no’ to around 20 people as we had capacity issues on the domestic flights, but next year we plan to make it larger. The roadshow for 2014 will be January 20th. It is a massive undertaking for us. Top outbound period for long hauls from India is Diwali and not monsoon. The top visiting period for Indians to South Africa is the monsoon, April, May, June and July, which is a low season for us and our industry can offer the best rates at that time.

We do a lot of incentive travel to South Africa also.

IHG to have 47 properties in India IHG has signed 13 new hotels in India, boosting its existing pipeline in the country to 47. The announcement was made as Jan Smits, Chief Executive Officer for IHG in Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), took part in a trade mission to India with British Prime Minister David Cameron to boost trade ties between the two countries.

Smits said, “India is an extremely important market for IHG. We have our second largest pipeline in Asia-Pacific here after China. With international tourism increasing year on year and the continued strength of domestic tourism, we see incredible opportunities for growth.”

Prime Minister Cameron said, “The big expansion of InterContinental Hotels Group across India showcases their ability to compete in the global race and will help safeguard several hundred jobs in the UK.”

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AVIATION

Ready for bigger piece of Indian skies South African Airways is enthusiastic to expand its route network in India by considering destinations which will make commercial sense along with healthy loads. It is considering New Delhi as another point for flights to South Africa, besides refurbishing its fleet of aircraft. year. We are eager to introduce more routes connecting India with South Africa, but it should make sense commercially for us.”

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eing the only airline offering direct connections on the Mumbai – Johannesburg route, South African Airways (SAA) is considering to further expand its footprint in India.

With the growing popularity of South Africa as a destination, the airline increased its frequency from four flights a week to daily during the end of 2012. The airline also replaced its old Airbus aircraft with the latest A330-400 aircraft which has the capacity of 222 passengers (36 business class and 186 economy class).

It may start flying from New Delhi soon to provide direct connectivity to North Indian travellers to South Africa. Additionally, the airline is also looking at onward traffic from India to South America and USA. Talking about the Indian market, Sajid Khan, Country Manager – India, South African Airways said, “India

The airline is working closely with the travel trade in India and supporting them with five per cent agency commission as their remuneration for servicing airline

not yet operational. We rely totally on our trade partners and offer incentives and other schemes to encourage them to continue booking with South African Airways.”

Being Positive With just one city connection from India to South Africa, the airline is still very optimistic to record growth.

Sajid Khan Country Manager – India South African Airways

has always been an interesting market for aviation industry.

Despite being an expensive aviation market to operate in, international airlines are operating out of India due to its immense growth and future opportunities. We increased our flight frequency on Mumbai route from four to seven a week due to the response we received from the market. We recorded an average load factor of about 80 per cent in 2012 and are positive to record higher figures this

We rely totally on our trade partners and offer incentives and other schemes to encourage them to continue booking with South African Airways passengers with handling, processing and managing bookings on behalf of the airline. Khan said, “The travel trade is the integral part of our distribution channel. All our bookings come via travel agents as our online portal is

Khan explains saying, “We are positive about the growth from Indian market due to certain reasons. Firstly, because of increasing awareness of South Africa as a tourist and MICE destination; and secondly, our partnership during the TAFI

Convention will provide first-hand experience to the trade about our onboard services, to help them sell our tickets with more confidence. And last but not the least, because of our excellent connections with US and South American destinations.”

However, he informed that the biggest deterrent for Indians to keep South Africa in the second option is due to visa issues. South African visas are issued in five working days for Indian passport holders, and India being a last minute booking market, it is tough to opt for the destination at the last minute. On the other hand, India as a destination has already offered Visa-onArrival service for South African residents, which South African government is thinking over. The latter will soon announce if it’s accepting this offer or denying it. “If Indians

get Visa-on-Arrival service to South Africa, I’m sure the number of Indian travellers to the country will double overnight.”

Transit Traffic From India The airline is not just targeting the Indian traffic flying directly to South Africa, but is also the passengers flying to North, Central and South America. The airline connects Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, USA, Uruguay and Venezuela. The airline is offering excellent one-stop connectivity with attractive fares and minimum stop-over duration.

“We are offering convenient schedules for Indians travelling to US and South America which are long-haul flights. To encourage Indian travellers, we are first increasing interest of our trade partners who have the power to convenience end travellers.”

Club Med woos Indians After underlining the Club Med brand among high-end experiential travellers, it is time for the company to focus on travellers hunting for ‘value for money’ deals from higher middle-class category featuring FITs, honeymooners, families, DINKs, etc.

For this summer, Club Med India is offering 40 per cent off on early bookings for its resorts at Kani – Maldives, Cherating – Malaysia, Bali, Bintan and Phuket for minimum of three nights booking in all category rooms.

Agents or travellers can avail this offer by booking till March 31, 2013 for travel period between April 1,

Vijay Sharma Country Manager Club Med

2013 – July 31, 2013.

Through the unique deals and offers, the brand is aiming to enhance brand awareness and increase room sales from India. Talking about the Indian market, Vijay Sharma, Country Manager, Club Med India said, “India is one of the fastest-evolving

outbound travel markets in the world. Indians want to explore beyond their comfort zones and are looking to travel. They are amongst the segment of high-spending tourists who like to splurge on comfort and luxury while travelling. International tourism expenditures in India are expected to reach over US$ 20 million by 2015.” Adding further on the summer deals, Sharma said, “Maldives, Malaysia, Bali, Phuket are all scenic de-stressing destinations and are popular among Indians during summer time. The stay should be at least three nights in the all-room category.”

Fortune Park Vallabha turns 3 Fortune Park Vallabha in Hyderabad celebrated its third anniversary with great pomp and splendour. On the occasion of the hotel’s anniversary, a blood donation camp was organised in association with NTR Memorial Trust Blood Bank and around 50 staff members voluntarily donated blood.

During the event, Rahul Nama, General Manager of the property and his team visited an orphanage and donations were made in the form of cash as well as blankets. As a part of CSR activity, management will provide an opportunity by recruiting differently-abled personnel on its staff roles for the prevailing calendar year, he informed.

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ADTOI elections scheduled for this month The association conducted its last members’ meet on February 16, 2013, where several issues including the ongoing service tax matters were highlighted.

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he Association of Domestic Tour Operators (ADTOI) is due for elections for the term spanning 2013-2015.

ADTOI conducted its last members’ meet on February 16, 2013, wherein it was announced that election notification will be declared short-

Melbourne Convention Bureau gets a facelift MCB, formerly known as the Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau, now has a new brand complete with a new logo and a new name that adequately reflects its core business of attracting business events to the region.

Karen Bolinger, Chief Executive Officer, Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), recently announced a complete rebrand for the organisation. The logo has been designed to modernise MCB’s brand identity; keeping the traditional ‘M’ silhouette but refreshing it with a vibrant and energetic red, adding colour gradients to create a spotlight effect and using a new and more contemporary font.

“As part of our Strategic Business Plan launched in May last year, we decided to undergo a complete rebrand in order to form a more holistic approach to our visual identity to assist us in creating clear and increased brand awareness, both domestically and internationally,” Bolinger said.

“The process started with our name; the term ‘Visitors’ was taken out to disassociate ourselves with leisure tourism, as MCB’s sole responsibility is for the procurement of business events that attract delegates to Victoria. Our new brand now clearly aligns us with our vision, mission and values, and reflects MCB’s status as one of the world’s premier convention bureaux. Further, details will be revealed next week during Australia’s inaugural Business Events Week!”

ly, in addition to the agenda of the general house meeting.

“We have completed our term after taking charge in April, 2011. We will soon announce the dates of the elections, which should be over by March 2013,” said Subhash Verma, President, ADTOI (2011-13), who can

also run for a second term.

“Today, ADTOI stands as a prominent body in Ministry of Tourism (MOT), other ministries, government bodies and various trade forums,” he added. At the last members’ meet, several issues including the ongoing service tax matters were highlighted, while a few members also

choose to highlight their opinion on the lapses during the Annual Convention 2013.

Here, Rakesh Lamba, Immediate Past President, ADTOI pitched in and asked all the ADTOI members to look forward positively. “We all make mistakes and learn from them, while making it

a point that the same mistakes are not repeated again. I hope that the new team that comes to the helm in April will certainly take it so.” There was also a presentation made by the Accor Group, who showcased their Pullman and Ibis brands among others to the domestic tour operators.

Subhash Verma President ADTOI

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IITTM Conclave highlights poverty issues The Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) gathering tabled important agendas such as the role of tourism industry as a job provider and poverty alleviator, and the need to have significant indigenous research.

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he 4th Directors’ Conclave at the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), Gwalior, held on February 23, generated much buzz on a subject which is now a buzz word in every tourism meet – Tourism as a Poverty Alleviator. The interest extended to other aspects as well, such as on quality research and on Gwalior as a tourism hot-spot.

The theme of the conclave, which attracted crosssection of researchers, academicians and practitioners of the growing industry, was ‘Tourism: Passport for Prosperity and Poverty Alleviation’.

A major grudge of the industry has been that tourism has not been given its rightful place by the country’s planners and policymakers over the decades, but this neglect has been made up by a significant mention of

tourism as a job-giver in the 12th Five Year Plan document.

Perhaps this was the reason why the apex research and teaching body of the Ministry of Tourism opted to take up this topic at the annual Directors’ Conclave this year.

But there is an urgent need to improve the quality of research on subjects connected with the fast-growing tourism industry.

Another relevant point, made by the chief guest Gwalior Municipal Commissioner Vedprakash, was that steps need to be taken to highlight Gwalior in tourism development plans.

To set the ball rolling, IITTM Director Prof Manjula Chaudhary pointed out that poverty alleviation is important for tourism to make the industry socially relevant.

She noted that poverty alleviation is on the industry’s agenda in the 12th Plan and

Prof Manjula Chaudhary Director IITTM

Poverty alleviation is important for tourism to make the industry socially relevant.

It is on the industry’s agenda in the 12th Plan and also on the Millennium Goals

also on the Millennium Goals of the United Nations and part of STEP—Sustainable Tourism Eliminating Povertyplan of the UNWTO. She noted that tourism can be an effective catalyst for poverty alleviation, because of its intrinsic nature. This includes it being labour-intensive, suitable for medium and small enterprises, providing jobs for basic skilled workers, minimum-entry barriers, export potential, and having links with other sectors.

Among the topics discussed by the delegates were issues like community participation, informal sectors, authencity of experience and pro-poor tourism policies and practices in India. There is need for caution and care at all levels to see that the best results of tourism stay with us and negative impacts are minimised.

But what stood out at the conclave was the admission that much more needs to

be done to encourage quality of research by scholars.

Interestingly, the background note prepared for the conclave, as well as the ideas that came up during the deliberations, made it clear that the need to relate tourism gains to the larger good has been realised. Also, it is a matter of greater interaction to see that the rightful place of tourism is found, with proper planning and implementation, so that the its goal as a passport to prosperity and poverty alleviation is achieved.

Appropriately, the note says that, ‘Especially from the 1990s, there has been growing acknowledgement of the role of tourism as an agent of development and change. Its role in addressing the core issue of poverty and the human development process in general has been gaining momentum. Many have brought it as integral part of programmes and policies.

This is true in case of the

United Nations and the agencies and movements it promotes like UNWTO, UNCTAD, and UNDP.’ The IITTM paper noted that in the Millennium Development Goals promulgation of UN, eradicating human poverty was one of the prime missions of eight sets of goals and set a target of 20 years to achieve a poverty-free world.

Thought Process A major grudge of the industry has been that the tourism industry has not been given its rightful place by the country’s planners and policymakers over the past decades This neglect has been made up by a significant mention of tourism as a job-giver in the 12th Five Year Plan document

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FHRAI seeks clearances for Aerocity hotels The body has appealed to the civil aviation minister for intervention. The hotels in Aerocity will together contribute 5,500 much-needed additional rooms to NCR’s limited inventory.

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ivek Nair, President of the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), in a meeting with Ajit Singh, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, sought his urgent intervention in the undue delay in issue of completion certificates and other clearances to hotels in the upcoming hospitality district of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, Aerocity.

As many as 13 hotels are being built in the Aerocity at a combined project cost of approximately ` 10,000 crore. The hotels, which include marquee names such as the JW Marriott, will together contribute 5,500 much-needed additional rooms to the capital city's limited inventory of 11,000 rooms in the branded segment and generate direct employment for thousands of people. The construction of some of these hotels is either already complete or in advanced stages. An inordinate delay

Vivek Nair President FHRAI

in their commissioning would not only cause colossal financial losses to the individual developers but also put in peril, the vision of establishing a vibrant world-class hospitality hub, which was conceived as an integral component of the ambitious modernisation programme of the Delhi International Airport.

It is pertinent to note that all these hotels are being developed in accordance with the duly approved master plan and requisite statutory clearances had been obtained, including NOC on height clearance from the Airports Authority of India, prior to commencement of construction four years ago. To impose structural modifications or alteration of building plans at this late stage, ostensibly to allay perceived security concerns, would be

unreasonable and impractical. Moreover, it has already been clarified that all buildings in the area will incorporate state-of-the-art security and surveillance infrastructure.

Nair has highlighted to the Minister that in order to achieve the target of dou-

bling the Foreign Tourist Arrivals from six to twelve million within the 12th Plan Period (2012-17), the Ministry of Tourism and the Planning Commission have estimated that 1,80,000 additional hotel rooms would be required across the country, entailing a massive cap-

ital investment of over ` 1,25,000 crore. Any prolonged and unwarranted uncertainty on receiving the final regulatory clearances can potentially undermine the viability of a landmark and prestigious project such as the Aerocity. The FHRAI President has

expressed his concern that this would in turn, deal a severe setback to the hospitality sector's ability to attract the significant domestic and foreign investment (FDI) which is imperative to fuel its envisioned growth and expansion.

Stumbling Block It is pertinent to note that all these hotels are being developed in accordance with the duly approved master plan and requisite statutory clearances had been obtained This includes NOC on height clearance from the Airports Authority of India, prior to commencement of construction four years ago

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New-age parks add perks for tourism As the growth of amusement parks and entertainment zones are helping facilitate the flow of tourists, these zones are also banking on the travel trade fraternity for support.

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espite the amusement /entertainment parks industry in India being more than two decades old, it is still at a nascent stage. The industry in India is worth ` 7,000 crore and has been growing by leaps and bounds in the last few years. Being an integral part of the leisure industry, the amusement park industry contributes almost 40 per cent of the total turnover of the entire leisure industry. Considering the footfalls it attracts, a lot of state governments are proactively engaging publicprivate partnership (PPP) models to promote amusement parks in their regions.

And thus, amusement parks in India are shifting from a ‘standalone park’ model to an ‘entertainment hub’ model.

As the growth of amusement parks and entertainment zones are helping facilitate the flow of tourists, these zones are banking on

the travel trade fraternity for support. Travel agents and tour operators are in turn, increasingly looking at this avenue for increasing their business.

The Kingdom of Dreams (KOD) in Gurgaon is a destination in itself which is capturing the imagination of the world. According to Viraf Sarkari, Director, Kingdom of Dreams, KOD receives on average over 50,000 visitors a month. “We are expecting it to cross one million visitors by the year-end of 2013,” he says. On whether the advent of such parks has helped to package tourism products better, especially for a city such as Delhi, Sarkari feels, “KOD offers world-class entertainment in a format which entertains, educates and promotes the culture of India. As KOD product offerings compare with the best in the world in the field of entertainment, the location is increasingly being included as a must-see and

Viraf Sarkari

Mohit Sawhney

Baptiste Frérot

Director Kingdom of Dreams

General Manager Unitech Amusement Parks

Co-founder and Managing Director, Laser Game

We are expecting to cross one million visitors by 2013 year-end must-visit destination in the travel itineraries.”

Talking about the importance of travel trade, he

The travel trade is important and they comprise 20% of the total business generated says, “Since KOD appeals to a variety of segments, it is important the travel trade community should extend all

The understanding of the available and high potential promotional channels is a Herculean task possible support to it. As an organisation and a destination, we are very committed to this segment. We are also

appointing international representatives in key international markets for a better market penetration to increase international travel traffic towards KOD.” To boost its portfolio, KOD has been tying up with several trade trade associations as well. “For example- during the PATA Mart in New Delhi in 2011, we extended a special rate of INR 1100/- to LPTI and they invited FTOs from UK, Europe, South Africa, Middle East and the US. Generally, these events always give an opportunity to extend the product exposure to key custodians of trade, especially to the FTOs and travel agents based out of Delhi and enhance the brand recall,” he reveals.

Reiterating the importance of the travel trade fraternity, Mohit Sawhney, General Manager, Unitech Amusement Parks that handles the Adventure Island in Contd. on page 38

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What’s in store at ITB 2013 The Business-to-Business (B2B) platform for trade visitors this time offers excellent opportunity to meet business partners and to do business.

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Pink Pride Gay & Lesbian Travel has become a recognised growth segment of the international travel market. ITB Berlin was its pioneer and has been showcasing travel products for this market since 2003. This is the fourth time that ITB Berlin will be shining the spotlight on this segment’s exhibitors at an attractive combined stand in Hall 2.1a. The Pink Pavilion now showcases a wider range of gay and lesbian destinations than any other event. On March 9-10, the weekend of ITB Berlin, gays and lesbians will be able to book trips directly with exhibitors for the first time.

Public attractions such as the Queer Tango on the Gay & Lesbian stand of Argentina will be highlighting the colourful diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender tourism (LGBT). visitBerlin will be presenting the Pink Pillow, a new hotel initiative. Trade visitors can find out more about this attractive market at the ITB Berlin Convention.

ITB Berlin champions gay and lesbian travel at international level as well and is a member of the board of directors of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA). In this role, it supports the newly established IGLTA Foundation, which obtains scholarships for students enabling them to take part in the annual IGLTA Convention. This will take place in Chicago this year.

Business travel Information from around 100 business travel exhibitors available online – two lounges for networking – a wide range of advanced training events at the ITB Business Travel Forum are the main features. In order to make it easier for travel and event managers to organise their schedule, ITB Berlin has compiled a list of exhibitors of especial interest to business travel decision-makers.

Listed under the label of Business Travel Partners at ITB Berlin, some 100 companies from around the world have now registered. They include carriers, hotel chains and technology companies.

Situated in Hall 8.1, and fea-

turing a new concept, the ITB Corporate MICE Lounge by HSMA will be inviting travel and event managers to while away the hours here.

Focus on CSR CSR Day at the ITB Berlin Convention focuses on strategies for sustainable tourism and examples of best practices – discussions on climate change, gender equality and the successful marketing of sustainable tourism products – trade visitors can attend the ITB Berlin Convention free of charge. CSR features prominently at the ITB Berlin. At the ITB Berlin Convention, practical experts and leading scientists will be discussing and providing information on the latest developments in the field of corporate social responsibility.

Main Attractions Public attractions such as the Queer Tango on the Gay & Lesbian stand of Argentina will be highlighting the colourful diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender tourism (LGBT) VisitBerlin will be presenting the Pink Pillow, a new hotel initiative

Buddhist Heritage of Odisha

1

2

3

4

Picture 1: Maheswar Mohanty, Tourism & Cultural Minister, Government of Odisha inaugurating 'International Conference on Buddhist Heritage of Odisha' at Toshali Udayagiri Convention Centre near Buddhist heritage site of Udayagiri on February 1, 2013; Picture 2: A K Tripathy, Principal Secretary (Tourism & Culture), Govt of Odisha felicitating a monk at the conference; Picture 3: Maheswar Mohanty, Tourism & Cultural Minister, Government of Odisha at the photo exhibition on Buddhist Heriatge of Odisha; Picture 4: Delegates at Ratnagiri Monastery

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Literary boost for tour operators in Jaipur With hundreds of visitors participating in Jaipur Literature Festival and making a beeline for the state capital, the travel trade fraternity has put up a great act for garnering business opportunities. reports...

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he Pink City has already established itself in the tourism map of the world.

Not only does the city receive ample number of foreign tourists, but also a spectacular number of domestic tourists who are lured by Jaipur’s forts, palaces and its living tradition.

But there is another attraction that is drawing tourists to Jaipur – books. As an alternative to heritage tourism that Jaipur has been famous for, the city of forts and palaces is now promoting literature tourism in a big way, through the recently-concluded Jaipur Literature Festival.

Footfalls have grown year on year, and this year over nearly 2,00,000 visitors jostled each other during the five days of the festival, compared to almost 1,22,000 visitors who attended the event last year.

According to Deepak Dhandh, Proprietor, V Care Tours, there has been a 100% growth year-on-year in the tourism business at Jaipur.

JLF is creating a ripple-effect on the travel industry in the region. “As JLF develops, so does Jaipur. In its first year, Jaipur had four five-star hotels. And now the count is 16 and going up”. Apart from the hotel bookings, transport and tours; the company has also organised parties for various sponsors and also a Royal dinner at the City Palace for The Man Booker’s Prize.

The company that has been associated with the JLF since its inception is its official travel partner. “We tend to cater to all segments, ranging from the backpackers to high-end luxury jet-setters.

In total, we book and sell around 1,500 room nights in a day. However, during the JLF we get most competitive rates from the hotels. Many hotels also give complimen-

good scope for exploring more opportunities to bring the art and book lovers together, she adds.

Jyotika Kumari Diggi

Khalid Khan

Owner and Director Diggi Palace

Executive Director, LPTI and immediate past president, RATO

The property till last year had 47odd rooms. This time, the rooms have been increased to 70 tary rooms by becoming festival hospitality partners.

Thus, during the last JLF, for those six days we sold 3,200 room nights. This year, it has

The tourist footfall increases significantly during the Jaipur Lit Fest more than doubled to 7,500 room nights for just six days of JLF 2013,” he reveals.

There has also been an increase in interest in preand post-FAM tours during JLF, opines Dhandh.

Himali Singh Soin, art writer and Director, Ibex Expeditions claims the JLF

Georgie Pope, Founder and Director, Sound Travels, says, “My tours have a very specific focus on art, music and culture, the JLF brings precisely the right sort of travellers to my doorstep.

Each year I run a tour that is tailor-made to coincide with the JLF, which gives an insight into Rajasthani music, arts and oral traditions.”

Pope reveals, “There is a series of workshops held in Diggi Palace every year before the JLF. This is attended by around 60 to 70 foreigners (around half repeat clients, half new). They often travel to different parts of India after the workshops.

Sound Travels offers a tour around Rajasthan that brings them back in time for the literature festival.”

She points out, “Travel agents and tour operators can encourage people to see the arts, crafts, built heritage and other wonders that Jaipur has to offer, as well as making sure that neighbouring towns like Bundi, Ajmer, Bikaner

would have the capacity to bring Indian musicians to perform in their own countries. Domestic tourists, on the other hand, often book musicians they’ve met on my tours for their weddings or birthday parties, or tell their friends about them. This helps develop the local economy, and also helps me to build strong relations with musicians who see the longterm benefits of my visits,” she informs.

Reiterating the significance of the domestic tourists, Khalid Khan, Executive Director, LPTI and immediate past president, Rajasthan Association of Tour Operators (RATO) says, “The domestic tourist footfall increases during JLF dates. The city experiences an increase of 10 per cent over and above the normal day.”

Diggi Palace is the old family mansion turned heritage property in Jaipur which is also the fest venue since its inception.

Says Jyotika Kumari Diggi, Owner and Director of the Diggi Palace, “Around 65 per cent of our rooms were booked by the production team this time. For the remaining ones, we received bookings very early for the event. Thus, the

Georgie Pope

Deepak Dhandh

Himali Singh Soin

Founder and Director Sound Travels

Proprietor V Care Tours

Art Writer and Director Ibex Expeditions

It is essential to tap the pool of domestic travellers for lasting effect

has immense potential to draw art enthusiasts. “The Ibex Expeditions was one of the first tour companies to make tailor-made packages for niche tourism products, literature being one of them.

For the JLF, I lead very niche trips. We try and combine this with hot air balloon rides, elephant safaris, etc.” Earlier the events used to coincide with each other. Now from this year on, they will happen simultaneously. This leaves a

In its first year, Jaipur had four five-star hotels.

And now the count is 16 and going up

and Mandawa get to feel the benefit of this influx of tourism.”

Currently, the company caters more to the inbound travelers. However, Pope feels it is essential to tap the pool of domestic travelers.

“Indian travellers can provide actual employment opportunities for the artists I introduce them to. Foreign travellers appreciate the music, but it is very rare that they

We have tailor-made packages for the people who visit the festival

property witnessed 100 per cent occupancy during the event.” Each year, more space in the Diggi Palace has to be taken over to accommodate the ever-expanding activities and sessions of the fest.

According to the owner, the property till last year had 47odd rooms. This time, the rooms have been increased to 70. “One of the primary reasons to increase the number of rooms was the interest in the event,” she admits.

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AVIATION

Taking fine art to the skies Virgin Atlantic collaborates with British artist, Ben Eine, to launch first ever commercial art gallery in the air. The gallery is on the flights connecting London and New York; a sector very popular with Indian travellers.

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n a world first, Virgin Atlantic has launched a commercial art gallery at 35,000ft, offering Upper Class passengers flying between London and New York the opportunity to view, and purchase, a series of one-of-a-kind paintings by renowned British artist, Ben Eine, all from the comfort of their seat.

“We have witnessed a strong demand among the transit passengers from India, with over 40 per cent growth to New York from Delhi. We have seen a near doubling of the number of Upper Class passengers travelling with us from Delhi to Newark last year,” says Stephen King, General Manager, Virgin Atlantic- India.

The Gallery in the Air, which takes place between February 1 and 28, 2013, is the latest cutting-edge initiative from Virgin Atlantic to further enhance passengers’ inflight shopping and entertainment experience, taking the display and sale of fine art into uncharted territory. Each piece is inspired by the adventurous and innovative spirit of Virgin Atlantic, its entrepreneurial owner Richard Branson, and the iconic transatlantic cities of London and New York.

“We like to do things differently at Virgin Atlantic and are always finding new ways to surprise and entertain our customers. Our new gallery in the Air is the first ever commercial art gallery in the sky and is a good example of this,” says Richard Branson, President, Virgin Atlantic Airways.

Richard Branson

Stephen King

President Virgin Atlantic Airways

General Manager Virgin Atlantic- India

We like to do things differently at Virgin Atlantic and are always finding new ways to surprise and entertain our customers The eye-catching canvases will be on display across the London Heathrow, JFK and Newark Clubhouses and, as passengers take their seats, they can take a virtual tour of the Gallery in the Air, look behind-the-scenes at the making of the Virgin Atlantic artworks by Eine in his studio and buy the unique pieces of art for themselves in exactly the same way as they would a duty-free shopping purchase.

Further discussing plans for this year, King adds, "We have also launched a domestic flying programme within the UK from March 2013. The new schedule will connect Delhi, Mumbai with Manchester and Scotland

The airline will be adding 24 domestic flights a day within the UK to its existing long haul network that will strengthen connectivity for its Indian passengers (Edinburgh and Aberdeen) via London, Heathrow. The airline will be adding 24 domestic flights a day within the UK to its existing long haul network that will strengthen connectivity for its Indian passengers from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Punjab. The new flights within the United Kingdom will strengthen the connectivity Virgin Atlantic offers from Delhi and Mumbai."

Art reaches new heights Virgin Atlantic has launched a commercial art gallery at 35,000ft for Upper Class passengers flying between London and New York

Social media profits biz The growing inclination of travellers to sieve through social media content is a trend that has tied up profitability of travel business to online brand management.

As per Brian Payea, Head of Industry Relations, TripAdvisor for Business, “Social media and review sites are fundamentally changing the way travellers search, find and share information about tourism suppliers and destinations. As property’s social reputation improves; its overall per-

Brian Payea Head of Industry Relations TripAdvisor for Business

formance also improves.”

“According to our research, 59 per cent of Indian hospitality businesses claim to be using social media to engage with cur-

rent and potential guests.

There’s room for growth, as in that only 64 per cent of properties in India are registered on the TripAdvisor Management Centre, which they need to do in order to write responses to their reviews. Furthermore, only around 4.7 per cent of hotels in India have responded to user reviews on TripAdvisor a month ago,” said Payea.

“Our TripAdvisor for Business initiative is focussed on helping hospitality businesses around the world promote themselves.

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ANALYSIS

TRAVTALK MARCH 1 ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2013

What 2013 holds for technology & online speaks to leading players in technology and online space to know its growing importance and increasing force of online players in tourism. A few excerpts...

VIVEK SETHI

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echnology Online

and the Travel

Companies had been the flavour of the season growing irrespective of the changing economic business

cycles. In fact, they strive ahead to rapidly change the distribution and consumption pattern of

JB Singh, President & CEO, InterGlobe Technology Quotient 2012 has been a mixed year in terms of the growth in the travel sector. The growth this year will be determined by the rate at which supply will be inducted in the marketplace. It is expected to be slower than what we have seen in the past few years.

Harnessing of demand and driving mobility in and out and within the Tier-II and Tier-III markets in the country will contribute significantly to the growth in the industry.

With improvement in the per capita income, and increased spending by customers, the Indian hospitality sector is also expected to grow faster than most countries around the world.

travel products. The tough global economic environment is seemingly not a big challenge for the compa-

nies in the technology and online space. They look more interested in finding newer avenues and pene-

trate in Tier-I and Tier-II markets. TravTalk finds the expectations of these leading players.

Moondeep Aggarwal, Director, Wizie Though travel industry is going through a rough time, there is still a great potential to generate money and succeed. Everyone needs to work together for mutual growth rather than undercutting each other’s and trying to defeat the competition. Healthy competition is always good for the industry and a win-win situation. If everyone gets together and works in co-ordination, then there are a lot of opportunities for everyone to succeed. From a technology stand-point, this will be great where we can play a key role in reducing the cost of operations as well.

Jeetendra Sawhney,

Amal Purandare,

Managing Director of Abacus India

Head India Operations, Arzoo.com

For 2013, we expect to see continued growth within the AsiaPacific with a third of the world’s air traffic expected to come from Asia-Pacific by 2025. Within India, we can look forward to a path of growth for the travel industry as it maintains its position as the second in the world in terms of travel spend with an expected 7.8 per cent growth per annum from 2012 to 2022.

The online market especially in India is set to grow sharply, bringing with it an increase in online penetration. Fast growth, a growing middle class with disposable income, increases in online and mobile as well as growing industries have India poised as one of the leading markets in 2013.

Growth this year will be certainly better than 2012. With FDI being allowed in the aviation sector, there is a sudden burst of activity among airlines. Already, a couple of new airlines are planning to launch their operations this year. Existing airlines have dropped their fares considerably just before the summer holidays, probably to garner market share and cash flow for the coming months. The high-margin hotel industry automation will be gathering steam this year and adopt new technology products for their management, business intelligence and reservations bumping up the return on investment, and making the booking process more efficient.

Vikram Malhi,

Binu Mathews,

Country Head, Expedia India

Member of Board, RezNext

According to Phocus Wright report, the Indian market will remain robust this year and the travel industry is expected to reach $24.6 billion. Since travel and hospitality always go hand in hand, better travel growth will lead to a surge for hospitality industry as well.

The Indian accommodation market dipped 6% during the global financial crisis. But it was quick to recover, growing 16% in 2010 and 14% year-on-year to $ 4.9 billion in 2011. By 2013, Indian hotel gross bookings will be $6.9 billion.

If we see statistics of online booking of hotel rooms in say, the US and Europe, or the smart phone penetration, or the use of tablets and smart phone to book hotel rooms, the use of travel apps, the number of people booking hotels by accessing last minute deals, the numbers are heartening. These growth numbers are indicative of what is to come for a country like India, and that feels very positive. It may be hard to peg on a figure, but we definitely see growth in the travel and hospitality industry in 2013.

Jackson Fernandez, Managing Director, Wego, India Indian travellers are tech-savvy and it didn't take very long for them to realise the savings they could make by searching Wego for travel options. The online travel industry will drive growth right across the entire spectrum of travel markets. There has been a notable shift from offline to online travel bookings, the movement of which occurred very rapidly in India. India's online leisure business travel bookings is now estimated to account for one third of the total Indian travel market and as Phocuswright point out, it's likely to increase again this year to approach around 4 in 10 transactions.

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EXHIBITIONS

MARCH 1 ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2013

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Asia-special pavilion in GIBTM-2013 Over 40 per cent of the regional buyers attending GIBTM exhibition in the GCC have a direct interest in placing outbound business into Asia. GIBTM has created a specialist exhibitor pavilion for Asia-Pacific exhibitors.

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he new Asia pavilion will provide a meeting area for exhibitors to showcase their products to regional and international visitors and to the hosted buyers.

Lois Hall, The Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings (GIBTM) Event Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions informed, “Our survey reports that 2014 expected to be very positive with 65 per cent of MENA (Middle East and North

Lois Hall The Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings (GIBTM) Event Director Reed Travel Exhibitions

The representation on the show floor is an indicator proving the region’s meetings industry professionals are upbeat about economic prospects for 2013 Africa) buyers, reporting an increase in events over the next 12 months with Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Japan, specified as top destinations to place future business.”

“We also expect a significant increase of 30 per cent

Full House The exhibition has already sold 90 per cent of all floor space with regional exhibitors including Bahrain’s Ministry of Tourism, Etihad Airways and Jordan Tourism Board doubling the size of their stands GIBTM 2012 saw a rise in high-quality senior buyers, especially from the Middle East and Asia, and 100 per cent increase in buyers from Saudi Arabia, then

regional hosted buyers registered, to attend the show,” she added.

GIBTM 2012 saw a rise in high-quality senior buyers, especially from the Middle East and Asia, and 100 per cent increase in

buyers from Saudi Arabia compared to 2011.

In 2012, more than 270 hosted buyers have attended GIBTM. In 2013, an increase in international hosted buyers is expected to attend, exploring opportunities for their outbound MICE events.

The Exhibition has already sold 90 per cent of all floor space with regional exhibitors including Bahrain’s Ministry of Tourism, Etihad Airways and Jordan Tourism Board doubling the size of their exhibition stands for 2013.

“This representation on the show floor is a positive indicator proving the region’s meetings’ industry professionals are upbeat about economic prospects for 2013 and beyond,” Hall further mentioned. Over the few years, corporate meetings and

events held in Abu Dhabi has largely grown, expected to generate a direct economic impact of around US$1.4 billion by 2020. The Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings 2013 will take place from March 25 till 27, 2013.

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HOTELS

TRAVTALK MARCH 1 ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2013

Fun zones and tourism: Brothers in arms Contd. from page 30

Rithala, Delhi and the World of Wonder in Noida points out, “The travel trade community is very important and they comprise 20 per cent of the total business generated for the park.

Working in tandem with us, they are responsible for taking the park to different cities and countries to bring in new customers for us.

Moreover, they facilitate the other needs such as commuting, lodging for the tourist groups, etc.” The group is leaving no stone unturned to address all sorts of tourist segments. “Our portfolio includes inbound and domestic tourists, schools from Delhi-NCR and nearby cities such as Panipat, Meerut, Karnal, Jaipur. We have also witnessed MICE and corporate events,” he adds.

According to Sawhney, amusement parks help in the packaging of a destination.

“For example - a city like Delhi has a lot to offer -monuments, culture and design. Entertainment zones such as these help in extend-

ing the average stay of the travellers in a city, thus boosting the tourism footfalls,” he explains.

Elaborating Baptiste Frérot, Co-founder and Managing Director, Laser Game in Delhi claims, “The gaming zone of Laser Game is the high-tech combination of laser-tag and hide-andseek. Played with the world’s most advanced laser-tag equipment brought straight from Canada for adventure gaming in India, the gaming zone sees at least 4,000 players a month.

Despite this, there are shortcomings in the entertainment gaming industry.

The understanding of the available and high potential promotional channels, which are extremely segmented according to the target and the social group, is a herculean task.

The choice of the promotional art work and the acceptance of a new brand by the culture is also a challenge. There is a void in logistic and supply chain management as well.”

‘Travel agents are like partners’ Apart from Gurgaon that has a cluster of hotels in every brand segment, the other areas of Haryana have been a sad story for hospitality development.

The new five-star luxury hotel venture in Karnal is filling this void...

M E G H A PAU L

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aryana-based Jewels Group of Hotels’ Noor Mahal is the first five-star property in Haryana outside the NCR. The group is eyeing the unsaturated market for generating hospitality business in the region.

Elaborating on the development, Manbeer Singh Choudhary, CMD, Jewels Group said, “Haryana has 20 districts, including Gurgaon.

That said, there is not a single five-star hotel in other 19 districts. Hence, we decided to develop the first five-star property between Delhi and Chandigarh.”

According to Chaudhary, who is also the former president of FHRAI, the new five-star luxury hotel venture is making a difference in the state’s hospitality and travel scenario.

Going forward, the group is keen to work with a larger pool of travel agents

Manbeer Singh Choudhary CMD Jewels Group

Travel agents, along with tour operators, are not only important partners, but are also our proud associates and tour operators.

Interestingly, a bulk of the group’s bookings is via the

B2B segment. “The travel agents, along with the tour operators, are not only important partners for Noor Mahal, but are also our proud associates. The networking ratio is 60:40 (travel agent versus networking websites).

The feedbacks provided by the guests through online rating platform sites are also an additional boost of revenue generation,” the CMD pointed out.

Jewels Group of Hotels is attracting corporate travellers from the area. “We are targetting export and import houses in Karnal and Panipat.

Also, Karnal is the basmati bowl of the country. The oil refinery at Panipat is also in the vicinity. Hence, we get great numbers of corporate clients from the region,” Choudhary informed. The hotel is well-equipped to boost the MICE segment. It offers one entire floor for conventions. “With an area of 40,000 sq feet, we offer one of the biggest convention spaces in

the five-star hotel category.

We have three inter-connected halls. The largest one among them has an area of 18,500 sq feet,” he claimed.

The group has also positioned itself as a transit destination on the way to Himachal Pradesh. The Karnal-based firm has also developed a wellness centre with spa facilities. “We have launched a health club and spa. With this, the hotel has been developed as a weekend destination for families from nearby areas such as Delhi who can visit us for spa treatments over weekends,” he added.

Luxurious Stay The group has also positioned itself as a transit destination on the way to Himachal Pradesh The Karnal-based firm has also developed a wellness centre with spa facilities

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ASSOCIATIONS

IATO: More overseas offices The target set to double the inbound arrivals will require the Government to strengthen India’s overseas attempts to attract incremental demand for Incredible India’s round the year range of travel attractions.

Further, IATO strongly supports the expansion of the overseas infrastructure with appointment of representative offices in strategic markets, but not at the cost of any cut in terms of overseas presence.

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s per Subhash Goyal, President, IATO, “In line with target set to double the inbound arrivals, the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has built a strong case to strengthen our overseas offices.

These offices have made a very positive impact and in course of time, provided a solid link between Indian trade partners and overseas trade partners to boost international tourist traffic to India.”

Subhash Goyal President, IATO

“These offices also participate in key travel trade event and various other platforms. In a competitive era, where even smaller countries like Sri Lanka and Maldives are aggressively marketing themselves, we rely heavily on our overseas marketing office for providing the competitive edge,” Goyal added.

“The outsourcing of India Tourism offices abroad may be good economic measures and supplementing it with a language call centre in India but this appears to be a longtime strategy and may take 2-3 years minimum to concretise the whole proposal.

So it will be a right decision to continue with existing offices atleast till we open new ones.

As commissioning such offices may take its own time and these Indian overseas representation offices will take time as to render successful operations and make an impact,” said Goyal.

Evolving with time “Change has a life of its own and only those who navigate the future can lead the game,” says Zakkir Ahmed, President, TAFI speaking to . A few excerpts... cent post-convention. We also promote India to these destinations and strive to increase foreign arrival numbers to India. Thus, it not only benefits the host country but also members and the overall tourism industry of India.”

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alking about the convention theme ‘Navigating the Future’, Zakkir Ahmed, President, TAFI said, “Over the years, we have guided, supported and assisted our members to keep up with changing times, by evolving themselves from just an air-ticketing agent to a travel consultant. This year, we are taking it ahead.

Our members have evolved with times, discovered new revenue streams and channels. It’s time for us to educate them on how to maximise on these new revenue streams.

During this convention, we provided an overall perspective of global and Indian tourism industry to our members, addressed the challenges faced by the industry and our members and worked for a solution for way forward. We talked about the

Zakkir Ahmed President, TAFI

future and adapted the present.”

to

Educating their members about specialisation in destinations is one of the reasons the association holds its annual convention in different international locations every year. Ahmed said, “By holding the convention in a different country, we are not only exposing our members to a different nation which they can experience and promote it back in India but also meet the local suppliers and get the best deals. On the other hand, it has been a record that Indian arrivals, to the destination where TAFI Convention is held, grow at an average rate of 10-15 per

“Commission is not our focus… our focus is to increase the profitability on bottom-lines of our members,” says Ahmed. Along with underlining the key issues and challenges faced by the travel agents, the association also intends to work closely with airlines as there is a need to work together to create win-win situation for all players in the tourism sector. Apart from working on weekly payments, web parity, bank guarantee and insurance scheme issues, TAFI is focussing on increasing its membership base from 1400 to 2000 soon.

Destination Benefits It has been a record that Indian arrivals grow at an average rate of 10-15 per cent post convention, to the destination where TAFI Convention is held

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HOTELS

Free WiFi hooks travellers The latest research from Hotels.com says the list of must-have hotel amenities are free WiFi and free food and beverages, with caffeine being a must. All the rest is just well... extra.

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ree WiFi trumps both free parking and complimentary breakfast, when it comes to choosing a hotel for both leisure and business travel.

Access to the online world is a necessity for modern-day travellers with over a third still looking to stay connected whilst on their holidays.

Staying Connected…for Free •

•

•

34 per cent of global travellers say free WiFi is the number one factor in choosing a hotel even on leisure stays While 56 per cent of the global respondents said free WiFi was their number one must-have when travelling for business 66 per cent global travellers indicated free WiFi is the amenity they most wish would become standard at all hotels in 2013

The Way to Hotel Guests’ Hearts – Through Their Stomachs!

•

•

•

Free breakfast ranked as the favourite (31 per cent) non-tech item global travellers want to see becoming standard at all hotels in 2013 Global travellers cite unlimited free food and beverages as their most (23 per cent) missed comfort from home when travelling. Another 14 percent said they miss access to cooking in their kitchen the most 48 per cent of Indian travellers would like to see complimentary breakfast to be standard offering at all hotels in 2013. While 19 per cent travellers would like to enjoy the items in their room refrigerator without being charged for it

In fact, just 11% of global travellers said that they would be willing to pay for WiFi when staying in a hotel.

Among Indian travellers, 26 per cent consider WiFi as an important amenity while looking for hotel accommodation during leisure travel. The demand for free WiFi doubles to 55 per cent for business travellers. “With an increase in airlines and airports offering free WiFi, tech-savvy travellers expect the experience to continue upon arrival at their hotel,” said Zoe Chan, Senior PR Manager APAC, Hotels.com. “They are using their tablets, smart phones and laptops to plan activities, stay connected to family and even order a delivery meal

• •

•

The Perk of New Technology – Favourite “Modern” In-Room Amenity It would seem that the technological creature comforts of home are also high on the priority list for travellers with 23 per cent of global

Keeping hydrated when travelling is important to hotel guests globally with 43 per cent choosing complimentary bottled water as the

•

•

•

26 per cent of global respondents say their favourite amenity while staying at a luxury hotel is the highend fitness centre and/or spa, while designer toiletries also rank highly (21 per cent) More than half of the global respondents (54 per cent) chose the complimentary use of a Rolls Royce Phantom as the “outrageous” luxury hotel amenity they’d most like to experience. No real surprise there!

The surreal car ride beat out access to a tea sommelier (nine per cent), in-room mixologist (nine per cent), and fragrance butler (five per cent) among other lesser desired extreme amenities Designer toiletries ranked the highest among favourite amenities while staying at luxury hotels for Indian travellers (31 per cent) while high-end fitness centre & spa was the second choice (29 per cent)

37 per cent Indian travellers voted the ‘sun and sand’ city Goa as the best destination for hotels with good facilities Metropolitan business city- Mumbai was the second choice among Indian travellers (18 per cent) Other destinations popular among Indian travellers for good hotels include Jaipur, Hyderabad, Shimla and Kochi

straight to their hotel room, so it’s no surprise they require free and fast Wi-Fi.”

It’s the Little Things that Count

Five-Star Life – The Highs and Lows of Luxury Perks

City with best hotels •

per cent). But for Indian travellers the preferred ‘modern’ in room amenity is massage chairs or foot massagers (36 per cent) and 25 per cent of them would like to have totally wired rooms which are completely controlled by one remote

respondents choosing highend coffee makers as their top modern in hotel room amenity. Totally wired rooms which are completely controlled by one remote for any need took 20 per cent of the vote. Guests also indicated they would like to enjoy that much-wanted free WiFi on hotel-provided tablets for guest information, room service and local guides (15

most appreciated simple amenity. Sharing the same sentiment, 42 per cent of Indian travellers too appreciate complimentary bottled water.Only respondents from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Brazil rated free power adaptors above bottled water.

(The survey was conducted in January 2013, using a weighted average based on a sample size of more than 8,600 respondents across 28 countries/cities: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, USA)

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RAILWAYS

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IRCTC to team up with travel agents The IRCTC Travellers’ Executive Lounge already registers an average footfall between 80 and 100. They are now planning to tie up with travel agents.

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f you are waiting for a train at New Delhi Railways Station, you can just check in to the IRCTC Travelers’ Executive Lounge instead of waiting outside. A payment of ` 300 during check in guarantees you 3 hours of bliss, including a buffet meal, tea, coffee, soft drinks, free WiFi access for 3 hours, luggage racks, and newspapers and magazines. And if the stay extends for more than 3 hours then one can extend it by paying ` 125 for every additional hour.

Recliners for night time relaxation, televisions for train information display as well as news and sports updates; business centre; lockers; shoe shiners are also available for patrons. Setting a new precedence in rail travel, the lounge sets the bar high with international standard facilities and services that fall nothing short of what

It took around 6 months to construct this lounge and the total investment was around ` 4.6 crore Dilip Goel Manager, IRCTC

airport lounges offer. With a seating capacity of 114 persons, the lounge also offers additional services of wash & change (with an extra charge), a one-stop shop convenience journey solution store operated by WH Smith and a business centre, where the first 10 minutes of internet usage is free, after which a nominal charge is levied.

Dilip Goel, Manager, IRCTC, New Delhi, informed that ever since its opening in November the lounge has witnessed an average footfall of 80-100 persons per day, of which an average 10-15% are foreigners. The period between December and January has witnessed more foreign travellers. He said the lounge is especially helpful for women, who are travelling alone or with infants and have a late night train to catch.

Goel said, “This site was handed over in May and we started operations in November. It took around 6

months to construct this lounge and the total investment was around ` 4.6 crore.

On a pilot basis, the Railway Board approved the project and after the completion, seeing the response to the lounge, the Board approved setting up such lounges in 50 more stations in cities that have very

high footfalls, including Jaipur, Agra, Jammu and Lucknow.

The price in the other 50 stations will be location centric.”

Talking about promotions and future plans, Goel said, “We already have a scroll alert in our websites – railtourismindia.com, irctc.com and irctc.co.in. We are also work-

ing on providing online booking facilities like the way we book railway tickets. Also, since travel agents are the perfect vehicle to spread the word, we are working on tying up with agents for some kind of an arrangement that will help them sell the lounge.”

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TRAVTALK MARCH 1 ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2013

FAMILY ALBUM

ADTOI members’ get together The Association of Domestic Tour Operators (ADTOI) organised a members’ get together in New Delhi towards the start of February month. The members meet saw good participation and concluded with a raffle draw.

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AGENTS

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Early Booking Bonus by Rocky Mountaineer Rocky Mountaineer is offering an added bonus to Indian travellers who book ahead Credit / Value add amounts as below (CA$): of the 2013 season. It believes that this year is poised for bigger and better numbers Qualifying Red Silver Gold Gold Leaf Leaf Leaf Delux and hence is focussing on pushing the Early Booking Bonus in the Indian market. Package T T B U R E AU

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his year, Rocky Mountaineer has launched the new Coastal Passage route, which will connect Seattle, Washington and the Canadian Rockies.

This new product marks the first time the Rocky Mountaineer will depart and arrive into the United States.

With over 40% of their guests combining one of their rail journeys with an Alaskan cruise, Coastal Passage will offer cruisers out of Seattle an incredible opportunity to ride the rails in luxury while witnessing the beauty of the Pacific Northwest through to the destinations of Canada’s West.

Ashish Saran Group General Manager Canadian Destinations Marketing

Guests on the Coastal Passage route will traverse the coastal shorelines of the Pacific-Northwest, the renowned landscapes of British Columbia and the majestic mountains of the Canadian Rockies from the comfort of Rocky Mountaineer’s award-winning GoldLeaf Service.

Onboard, they will enjoy luxurious surroundings in a bi-level custom-designed dome coach with panoramic views, gourmet cuisine in a private dining room and personalised service by Rocky Mountaineer Hosts. Coastal Passage will be available on August 24 and 25, both northbound and southbound, with packages allowing for

Added value credits can be used toward: Whistler Sea to Sky Climb Extra accommodation nights in any destination Additional tours in the Rockies Meals, plans and meals Transfers Activities RM Rail & Cruise packages (with the rail portion being the qualifier for the offer)

4 – 6 nights 7 nights or more

stays in Seattle, Vancouver, and the resort towns of Banff or Jasper, Alberta. “We, at Rocky Mountaineer, are thrilled to announce details of an exciting new destination - Lake Louise, Alberta, which will enhance its First

Passage to the West route in 2013. This new travel option marks the return of passenger rail service to Lake Louise for the first time in over two decades and is a first for Rocky Mountaineer,” says Ashish Saran, Group General

Manager Canadian Destinations Marketing which represents Rocky Mountaineer in India.

Guests booking any seven day package on Rocky Mountaineer can

150 300

275 550

375 750

375 750

* The value-add benefits are per person

get up to CA$ 1,500 ** per couple in added value which can be availed towards booking additional hotel nights, sightseeing, excursions meals, transfers in

Western Canada from a select list of pre-approved offers. For details visit www.agent.rockymountaineer.com or www.rockymountaineer.com

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Reunion Islands for the discerning Kuoni recently organised a training session for the travel trade, educating them on Reunion Islands for the discerning clients.

Lured by resplendent nature, landscapes and adrenaline, Indian travellers are lately venturing to niche, exotic destinations. Reunion Island with its astounding geographical diversity is eyeing the Indian market to boost its tourist flow. Its tourism board recently conducted a training spot for travel agents at the Kuoni Academy in New Delhi.

On its first year of promotion in India, the island is trying to highlight its distinct identity. Alefiya Singh, Director, Iris Reps, says, “Mauritius draws a lot of mass traffic, and I wouldn’t want that.

We are promoting Reunion Islands as a short-haul leisure destination for families who are keen to do whale watching, horse-rid-

ing, and explore its endangered species, turtle sanctuaries, majestic mountains to trek up in the Cirques, drop-offs to dive from or paraglide, big waves to surf, extinct volcanoes and canyons. Piton de la Fournaise is one of the world’s most accessible active volcanoes and you might even get to see molten lava.” A two-night stay in the island could cost anything between ` 400800 per person, including two excursions, one spa, dinner and stay.

Earlier, tourism followed a set pattern: high season, shoulder period, low season.

But those patterns apply no longer, says Gaurav Juneja, Centre Head and Business Promotion, Kuoni. “The newgeneration Indians are looking for adventurous places to visit. They want to pick a destination with good accessibility, short travel time and easy documentation. To fly to Reunion Island, you need to transit at Mauritius, and there’s visa on arrival at both Reunion and Mauritius.”

Punjab CM gives ` 250-cr boost The funds will be used for developing prominent Sikh shrines in the state The three Sikh takhts would be covered along with historic towns.

We will offer single window clearance for new hotel projects

Minister of Punjab, the state will be the next big destination for investment and tourism will be a major focus area.

Badal, who was speaking at the Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) 2013 in Delhi, also revealed that the state is coming up with an attractive policy this month for the hotel industry that will highly incentivise it. Assuring easy clearances for upcoming hotel projects in the northern Indian state, Badal revealed, “We will offer single window clearance for new hotel projects. Punjab is also speaking with some hoteliers and investors to transform some of the forts in the state into hotels. We have some wonderful forts in Punjab and transforming them into hotels would be a good idea to promote tourism and preserve heritage.”

had earlier in January reported that the state is inviting investments from private players in the hotel sector. According to Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief

Aiming to boost connectivity, the state will unveil the Mohali airport. “We are also developing an international airport in Machhiwara. We have domestic airports in Pathankot and Ludhiana apart

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o give a fillip to religious tourism in Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of the state recently approved a Sikh Circuit Tourism Plan worth ` 250 crore.

The funds will be used for developing prominent Sikh shrines in the state.

Badal has asked the Punjab Tourism Department for a detailed report that will be submitted to the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

The project would be undertaken on a central financial assistance and under the public-private partnership mode. Three Sikh Takhts in Punjab - the Akal Takht, Kesgarh Sahib and Damdama Sahib – besides other gurdawaras and Sikh historic places in Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sultanpur Lodhi and other towns would be covered under this tourism circuit.

Sukhbir Singh Badal Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab

from the international airport in Amritsar. The domestic airport in Bathinda is also almost ready,” he pointed out. A network of four- or sixlane expressways across the state, funded by an investment of ` 76 billion (US$1.39 billion), is due to be ready in the next three years while the ` 75 billion Ludhiana metro project is expected to be completed in five years.

Plan of Action The project would be undertaken on a central financial assistance and under the public-private partnership mode Three Sikh Takhts in Punjab - the Akal Takht, Kesgarh Sahib and Damdama Sahib -besides other gurdawaras and Sikh historic places in Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sultanpur Lodhi and other towns would be covered in this tourism circuit

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‘Making travel an art’ Following its tagline of ‘Making travel an art’, Mumbai-based Guideline Travels is underlining the new refurbished SuperStar Gemini in its extensive product line.

According to Pradeep Saboo, Director, Guideline Travel, the advantage of SuperStar Gemini is its port of call which is Shanghai for better part of the year. With direct air-connectivity to Shanghai from Mumbai and New Delhi, many Indians are starting to explore new destination along with opting for this new luxury cruise liner.

Talking about the increasing interest of Indian holidaymakers, Saboo said, “A very select segment of traveller is looking for new options of opportunities in terms of destinations, luxury and entertainment. Since cruise package includes all ingredients in single cost, it makes an excellent holiday option.

The outbound cruise market from India has a steady and healthy growth of almost more than 20 per cent year-onyear since five years now.

Also incentive market can be excited with this new choice of destination (Shanghai).”

Star Cruises India, on the other hand, is promoting the refurbished SuperStar Gemini through its strong travel trade network, all mediums of communications which includes above the line (ATL) and below the line (BTL) activities. Talking about the revamped SuperStar Gemini, Naresh Rawal, Country Manager – India, Star Cruises said, “The refurbished SuperStar Gemini features upgraded navigational and safety systems; restyled cabins, restaurants, entertainment & recreational facilities and a new hull artwork, depicting the constellation twins in vibrant colours. The vessel will offer an all-inclusive cruise experience, including a variety of entertainment and recreational choices to delight its 1,700 passengers.

She houses 766 luxury guest cabins as well as over 6,000 sq feet of up-market duty-free retail area, a spa and health club and offers a broad range of Asian and international cuisine, among others.”

A slice of East India Destination East 2013, organised by the West Bengal Tourism Department and the Confederation of Indian Industry, gave an opportunity to international travel buyers to meet Indian tourism stakeholders.

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n an initiative to showcase not just West Bengal but the whole of eastern India, Destination East 2013 was organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal and the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Destination East offered the opportunity for international travel buyers from USA, UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Netherlands, Scotland, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries to increase their understanding of eastern and north eastern India. It gave them the opportunity to meet and do business with Indian tourism stakeholders. As a buyer at Destination East, the international tour operators and travel agents had an unprecedented access to innovative and diverse tourism products the country and the eastern part of India has to

offer. The event also gave an opportunity to the international travel buyers to interact face-to-face with an unmatched range of sellers and entrepreneurs of myriad tourism products and do business with them.

The focus of Destination East was to promote West Bengal and the region with

platform. Destination East provided a platform for exploration of new territory in West Bengal and in the East, as well to promote religious, rural, health, eco and riverine tourism circuits. The focus was, in turn, to help international buyers to expand their business by promoting new destinations to their customers.

Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra lighting the lamp

Kolkata as a world-class tourism destination among international buyers. The event gave an opportunity to the tour operators to interact with a number of international tourism stakeholders on one

On February 13, the West Bengal Tourism Department organised a cultural evening for all buyers at Mohor Kunj, an open air park in Kolkata. The buyers were welcomed by Amit Mitra,

Minister-in-charge, Departments of Finance & Excise, Government of West Bengal and Vikram Sen, Principal Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal. The Finance Minister gave the buyers an idea on the tourism products available in the state and urged them to bring in tourists from their countries. The foreign tour operators, travel agents and travel media were then presented with a slice of the culture of Bengal through traditional folk and tribal dances, martial art and songs.

Destination East 2013 was inaugurated at Town Hall

by Sanjay Mitra, Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal and Sen. The latter made a presentation on the tourism destinations and the tourism projects of the state. CII made a presentation for the international buyers on Look East, focusing on the places of tourist interest in the eastern region.

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Madhya Pradesh goes into tourism overdrive To boost the tourist influx, Madhya Pradesh Tourism has espoused a dynamic tourism policy that involves private investors in developing tourism and creating new facilities and promoting new destinations.

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he tourism policy of the MP Government provides ample scope for the development of tourism infrastructure through private investment. There are also provisions for relaxation in stamp duty, luxury tax and

Raghwendra Kumar Singh Managing Director Madhya Pradesh Tourism

The tourism policy of the MP Government provides ample scope for the development of tourism infrastructure through private investment entertainment tax,” says Raghwendra Kumar Singh, MD, Madhya Pradesh Tourism, adding that the response from private sector was fairly good.

Private investors may buy land in Madhya Pradesh or take land on lease for a period of 90 years. Prospects are open in places like Jabalpur, Chhatarpur, Dhar,

QUICK READ The third edition of Gujarat Travel Mart (GTM)-2013 will be held from March 27-29 at Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gandhinagar. According to the GTM team, over 200 Indian exhibitors will showcase their products to more than 250 hosted buyers travelling from 30 countries including US, UK, Poland, Norway, France, Greece, UAE, Sri Lanka, South Africa, etc.

Indore and Narsinghpur.

About 455 hectares of government land has been made available for tourism infrastructure through Land Bank.

The tourism department is now promoting MP as a multicultural heritage destination. The state is of historic importance with des-

tinations like Bhimbetka, Sanchi and Khajuraho temples; medieval architectural sites like Orchha and Mandu with forts, palaces and temples; Chanderi, Datia, Dhar, Vidisha and Bhojpur; and national parks like Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench and Panna.

Air Connectivity An intrastate air service was recently started by MP Tourism and Ventura Air Connect to facilitate tourists and corporate travellers. The services are available from Bhopal, Jabalpur, Rewa, Khajuraho, Nagpur, Indore and Gwalior.

Relaxation is also given in VAT tax on engine fuel for three years.

Caravan Tourism Promoted as Holiday on Wheels, MP is the first state in India to launch caravan service. This is a luxury vehicle of MP Tourism which includes microwave

oven, LCD and fridge. It can accommodate two adults and two children. Caravan Bays have been built in places like Pachmarhi, Tawa, Mandu, Sanchi, Maheshwar, Pench, Katni, Bargi, Biaora and Kanha where the caravan can be washed, batteries recharged, etc.

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TECHNOLOGY

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Flights of 2015 to fly on gizmo wings A research by SITA predicts that it will be the norm for passengers to book tickets using their phones and tablets, and airlines to pass on flight status and updates using apps.

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y 2015, the way we travel will change significantly fuelled by innovation in IT - used by airlines, airports and passengers.

This is according to SITA report - Flying into the Future. Over the next three years, the industry will see a major transformation in the way passengers buy travel services and use

1

The way passengers buy travel will change. By 2015, both airlines and airports expect the web and the mobile phone to be the top two sales channels. Passengers are asking for a more personalised buying experience, and the industry is responding. For example, Alaska Airlines is one of several airlines with a travel app that alerts fliers to airfare deals from their hometowns and to cities where their friends live.

4

The passenger experience will improve thanks to better business intelligence. By 2015, more than 80 per cent of airports and airlines will invest in business intelligence (BI) solutions.

Most will focus on improving customer service and satisfaction, often through personalised services. For example, one European airline, Vueling, researches customers via social media in an effort to understand them better. It then integrates this information into their BI programs to improve loyalty.

self-service along their journey.

In addition, these journeys will take place in a fully mobile and social environment, with airlines and airports intelligently using vast

2

quantities of data to deliver real service and operational improvements.

Nigel Pickford, Director Market Insight, SITA, said, “Information technology has already had a major influ-

Passengers will take more control. By 2015, 90 per cent of airlines will offer mobile check-in—up from 50 per cent today. Passengers will use 2D boarding passes or contactless technology such as Near Field Communications (NFC) on their phones at different stages of their journey, such as at boarding gates, fast-track security zones and to access premium passenger lounges. Japan Airline’s Touch & Go Android is one example of an app, which will allow passengers to pass through boarding gates using their NFC-enabled phones. France’s Toulouse-Blagnac Airport is piloting a similar service.

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ence on air travel. And with the number of global travellers expected to double by 2030, it will continue to lead the way for the industry.

Our survey analysis shows four major IT trends

which will shape the entire travel experience, from how we book flights to how we interact with airlines and airports during the journey, to the kinds of services we expect.”

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Customer services will become more mobile and social. By 2015, nine out of ten airlines and airports will provide flight updates using smart phone apps. The industry is also exploring apps to improve the customer experience. At Japan’s Narita Airport, roaming service employees personalise the customer experience by using iPads to provide airport, flight and hotel information to passengers. In addition, Edinburgh Airport is one of several airports with apps that help passengers plan their journeys to and from the airport, track their flights, access terminal maps and reserve parking spots before they arrive.

ickford added: “Passenger needs and preferences are changing. Today’s passengers want more control throughout their journey. They expect transformation in both the kinds of services airlines and airports offer, and the way they communicate with them. At the same time, the industry is investing in business intelligence solutions and collaborating more to increase operational efficiency and improve customer service and loyalty.”

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NEWS

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‘IndiGo most trusted airline in India’ The airline took a head-andshoulders-lead over other major carriers such as Air India and Jet Airways.

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ut of 11 airlines listed, Indigo Airlines becomes India's Most Trusted Airline in its debut listing. The lowcost carrier has over 28 per cent lead over second-ranked Air India, which fell from the top slot it held last year.

Announcing these results, Sachin Bhosle, Research Head, Trust Research Advisory says, “IndiGo's consistency of performance has generated a lot of dependability. In the shake-up, the aviation sector is witnessing, brand trust will be a key differentiator that will determine success for the airline."Emirates is ranked fourth in the airline category and also ranks as the Most Trusted Foreign Airline in India. Go Air is India's fifth Most Trusted Airline, gaining 108 ranks from its previous year's position. Apart from IndiGo, two other airlines, Air Canada and British Airways, make a new entry into the Most Trusted 1,100 this year.

SpiceJet connects Sharjah with Varanasi and Lucknow SpiceJet is fast expanding its wings in the international skies by connecting Sharjah with Varanasi and Lucknow through direct flight services. Sharjah is the eighth international destination in the airline’s network.

The flight services for Sharjah from Varanasi and Lucknow will commence from March 07, 2013 and March 11, 2013 respectively.

By expanding its geographical reach to Sharjah and Lucknow, SpiceJet now spreads its network to 8 international and 45 domestic destinations. SpiceJet flies its New Generation Boeing 737 (189 seater aircraft) on this international route.

‘Rank & File’ of different airlines Rank BTR 2013 104 145 387 496 694 877 894 897 919 964 1015

BTR 2012 gain 150 237 509 802 811 736 587 748

-=rank += rank 5 -150 13 108 -66 -158 -332 -267

Brand Names IndiGo Airlines Air India Jet Airways Emirates Go Air Air France SpiceJet Air Canada Qatar Air British Airlines Lufthansa Source:Trust Research Advisory

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ANALYSIS

TRAVTALK MARCH 1 ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2013

Credit cards still roil outbound travel agents In this age and time, travel agents rarely use credit cards, preferring bank transfers instead for bulk booking and ticketing. gets to the bottom of this anachronism.

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uldeep Singh Sahni, president, Outbound Tour Operators Association of

India, says, “If you look at how our business is conducted internationally, you will notice that most of the countries work with credit cards

only. However, in India, we issue credit cards to everybody, but when it comes to using it we are still orthodox.

“Most airlines, with their low profit margins, discourage payments with credit card as they want to save on the 2-3 per cent charge they have to pay to the credit card companies. So they charge travel agents the extra amount.”

How to choose the best credit card?

Guldeep Singh Sahni

Himanshu Patil

Ashish Saran

President, Outbound Tour Operators Association of India

Director Kesari Travels

Group General Manager Canadian Destinations Marketing

Most airlines, with their low profit margins, discourage payments with credit cards

It is critical to read the offer document of the credit card provider. At least scan your offer document

Every year, the customer is finding newer ways to avail better packages directly from supplier

Credit card business is one of the most lucrative businesses for the bank and it’s very easy for them to charge a heavy transaction fee. Enquire about the foreign transaction charges and cash withdrawal fees before applying for the card. You might find a difference of 1-2% in the offers of credit cards from various banks.

Choose the one that charges you the minimum.

According to Himanshu Patil, Director, Kesari Travels, “It is critical to read the offer document of

Sumanth Kapoor

Gurdeep Singh Gujral

CFA and Vice President Khanna Enterprises

CEO and Director Gujral Tours & Travels

We have a strong presence in Punjab where a lot of rich farmers travel abroad the credit card provider. At least scan your offer document. The details

The internal accounts team should be strong which keeps a tab on the billing on a daily basis of all the charges will be clearly detailed in it.” You might not find the exact Contd. on page 57

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ANALYSIS

TRAVTALK MARCH 1 ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2013

Using the power of Tourism Branding Branding is what drives a client to the seller’s goal, and National Tourist Offices (NTOs) have an equally important task of ‘branding’ their host country with the very best that they have to offer. reports.

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t’s the age of tourism branding. Branding has emerged as the most powerful marketing weapon for tourism products, be they destinations, hotels or restaurants. With destinations being a composite bundle of different components that include tourist infrastructure; tourist attractions; art and heritage, and nature; National Tourism Organisations (NTO) are digging deep and casting far to establish their distinct brands in the consumer’s psyche.

All countries claim special attributes such as a unique history; heritage; culture; friendly people; and high-standard infrastructures, and they’re selling themselves on the strength of these special attributes.

These become part of the country's brand, which plays a pivotal role in its success.

Needless to say, it helps travel agents sell that country to Indian clients.

Catherine Oden, Director Atout France, feels every destination has its own unique selling point which eventually becomes a vital element of its branding and communication strategy. This USP gives a distinct character and exclusive identity to each destination, creating an instant brand recall and also providing the right leverage for any branding campaign.

France's forte is its unique art de vivre or way of life, which encompasses its culture, gastronomy, wine and a lifestyle typical

to France. In their role as travel counsellors, it is travel agents and tour operators who add this USP to make a

ality is welcoming, irreverent, high-spirited and down to earth – human characteristics that they associate with their brand and represent to

itage, natural splendours and wildlife, has given its marketing a distinct direction and enormous overall thrust. It’s been a great boost in promoting the country in the Indian market. Kruger National Park

great branding strength, engendered through factors like Thai hospitality; variety; value for money; uniqueness; and all–year-round activities.

Indians want to experience things not available in India, which makes some countries particularly attractive for them.

Catherine Oden

Runjuan Tongrut

Director Atout France

Director Tourism Authority of Thailand

Every destination has its own USP which becomes a vital element of its branding and strategy destination special and worth visiting.

Nishant Kashikar of Tourism Australia stated that their brand captures the sense of what makes them unique and meaningful. They believe that on a holiday in Australia, you don’t ‘switch off’, you ‘switch on’. This positioning makes their brand a distinct holiday destination and also captures the sense of what a visitor can expect to experience in Australia.

The Australian brand person-

‘Amazing Thailand’ has evolved as a slogan with great branding strength

their target audience. They see their potential audience as being experience-seekers who like to give it a go and get involved, and they use inherent Aussie experiences including nature, journeys, and people to tell their story.

After all ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’.

Madhvi Awasthi of Buzz Marketing feels that while branding of products is good, branding a country isn’t always a good idea because it makes it different for differ-

Shivali Suri

Nishant Kashikar

Mohit Batra

Country Manager – India VisitBritain

Country Manager-India Tourism Australia

Representative Scandinavan Tourism

GREAT Britain campaign showcases the very best of what the country has to offer

ent people. Moreover, changing a country’s brand can be a Herculean task as images tend to stick. Changing environments and scenarios can also be harmful for a brand.

While products can be rebranded when necessary, one can’t easily rebrand a country.

The Australian brand personality is welcoming, irreverent, highspirited and down to earth

It’s extremely important to brand, position and communicate what is unique about a destination

Canada is globally known for its four seasons winter, summer, spring and fall; maple syrup; friendly people; polar bears; the Rocky Mountains; and the untamed wilderness. Macau is famous for its scrumptious food like egg tarts; and historic Portuguese edifices and world heritage sites. The Philippines is known for its 7,107 islands; crescentshaped beaches; uninhabited tropical islands and lush impenetrable jungles.

Philippines has recently changed its tag line from Wow Philippines to Its More Fun in the Philippines.

Munich is world-famous for its beer and Oktoberfest, the largest annual beer festival.

Mohit Batra of Scandinavan Tourism feels it’s extremely important to brand, position and communicate what is unique about a destination. A well thoughtout strategy impacting both intellectual and emotional communication must be thoughtfully executed over a period of time to be able to create a lasting brand.

Indians are generally a brand-conscious society and more so when it comes to selecting their next travel destinations. Choosing the destination is no longer only about the destination’s offerings, but also has impact on both their social and professional circles. Perception is catching up with the real experience in today’s virtual world. Travel agents play an important role since over 75 per cent of holidays are booked through this line of distribution in India. As such, agents can be a vital tool in establishing and building a unified destination brand and communicating its unique offerings.

Hanneli Slabber, Country Head, South African Tourism, is all for branding, which she feels gives an edge to destination promotions. A good brand provides solid backup to marketing efforts.

South Africa’s brand-tag of being a superb mix of her-

Didier Picquot

Hanneli Slabber

Director General La Mamounia Marrakech

Country Head South African Tourism

Branding is the essence in the luxury sector and very important for hotels

and The Garden Route are prime examples of excellent tourist products that sell to a large extent on their brand values.

Madhvi Awasthi General Manager Buzz Media

Changing a country’s brand can be a Herculean task as images tend to stick Runjuan Tongrut, Director Tourism Authority of Thailand, feels branding plays an important role in promoting and selling a destination. For instance, ‘Amazing Thailand’ has evolved as a slogan with

Kruger National Park and The Garden Route are prime examples of excellent tourist products Shivali Suri, Country Manager – India, VisitBritain, stated that their faith in branding is borne out by the GREAT Britain campaign, the most ambitious international marketing campaign ever.

This special campaign showcases the very best of what Britain has to offer in order to encourage the world to visit, study and do business with the UK. GREAT’s objective is to get the world thinking and feeling differently about Britain, and repositioning the country as a vibrant, inspiring and innovative place to visit.

Though a relatively new campaign, GREAT has created a brand that’s had a major impact in markets all around the world.

Didier Picquot, Director General, La Mamounia Marrakech, feels branding is the essence in the luxury sector and very important for hotels, as clients like to be associated with branded goods including hotels.

Branding includes an image being created, and this image starts to work powerfully for a product. Branding applies particularly well to hotels like La Mamounia since it is a stand-alone property. But branding must be carefully managed, and one must always be clear about the image one wants to convey.

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FAMILY ALBUM

More fun at Philippines get-together On the eve of OTM in New Delhi, Philippines Tourism organised a gala dinner for its agents. Creating the ambience for ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines’, the evening was festive and enjoyable. The event was well-attended and members of the travel fraternity got a chance to interact with affiliates from the Department of Tourism, Philippines. Guests also got a sneak preview of some exquisite sand works by a sand artist from the Philippines.

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NEWS

AmaWaterways in India The company operating luxury river cruises in Europe, Vietnam, etc launched its cruises for the Indian market.

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maWaterways is now making a splash in India.

The company has now unveiled its cruises for the Indian market through Indian Travel Promotion Company (ITPL).While river cruises carry just a fraction of the number of passengers that go on mainstream cruises, the industry has been exploding lately. The number of people taking river cruises has increased manifold since 2008, says Rudolf Schreiner, President and Co-owner, AmaWaterways.

According to Schreiner, the USP of a river cruise lies in a more personalised experience. “It combines the features of a land-based tour and an ocean-based cruise. River ships are typically smaller and carry no more than a couple of hundred passengers. It is a more intimate experience and this is a large part of their appeal in contrast to the ocean-going mega ships that carry thousands of passengers,” he opines.

Talking about the importance of the India market, Tony Marwah, CEO, ITPL

says, “India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and Indians comprise a significant share of the global tourism market. With the developed economies showing signs of stagnation, we see India as a huge poten-

aging. This is our first season and the amount of interest and inquiries that we have received makes us optimistic.

We had conducted a FAM tour for agents in November and they were amazed at the service and luxury on the

Rudolf Schreiner

Tony Marwah

President and Co-owner AmaWaterways

CEO ITPL

tial market for Ama Waterways. Further, the Indian market is relatively untapped with regard to river cruises, which would also give us the first mover advantage in this market.”

Talking about the response from India till now, he points out, “This is a relatively new concept in India, but the enthusiasm is encour-

cruise. They opine that this is a superior product and will definitely have a good market in India.”

For the Indian clientele, the cruise is looking at customising the cruise by offering the options of authentic Indian cuisine, pure vegetarian meals and Jain meals and guided tours in regional languages for groups as well.

Credit cards not good enough Contd. from page 50

values, but the rules that govern them are present in the offer document.

The Bottom Line Ashish Saran, Group General Manager Canadian Destinations Marketing which represents Rocky Mountaineer in India, says, “Every year, the customer is finding newer ways to avail better packages directly from suppliers. Our commissions are dwindling. So if the client refuses to pay that amount, it becomes a huge dent in our profit.”

Sumanth Kapoor, CFA and Vice President, Khanna Enterprises, points out that credit card penetration is still low in Tier II and III cities as agents have to use their

white money, while they are paid in cash. “We have a strong presence in Punjab where a lot of rich farmers with unaccounted wealth travel abroad. They pay in cash, and hence can’t buy packages online.”

Gurdeep Singh Gujral, CEO and director, Gujral Tours & Travels Pvt Ltd. points out that he rarely uses credit card for ticketing as its refund takes a long time.

“When we cancel ticket bookings our clients want an immediate refund. But if the payment was made with credit cards it takes about a month to process the refund money,” he says.

Card security If you are using a corporate credit card for ticketing

you will have to share the secret pin number with your staff, which is always a risky business. Says Gujral, “Your internal accounts team should be very strong which keeps a tab on the billing on a daily basis. Also, they need to make sure that your supplier is not overcharging as when you share your card details with the supplier they can always misuse it and refund takes a long time.”

Sahni sums up the issue for : “The regime of credit cards will not succeed unless the profit of airlines goes up and they are able to absorb part of this expenditure. Also, the government should issue a guideline on its usage, in consultation with us, so that more travel agents can use it.”

Incredible India promotes Mani Majra from ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Till last year, Mani Majra, a small town within the Union Territory of Chandigarh, was known mainly for being a prosperous suburb. After the release of the international film “Zero Dark Thirty,” which was shot in Mani Majra, it now has the potential to attract international tourists keen to see where the film was shot.

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FAMILY ALBUM

Philippines Tourism in Kolkata The Department of Tourism, Philippines (DOT) in coordination with the Philippines Tourism Marketing Office in India held a roadshow in Kolkata. The roadshow was designed to present DOT’s plan to promote its 7,107 heavenly islands as an extension of the It’s More Fun in the Philippines campaign in the city. It aimed at penetrating the outbound tourist market in Kolkata and raise awareness about the Philippines’ vast portfolio of tourism products. Led

by Raymund Glen Agustin, Head, Team India, DOT and Susan Del Mundo, DOT-Tourism Promotions Board, the delegation including Arturo Boncato Jr., Director, DOT Region XI gave an overview of the booming tourism industry in the Philippines.

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RAILWAYS

MARCH 1 ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2013

TRAVTALK

VIA Rail Canada to enter Indian market Following a 20% increase in Indian passengers on VIA, the national passenger rail service of Canada is keen on building partnerships in India.

T T B U R E AU

A

cknowledging the rising number of India’s outbound travellers, VIA Rail, the national passenger rail service of Canada, has decided to market itself in the India market in 2013.

In wake of the set up, VIA will discuss its plans for the Indian market with local trade partners at a press briefing to be held on March 4 in Delhi. Pierre Santoni, Senior Director, Domestic and International Sales, Via Rail Canada will unfold the marketing strategies and the board plans on implementing for their latest venture.

Realising the importance of Indian tourism as an emerging sector, VIA plans to work on a consultative basis with India’s travel trade to provide extensive product knowledge and destination information. The national passenger railway service has a marketing strategy focussed on partnering with the Canadian Tourism Commission to promote activities and engage the industry with familiarisation trips.

VIA Rail carried a total of 4.1 million passengers in 2011 and also noticed a increase of 20% in the number of Indian passengers travelling on VIA. As a part of the India market approach, VIA plans on working with top travel agents in the market while also training them with product knowledge by conducting regular educational workshops across Delhi and Mumbai.

Addressing the concerns of vegetarian food and excess luggage faced by many Indian passengers, the company assures that their policies are well suited for Indians and such situations do not rise.

Indian passengers can just sit back and enjoy the quality of the on-board

Chugging On VIA Rail carried a total of 4.1 million passengers in 2011 and also noticed a increase of 20% in the number of Indian passengers travelling on VIA As a part of the India market approach, VIA plans on working with top travel agents in the market while also training them with product knowledge by conducting regular workshops across Delhi and Mumbai

service, the world-class mobile WiFi and the comfort of rail travel.

VIA Rail has up to 497 departures weekly and connects over 450 Canadian communities. It transports 4.1 million passengers yearly and boasts of 396

passenger cars and 78 active locomotives.

As Canada’s national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada’s mandate is to provide efficient and cost-effective passenger transportation, in the country’s two official languages. Every week, VIA

Rail’s intercity, transcontinental and regional trains link 450 communities across its 12,500-kilometre route network. VIA transports over four million passengers annually. VIA Rail also won the 2011 Railway Association of Canada (RAC) Safety Award.

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FAMILY ALBUM

OTM in Delhi makes a big hit OTM, one of the leading travel trade shows, was held in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan from February 14-17, 2013. OTM Delhi is annual meeting point for the global travel trade in New Delhi– which is India’s second biggest travel market after Mumbai, generating over one-fourth of all India-outbound travellers.

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FAMILY ALBUM

OTM: Showcasing places in Mumbai OTM 2013 was recently concluded in Mumbai (Bombay Exhibition Centre). With more than 800 exhibitors from 26 countries, the B2B travel trade exhibition received excellent response from the industry as the summer holiday season is next door. To cater for the strong Diwali holiday season, TTF 2013 is scheduled to be held again in Mumbai from August 30 to September 1 later this year.

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FAMILY ALBUM

PATA India, MOT interactive meet To share a comprehensive outlook of the travel ecosystem, the PATA-India Chapter interactive session with the Ministry of Tourism was held in New Delhi early in February, which was attended by key policymakers and private sector players, who are PATA-India members.

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FAMILY ALBUM

NCR plays host to HIFI fraternity The fifth annual Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) was hosted in the National Capital Region at The Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon. The two-day long event witnessed the presence of heavy-weights of the industry who came together to brainstorm major issues ailing the industry. Hosted by Burba Hotel Network (BHN) and Horwath HTL, the event took place for the first time in Gurgaon.

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STATISTICS MARCH 1

Delhi

1-3

Mumbai

1-3

Vijayawada

2

Kolkata

4-5 4-6

Poland Thailand

6-10 7-9 8

Berlin Guangzhou Kolkata

14 14-15 15

Moscow Mumbai Ahmedabad

15-17

Raipur

17-19 21-24

Mumbai Sweden

25-27 27-29 27-29

Abu Dhabi Ahmedabad Ukraine

Starwood Hotels Worldwide’s Sales Expo for B2B / MICE & Corporate Agents IAAI’s Biennial Convention ICON 2013 India International Travel Exhibition (IITE) Starwood Hotels Worldwide’s Sales Expo for B2B / MICE & Corporate Agents Polish Outgoing Workshop Kiwi Link South & South East Asia ITB Guangzhou International Travel Fair Macau Govt Tourist Office’s B2B Workshop Luxury Travel Mart Shoot At Site Macau Govt Tourist Office’s B2B Workshop Indian International Travel Exhibition (IITE) Routes Asia Swedish International Travel & Tourism Trade Fair (TUR) GIBTM Gujarat Travel Mart Ukraine International Travel & Tourism Exhibition (UITT)

Tourism: Steady & ready to go In the year 2011, domestic visitors powered the country’s tourism market.

The business travel segment grows to a quarter of tourism’s income, but leisure travel ruled with US$ 69.5 billion under MOT’s guidance.

T T B U R E AU

APRIL 4-6

Azerbaijan

8-9

Cape Town

9-11

Beijing

11-13

Russia

11-14

Hyderabad

14-16 21-24

Jaipur Auckland

23-25

Brazil

23-26 24-26

Riyadh Kazakhstan

Azerbaijan International Tourism Fair (AITF) International Luxury Travel Market Africa (ILTM Africa) China Outbound Travel Tourism Mart (COTTM) 23rd Siberian International Travel & Tourism Exhibitions (TOURSIB) Conference of United Nation's World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Regional Commission for South Asia, East Asia and Pacific countries Great India Travel Bazaar Tourism New Zealand TRENZ 2013 World Travel Market Latin America Riyadh Travel Fair Kazakhstan International Tourism Fair (KITF)

MAY 5-7 6-9 9-11 11-14 12

Germany Dubai Shanghai Durban Maldives

12-14 12-15

Budapest Ottawa

13-15 15-16

Kuwait Bangkok

16-18 24-26 28-29

Switzerland Kolkata Singapore

German Travel Mart Arabian Travel Market (ATM) World Travel Fair Indaba Expo World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony Routes Europe 2013 Canadian Tourism Commission’s Rendezvous Canada Travel World Expo 5th Asia Pacific Hotel Investment Conference Meeting Luxury India Tourism Fair 9th Travel Distribution Summit Asia

For more information, contact us at: talk@ddppl.com

Contd. on page 70

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STATISTICS

Domestic travellers rule Contd. from page 68

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CLIPBOARD

MARCH 1 ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2013

TRAVTALK

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MOVEMENTS

TRAVTALK MARCH 1 ST FORTNIGHT ISSUE 2013

ibis Gurgaon

Delhi Airport

Mumbai Airport

Ravi Khubchandani has taken on the role of General Manager of ibis Gurgaon. Prior to this, Khubchandani was the Hotel Manager of ibis Pune, an assignment he took over in May 2011, after relocating from New Zealand where he had worked in his formative years with Accor Hotels. He has, at Ibis Pune, been instrumental in putting together a talented and committed management team to successfully manage the operation in a very challenging business environment.

Matthieu Firmin has been appointed General Manager of ibis Delhi Airport with effect from January 14, 2013. Before this, Firmin was the General Manager of Novotel Survilliers Saint Witz, France.

He has been associated with Accor for over 12 years and his past assignments include being Deputy General Manager of the 556 rooms Ibis Charles De Gaulle Airpor t.

His vast experience of over a decade across the big hotel chains will definitely bring value addition to the ibis Delhi Airpor t’s management team.

Rohan Sable has been appointed as General Manager of ibis Mumbai Airport, with effect from February 11, 2013. Sable comes with over 13 years of hospitality experience which includes being General Manager of hotels owned/operated by Ascott of Singapore and the well-known Indian chains of Royal Orchid and Sarovar.

Sable has won the General Manager of the year award 2009-10 at the Federation of Hotels & Restaurants of India Convention in August 2010. He has also worked at Royal Orchid Hotel, The Checkers Hotels and the Promenade Hotel and others.

The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore

Mercure Hyderabad Abids

Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre

Bangalore

Hyderabad

Pune

Shane Krige has been appointed as the General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore which is set to open in mid-2013. He is responsible for all the pre-opening stages of the development and for the daily hotel operations of food and beverage, rooms and sales and marketing divisions once the hotel is launched. Earlier, he was the General Manager of The Plaza New York where he led the three-year US$450 million renovation. Prior to this, he distinguished himself in leadership roles in London and Dallas.

Pramod Dashora has been appointed as the General Manager for Mercure Hyderabad Abids, Accor’s mid-scale hotel. With more than 19 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Dashora brings to the table a strong operational and administrative background. In the past, he has been the General Manager of The Fern Hotels & Resorts, and Director-Sales & Marketing at the Golkonda Hospitality Services & Resort Limited.

Manish Tolani has been appointed Director of Operations at Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre. In this capacity, he is the strategic business leader for rooms division and food and beverage operations. Prior to this, he was Market Director-Sales and Marketing for the three Marriott International properties in Pune-Courtyard by Marriott Pune Hinjewadi, Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre and Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre.

Tolani started his career with Oberoi Hotels where he worked in food and beverage for 3 years.

Manasarovar The Fern

Subha Aviation

Hyderabad

Delhi

Javed Ahmed has joined the 5-star Manasarovar The Fern, Hyderabad as its General Manager. Prior to this assignment, he was the General Manager at the HHI Bangalore. Javed has 18 years of experience in hospitality operations, starting his career in 1994 in Kolkata with prominent stints subsequently with leading hotel brands such as Oberoi, HHI and Fariyas. He will be a key member of the Hyderabad team, the hotel with the largest meeting facilities in the group.

Madhukar Kher is the new head of Ops & Business development at Subha Aviation. He joined this charter aviation company after working with Le Passage to India as General Manager Contracting (Aviation - Inbound) for four and a half years. He brings with him over 20 years of work experience in Sales and Marketing and Business Development. Kher has worked with Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines. Prior to joining LPTI, he was DGM Vendor Management (Airlines and Hotels) with Kuoni Destination Management.

Talking People is a special dedicated corner, created as a sounding board for who’s who of the Indian and International travel industry. With Talking People, it is our endeavour to bring you face-to-face with people.

Contributed by: Vivek Sethi, Megha Paul & Anita Jain

Sudhir Sinha, President & COO, Best Western India, is a brilliant tabla player. Reminiscing his childhood days, he chuckles, "Those days, my father would wake me up to do my Riaz. I have won several medals in playing tabla. There was one programme where I was the youngest performer. I was so tiny Sudhir Sinha that I could not even reach the President & COO tabla. People kept on wondering Best Western India who is playing the instrument." I have been out of touch for a while now. Sinha has a wife and two kids. "My boys keep me busy. Both my boys play the tabla now. However, the elder one who will be giving Boards this year, is more engrossed in his studies," he says.

Brian Payea, Head of Industry Relations, TripAdvisor, loves travelling. He has already made three round-the-world trips last year, including two stops in India, where his preference for warm weather and spicy food made him feel right at home; and he expects to spend more time here in future, especially when it’s cold back in Boston. His family accompanies him on as Brian Payea many trips, but in summers, when it’s finalHead of Industry Relations ly warm at home, you won’t see him travTripAdvisor elling beyond the waters of nearby Cape Cod bay where he and his family enjoy sailing on their small boat.

Anastasia Belashov, Manager International Tour & Travel trade – Asia Pacific, Niagrafalls Tourism loves food, wine, travel and ticking off things from her ‘bucket list’. During her recent trip to India, she ticked off ‘A visit to the symbol of true love – Taj Mahal’ from her wish list. Not an adventure person by nature, she loves travelling and exploring destinations in her own special way. At the moment, she is strugAnastasia Belashov gling her way through learning Mandarin.

Manager International Tour & Travel trade – Asia She loves history and heritage. However, Pacific, Niagrafalls Tourism the most exciting thing to do for her is spending time with her six-year-old daughter who loves to go on natural trail walks and indulge in some adventure.

Abhijit Chitnis is appointed as the Multi-Property Director of Sales and Marketing for the Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre and Courtyard by Marriott Pune, Hinjewadi. His new role will require Chitnis to oversee, streamline and manage all aspects of sales, marketing, team set-up and compliance of the annual business plans of the two properties. His role will have him ensure that the hotels are the preferred destinations for MICE, weddings, boutique events and relevant brand trajectory.

Form - IV Statement about ownership and other particulars about newspaper TravTalk to be published in the first issue every year after the last day of February 1.

Place of publication

2.

3.

Periodicity of its publication Printer's Name Nationality Address

4.

Publisher's Name Nationality Address

5.

Editor's Name Nationality Address

6.

Name and address of individuals who own the newspaper and partners or shareholders holding more than one percent of the total capital

: 72 Todarmal Road, New Delhi - 110001 : Fortnightly : SanJeet : Indian : 72, Todarmal Road, New Delhi - 110001 : SanJeet : Indian : 72, Todarmal Road, New Delhi - 110001 : Deepa Sethi : Indian : F-10, Nizamuddin West New Delhi - 110013 : SanJeet, 72, Todarmal Road New Delhi - 110 001

I, SanJeet, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date : 01/03/2013 Sd/SanJeet Signature of the Publisher

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Postal Reg. No.: DL(ND)-11/6044/2012-13-14; WPP No.: U(C)-178/2012-14 for posting on 1st-2nd and 15th-16th of the same month at New Delhi P.S.O., RNI No.: 53492/91 Date of Publication:28-02-2013

HIGHLIGHT

Brand Gujarat on the global map The state is in the process of making itself an independent tourism brand in international market with special focus on US, UK, Germany, France, Japan and China. reports more…

A N I TA J A I N Focus 2013 Talking about this year’s focus, Vipul Mittra, Principal

close to 2.25 crore domestic and four lakh international tourists in 2012 and is aiming to grow by 20-25 per cent in both the markets. The state is also going to promote golf tourism among high-end travellers in US, Europe, South East Asia and India.

The state intends to further increase the tourist arrival figures by aggressively placing ‘Brand Gujarat’ on domestic and international tourism map. “Our core focus

has decided to set up midway amenities called 'Toran way point', especially in Saurashtra region and North Gujarat. Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL) has entered into an agreement with the oil companies for setting up these amenities along the petrol pumps wherein preferences will be given to petrol pumps that are owned by these companies. TCGL will set up its restaurants and will also

and North Gujarat. The corporation has also allocated ` 100 crore for such midway restaurant facilities. In the last two years, there was an increase of about 5 million tourists in the state and unlike North India, there is a shortage of midway amenities. Mittra said that it has been noticed that tourists from Gujarat who head to destinations away from the state have started moving by road and this has led to a sit-

Vipul Mittra Principal Secretary – Tourism Gujarat

This year our focus is more on promoting religious tourism where we are highlighting Jainism, Buddhism, Sufi circuits among domestic and international travellers Secretary – Tourism, Gujarat said, “This year our focus is more on promoting religious tourism where we are highlighting Jainism, Buddhism, Sufi circuits among domestic and international travellers.

In fact, we have recently launched our latest ad campaign showcasing various religious sites of our state.”

The state has already developed infrastructure around these sites by connecting them with other sites, cities and states. Gujarat received

market is domestic as the lease a portion of the area to uation where such amenities potential in our country is fast food chains. However, have become a necessity. huge but inbound tourism is the management will be Also, some of the tourists also important for us. We are with TCGL. coming to Ahmedabad from putting forward Gujarat not other states prefer to travel Mittra informed that in just as a state but as a counby roads. This not only helps the next two years, TCGL will try which offers variety of them to cover more miles but set up 50 such Toran wayside tourism products for every also saves time. points along with Saurashtra type of traveller,” adds Mittra. Moreover, the state is also promoting golf tourism among highend leisure and MICE travellers.

Gujarat Tourism is organising the third edition of B2B trade

GTM 2013

Better infrastructure With the increasing flow of tourists in Gujarat, the state's tourism department is now eyeing better infrastructure facilities.

The department has entered into a revenue sharing model with the private oil companies and

exhibition - Gujarat Travel Mart 2013 from March 31 – April 2, 2013 in Ahmedabad; wherein the state is hosting over 250 buyers from 30 countries (Netherlands, Kingdom of Bahrain, Australia, Canada, France, Greece, Israel, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, UAE, UK, USA, South Africa, etc.) to showcase the state in a better way. Through this, the buyers will also get an opportunity to interact with over 200 Indian exhibitors. The state is also pulling in over 800 domestic travel agents from top source markets