Food, Travel and Tourism Business Magazine: The Business Magazine

GLOBAL INDIA BUSINESS FORUM PRESENTS

THE BUISNESS TYCOONS

ACTIONS DELIVER RESULTS January 2021

Richard Branson

Business Opportunities In

Founder The Virgin Group

Special Edition

Dr. Barkathunnisha Co-founder World Women Tourism

In Focus

Food, Travel & Tourism

“Everyone Has The Key, Its Just A Matter Of Using It Right”

THE BUSINESS TYCOONS January - 2021

ACTION DELIVER RESULTS Magazine

About Global India Business Forum President’s Message The Business Tycoons Magazine Launch Global India Business Forum Embassy TIE – UPS Cover Story – Dr. Barkatunnisha, Co-Founder - World Women Tourism Success Story –Alan Joyce, CEO - Qantas Airways Limited Global India Business Forum Webinar Series Cover Story – Richard Branson, Founder –Virgin Group Article – “India Food Trends that will influence our habits in 2021”

By Karan Kapoor, Director of Food & Beverage Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Mumbai Maharashtra Article –“Georgia as a Tourist Destination and Various Business Opportunities in Georgia” Success Story – Christopher Nassetta, President and CEO - Hilton Article - “10 Experiences That May Well Change You Forever: Only In Ethiopia- Land of Origins” Success Story- Jim Sano, Vice President, Travel- Tourism and Conservation – World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Article- “Expected Impact on Expedition Cruising After Covid-19”

by Hans Lagerweij, President - Albratos Travel Success Story- Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO - Celebrity Cruises Article- “Malta: A Small Nation with Big Opportunities” by H.E. Ruben Gauci Economic Bilateral Agreements and MOU’s Success Story –Richard Barton, Founder –Expedia Inc. Article –“Tourism an Indian Perspective” by Jayesh Ashar, Managing Director - Pearl Tourism & Leisure Group Article-This Palace is on Wheels!

Article – “Sustainability Trends in Expedition Cruising”

by Hans Lagerweij, President - Albratos Travel Memorandum of Understanding – Global India Business Forum Top Mergers and Acquisitions Upcoming Global India Business Forum Events & Trade Fairs Past Global India Business Forum Event & Trade Fairs

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GIBF Magazine is not responsible for statements made or for opinions expressed in the articles published in this volume and Publisher accepts no responsibility for accuracy of information, errors or omissions and rejects any claims arising out of any actions which the company or individual make on the basis of information contained herein.

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About GIBF India is a fast growing country and an emerging Super Power. With Indian Government’s drive for initiatives such as “Make in India", “Skill Development” and “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-Reliant India Mission)” there are ample opportunities for both Indian and Global companies to run start-ups and make exponential growth in all business sectors. These initiatives also provide a golden opportunity for Indian MSMEs to promote themselves and show their true potential to grow and flourish.

In such a dynamic and vibrant business scenario, to promote synergy, a need for the formation of a common platform was felt. The idea was perceived and progressed further by Dr. Jitendra Joshi, a successful businessman and visionary who has over a glorious 25+ years of experience in Manufacturing and Service Industry at Senior Level Management in numerous MNC companies.

To fulfill this need and to bring together business professionals from various segments like Automobile, Engineering, FMCG, Chemical, Pharmaceuticals, Electronics, Heavy Metal, Service Industry etc. Global India Business Forum (GIBF) was formed.

Today, Global India Business Forum is one of the fastest growing networking platforms in the world that has successfully connected businessmen from different countries and sectors on one platform and is raring to go for more.

We, at GIBF, bridge the gap between demand for opportunities and their supply by conducting webinars and conferences. These webinars and conferences shall help Ambassadors and Consul Generals of countries across the world shed light on several business opportunities their countries have in store for foreign investors. They will also help businessmen identify business opportunities that best suit them and we shall help them come together on our platform.

GIBF consists of members from all fields of business, industry, academics and other professions without any segment boundaries. GIBF has its head office in Delhi, Corporate Office in Pune, India and Global offices in Dubai, USA, UK, Singapore and China. It also has a presence at Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata & Cuttack in India.

VISION

MISSION

VALUES

Become the best-in-class business networking platform that creates and builds a world business community that would see MSMEs flourish across the world in the next 10 years

To provide a common platform for businesses and entrepreneurs to share their ideas & experiences for entrepreneurial development.

We value holistic growth, humanistic diversity and are committed to professionalism, excellence, community involvement, accountability and timely progress with ethical values.

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We also have plans to promote domestic travel to encourage businessmen to take up domestic travel so that it can help them explore our country in a better way and it will also open up new business opportunities for them.

President’s Message When the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, almost the entire world population went into shutdown mode. All hotel chains and restaurants, be it the budding restaurants or industry giants, were locked down completely, thus adversely affecting the food and hospitality industry to a great extent.

Hence, the main aim behind launching this special edition on Travel, Tourism, Food and Hospitality is to introduce businessmen to different and unknown business opportunities in these sectors in different countries and to help them connect to the Ambassadors of these countries to take their business proposals to fruition.

Airports were also shut down due to stringent restrictions put by the Central Government with regards to travel and tourism.

Hence, the entire travel and tourism industry faced severe setback both in terms of revenue and customer base; since the customer base for travel and tourism shrunk, it also had an adverse impact on the overall revenue generation of these industries. The airline industry suffered great and steep losses due tolack of customers for travel due to the general fear created by the pandemic.

Dr. Jitendra Joshi Global President – Global India Business Forum

But as the pandemic is slowly withdrawing its effects from these industries, there is a positive trend being observed which would help revive these industries and it can be confidently said that by the second half of 2021, the business in the travel, tourism, food and hospitality industries will see tremendous growth.

While this pandemic has been a curse for some businesses, it has also acted as a blessing in disguise for some as new businesses have identified opportunities to grow and thrive in such circumstances too. And these opportunities to grow and thrive will continue to grow in the later part of 2021 as well, thereby attracting new investors for these businesses.

We, at Global India Business Forum, have been promoting business opportunities in different countries and this time, we have decided to promote tourism-driven countries such as Georgia, Malta and the Caribbean countries. We have also interacted with the Ambassadors and Consul Generals of these countries and have decided to partner with them to promote their countries and the different business opportunities they have in store for potential investors.

As far as promoting travel and tourism in India is concerned, we have also organized different programs for Indian tourism which will, in turn, help the Indian hospitality and food industries as well. We, at Global India Business Forum, have also met foreign delegates and we plan to connect different businessmen with each other from different countries across the world through our platform. We also plan to promote Indian Hospitality and Tourism as well which would help attract more foreign investors to invest in these sectors.

Special Edition

In Focus

Food, Travel & Tourism 3

LAUNCHING OF THE BUISINESS TYCOONS MAGAZINE Health care & Wellness special edition Dec -2020 By-Nigeria Embassy

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GIBF EMBASSY CONNECT Ecuador

C Deepali Gadkari

The Republic of the Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in North Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, Ethiopia to the southeast, Eritrea to the east, and the Red Sea to the northeast. Sudan has a population of 43 million (2018 estimate) and occupies 1,886,068 square kilometres (728,215 square miles), making it Africa's third-largest country and also the third-largest in the Arab league. It was also the largest country in Africa and the Arab league by area before the secession of South Sudan in 2011.

Minister Plenipotentiary-DCM accepted the Honorary Membership of Global India Business forum, in the presence Of Global President Dr. Jitendra Joshi and Global Coordinator Ms. Deepali Gadkari, for Mutual Business Association between India & Sudan.

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GIBF EMBASSY CONNECT The Republic of Malta

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Trinidad & Tobago

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GIBF EMBASSY CONNECT Malawi

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The Republic of Madagascar

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GIBF EMBASSY CONNECT

Burundi The exports of Burundi increased from BIF 16851.80 million in the month of August 2020 to BIF 26,215.60 million in September 2020.

On the other hand, the imports of the country also increased from BIF 1,48,461.80 million in the month of August 2020 to BIF 1,75,223.20 million in September 2020 The top exports of Burundi are coffee, tea, cotton and skins. The main export partners of the country are Switzerland, Pakistan, Belgium, the UK, Rwanda, Uganda and Egypt.

The top imports of Burundi are construction materials, food and fuel. The main import partners of the country are Saudi Arabia, Belgium, India, Kenya and Uganda.

Ambassador of The Republic of Burundi Stella Budiriganya accepted the Honorary Membership of Global India Business Forum, in presence of Global President Dr. Jitendra Joshi and Global Coordinator Ms. Deepali Gadkari, for mutual business association between India & Burundi.

Kenya

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Cover Story - Dr. Barkathunnisha

Career Beginnings

Co-Founder – World Women Tourism Early life /personal life: Being born as a second-generation migrant to Indian parents, Dr. Nisha was born and brought up by a traditional Indian Muslim family wherein her father was the sole breadwinner. A humble background taught her the most important principles of life like discipline, frugality, hard work and focus. Being brought up in a disciplined environment only enhanced Dr. Nisha’s personal growth as she had more time to focus on her life goals than on any distractions in her life. She was an avid reader and this habit expanded her intellectual horizon and increased her thirst for knowledge.

Her father always encouraged her to reach for the highest standards in everything she did and do everything with 100% commitment and focus. It was her parents’ trust that enabled her to push herself out of her comfort zone and expand new frontiers. The family’s values and guiding principles motivated her siblings and Dr. Nisha to strive towards entering the best schools and performing to the best of their abilities. Another important value that she was raised with was the practice of gratitude and to count the blessings that have been endowed on her and her family.

In a community where women are expected to be nothing more than just good wives and mothers, Dr. Nisha faced the pressure of religious orthodox, social prejudice and gender bias. She faced community pressure and was even discouraged to pursue her higher studies; she battled at home, experienced estranged relationships just to pursue her dreams. Nothing came to her the easy way. The pursuit of her dreams, education and passion was not handed to her on a silver platter but she had to battle and struggle.

Dr. Nisha’s deep interest in learning about human behaviour and social problems led her to pursue Psychology and hence she graduated in Social Work and Psychology from the National University of Singapore.

She was aware of her strengths then: having patience, a listening ear and compassion for humanity. She wanted to leverage on these strengths and at the same time wanted to be a catalyst of change in people’s lives. After practising for 2 years, Dr. Nisha realised that her strengths were also her weaknesses. She became overly involved in her clients’ problems, and the resulting tension and preoccupation with others’ problems led her to suffer from compassion fatigue. She also felt a sense of powerlessness when it came to intervening in some complex cases and navigating through bureaucracy. Hence, she decided to take a break from social work and explore other opportunities.

She considers herself to be an eternally optimistic person and always believes in what the motivational speaker and life coach Tony Robbins says “If you are gonna make a change, operate from the belief that says that whatever in life happens not to me but for me”. Her struggles only made her a stronger, more focused person and helped her develop a sense of compassion for people who go through struggles in life to achieve their dreams.

Dr. Nisha with co-founders of the AWLP Dr.Ramesh Ramachandra and Ms. Poorani Thanusha 9

Entering the Tourism Industry

Tourism provides better opportunities for women’s participation in the workforce, women’s entrepreneurship and women’s leadership than other sectors of the economy. Though there have been many advancements in the empowerment of women, many are still lagging behind in terms of economic opportunities, social mobility, access to financial and other resources and employment rights and privileges. There are on-going challenges for women in tourism – they are less paid, under-represented at management levels as well as in lucrative professions, experiencing challenges to entrepreneurship and business ownership.

Further, a study by McKinsey found that narrowing the gender gap could double the contribution of women to global GDP between the years 2014 and 2025. It is imperative to capitalize and leverage the potential of women in tourism, encourage inclusivity in the value chain, and enhance their social capital. Dr.Nisha envisioned that it is time to push critical conversations on gender empowerment and change the economic and social trajectory of women in tourism.

Dr. Nisha and her co-founders started ‘World Women Tourism (WWT)’ which is an intelligence network platform where professionals and organizations have access to insights, resources and opportunities. The main aim of WWT is to empower women through collaborations, knowledge and build a platform to connect women to drive change. The main idea behind starting WWT was the belief that with the right opportunities, network, knowledge and support, women in tourism will be able to fulfill their dreams and gain social and financial empowerment. The company’s services include, online business networking and collaborations, online workshops and seminars, e-library of research, reports and knowledge-based resources, mentoring projects and business advising.

During the current pandemic, WWT launched the Glocal Webinar Series (GWS) on Accelerating Women in the Tourism Industry. The goal of the GWS aims to support women in the tourism industry so that they may better approach the new disruptions that challenge their personal and professional lives. Each session will be country-specific and will address the issues and challenges facing women in their respective regions. Over 3 months, the webinars were conducted in Myanmar, Bhutan, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines and reached over a 1000 women.

Dr. Nisha and her team have visioned an audacious goal to have the GWS travel to 100 locations around the world and reach 10,000 women by the end of 2021.

One of Dr. Nisha’s Gallup strengths is focus. She often desires to dictate the circumstances of her existence rather than leave things to fate or chances. She always believes in the principles of planning and doing thorough research before going ahead with any plan. Hence, to explore new opportunities, she studied the market trends in detail to know which industry will grow, and also introspected on her core competencies and passion.

Back then, the travel and tourism industry was experiencing a boom period. The industry was projected to grow in Singapore and internationally. It was a significant industry in terms of GDP contribution, employment and visitor arrivals. Coming from a family that never had the means to travel on vacations, Dr. Nisha had a strong desire to travel, meet new people and learn new things.

To gain a deep knowledge of the industry and equip herself with the relevant skills, Dr. Nisha enrolled in a tourism diploma course. Upon graduation, she aimed to work only with the top travel companies in Singapore to acquire the highest standards. She tapped on the power of those in her proximity to land a job in her first interview. But again, that came with a compromise of a major pay cut from her previous job and big sales targets that pushed her boundaries. In the first 10 years on the job, she was determined to learn all aspects of the travel business: corporate travel, leisure travel and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) travel. Drawing on a relationship action plan, she began to network strategically with the travel trade, and expanded her associations in Singapore and internationally. She created her career path plan, focused on her goals and sought guidance from the right mentors to elevate herself in the corporate pipeline.

Dr. Nisha's Debut Startup and Venturing into Women-centric Tourism Dr. Nisha’s first start up was ‘Elevated Consultancy & Training’, which is a transformative firm that provides tourism consulting, corporate training and coaching services to individuals, organisations and destinations. With an in-depth analysis of clients’ challenges, the firm delivers customised solutions that effectively meet their needs while promising a high level of competence, expertise and quality training.

Drawing on broad-based knowledge and a vast experience in the tourism industry, the consultants at her company provide fresh perspectives to tourism organisations’ issues and act as catalyst for change. Some of their clients include tourism boards, convention bureaus, hospitality and tourism organisations in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, Malaysia, Cambodia, and South Africa. In addition to this, the company provides training and consultancy services to sectors that include healthcare, finance, telecommunication, retail as well as the public sector.

World Women Tourism According to a United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, 2012) report, tourism has almost twice as many women employers as other sectors. Women are more likely to have a leadership voice in tourism businesses, associations and tourism governance compared to other arenas.

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Challenges Faced Along the Way

others expect of us, energy is gained and there is liberation of our souls. Dr. Nisha feels that one should be unapologetic for taking care of themselves and pursuing their dreams. She feels that there is one question we must ask ourselves, “What if this was the last day of my life? Would I be happy with how I had lived it?”

Dr. Nisha likes to begin each day with the end in mind. One of her favourite quotes “Some people die at age 25 and aren't buried until they are 75” reflects the predicament of many people who never truly live. Many do not have the courage to listen to their hearts and exercise “response-ability” to live their dreams. She feels that not living our dreams is like the “walking dead” because death is not defined by bodily decay but losing the passion to live our lives true to ourselves.

Beyond the structural barriers (e.g. access to funding and bureaucratic and administrative hurdles) that impact the advancement of Dr. Nisha’s work with women, she found that the psychological and social barriers that women imposed upon themselves silenced their own voices. Women are constantly battling with fears. Dr. Nisha referred to an article in the Forbes 2019 issue, which highlighted that women fear success more than failure. Women fear the attention that comes with success. They fear self-promotion and judgement.

They fear having children and taking career breaks. Due to these fears, women self-select themselves out of their career tracks and also avoid self-development. Hence, the focus of Dr. Nisha’s work is to address these deep-seated self-limiting beliefs of women through training, coaching and mentoring and commit them to becoming intentionally visible in both their personal and professional arenas.

In addition, women are often the biggest critics of other women and this undermines the success of women who aspire to advance themselves. It is important to lift other women to shine collectively as a tribe. WWT, ‘She In Tourism’ and AWLP provide nurturing networking platforms for women to build women’s social capital and support their trajectories.

Plans and Contributions for the Future A ‘Women in Tourism’ Summit on International Women’s Day 2021: Dr. Nisha plans to convene women leaders and professionals in tourism to engage in new emerging perspectives on empowering women in the industry, and explore opportunities and new frontiers.

Podcast for women in tourism The purpose of this podcast will be to tap into the expertise of women change-makers in the tourism industry, draw on current and contemporary perspectives of women tourism leaders and share these through narratives and stories to inspire the tribe.

Work-Life Balance Striking a balance between professional and personal life can be challenging but it is important for Dr. Nisha to have a sense of control and ownership over her life and time. It is crucial for her to indulge in “Me time”. She practices yoga and meditation daily to silence her mind and expand her inner consciousness.

She goes for long, casual walks, indulges in tree-hugging, swims or hits the gym on a weekly basis. Pampering herself with spas and facials on a monthly basis is a must on her ‘Me Time’ to-do list.

She refreshes the creative side of her brain through painting and cooking. She indulges in little mindless “guilty pleasures'' such as movies and high teas with her close circle of friends and family regularly. Sometimes, she blends work with life effortlessly by conducting a ‘walking meeting’ or being part of a ‘traffic university (listening to an audiobook on her drive to work). Something that is therapeutic for her is her intellectual feast at the end of each day -listening to a podcast, reading a book or undertaking short courses to expand her knowledge and perspectives.

Online training and development programs: She also plans to create affordable and easily accessible training programs to develop the capabilities of women in tourism. A diverse range of relevant and current skills development programs will be made available virtually.

Contributions as an Author Dr. Nisha is the co-editor and co-author of an upcoming inspiring book titled “Undefeated” which is a collection of stories of 20 women who have journeyed from being ordinary to extraordinary, through their acts of resilience, hope, courage and love. This book will be launched on International Women’s Day 2021.

In the pipeline is another book titled “Being Intentionally Visible” which centres on exploring why women use ‘intentional invisibility’ to respond to the bias and discrimination in the professional arena, how they can strategically leverage on their strengths and skills to stand up and stand out to make lasting impressions and leave legacies.

Personal Ideologies and Quotes We exist in a world that is constantly judging us and telling us what to do, how to think and how to act. However, when we live a life that is authentic to ourselves and not the life others expect of us, energy is gained and there is liberation

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List of Awards and Accolades List of Awards and Accolades: For her commitment and contribution to the field of teaching and training, Dr. Nisha has been recognised in Singapore and internationally.

Outstanding Tourism Trainer 2010, by the Workforce Development Authority (WDA) Singapore Excellence in Teaching Award 2011 from University of Newcastle, Australia Teaching Excellence Award 2012 from the PSB Academy, Singapore Nominee - Jobs Central Learning, Training & Education Development Awards 2019 (preferred faculty) in Hospitality and Tourism specialization Nominee - Vice Chancellor's Teaching Excellence Award 2014 and Citations in Excellence .

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Success Story - Alan Joyce CEO - Qantas Airways Limited

Personal Life: Joyce identifies as being Catholic. In 2015, he became a member of the Australian Republic Movement, which argues that Australia should replace the monarchy to become a republic with an Australian head of state.

Alan Joyce is an Irish-Australian businessman who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qantas Airways Limited. He was born on June 30, 1966 in Dublin in a suburb named Tallaght.

Joyce is openly gay. In 2011, he was successfully treated for prostate cancer. On 2 November 2019, he and long-term New Zealander partner, Shane Lloyd, married on the rooftop of The Museum of Contemporary Art in Circular Quay. The couple lives in the inner-Sydney suburb of The Rocks.

Awards and Recognition

Early Life and Career

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GLOBAL INDIA BUSINESS FORUM WEBINAR SERIES Date - 19th September 2020 at 4pm

Ashutosh Misal,

Date - 16th October 2020 at 4pm Global India Business Forum had conducted a webinar on the topic “Business Opportunities in El Salvador” on October 16, 2020. The panelists that graced this webinar were Mr. Daniel Gutierrez, Head of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of El Salvador in India, Mr. Javier Ernesto Galdamez, Investment Director, PROESA, El Salvador, along with Dr. Jitendra Joshi, Global President, Global India Business Forum and Ms. Deepali Gadkari, Global Coordinator, Global India Business Forum, who was also the host of the webinar. Dr. Joshi, in his speech, urged people to invest in countries like El Salvador as this would strengthen the trade relations between El Salvador, as El Salvador has immense potential to contribute as a country to the world's economy. Mr. Daniel Gutierrez, Head of Mission, Embassy of Republic of El Salvador in India said that the pandemic has severely affected the country as well and also gave a detailed presentation about the Pacific Corridor as one of the big projects in its pipeline wherein the country is trying to bring in investors from across the globe. This would be a freight and passenger railway that would cover countries like Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala. Another esteemed panelist, Mr. Javier spoke about the main advantages that make El Salvador a big investment attraction and has even called the 'Japan of Central America' because of the high-quality labour that the country has to offer.

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GLOBAL INDIA BUSINESS FORUM WEBINAR SERIES Date - 11th December 2020 at 4:00 PM Global India Business Forum had conducted a webinar on the topic ‘Business Opportunities in Ecuador’ on December 11, 2020. The panelists that graced this webinar with their presence were His Excellency Mr. Hector Cueva Jacome, Ambassador of Ecuador to India, Mrs. Cristina Chiriboga, Director of Trade Office of Ecuador in Mumbai and Dr. Jitendra Joshi, Global President, Global India Business Forum. Ms. Deepali Gadkari, Global Coordinator, Global India Business Forum, was the host of the webinar. One of the esteemed panelists, H.E. Mr. Hector spoke about Ecuador’s potential to become an attractive business destination for Latin America. However, it was important to first find the solutions to convert different challenges posed by the pandemic or otherwise, into opportunities to increase business opportunities in Ecuador.

Mrs. Christina Chiriboga, another esteemed panelist, spoke about the exportable offers Ecuador has to offer to India and the world.

These exports to the Indian market include wood, shrimp, cocoa beans, metal scraps and black pepper, with wood occupying the largest portion of the exports.

Date - 12th December 2020 at 4:00 PM Global India Business Forum conducted a webinar on the Travel and Tourism sector on the topic ‘Money, Men and Mind: Three Factors That Affect Global Tourism’ on December 12, 2020. The panelists that graced this webinar with their presence were Mr. Amlesh Sinha, VP – Engineering, MakeMyTrip and GoIbibo, Mr. Jayesh Ashar, Account Managing Director, Pearl Tourism and Leisure Group, Mr. Milind Babar, Managing Director and Founder/ Chairman, Mango Holidays, Mr. Bhavin Toprani, Director, Indiatravelite.com, Ms. Zinal Doshi, Founder, The Flapper Life, Mr. Sachin Mehta, Managing Director, Stuti Tourism Pvt. Ltd. along with Dr. Jitendra Joshi, Global President, Global India Business Forum. The panelists at the webinar had an indepth discussion about the current scenario and uncertainties that surround the travel and tourism sector and the ways in which the pandemic has affected the sector’s functioning. The experts sounded optimistic about the industry’s future as the industry has faced different types of crisis in the past and has come out stronger each time; however, it would take some time for the industry to get back on its feet again.

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GLOBAL INDIA BUSINESS FORUM WEBINAR SERIES Date - 26th December 2020 at 4:00 PM

Date - 08th January 2021 at 4.00 pm

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Cover Story - Richard Branson

Early Life and Career:

Founder – The Virgin Group

Sir Branson was born in Blackheath, London, to Eve Branson (née Evette Huntley Flindt; born 1924), a former ballet dancer and air hostess, and Edward James Branson (1918–2011), a barrister. He has two younger sisters. His grandfather, Sir George Arthur Harwin Branson, was a judge of the High Court of Justice and a Privy Councillor.

His third great-grandfather, John Edward Branson, left England for India in 1793; John Edward's father, Harry Wilkins Branson, later joined him in Madras.

From 1793, four generations of his family was at Cuddalore, India.

Sir Branson was educated at Scaitcliffe School, a prep school in Surrey, before briefly attending Cliff View House School in Sussex. He attended Stowe School, an independent school in Buckinghamshire until the age of sixteen.

Sir Branson has dyslexia, and had poor academic performance. However, Branson's parents were supportive of his endeavours from an early age. His mother was an entrepreneur; one of her most successful ventures was building and selling wooden tissue boxes and wastepaper bins. In London, he started off squatting from 1967 to 1968 .

In February 1970, entrepreneurs Sir Branson and Nik Powell together founded the Virgin Group, a British multinational venture capital conglomerate.

The brand name "Virgin" arose when Richard Branson and Nik Powell formed a record shop. They considered themselves virgins in business. Branson has described the "V" in the logo as an expressive tick, representing the Virgin seal of approval.

Virgin Group has its headquarters at The Battleship Building in the Paddington district of the City of Westminster.Previously it was in The School House, Brook Green, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

The Virgin Group of companies has a complex structure that contains elements of a generic conglomerate and a keiretsu, and sometimes it simply licences its brand. Examples of licensing are Virgin Records and Virgin Media, which are owned

by Universal Music Group and Liberty Global respectively.

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Personal Life: Branson married Kristen Tomassi in 1972 and divorced her in 1979. He has a daughter Holly (b. 1981) and a son Sam (b. 1985) with his second wife, Joan Templeman, whom he met in 1976. They were married in 1989 on Necker Island. He stated in an interview with Piers Morgan that he and Joan also had a daughter named Clare Sarah, who died when she was four days old in 1979.

In 2007 Branson was ordained as a minister by the Universal Life Church Monastery to conduct an on-flight wedding as part of a marketing effort for domestic flights in the USA on Virgin America airline.

From 2013 to 2017 Branson served as President of the Old Stoic Society of Stowe School.

Branson is also an experienced kitesurfer, holding some world records in the sport. In August 2016 Branson was injured while riding his bicycle in the British Virgin Islands and suffered torn ligaments and a cracked cheek as a result. He was taken to hospital in Miami for X-rays and scans.

Awards and Recognition:

Special Edition

In Focus

Food, Travel & Tourism 18

Article - “India Food Trends That will Influence our Habits in 2021" By Karan Kapoor, Director of Food & Beverage Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Mumbai Maharashtra

We all look forward towards 2021 with high anticipations and lots of positivity to embrace our lives.

We all carry one major erudition from 2020 that is to stay healthy and adapt healthy habits, a pause from hustle bustle gave a great sense practicing mindfulness, these are some insights that we gained after meeting all our frequent guests when we opened doors to welcome them back in hotels.

As move forward with new trends and ideas waiting to be unboxed on our guest tables in sync with their heathy goals, this excites us.

As a hotelier, we should always pioneer the taste of new ingredients, blends, flavor pairing, and first-hand experience of technology to break the usual’s of offerings.

So here we can definitely look at the following trends that will more or less mark 2021 on the food calendar: “Plant-based products" is one field that is growing at a high rate, is sustainable and has a healthy range.

Let us look forward to what it means to us in the "Food and Beverage" world. Based on that thought process I would like to share few interesting products that may replace your current menu offerings.

Recently we have seen plant based burgers and even before they reached the peak of their popularity, we already have “Plant based Sea-food” prepared from carrot and elephant yam. Even cellular agriculture is the way to go and replace existing ingredients.

That sizzling crispy bacon for morning breakfast is something that is difficult to say no to, however very few of us think about nitrates that we consume with it. “Vegan Pork” brand like Omnipork is already on fast paced growth.

“Fresh ingredients Farm to Fork” or minimally processed products will be hot favorites be it veggies, fruits or products with clean components. Patrons will be more curious about labels and information shared.

Beverages are just not what we sip as quenchers with flavors; but nutritional value is also associated with it.

“Speakeasy cocktails” are the ones made by using only natural and fresh ingredients.

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“New favorite hot beverages” don’t count on a foamy cappuccino but a turmeric latte just in the trend, the tea is not simple masala tea, but its liked with ginger, sweetened with honey and may be enjoyed in winters with a bliss of saffron strands.

Iced teas are made with Green/Chamomile tea, flavored with natural fruit skin/pulp.

Health drink or pro biotic drinks are already getting into demand.

However, the lockdown due to the Corona pandemic has restricted its popularity burst, but it’s just a matter of time.

Kombucha has already made its way to favorites, sparkling waters with chromium and amino acids to help cut sugar spikes during and after meals, a valuable asset for diabetics.

“Seeds and millets” were popular and will keep their spot intact on the popularity chart. They can easily be a part of any preparation in most cuisines, menu or diet that one wants to follow with proven track record of health benefits over a period of time.

India is a land of various regional cuisines and flavors along with our own “Healthy flours”; even though the trend of flour has been there for couple of years on global front, we will soon see rise in its utilization with varied use in global cuisine, for e.g. Pasta with green peas flour or millet flour noodles more sooner than later will be on signature columns of the restaurant menu.

“Comfort food” for travelers, restaurants will move forward by providing guests with feel-good food and genuine hospitality, filling the need for comfort and warmth during these extraordinary times where one has to travel.

“Destination restaurants”, under current circumstances of things, It seems that more and more people will be looking to seek refuge from the city and search out dining destinations in more secluded areas where they can have a high quality experience with a bit more of metime.

2021 will bring an increased focus on “ditching fad diets” and embracing mindful eating. It’s important to start listening to what your body is telling you! Whole grain carbohydrates, like brown rice and quinoa, provide essential nutrients and a slow- burning form of energy. Instead of shunning or fearing carbs, mindful eating can help you enjoy them. Fad diets are really alluring because they promise fast and easy results, but the truth is they’re often really restrictive and tough to follow.

On different front “Home cooking” will be here for some time and surely everyone would like to try out some “diverse spice mix or stable sauce” with easy cooking techniques so as to vary flavors and satiate palate buds.

Patrons will be more inclined towards hygiene and safety when it comes to food and that goes without saying, but with that immunity booster ingredients or recipes will be looked for while dining either on home front or at restaurant.

When it comes to Food and Beverage “Cooking classes” is something that can be left aside with technology giving us different verticals of going online; we may see rise in “Virtual sessions with global cuisine”.

Most of these products may be or may not be topping the health and nutrition charts at a later stage but for sure they will help us to reduce nitrate, hem iron and minerals like sodium from diet, indulging in healthier food and beverage leading to better gut and colon health.

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Article –“Georgia as a Tourist Destination and Various Business Opportunities in Georgia”

RUSSIA

BLACK SEA

GEORGIA Tbilisi

Batumi

ARMENIA TURKEY

AZERBAIJAN

Introduction Located at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, Georgia has seamlessly integrated aspects of various cultures, while at the same time retaining its own unparalleled identity.

Covering a territory of only 69,700 sq. km., the country is renowned for its fascinating history, majestic Caucasus Mountains, the Black Sea coastline, curative climate, healing mineral waters, national parks and UNESCO Heritage Sites. For centuries Georgia has been the cultural, educational and transportation center for the Caucasus region; with some of the most famous trade routes like the Silk Road.

The country's consecutive integration into the European Union represents one of the most important directions of the nation's political and economic development. In 2014, Georgia signed an Association Agreement with the European Union and to further contribute to the nation's safety, security and integrity, the country has undertaken an initiative to become a member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

Today, Georgia ranks among the most prospective countries in Europe; with the World Economic Forum Competitiveness Index 2014 -2015 placing the nation 23rd out of 144 countries with the least amount of irregular payments and bribes, and 37th out of 148 countries in reliability of police service. Hereby, CNN named Georgia one of Top 16 Up-and-Coming Destinations.

The authenticity and unique cultural heritage, alongside top rankings in the world's most prestigious indexes have turned Geor- gia into a premier travel destination in the region. The number of visitors to the country has been growing drastically for the past decade and for the third year in a row international arrivals have exceeded the 5.5 million mark, which is considerably more than the population of the country.

7.3% Share of tourism in GDP 2016 (I-III quarter)

1.7mil. USD International receipts from tourism 2016 (I-III quarter)

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6.35mil.

Number of visitors in

Why Georgia?

Easily Accessible Destination Georgia is well connected to the world with up to 39 direct flights to various destinations and over 31 airlines operating in the country from three international airports - Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi.

Georgia upholds a visa-free regime with 97 nations and Resident Permit Holders of 50 states, including GCC and European nations.

An e-visa option is also available (evisa.gov.ge), and holders of a valid visa for the United States, EU member states, Japan, Korea and the UAE may enter the country without a visa.

Value for Money Georgia offers a range of budget hotels, inexpensive attractions, and low-cost local transportation. Furthermore, there are endless tourism possibilities: skiing, hunting, beauty and health spas, rafting and kayaking - all at a fraction of the cost of European countries and without compromising on quality.

Modern Infrastructure and Unique Venues Georgia offers some of the most unique venues, ranging from modern to traditional, and a multi-functional exposition center –“Expo Georgia” right in the heart of the city.

Hospitable and Generous People

The hotels in Georgia are perfect for conventions, seminars, workshops and a variety of other events. New major brands, such as Sheraton, Radisson, Marriot, Rixos, Holiday Inn, Hotels and Preference, Mercure, Best Western and more provide all the resources necessary to accommodate various needs and preferences.

The Georgian people embrace a unique culture of hospitality; for Georgians being a host is not only a privilege, but a sacred tradition passed down for centuries. These traits are best exhibited during a traditional feast – a supra, which involves a toast master (tamada) and vibrant polyphonic music.

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Great Food, Restaurants and Cafes

Endless Tourism Possibilities

The country offers a delicious variety of dishes, highlighted with distinctive herbs and spices. Georgian food and drinks

From adventure tourism to discovering the art of wine-making, Georgia has something to delight every visitor. Take advantage of the least expensive heli-skiing in Europe, or tour some of the finest medieval architecture in the world, investigate ancient subterranean cave cities, or relax at beach resorts – in Georgia, everything is just a step away.

and Spain (Thrillist 2015).

Throughout the cities you can find fine restaurants and cozy, uniquely styled cafes and bars.

High Level of Safety

Top Economic Ratings

Georgia was ranked among the top countries in terms of safety by numerous publications (view the links below). The World Economic Forum (WEF) “Competitiveness Index 2014-2015” ranked Georgia 28 th out of 148 countries for reliability of police services, and the 23rd for least amount of irregular payments and bribes.

According to the World Bank in 2016, Georgia ranks 16 in the world in “Ease of Doing Business,” and the Heritage Foundati places Georgia 23rd on its “Index of Economic Freedom”. th

Over the past few years the Government has implemented numerous progressive reforms to ease the tax regime, simplify licensing regulations/procedures and set up a “one window approach” system for many business activities.

Unique Culture, Folklore and Art

“Top 12 Safest Countries in the World”

Georgia is a country with ancient, rich and unique culture which dates back for millennia. In 1977 the golden recording onboard of the U.S. spacecraft Voyager carried the traditional Georgian song “Chakrulo” to the far reaches of our solar system, as a part of the world’s cultural heritage.

Today, the Georgian polyphonic music and the Georgian alphabet are acknowledged by UNESCO as “a masterpiece of the world’s cultural heritage”. Georgian dance, similar to polyphonic songs remain a major cultural attraction.

“Top Safest Countries in the World”

“Top 10 Safest Countries in the World”

Birthplace of Wine

“Top 10 Safest Countries to live in the World”

Crime Index for Country 2016

Wine has been produced in Georgia for over 8,000 years; this is what the BBC referred to as “the world’s longest-running unbroken wine tradition.” Today, over 500 varieties of grapes are grown throughout the country and Georgian wines are famous for their unique properties and character. Furthermore, the Georgian way of winemaking - in clay pots called Qvevri –

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Success Story -Christopher Nassetta

About Hilton:

President and CEO – Hilton

Hilton, officially known as Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. is an American multinational company which specializes in Hospitality and also manages and franchises a broad range of hotels and resorts.

The hospitality giant was founded by Conrad Hilton in Cisco Texas in May 1919 and is now being led by Christopher J. Nassetta who is the President and CEO of the hotel group.

The company has its headquarters in Tysons Corner, Virginia, USA and has a portfolio of 6,215 properties across 118 countries and territories. Hilton has 18 brands under its belt such as Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton, Curio – A Collection by Hilton, Doubletree by Hilton, etc. On December 12, 2013, the company again went public with its IPO and raised around $2.5 billion in its second IPO. The group has around 1,73,000 employees as of 2020.

Christopher Nassetta is the President and CEO of the Hilton Group. He joined the company in the year 2007. Hilton has the best performing portfolio of brands in the hotel industry and has 18 brands positioned across more than 6100 properties and has its presence across 119 countries and territories.

Early Life and Career Beginnings: Chris graduated from the University Of Virginia McIntire School Of Commerce with a Finance degree. He also serves on the McIntire School of Commerce Advisory Board.

Prior to Hilton, he was the President and CEO of Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. since 2000, which he had joined in the year 1995 as the Executive Vice President and was elected the CEO of the chain in 1997. He joined Hilton in 2007 and also serves on multiple boards such as the Chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Prior to joining Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. he co-founded Bailey Capital Corporation in 1991 and was given the responsibility to look after the operations of real estate investment and advisory firm. He spent seven years at The Oliver Carr Company as the Chief Development Officer prior to starting Bailey Capital. As the Chief Development Officer, he was responsible for all the development and related activities for one of the largest commercial real estate companies in the mid-Atlantic region.

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Article - 10 EXPERIENCES THAT MAY WELL CHANGE YOU FOREVER: ONLY IN ETHIOPIA - LAND OF ORIGINS

Director and Director General of Diaspora Affairs Directorate General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Later, from 2011-2015, he was assigned to Ethiopian embassy in London, UK, as Minister Counsellor I for Diaspora affairs and from 2015-present, H.E. Mr. Demeke served as Director General for Diaspora Affairs, coordinating Diaspora participation at national level, by ensuring the implementation of Diaspora policy.

Why You Should Visit Ethiopia: Below are top 10 experiences that will make you look at Ethiopia from a whole new lens: 1. Meet your ancient ancestor, the 3.2 million year old hominoid skeleton ‘Lucy’ at the National Museum. Ethiopia is where humankind first walked upright.

ETHIOPIA: LAND OF ORIGINS: Ethiopia is known as the “Land of Origin” as it is the origin of human kind, origin of coffee. “Coffee is Ethiopia’s gift to the world”, says H.E. Mr. Demeke Atnafu Ambulo, the Consul General of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is situated in the easternmost part of Africa and hence is a part of countries like Djibouti, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya and Somalia that constitute the ‘Horn of Africa’. This is the country that formed the basis for human civilization to grow and thrive. Hence, Ethiopia is also known as the ‘cradle of civilization’.

2. Marvel at the mystical 12th century churches of Lalibela, hand-hewn from rock to create the ‘Jerusalem of Africa’.

3. Find out where the biblical Ark of the Covenant is kept in Aksum and walk in the footsteps of the Queen of Sheba from where she ruled over her vast trade empire.

4. Visit the 17th century fairytale castles of Gondar, unique in Africa, and go back to a time of powerful kings ruling from the intersection of three cultural and trade caravan routes.

Ethiopia has secured the ‘Safe Travel Stamp’ from the World Travel Council. The country is open to safe travel and tourism.

5. Discover the astonishing mix of dozens of ethnic groups in Southern Ethiopia to learn about their traditional ways of living – the traditional costumes, body art, henna-dyed dreadlocks, daring initiation ceremonies.

6. Wander in colourful Harar, the old walled city of 82 mosques, the fourth most holy site in Islam. This welcoming city with its unique ‘city houses’, was founded in the 10th century and exudes an aura of cultural and architectural authenticity.

7. Trek the Simien Mountains, the ‘Roof of Africa’ with its endless vistas and endemic wildlife, or hike and climb in Gheralta to experience the spirituality of centuries-old churches dotted among steep pink cliffs.

ABOUT THE CONSUL GENERAL OF ETHIOPIA: H. E. Mr. Demeke Atnafu Ambulo was born in Wolayta zone Southern Ethiopia. He completed his schooling and graduation in B. A (History) and post-graduation in M. A. (Economics) from Southern Ethiopia.

After graduating from Addis Ababa University College of Social Science, he joined Ministry of Education and served as senior secondary school teacher from 1985 to 1993.

In 1993 H. E. Mr. Demeke joined Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Second Secretary of OAU and Southern African Region Division, Department of African Affairs. He attended various statutory meetings and conferences of the OAU organs from 1993-1998.

8. Explore the out-of-this-world lavascapes and salt-flats of the Danakil Depression, the lowest and hottest place on Earth, and climb the Erta Ale volcano, the world’s oldest lava lake from which fountains of molten rock spur high in the sky.

9. Discover the lakes and national parks along the Great Rift Valley – the world’s most visible physical feature to astronauts in space – where spectacular birdlife is impossible to miss.

10. Take a boat trip on the mesmerising Lake Tana, the source of the mighty Blue Nile. Ethiopia’s largest lake is loved for its balmy climate, excellent amenities, atmospheric medieval monasteries and the spectacular 45 metre high Blue Nile Falls.

From 1998-2002, H. E. Mr. Demeke was assigned to Ethiopian Embassy in New Delhi, as Political and Commercial Counsellor, making significant contribution in bolstering and further enhancing mutually beneficial relationship between the two sisterly countries by forging and developing excellent working relationship particularly with Chamber of Commerce and Industries. He actively participated in promoting trade and investment opportunities. From 2002-2006, he was posted to Ethiopian Embassy in Washington DC, USA, as Community Affairs Counsellor and from 2006-2011, he served as

For further information, please contact : ethconmumbai@gmail.com

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Success Story - Jim Sano

Vice President Travel, Tourism and Conservation - World Wildlife Fund (WWF) )

Career at WWF and Honours Bestowed Career at WWF and Honours Bestowed: Mr. Sano was a part of the National Council of WWF for 10 years and is also an Emeritus Board Member of the Trust for Public Land. He was also the Founding President of the Mono Lake Foundation and was the Founding Director of the National Step and the Yosemite Restoration Trust.

He has also received several awards and honours such as being a five-time recipient of the National Park Service Special Achievement Award. He also led the first American men and women expedition to Mt. Everest, first guided crossing of South Georgia Island and numerous other exciting and first-time expeditions in Latin America and Asia.

Special Edition About Jim Sano Jim Sano is the Vice President of Travel, Tourism and Conservation for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). He is also the senior advisor on sustainable tourism programs and has also helped develop new initiatives to engage the supporters of this vital fund that helps preserve the very eco-system of our planet – the wildlife.

President of Geographic Expeditions & Stint at the Yosemite National Park Mr. Jim was previously the President of Geographic Expeditions which is an adventure travel company based in San Francisco which offers educational travel, location management and sustainable travel consulting services. During his stint in the company, it received numerous awards and honours such as being named the best adventure travel company in the world and also one of the top 50 best places to work in the USA.

In Focus

Food, Travel & Tourism

Before he joined Geographic Expeditions, Mr. Sano also worked as a ranger and special assistant to the Superintendent at the Yosemite National Park, California.

During his tenure at the iconic National Park, he was responsible for overseeing park naturalist/interpretive programs, keeping closed coordination between the several key elements of the General Management of the Park and being a part of the search and rescue team.

THE BUSINESS TYCOONS

Special Edition Fit & Fab

Health care & Wellness 12 26

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Article- “Expected Impact on Expedition Cruising After Covid-19”

by Hans Lagerweij, President - Albratos Travel

INTRODUCTION Over a year ago I wrote the blog “Expedition Cruising: Goldmine or Bubble?” talking about the incredible growth in this cruise segment. The COVID-19 crisis has abruptly halted this growth. We cannot talk about a bubble that has burst, because the underlying interest in the experiences is still strong.

But certainly, this is the first major hit to the industry since 2008-2009, when Expedition Cruising was still incredibly niche. What changes can we expect due to the crisis going forward?

DEMAND IMPACT Initial demand will logically be significantly lower. There will be the issue of fear, but also economic consequences, especially affecting one of the major customer segments – baby boomers. Travellers are likely to stay closer to home for a while, and we already see that interest in road trips, camping and local holiday homes is increasing. However, in general, studies and past experiences have shown that experienced cruisers are resilient and very loyal to their favourite holiday type. “Cruisers trust measures taken are appropriate, not only through sanitizing every surface, providing hand wash stations outside every dining outlet and more, but also that cruise lines will only take them to safe destinations. This trust is unlikely to change even with COVID-19. Overwhelmingly, my study found that cruisers view a cruise as a “safe” holiday and place significant trust in the cruise companies and officers and crew to look after them”. In this light it is not surprising that travel agent consortia ‘Cruise Planners' reported that their bookings for 2021 are actually up. For the long term, expedition cruising could recover more quickly than “big ship” cruising. This is because of its smaller scale and remoteness from locations that were seriously affected before by “overtourism” and therefore perceived as higher risk; “Being enclosed with thousands of people in a cruise ship will cause many to pause with the torrent of horror stories coming out. Small groups and more remote travel will be much more attractive”.

ANTICIPATED CHANGES Some of the changes expected in cruising in general are; no more selfservice buffets, restrictions on who can cruise, new health screening, enhanced cleaning on board and less crowed ships. Expedition Cruise ships do not have the dependence on extensive self-service buffets that big ships do, but certainly the way breakfasts are organized and possibly some lunches will need to adapt.

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Restrictions on who is allowed to cruise will be harder to implement in this segment, as the active travelers demonstrate frequently that age is just a number. But stricter health screening, including at the time of booking, is something that will stay. Clients with chronic illnesses or that simply are not fit for cruising will need to be selected out before arriving to the ships. Before embarkation, another medical screening including temperature check can be expected. Obviously, this will not only be happening with guests, but also with crew.

During the voyage, regular checks by the medical staff of all passengers can be expected. Enhanced cleaning and sanitation will take place, on an every-day basis and more intensively in between trips. Guests will be provided easy and everywhere access to satirizers, and possibly face masks. With the small scale of expedition vessels, selling to only 50% of capacity is not a viable economical option, but we can expect certain cabins to remain empty, setaside for purposes of isolating guests who demonstrate any worrying symptoms. Additionally, mealtimes, lectures, entertainment, & excursions will be more divided between passengers, avoiding any crowds and respecting social distancing, especially inside of the ship.

SUSTAINABILITY AFFECTED? As previously shared, sustain ability is a key element in.

And although there are nowadays excellent sustainable cleaning and disinfection methods as , Lindblad Expeditions has demonstrated sustain ability could take a backseat in these times when working out new health and sanitation plans. The first objective is to deliver the best sanitation that can be offered to guests. Also, the trend of removing single-use plastics could take a step back, when potentially providing plastic gloves, masks or other disinfected materials in the future.

OUTLOOK The Expedition Cruise industry will certainly also be heavily affected by the COVID-19 crisis, but the underlying increased interest in the product experiences will remain.

Aided by discounting and promotions in the beginning, I am certain demand will come back. It is therefore no surprise that in the middle of the current crisis, a new expedition cruise entrant was announced last week with .

Amundsen ExpeditionsIt will be a tough 12 months to come, but the outlook remains bright.

Success Story - Lisa Lutoff-Perlo President and CEO Celebrity Cruises

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo is an American businesswoman and is the President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. By acquiring this position, she is the first woman to become the leader of one of Royal Caribbean Group's cruise line brands.

Early Life and Career Beginnings:

Awards and Honours: She was honoured as the South Florida “Women of Excellence” by the Cleveland Clinic, Florida in the year 2017. She was also the recipient of the Cruise Lines International Association “Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2019.

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GLOBAL INDIA BUSINESS FORUM

NATIONAL AWARD 2021 FOR

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE 3 April 2021 Time : 05.30 pm to 07.30pm Venue : Constitution Club of india Speaker Hall, Rafi Marg, New Delhi +91 85302 46006/ 85302 76006

www. gibf.biz

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marketing.gibf@gmail.com

Article- “Malta: A Small Nation with Big Opportunities”

by H.E. Ruben Gauci

economic diversification plans, which has allowed the nation to see new economic sectors develop. Whilst Malta may predominantly be regarded as a splendid tourism destination, it’s worth noting that the country has been characterized as “an advanced economy” by the International Monetary Fund, “a high-income country” by the World Bank, and “an innovationdriven economy” by the World Economic Forum.

INTRODUCTION I am Reuben Gauci, the High Commissioner of the Republic of Malta in New Delhi, India. I arrived in this wonderful country on 13 September 2020 and presented credentials to His Excellency President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi on 14 October 2020. Despite the unfortunate circumstances in which the world finds itself into, due to the Corona Virus pandemic, it has been a particular honour for me to arrive in India in the year 2020, when Malta and India were celebrating the 55th anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations on 10 March 1965.

ABOUT MALTA Just for everybody’s information, my country, the Republic of Malta, is a history-rich small archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the smallest countries in Europe and in the world. The Maltese islands are situated east of Tunisia and about 100 km (60 mi) south of the island of Sicily (Italy).

Malta consists of the main island, Malta and the smaller islands of Gozo and Comino. The country covers an area of 316 km²; compared, it is about twice the size of Washington DC, and it would fit into Luxembourg eight times.

Malta has a population of 494,000 people (in 2019). The country is in the Top10 of the most densely populated countries in the world. The capital city is Valletta. The official languages are Maltese and English.

ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD In spite of its size, Malta is one of the fastest-growing economies in the European Union offering a lot of opportunities. Malta is a much sought after place for expats and business owners due to its Mediterranean lifestyle, its high standard of living and its beautiful weather. Whilst Malta may not be the first country one would think of when considering a location to start or grow a business in Europe, there is an argument to be made that this factor by itself is a good enough reason to consider this Mediterranean island nation as a place to invest in when following through on one’s entrepreneurial dreams.

A look at the Maltese government’s initiatives in enabling a probusiness environment within its borders makes it comparable to business miracle countries such as the United Arab Emirates or Singapore. Like these countries, Malta may well be a relatively small place, but that has certainly not been an impediment from dreaming big when it comes to driving its economy forward.

Since its independence on 21 September 1964, tourism has certainly been one of the major contributors to Malta’s economic growth.

Nevertheless, Malta has made it a priority to push ahead with its 31

MALTA: A HUB FOR TRADING AND COMMERCE Malta has been historically known for being a hub for trading and commerce and while it may have well been one of the smallest economies within the European Union (EU), it is also currently regarded as being one of its most resilient, with the country recording an annual GDP growth of around 6% in the last couple of years. The country’s Gross Domestic Product stood at €12.3 billion in 2018 with high exports per capita of over €28,000.

The drive for economic diversification has reaped benefits for the country both before and especially now in the times of COVID19, when the tourism sector worldwide has suffered a very harsh blow due to travel restrictions. Today Malta’s economy includes everything from pharmaceuticals, to financial services, aviation to information and communication technologies, maritime, training and education, knowledge centre and back-office services, gaming and the film industry.

Being part of the EU, Malta has embraced an encouraging approach to business advancement thanks to excellent telecommunications, strategic geographical location, economic and political stability, state of the art transhipment and distribution facilities, a highly skilled workforce, dedicated and competitively priced human resources, a safe and pleasant lifestyle, richness in culture and entertainment, top business support services and very advantageous corporate tax benefits.

MALTA: THE BLOCK-CHAIN ISLAND Malta is in pursuit of a number of new technologies and industries that look set to shape the future of the globe. Malta has thrown a lot of effort at making itself known as a “block-chain island”. The Malta Business Registry is the country’s first government agency to use a block-chain-based system. Not only has the country been focused on adopting this technology, it’s also been championing regulation around this industry, while also encouraging companies in this space to take up residence in the nation.

Malta offers a low set up cost, favourable tax rates, tax incentives and human resource effectiveness. Opening a business in Malta could be highly beneficial as given that Malta is a Member State of the European Union, it facilitates trade and freedom of movement within the EU. This provides financial service operators with an EUcompliant market. Malta’s laws are set based on the European Acquis. It also offers a competitive 35% Corporate Tax Rate on worldwide income to all businesses incorporated in Malta. Business Promotion Regulations provide additional sector-specific tax incentives in various fields such as biotechnology and electronics, as well as the provision of tax refunds.

AN FDI-FRIENDLY NATION Malta has been welcoming investors into the country since the early 1950s. This means that both private and public service providers are well aware of the requirements of an incoming operation. The process of setting up a business on the island is a straightforward and transparent one in which the investor is always kept updated as to what is required. Prospective investors often make use of a service provider from the private sector capable of seeing to all their legal and logistical requirements from company registration, access to banking facilities to recruitment of staff. Malta Enterprise, which is the country’s economic development agency, is tasked with attracting new foreign direct investment as well as facilitating the growth of existing operations. It has a specialised unit known as Business First, tasked with providing a single point of contact to prospective investors or on-going operations for their interactions with various government departments according to their requirements. Also pointing to the essentially export-driven economy, both in physical goods as well as services, Maltese companies are assisted by Trade Malta, the entity tasked with facilitating both incoming and outgoing trade flows.

DESIRABLE PLACE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES It is interesting to note that Malta has established a network of over 70 double tax treaties, most of which are based on the OECD Model Convention. All of these factors (and more) combine to make Malta one of the most desirable jurisdictions for business opportunities.

Apart from tax incentives, when it comes to new enterprises that want to set up shop in the country, Malta offers them support through a variety of fiscal and financial incentives- these include access to finance in the form of soft loans, interest rate subsidies, and loan guarantees, upon redistribution of dividends to shareholders, among other benefits.

Malta is looking forward to the post- COVID19 world, aware of the new challenges and ready to once more, host the world on its shores. Thriving business and a healthy economy is the way for Malta and the world to seek a better future following the pandemic.

Malta’s relations with India will surely prosper for the benefit of both our peoples and our Governments.

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Economic Bilateral Agreements and MOU’s Several more countries have been added to the list of places Indians can travel to under temporary air bubble agreements The outspread of bilateral air bubble agreements with more nations allowing to carry 'eligible' passengers to and from India and permitting travel agents to sell air tickets, will give a ray of hope to the travel and tourism industry- comprising airlines, GDS and NDC companies, travel agencies, and tour operators including hospitality segments. India has entered into bilateral air bubble agreements with 18 countries. Under these agreements, two countries agree to operate direct passenger flights both ways in order to operate normal flights between them once things get back to normal after the pandemic. The list of countries India has a travel bubble with are the US, the UK, Germany, France, the UAE, Maldives, Canada, Japan, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Bhutan, Kenya, Bangladesh and Ukraine.

IIT Kanpur, ASI sign MoU with Italian institutes for restoration of monuments The monuments will be subjected to various activities under the contracted MoU, which all will be coordinated by Prof. Mukesh Sharma who is in the department of Civil Engineering at the Kanpur college. Signing the agreement, IIT-K, Ca'Foscari University of Venice, SoprintendenzaArcheologia, Belle Arti E Paesaggio, Venice, aim at the final objective of creating a network and sharing skills for restoration and protection of historical monuments.

By the MoU, the stakeholder institutions have agreed to develop scientific study activities, sharing skills, and building a network to share pertinent information to restore and protect monuments on a reciprocal and equal basis.

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Success Story - Richard Barton Founder – Expedia Inc. About Richard Barton

Business Philosophy

Richard Barton is an American internet business, who is the co-founder of online travel agency giant Expedia Inc. He has also founded the realestate internet company named Zillow Group Inc. along with Glassdoor, a job search engine and career community.

He is also the founder of the online travel photography company named Trover, which Expedia had acquired in the year 2016. He also serves as one of the Board of Directors for Netflix, Avvo, Nextdoor and Artsy.

Early life & Career Mr. Barton was born and raised in New Canaan, Connecticut and is the son of a teacher and a mechanical engineer. He graduated with a degree in Engineering from Stanford University in the year 1989 and first worked for the Alliance Consulting Group and then started working for Microsoft in the year 1991.

He started his first venture Expedia in the year 1996 with the aim to provide detailed information regarding hotel accommodations and travel. His subsequent ventures have always focused on providing transparent information to their customers and he has even stated in his business philosophy that he believes in giving “power to the people”.

For example, Glassdoor provides detailed reviews about companies and detailed feedback from employees too, thus helping job-seekers take more informed decisions.

He first founded Expedia in 1994 within Microsoft as the internet giant was toying with the idea of building a travel guidebook on a CD-ROM. Mr. Barton had then come across an online service that helps travel agents work from home for their clients. He then proposed this idea to business tycoons such as Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer and Nathan Myhrvold. All of them gave a positive response to the idea and that is how Expedia was officially born in 1996.

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Article –“Tourism an Indian Perspective”

by Jayesh Ashar, Managing Director Pearl Tourism & Leisure Group

out of AirBnB and UBER. However, the David’s of the tourism industry should not lose hope.

Today, the discerning rich clientele prefer to deal with small boutique travel agents/professionals who can offer that personalized touch in the service portfolio.

THE INDIAN PERSPECTIVE India is slowly emerging as a super power within the global tourism industry.

Some of the following current trends prove this: - Multiple vacations annually - Experiential tours preferred - Soft Adventure tours are in demand - Visa on arrival destinations are always a first preference - Corporate travel for incentives and events gaining popularity Aircraft manufacturers are making a beeline to India to tap its ever expanding appetite for equipment. With a little more support from the GoI, India can become a major training & maintenance hub for the airline industry of Asia.

Boeing expects Indian demand for air crafts to reach 2,300 new jets in next 20 years

BEING THE LARGEST BUSINESS SECTOR GLOBALLY EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE AFFECTS THIS INDUSTRY FIRST.

Airbus has inaugurated a fully owned pilots and engineers training center in NCR Hotel chains are expanding their portfolio in India at a break-neck speed, leaving our crown jewels like Taj & Oberoi far behind.

International airlines have massively increased their departures from multiple Indian airports – Emirates and Lufthansa have the largest market share for outbound traffic. It is indeed unfortunate that Indian carriers could not take advantage of this surge in demand, due to many factors that are beyond the realm of this article.

THE INDUSTRY & WORLD EVENTS As per Reasearchnester.com “The global tourism industry is further envisioned to witness a year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth rate of 3.9% and reach USD 11,382 Billion (10.6% of GDP) by 2025. The revenue generated from visitor exports is also projected to upsurge from USD 1,384 Billion in 2014 to USD 2,141 Billion in 2025, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.0%.”

The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated 16.91 lakh crore (US$240 billion) or 9.2% of India's GDP in 2018 and supported 42.673 million jobs, 8.1% of its total employment. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 ranked India 34th out of 140 countries overall.

So as can be visible from above we have a long way to go, considering that we are the 2nd most populated country in the world!

However, sadly the GoI (Government of India) does not offer industry status to tourism although it supports almost 43 million employees!

More about this later.

Every event touches the tourism sector first – technological developments, wars, pandemics, recessions, elections, economy booms, social events, marriages, funerals, sporting events, etc.

OUTBOUND TRAFFIC Approximately 30 million Indians travel abroad annually for leisure!

Please see below some opinions expressed by leading authorities in the world tourism industry. Of course these were all pre-COVID! AMADEUS-FROST & SULLIVAN – Indian travellers are expected to spend USD 91bn by 2030, making it the 2nd largest market in the world, next to China only. India remains a largely untapped travel market with by far the lowest travel penetration in Asia Pacific.

TOURISM AUSTRALIA - Outbound market to reach 50 million by 2020! (Actual figures as at end of 2018 is 26 million) SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD, BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP & VISA, A JOINT STUDY - China, India & Indonesia will consist of 46% of Asia Pacific population, spending USD 300bn on travel annually forming 25% of GLOBAL outbound tourism expenditure!

TECHNOLOGY The internet boom in early 2000 revolutionized the tourism the most.

Software platforms were tested using the tourism sector (Dot-Net for example). Not many people know that the travel giant Expiate. com was created by Microsoft in 1996. This was largely to test the new platform’s capabilities to process large amounts of data.

Since then technology has evolved so fast and so frequently bringing the costs of development down drastically.

Who would have imagined that the world’s largest accommodation provider will not own a single bedroom or the largest transport provider will not own a single vehicle? Technology has made goliaths

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INDIA HAS SEVERAL ADVANTAGES IN ITS FAVOUR:

TOURISM INFLUENCERS

- With more than 65% of the population below the age of 35, India will rise as an economic superpower, supplying more than half of Asia’s potential workforce over the coming decade (Deloitte) - India’s affluent are in their mid-30s with an average income of Rs 1.5m (USD 22K) (Visa Survey) - India's total household wealth stood at $5 trillion while the country is home to 245,000 millionaires (Credit Suisse report) - Driver of all economies — is shifting the balance of power and economics in Asia, and India will be the biggest winner (Deloitte) - Liberalised forex rules

• Me Too Factor • Coverage on Social Media platforms • Bollywood and TV coverage • Ease of access (flights & visa) • Explorer mentality (early adapters)

The expected boom in traffic is further witnessed by the growth in marketing spend by tourism boards from various new destinations.

These tourism boards are spending marketing dollars in India and creating employment.

DOMESTIC TOURISM 1.1bn people travel within India annually (pre-COVID). For this statistic, “travel” was defined as staying at least 1 night away from home using every possible means of transport.

Apart from the 1.1bn figure mentioned above, the current COVID pandemic has given a new stimulus to the domestic tourism sector.

As was witnessed post 9/11 in USA, the Indian tourist has started driving to local destinations within 3-8 hours of driving time.

Domestic tours can be further increased with support of good infrastructure (roads, fast railways, regional airports and lower tax tariffs). INBOUND TOURISM

Eradication of poverty in India through tourism will be an easy target by slightly tweaking policies and work practices.

Jai Hind!

Jayesh Ashar, MD, PEARL TOURISM & LEISURE GROUP, PUNE – Is a tourism industry veteran with 28+ years of experience working with global markets and destinations. Possessing an all-round business management knowledge from financial reporting to IT and everything in-between.

Now this sub sector is in a sorry state. We attract only 6m tourist annually. A very large proportion of this is Indians living abroad visiting family. Hence, the genuine inbound tourism would be approximately 3m. Now compare this to the cities of Dubai (15m+) and Hong Kong (35m+) (all pre-COVID).

In comparison, India has a wide spectrum of attractions for a foreign visitor – wildlife, adventure, beaches, hill stations/mountains, shopping, culture, religious tourism, etc.

SO WHAT DOES INDIA NEED TO DO TO ATTRACT LARGE VOLUMES? 1.Appoint professional marketing firms to promote ‘Incredible India’ 2.Massive improvement in infrastructure 3.Simplification of the GST regime 4.Encourage private airlines with smaller aircrafts 5.Roll out of E-Visa process globally 6.Encourage private sector conference venues of world class standards 7.Tax-free schemes for shopping by tourists 8.Create national parks and encourage wildlife development 9.Encourage eco-friendly lodges, similar to Africa in wildlife sanctuaries 10.Offer tax incentives to hoteliers for new world standard properties in selected areas 11.Create a national curriculum for tourism for certificate and graduate programs

Special Edition

In Focus

Incredible India has the capacity and product variety to attract 50 million tourists per annum!

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Food, Travel & Tourism

Article-This Palace is on Wheels!

The Palace on Wheels is a luxury tourist train which was launched by the Indian Railways in collaboration with the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation. This initiative was taken up in order to promote tourism in Rajasthan and to uncover the hidden gems of tourist destinations in the state.

See Iconic Cities and Mesmerizing Wildlife:

En route you'll see the iconic Rajasthani cities named as Jaipur (the Pink City), Jaisalmer (the Golden City), Jodhpur (the Blue City), Udaipur (the City of Lakes), as well as the state's wildlife-rich Ranthambore National Park and its world-famed Bharatpur bird The Palace on Wheels was first started on January 26, 1982. sanctuary. Beyond Rajasthan, you'll take in that world-famous What is interesting is that the concept of making a mobile symbol of love and romance, Agra, before returning to the capital palace was inspired from the royal background of the New Delhi. coaches, which were used as personal coaches for the royal The itinerary has been designed to allow you to make the very most families of princely states such as Rajputana, Baroda, the of your time in this fascinating part of the world, whether you’re Nizam of Hyderabad and most importantly, the Viceroy of exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, taking a wildlife safari British India. or shopping in colour-drenched local markets.

The Palace on Wheels redefined the expectation of a luxury journey in India. It is not just about the luxury, the train covers stunning destinations, exposes you to different cultures and traditions and opens up wildlife attractions for you. Starting from the traditional On the Wheels with the Maharajas & Nizams: welcome ceremony to the royal traditional dining, you can enjoy an The conveyance of choice for the kings of Rajasthan, Nizams of unparalleled view of India with a nostalgic feel.

Hyderabad and other discerning figures throughout its history (Article Source: www.thepalaceonwheels.org) and into the present, the award-winning Palace on Wheels will make you feel like royalty. The train provides luxurious cabins, state-of-the-art facilities, iconic Indian hospitality and carefully crafted signature itinerary.

Embodying nostalgia for the decadence, romance and elegance of bygone eras, the train criss-crosses some of the ancient princely states of the 'land of kings', vibrant Rajasthan, where views of camel-studded sand dunes are accompanied by a bewitching dose of culture and the chance to witness some of India's most compelling traditions in action and admire some of its incredible wildlife.

History of the Luxury Ride:

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Article – “Sustainability Trends in Expending Cruising”

by Hans Lagerweij, President - Albratos Travel THE CRUISE INDUSTRY AND SUSTAINABILITY The cruise industry is a hot topic in the global sustain ability conversation, often for unflattering reasons. Princess Cruises’ recent illegal dump of plastic material in the Bahamas highlights a history of environmental violations. The cruise industry’s carbon emissions are under scrutiny, as the average large cruise ship emits as much carbon as 22,256 cars each year. To combat this, the industry has set itself some ambitious goals, including an industrywide reduction of carbon emissions of 40% by 2030, and becoming carbon free by 2050. Adam Goldstein, Global Chair of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), claims “we need to play a leadership role in sustainable tourism”.

GROWTH OF EXPEDITION CRUISING

SUSTAINABLE FOOD SOURCES

Expedition cruising is considered the next forefront in travel.

Although expedition ships are much smaller, and pollute significantly less than bigger cruise ships, they attract a critical assessment from a different perspective. Expedition cruise ships visit the most fragile and threatened areas of our planet, like the Arctic and Antarctica. What do expedition cruise companies do to meet the sustainability challenges of today’s world?

Most expedition operators now consider sustainable food sources, though using locally farmed food can be challenging in remote areas. For example, Albatros Expeditions just announced that they will replace all coffees and teas on-board with fair-trade organic products.

EXPEDITION CRUISING AND DRIVE FOR SUSTAIN ABILITY

The expedition cruise industry is heavily self-regulated by organizations like IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators) and AECO (Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators). They are praised for their strict commitment to bettering the environment with policies to protect oceans, air and wildlife, as well as the unique social and cultural fabric of destinations. AECO Executive Director Frigg Jorgensen states “community engagement and ensuring local benefits of cruise tourism is critical for the future of the industry”.

SUSTAINABLE VISITS TO AREAS AND COMMUNITIES

The various initiatives across the industry are: 1. Reduce carbon emissions and develop clean(er) energy 2. Reduce other footprint; garbage and waste 3. Use sustainable food sources 4. Sustainable visits to areas and communities 5. Create a decent and safe work environment 6. Promote conservation and building a legacy REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS, DEVELOPING CLEAN(ER) ENERGY

CREATE A DECENT AND SAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT

The expedition cruise industry uses cleaner light fuels, as heavy fuels were banned in Antarctica in 2011. Therefore, most of the new build vessels in the industry can only burn “light” fuels (MGO).

Most new build vessels, like Sunstone Infinity class, have engines that are Tier 3 compliant, reducing emissions up to 80% versus older ships. Hurtigruten is experimenting with battery powered ships, like the Roald Amundsen. Hurigruten’s CEO, Daniel Skjeldam, is keen to pursue cleaner cruising, even banning heavy fuels in the Arctic. He argues against the use of so called “scrubbers” to reduce the emissions of heavy fuels; “It only moves the problem from the air into our oceans. It’s the emperor’s new clothing. We push very hard for more regulation instead of less regulation.”

There are other smaller initiatives in the industry to reduce emissions, like promoting energy-saving LED lights and hull paints with special non-toxic coatings to reduce fuel consumption by up to 5%.

In addition to mandatory compliance with international regulations, expedition cruise operators have implemented initiatives to promote crew welfare, such as compliance campaigns focussed on occupational health and safety improvements, and onboard occupational training in deck, engine and hotel disciplines.

PROMOTING CONSERVATION AND BUILDING A LEGACY Many expedition cruise companies support charities linked to their destinations, often by holding auctions on board. They also encourage passengers to take charge and help protect the areas they visit. For example, the ‘Clean Up Svalbard’ initiative asks travelers to pick up trash during their visit.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS Small ship cruising guide Quirky Cruise is currently compiling an “Eco survey” among 88 small ship lines. Co-owner Heidi Sarna is convinced that travellers are prepared to pay more for a “greener” cruise: “especially in the small-ship niche I focus on, where passengers tend to be fairly well-educated, well-traveled and lovers of the environment”.

Despite these initiatives, there is a long road ahead. Creating a natural drive for sustain ability within an organization is just the start. Sustain ability is not the responsibility of a person or a department, but of everyone in the organization; therefore, it must become part of the company’s ethos.

REDUCE FOOTPRINT; GARBAGE AND WASTE Fortunately, the expedition cruise industry took the lead in removing single use plastics on their ships. Plastic straws have been removed from most ships and most operators reduce plastic waste by distributing refillable personal bottles and providing refill stations, like on the Lindblad, Silversea, Quark Expeditions and Albatros Expeditions ships. More companies are using eco-friendly bio-degradable detergents and cleaning materials. Argentina’s hub for Antarctica cruises now promotes a recycling initiative.

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GLOBAL INDIA BUSINESS FORUM HAS SIGNED MoU WITH INDIA CHINA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, WORLD SIKH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MADHYA PRADESH SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIES ORGANIZATION, ASSOCIATIONS OF DIAGNOSTICS MANUFACTURER OF INDIA.

INDIA CHINA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

WORLD SIKH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The World Sikh Chamber of Commerce (WSCC) is a non-profit organization comprising of a cross section of Sikh Entrepreneurs, professionals, business owners and youth start-up entrepreneurs world-wide. Established in 2020 with a vision to bring together Sikh businesses and professionals in the spirit of an enterprise, our goal is to provide a forum for efficient and effective business networking, promote entrepreneurship within the community and assist other Sikh professionals in the continued growth of their businesses and professional careers along with their contribution towards Nation Building. It is the first hybrid networking (right mix of Online & Offline) platform for Sikh Professionals world-wide which has evolved with changing times. The WSCC community is a vital link to the network of small and medium-sized enterprises that are the backbone of all economies, in developed and developing countries alike.

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MADHYA PRADESH SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIES ORGANIZATION

ASSOCIATIONS OF DIAGNOSTICS MANUFACTURER OF INDIA

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Top Mergers and Acquisitions In 2019, tourism made up 10% of global GDP, and was worth almost $9 trillion, making it one of the most valuable industries– in 2020 it has subsequently become one of the hardest hit industries by Covid-19. The disruption caused

Japan's Sarasa Hotels acquires Florida Quality Inn for $10.6million

Despite the fact that many hotel transactions and developments have ground to a halt amid the on-going coronavirus crisis, there are always some stories of hope that breaks through the clouds that dominate much of the hospitality news cycle.

We take a look inside the latest acquisition by Japanese hotel group Sarasa.

The group bought the 113-key hotel, which is located close to Disneyland and other entertainment facilities and amenities, from Orlando-based company Rosemont Hotels for the sum of $10.6million. The deal was executed by HVS Brokerage & Advisory, who were praised by the Rosemont president for their nifty manoeuvring in order to make the deal happen.

Hostmark acquires RAR Hospitality

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UPCOMING

GIBF EVENTS & TRADE FAIRS GLOBAL EXPO - INDIA -2021-2024

Virtual Event Event Date 01st January 2021- 01st January 2024

Organiser Global India Business Forum & Global India Expo-India

This is a business to business exhibition which is multi-sectorial in focus. The Exhibition is endorsed by the Government of India through the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry.

6TH SMART CITIES INDIA 2021 EXPO

PragatiMaidan, New Delhi, India Event Date 24th-26th March 2021

Organiser Global India Business Forum & India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) & Exhibitions India Group India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Investment planned across the key government initiatives includes Highways – USD 106.5 bn, Railways – USD 131.7 bn, Ports – USD 61.5 bn, Airports – USD 58 bn, Industrial Corridors – USD 100 bn, Smart Cities – USD 14.6 bn and Clean India - USD 29 bn.

The Smart Cities India Expo is design to bring together the city leaders and representatives from international organizations, academic institutions, and private companies, aiming at establishing a knowledge hub for Smart Cities. The expo will feature key verticals that make up the smart city framework of Smart Cities including Buildings, Solar, Transport, Water, etc.

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UPCOMING

GIBF EVENTS & TRADE FAIRS INTERNET OF THINGS INDIA 2021

Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India Event Date 24th -26th March 2021

Organiser Global India Business Forum & Exhibitions India Group IoT India 2021 expo will explore the impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) on industries, such as manufacturing, transport, supply chain, insurance, logistics, government, energy and automotive. With 1.9 bn devices expected to be connected in India alone, by 2025, IoT and related technologies will assume unparalleled significance. Across sectors, we will see power grids, vehicles, homes, entire cities and manufacturing floors being connected. IoT India 2020 expo will focus on the fast-growing IoT infrastructure in India. With a special focus on automation, M2M communication, interoperability, analytics, new business models, this is the must-attend industrial event.

MOBILE INDIA EXPO -2021

Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India Event Date 24th-26th March 2021

Organiser Global India Business Forum & Exhibitions India Group

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The 4th International Conference on Economics and Development 2020 (ICED 2020)

Virtual Event Event Date 03rd – 04th December 2020

Organiser Global India Business Forum and The International Institute of Knowledge Management The 4th International Conference on Economics and Development 2020 (ICED 2020), organized by The International Institute of Knowledge Management (TIIKM), the conference is happening under the theme of “Rethinking Competitiveness: The Global Value Chain Revolution” featuring Economic Forum, Keynote Forum, industry talks, Technical Presentations and Publication Workshop with the participation of 30+ professionals representing 10+ countries from all over the world.

Fresh India show -2020

Pride Plaza hotel,Aerocity,New Delhi Event Date 18th -19th December 2020

Organiser Global India Business Forum and Media GroupToday India's leading agro trade events and publication group, is pioneer in organising focused and specialized Trade Exhibitions, Conferences, B2B Meetings, Networking Summits, Technical Workshops and Awards on Agriculture, Horticulture, Dairy, Poultry, Grains, Floriculture, Landscaping, Nursery, Cold Chain, Greenhouses, LNG & Energy Sector and allied industries.

Global India Business Forum THE BUSINESS TYCOONS ACTIONS DELIVER RESULTS e- Magazine : Up to date business news and inspiring stories www.GIBF.biz | www.TheBusinessTycoons.com

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SCRAPEX 2021 – THE RECYCLERS WORLD

Virtual Event Event Date 8th -10th February 2021

Organiser Global India Business Forum and JH Media Ventures SCRAPEX 2021 – THE RECYCLERS WORLD, Nation's Prime Resources & Recycler's Expo, will be the first of its kind to showcase Raw Materials, Scrap, Recycling Material, Product & Components, Machine Manufacturers.

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