Express Travelworld (Vol.10, No.7) August, 2015

V0L 10 NO.7 PAGES 44

August 2015, `50

Sometimes I’m blunt.

But never pointless.

Creativeland Asia

The Indian Express.

For the Indian Intelligent.

#IndianIntelligent

CONTENTS Vol 10 No 7 AUGUST 2015 Pages 44 Chairman of the Board

Viveck Goenka Editor

Reema Lokesh* Chief of Product

Prabhas Jha Assistant Editor

Steena Joy Sr. Associate Editor

Sudipta Dev CONTENT TEAM Mumbai

Kahini Chakraborty Rituparna Chatterjee Kolkata

Joy Roy Choudhury DESIGN National Art Director

Bivash Barua Deputy Art Director

Surajit Patro

(20-32)

Chief Designer

Pravin Temble Senior Graphic Designerr

Rushikesh Konka Senior Artist

Ratilal Ladani, Kiran Parker SCHEDULING & COORDINATION

Mitesh Manjrekar Photo Editor

MARKETS

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Sandeep Patil

WAR MEMORIALS IN LADAKH ATTRACT INCREASING TOURIST FOOTFALL

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IATO CONVENTION RETURNS TO MP AFTER 22 YEARS

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LEADING FROM THE FRONT, ‘DIL SE’

MARKETING Regional Heads

Harit Mohanty - East & West Prabhas Jha - North Dr. Raghu Pillai - South

08

HOW TRIBAL TOURS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Marketing Team

Sunil Dcosta Baljinder Singh Ajanta Sengupta Mathen Mathew Ravindra Pawar

MANAGEMENT

EDGE

CIRCULATION

Mohan Varadakar PRODUCTION General Manager

B R Tipnis Manager

Bhadresh Valia Express TravelWorld® Reg. No.-MH/MR/SOUTH156\2013-15 RNI Reg. No.MAHENG/2005/15993 Printed by The Indian Express (P) Ltd. and published by Ms Vaidehi Thakar on behalf of The Indian Express Press, Plot No. EL-208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai - 400710 and Published from Express Towers, 2nd Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400021.

(Editorial & Administra-tive Offices: Express Towers, 1st Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400021)

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PROMOTING PARADISE CONCEIVED IN 1943, JOHANSEN TRAVEL AGENCY HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE FIRST TRAVEL AGENCY IN JAMMU &KASHMIR

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NURTURING THE NIJHAWAN DREAM ANKUSH NIJHAWAN IS TAKING HIS GRANDFATHER’S DREAM TO THE NEXT LEVEL

P06: EDITOR’S NOTE P36 : APPOINTMENTS P39 : WEEKEND

Copyright © 2015 The Indian Express (P) Ltd. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner, electronic or otherwise, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited. *Responsible for selection of news under PRB Act

EDITOR’S NOTE

A step back in time

W

hen you open the pages of this Independence Day special issue, you will be transported into a setup that celebrates India’s glorious past. It also encourages you to look into the future with confidence. The heritage trails of India are not just any other leisure trail, for they speak about stories and sacrifices that helped build our great nation. From Punjab in the North to Karnataka in the South, from Ahmedabad in the West to Kolkata in the East, these heritage walks take you through a journey pan-India. It is crucial for us to share this rich past with the generation next and hence it would be a good idea for educational institutions to introduce heritage tourism and walks in their curriculum.

When it comes to teaching and students, India surely lost its extraordinary 'son of the soil' amidst a crowd of students way up in the hills. From Rameswaram to Rastrapati Bhawan, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s journey is all about humility and humanity transcending borders. Developmental politics was something that is spoken of constantly and his thoughts on providing urban amenities in rural areas (PURA) is something that

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“From single window clearance to funding facilities being provided byTFCI,if even one fourth of what was promised is delivered,it will give a refreshing picture of tourism in the country” P.S.- Domjur (Nr.Ankurhati Check Bus Stop), Dist. Howrah- 711 409 Mobile: +91 9831182580 Email id: ajanta.sengupta@expressindia.com KOCHI The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Ground Floor, Sankoorikal Building, Kaloor – Kadavanthra Road Kaloor, Kochi – 682 017 COIMBATORE The Indian Express (P) Ltd. No. 205-B, 2nd Floor, Vivekanand Road, Opp. Rajarathinam Hospital Ram Nagar, Coimbatore- 641 009 AHMEDABAD Sunil Dcosta The Indian Express (P) Ltd. 3rd Floor, Sambhav House, Near Judges Bunglows, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad - 380 015 Mobile: +91 9821798612 Email Id: sunil.dcosta@expressindia.com

will help the country to reach the next level. Infrastructure development is the need of the hour and the recently held FICCI Tourism Investor’s Meet only spoke about promising infrastructure development in tourism. From single window clearance to funding facilities being provided by TFCI, if even one fourth of what was promised is delivered, it will give a refreshing picture of tourism in the country. The minister for civil aviation also sounds buoyant and progressive, just like his tourism counterpart. Doing away with the 5/20 rule in aviation is the need of the hour and displaying the right image of India to the world and practising safe and honourable tourism is a must, emphasised the ministers.

Finally the IATO convention goes back to MP after 22 years. The state has come of age with respect to its tourism development and its present head is all set to give the state a further impetus by working better than a private sector setup. Enjoy this issue that takes you into the past but also promises a future that is bright if we do our ground work right. Happy Independence Day! REEMA LOKESH Editor editorial.etw@expressindia.com

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EXPRESS EXCLUSIVES

War memorials in Ladakh attract increasing tourist footfall Sudipta Dev Leh ONE OF THE MUST visit places in the itinerary for tourists in Leh is the Hall of Fame museum and War Memorial, in remembrance of the soldiers who had lost their lives in Indo-Pak wars. Located adjacent to Leh airfield, Hall of Fame also gives a great insight into the challenging high altitude conditions under which the brave soldiers of the Indian Army live and work, in one of the toughest terrains in the world.

The Dras War Memorial that falls on Srinagar-Leh national highway is also visited by travellers who pay their respect to those brave Indian armymen who were martyred

in the Kargil War. While the Kargil Vijay Divas is celebrated every year on July 26 at Dras in a big way, for the last two years almost 200 women travellers from Mumbai and Pune visiting Ladakh for Veena World's women special tour have been attending the event at the War Memorial in Leh. “We are trying to make this an annual feature.

The tour will be around this time every year. It is so important to remember the jawans who have done so much for the country,” stated Veena Patil, MD, Veena World. Many of the women tourists tied rakhi to the jawans present on the occasion and also gave them presents. One of the leading tour operators in Leh, T

Wangchuk Shali, director, Explore Himalayas, acknowledged that the Hall of Fame museum and War Memorial has been attracting all travellers who visit Leh and are keen to pay their respect to the country's heroes. The museum includes a Siachen Gallery which shows from early explorations to genesis of the conflict. A tent with sleeping bags and equipment is kept in the gallery to make visitors aware of the inhospitable conditions of the area.

Occupying a place of pride is the list of Vir Chakra awardees. While Operation Vijay Gallery showcases heavy machinery gun along with rifles, the Operational Logistic Support Gallery throws light on maintenance

of operations in cut off parts to construction of aerial cableways. There is a big model of the whole region depicting peaks, water bodies and LOC. The precincts also has an

amusement park with interesting features that are typical of combat training. There is also a souvenir shop selling pashmina shawls, coffee mugs, etc.

CITCO chalks out robust tourism roadmap for Chandigarh Reema Lokesh Chandigarh “THERE IS SO MUCH more to Chandigarh as a place than just being a transit destination,” said Kavita Singh, managing director, Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO).

Chandigarh is always known as a gateway hub to popular tourist destinations in the north of India be it by air, rail or road.

It is known for its architectural design and well spread out gardens. The CITCO managing director is working on a tourism masterplan to make it a stopover destination. From leisure to

MICE opportunities she is putting systems in place to redesign the union territory's tourism glory.

The department has drafted a meticulous tourism calendar of events for the city to meet the interest of a varied target audience from arts, culture, films, music, dance, theatre and more. The aim is to give the city an international appeal and also cater to the interest of the local population. Inviting celebrities in the field of performing arts to hosting sporting events and shopping festivals the city is ready to absorb the tourism inflow. Singh added, “The city is well equipped with quality accommodation fa-

Kavita Singh

cilities across categories and CITCO itself successfully runs three hotel properties in the city, namely Hotel Mount View, Shivalik View and Park View. I am fo-

cused on giving these properties their due as they are located in the best spots of the city.”

After taking charge in October 2014, the department launched a new interactive website. Building an international standard convention centre is top of the agenda as the city can work well as a MICE destination due to the surrounding upcoming future growth hubs. Another interesting spot of Chandigar,h which she aims to popularise further is the Capital Complex region (114 sq km) designed by the architect Le Corbusier.

Opened for tourists recently in April 2015, the region of Chandigarh has a lot to offer in

terms of architecture, heritage and nature trails and walks, eco tours etc, this region has been pitched for the UNESCO status as an entry of Le Corbusier's work. In fact this year is also the 50th death anniversary of Le Corbusier and the city has already commenced numerous activities related to heritage, art and culture.

From heritage walks to knowledge sharing sessions, the city of Chandigarh will see a lot of action over the next three months. Singh is all set to give Chandigarh the must needed fillip and she is confident to achieve her aim with a team that is working with her actively.

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IN THE NEWS

From Rameswaram to Rastrapati Bhawan Reema Lokesh Mumbai WAY BACK in July 2007, The Indian Express carried an interesting story on the mood that was reflected on Pallivasal Street, Rameswaram where the famous 'House of Kalam’ stands, after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam did not get the second term as President of India. This place where the late former president was born and spent his early days, has always been receiving curious visitors, people who would stop by to meet his brother Muthu Meeran Lab-

bai Maraikayar. Shops are named after the world famous ‘son of the soil’. In fact the story also shares an interesting fact that V Ramamurthy opened a hair salon to show his admiration for Dr Kalam.

The board carrying the name of the shop also has a picture of Dr Kalam, with his distinct silver-grey hair hanging down and people wanting him to give them the signature Kalam hair-cut.

Tour operators in Chennai feel the area in Rameswaram needs to be marked out in honour of the legend. Viivekk Gupta, owner, Vinayak Travels, Chen-

nai, said, “His funeral brought in a sea of people across all social strata. The government has to create an active centre of learning as he was only for education and teaching. As a tour operator I take pride in speaking about his story to the world and will be most certainly glad to bring in people into the small town of Rameswaram to narrate the extraordinary man’s outstanding work. I have just opened an office in the USA and I will surely invite people into the region.”

(With excerpts from the Express Archives. Jaya Menon : Rameswaram, July 9, 2007)

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

How tribal tours make a difference Sudipta Dev Mumbai GREENER PASTURES is an eco-tourism company in the Northeast, which focuses on helping the region and its communities by promoting and implementing responsible tourism.

One of the important segments for the Dibrugarh (Assam) headquartered organisation is tribal tours in the Northeast, in particular the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland. “These tours come a long way in making a positive impact on the tribes.

The exposure of visitors to tribal villages encourage the tribes to preserve and respect their age old customs, thus negating the migration of their youths to urban areas and giving them a reason to stay in their rural areas and make a contribution. Then, the income generated from tourism goes a long way in maintaining the prosperity of the vil-

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lages, encouraging the tribes to become small sustainable entrepreneurs by starting their own homestays or engaging themselves as guides or in commodifying their ethnic arts and crafts,” said Vaivhav Todi, director,

A Mishmi elder in Arunachal Pradesh

Greener Pastures. He pointed out that it is important that tourism in tribal areas is strictly regulated for sustainability as most tribes live in environmentally rich and delicate areas, it should be ensured that tourism

does not spoil the balance of these sanctuaries.

The company takes great pride in its authentic experiences that is offers to travellers.

These range from staying at a tribal homestay, having ethnic meals to encouraging guests to teach in schools or volunteer if they are looking for a longer intimate experience. Tribal youths are also trained by the company to become tour guides. “Some of the cultural treks we offer in Arunachal Pradesh are unique.

Since they cover remote areas which are not accessible by modern transport and can only be reached by trekking, they offer a unique glimpse of culture and lifestyle that exist in these faraway reaches of the Himalayas,” stated Todi, adding that, guests are usually left spellbound by the hospitality of the tribes, their simple lifestyles, dances and cloths, and sustainable approach to living.

Though primarily an in-

bound segment, Todi has witnessed an increasing interest from domestic travellers over the years. “There is a new generation of conscious and offbeat Indian travellers who are keen to explore their country and learn about the various cultures that make up the rich diversity of India and not just go for the normal sightseeing tour,” he mentioned. Acknowledging that there is yet a long way to go for awareness of tribal experiences in the domestic market, Todi added that Indians who visit other Asian and African countries for unique experiences need to be made aware of the rich ethnicity of their own country. “One does not need to visit as far as the Amazon to see the tribes when trekking in a rainforest such as Namdapha National Park can give them a similar experience. So far, South India has been a good market for us, especially Bengaluru,” he stated.

IN THE NEWS

2017 designated as ‘Visit Maharashtra’year Akshay Kumar & Steena Joy Mumbai THE GOVERNMENT of Maharashtra has declared 2017 as ‘Visit Maharashtra’ year.

The ministry of tourism, Government of Maharashtra has planned several new initiatives to put Maharashtra on the global tourism map. One such initiative is an International Buddhist Conclave, which will be a B2B exhibition to be held in March 2016 and will focus on the development of Buddhist tourism in the entire SAARC region.

Speaking exclusively to

Express TravelWorld, Valsa Nair Singh, secretary, tourism and cultural affairs, Government of Maharashtra said, “The new government has declared 2017 as Visit Maharashtra year which will give a major boost to the tourism inflow into Maharashtra. But before 2017, we have one and a half year which will help us to properly channelise and spread more awareness about the state in the domestic and international markets. Aggressive marketing and branding is the need of the hour.”

The ministry of tourism also plans to strengthen its

Valsa Nair Singh

domestic market by introducing a new event called ‘Festivals of Maharashtra’, a series of five day festivals, highlighting the culture, art, festivals, cuisine, etc, of Maharashtra in other states. From October to December, the event will be held in five cities namely Ahmedabad, Baroda, Bhopal, Indore and Raipur and from January to March in other cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Chandigarh, Patna, Chennai, Thanjavur, Kochi and Bengaluru.

Also, this year the ministry of culture, Government of Maharashtra has plans to organise for the first time a five day

Raigad Festival in Raigad Fort.

The uniqueness of the festival will be the ambiance, which will be recreated as it was when the fort was built.

To promote Maharashtra in the international as well as domestic markets, for the first time MTDC will be organising the Maharashtra International Travel Mart (MITM) from September 28- 30, 2015 in Mumbai.

Speaking about MITM, Singh said, “MITM is a major event for us. We will have more than 2000 trade visitors and 250 sellers. This event will surely help in positioning Maharashtra in the global map as one of the best destinations.”

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IN THE NEWS

IATO convention returns to MP after 22 years Akshay Kumar Mumbai INDIAN ASSOCIATION of Tour Operators (IATO) is all set to organise the 31st annual convention in Indore, Madhya Pradesh from August 20-23, 2015.

The announcement was made at The Park Hotel, New Delhi in the presence Dr Mahesh Sharma, minister of state for tourism and culture (IC) and minister of state for civil aviation, Government of India.

Speaking about this year's convention, Pronab Sarkar, chairman conven-

'WE NEED TO BE COMPETITIVE, OTHERWISE WE WILLLOSE BUSINESS TO OUR NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES' An exclusive interview with Subash Goyal, president, IATO What is your new agenda for the 31st IATO Convention?

The new agenda inter-alia includes drawing out a comprehensive event programme which showcases the needs of our industry partners, organising networking and business sessions and highlighting the emergent issues and experts deliberating on the theme of the convention and destination presentations. The theme for this year’s convention, 'Tourism– we will change the Indian economy' will leave all the delegates joining the IATO convention with lasting memories.

Pronab Sarkar

tion, IATO said, “We are returning to Madhya Pradesh nearly after 22 years when we had our IATO 10th convention at Khajuraho, from December 1719, 1993. Madhya Pradesh Tourism has been active in marketing various tourist attractions in the state. Concurrently with our convention, there will be an Indian Travel Mart. It is an opportunity for exhibitors to showcase exciting and diverse range of destinations, conference and incentive venues.

This will facilitate discerning buyers from the travel trade and corporate world to reinforce their choice for business travel, incentives, etc. Also interesting business sessions are being planned with social evenings.”

Sarab Jit Singh, senior vice president, IATO said, “The success of the previous convention has raised the expectations of the members and sponsors alike. More than 1200 delegates are expected for the three-day event.

They look for an enchanting experience as well as a destination that has not been explored earlier. Here Indore fits in well. Post-convention tours on offer will be enable them to explore new areas.”

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What are your plans for 2015?

As IATO, we envisage to take positive steps to achieve success on the following:■ Government is now committed to have e-tourist visa for 150 countries as announced during the Budget 2015/16 and we will continue to put pressure till e-tourist visa is announced for all 150 countries ■ Streamlining of taxation system to avoid harassments ■ Exemption of service tax (based on foreign exchange earnings just like physical exporters are exempted) ■ CENVAT credit allowed to tour operators ■ To approve GST by end of this year. GST should not be more than five per cent on tourism and hospitality industry, otherwise we will out price ourselves with neighbouring countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Srilanka, Dubai, etc ■ More focus on civil aviation, airports to be developed under PPP model ■ To create five new tourist circuits across the country ■ To develop Goa as major convention centre with world class facilities based on PPP model ■ To enhance rail connectivity in North East ■ Internet connection in villages (will help to promote rural tourism) ■ To help the tourism ministry and the Prime Minister in his Clean India Campaign ■ Gaya to become international Buddhist destination What are the primary challenges that the industry is facing? How does your association address these challenges?

Challenges are of continuous nature and we are seized with the issues and are constantly in touch with all the con-

cerned authorities. Some of the major issues are: ■ For the E-tourist visa, more countries be added like UK, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden and other countries which offer tourists round the year ■ Biometric process be stopped in the countries where this has proved cumbersome and put tourists through a lot of inconvenience. In fact for this reason only, they are dropping India from their holiday programme. We want biometrics to be done on arrival at Indian airports ■ Multiple entry visa be given while giving e-tourist visa Now it is only valid with one entry. Validity period of visa may also be increased for 90 days to 60 days at present ■ Civil Aviation Policy be announced at the earliest ■ Railways have created problems by refusing renewal of rail travel agent licenses. We will plead that this is restored at the earliest ■ New Tourism Policy be announced and should also announce financial incentives ■ Infrastructural development policy should focus on safety and security and thematic tours for tourism growth in a sustainable manner ■ Highway developments and linking hinterland tourist cities ■ Tourism education and international standard in tourism education.

SPOTLIGHT

Leading from the front,‘Dil Se’ Putting the right value systems in place is the hallmark and foundation for the success of any organisation, says Ashwani Lohani, MD and commissioner tourism, Government of Madhya Pradesh. He firmly believes in decentralisation and speaks about the transformation of MP Tourism under his leadership

By Reema Lokesh

T

he transformation of Madhya Pradesh (MP) Tourism is worth writing about. It can easily qualify as a case study of a team and its leader who worked relentlessly to transform a near shambles, loss making unit into a swanky, profit making organisation that proudly invites people to ‘Hindustan Ka Dil’. In 2004 MP Tourism operatedout of a small space in a shopping complex in Bhopal, which was about 80 sq feet. The office was depressing, the company was running into losses, the hotels were in an unpleasant state, and the overall morale rather dampened with just about a 12 crore turnover. However, the destiny of the unit changed when Uma Bharati, who was the tourism minister of Madhya Pradesh then, decided to bring in a bureaucratic into action who was known for his no nonsense attitude with his previous performance at the ITDC and the Indian Railways to revive and rejuvenate a place that was hidden behind the cobwebs of regular bureaucratic lethargy. The man who was brought into action was none other than bureaucrat Ashwani Lohani, MD and commissioner tourism, Government of Madhya Pradesh. He took up the challenge positively with a single minded mission to get the place up and running in record time. He made changes on a daily basis that was visible and he worked from the grassroot level which reflected in the performance. This created a buzz that he was here to deliver. "The first thing I did was actually get down and clean up the office literally.

How can one sit and ideate on tourism in a place that was unclean and depressing? I cleaned up my office and chamber, and then went on to chalk the MP success story steadily and surely," says Lohani.

Complete decentralisation and power to his people is what he firmly believes in and implements it too. This gives him time to think on bigger plans and strategise for the future. “Empowering my staff and making them feel proud of their work and the company was crucial for the success of the organisation,” he says.

Change has to be brought about by one person who can lead from the front, following which trust and team work is highly vital for the success of any organisation. "I want my corporation to work better than a private sector and I

Ashwani Lohani and team

am confident we will achieve that," adds Lohani.

His vision is clear - to bring in year-on-year profit for the organisation and aim for a 40 per cent growth across businesses. MP Tourism also runs its own hospitality properties across the state. Hotel Palash in Bhopal was also refurbished by the corporation and converted into a profit making venture. Other units like the one in Bhimbetka, was also redesigned in record time to make it functional for tourists along with quality F&B service. He changed the loss making ‘Dhabba’ units into successful businesses through quick decision making. He believes in working fearlessly towards his goal and does not believe in sitting on files. His quick thinking and clear decision making ability helps everyone in the organisation. ‘File called for case quashed’ is a famous term in the organisation.

“I believe in doing the right thing in the right way with respect and dignity. For me my people are important and I feel HR is very critical in an organisational set up. If your people are happy it will reflect in their work. I am here to work and bring about change that is concrete. Even in my previous tenures I worked diligently. But I was also sacked for my best performance ever when I served in ITDC. I have no regrets and only believe in walking strong,” asserts Lohani. He has bigger plans to roll out during his third tenure with MP Tourism including improving infrastructure, across the board, both on road and in air, working towards establishing a convention centre, and toilets on the highway and more.

With all these projects in the pipeline, there is no stopping this man, who wants to make 'Hindustan Ka Dil' strong and healthy.

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IN THE NEWS

Chandigarh rolls out heritage activities to mark Le Corbusier’s 50th death anniversary

FUTURE NEXT / GURSAHIB SINGH SETHI COO, SAHIBJI TRAVELS & TOURS MY SUCCESS MANTRA My success mantra is to keep things simple but intact. Go slow but be consistent. Undiverted focus towards the goal, a clear vision and strong mission.

MY BIGGEST LEARNING What I have learned through the years is to take the positive out of every situation. One of the best examples is how to make the most of recession. I shifted my focus on endorsements and marketing of my products during recession as advertisement cost was at its lowest and there were few competing for it. When the industry was talking about the tough phase they were going through, I was busy investing for the future to multiply the return on investment.

MY FIRST MILESTONE Providing talented heads an engaging, growth-oriented, supportive and fun environment to work in to shape themselves into seasoned professionals is a milestone for me which has been a secret of my consistent success too. It is the approach that made me scale to nearly 400 per cent growth in the first year that I took charge of the business.

MY INSPIRATION IN LIFE My parents and my younger brother, Manheer Singh Sethi (who works as the director-business development), have been my inspiration. It is their support that works as a live jacket while I challenge the waves.

MY STRESSBUSTER I love to spend time taking care of flora and fauna. I have set up a terrace garden in my office as it works as a natural stressbuster.

MY FAVOURITE MANAGEMENT BOOK Corporate Chanakya has been the book of my choice.

MY DREAM DESTINATION Being a globetrotter I have travelled to almost every country. Although I keep re-visiting Europe, North America, etc,

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Reema Lokesh Chandigarh

Gursahib Singh Sethi

if I have to choose a destination that I dream of visiting it would certainly be Amazon Wildlife Sanctuary.

USP OF SAHIBJI TEAM We at Sahibji religiously believe in teamwork and transparency. While we bend backwards to provide our customers a second to none experience, we leave no stone unturned to provide our employees an engaging environment and massive support. It has worked wonders for us and turned out to be one of our USPs.

VISION FOR MY COMPANY We have a vision to widen our boundaries and have our footprints not only in every state in India but also in most of the countries with potential. Providing the customer an unparalleled service teamed with quality product has been our anthem to make our organisation a synonym to quality and service.

MY ADVICE TO GEN-NEXT I would advise them to do their homework before they hit the road. Creativity and effective planning is the key to drawing a roadmap to success. Being a new bird in the sky they should not put themselves in the race of profit making, they should rather focus to make their organisation a brand which both internal and external customers can count on. It is crucial to have the right people on board as well.You must invest in leaders who can manage not managers who can't lead. Commence today, even if you fail, learn from your failure and get back to work with better planning and strategy and more energy.

(As told to Reema Lokesh)

LE CORBUSIER, the architect of Chandigarh, will be remembered by few institutions in the city on his 50th death anniversary on August 27th. The Chandigarh College of Architecture has already activated a series of sensitisation lectures and awareness programmes on the city and its uniqueness.

Talks on the concept of modern heritage and urban planning is part of the scheduled programme. The city will also map out interesting heritage walks and tours which can be of interest to tourists.

Deepika Gandhi, assistant professor, Chandigarh College of Architecture in an exclusive with Express TravelWorld, informed, “We have taken on the work to build awareness of the city and its unique elements in our local educational institutions and other setups.

We have planned a series of ac-

Deepika Gandhi

tivities to mark the 50th death anniversary of Le Corbusier and our work has already started in a few areas. Building awareness amongst people is important as even the locals are disconnected with the heritage of this place.” The famous Capital Complex area designed by Le Corbusier has been thrown open for public since April 2015 and is an interesting tourism attraction of the city.

IN THE NEWS

Global Panorama Showcase 2016 to be a five-city event Akshay Kumar Mumbai GLOBAL PANORAMA Showcase (GPS), a businessto-business trade show, organised by Jagsons Travels held annually in Nagpur is all set to go beyond its home ground this year. In 2016, GPS will be held in five locations across the country.

Starting with Nagpur to be held from January 8-10, 2016, the rest of the locations, which will be in Tier II and Tier III cities, are yet to be declared.

Speaking about GPS 2016, Harmandeep Singh Anand,

Harmandeep Singh Anand

managing director, Jagsons Travels said, “GPS 2015 was a grand success, we saw

more than 100 exhibitors and 100 hosted buyers. The overall footfall was 500 members across the three days. In 2016, we are planning to organise GPS in four other cities, which will make it a five-city show. The journey will begin in Nagpur from January 8- 10, 2016 at Hotel Centre Point. This year we are also trying to arrange a food festival which will showcase the cuisine of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and other nearby regions. One of our major focus this year will be to rope in international buyers. For GPS 2016, we are expecting

similar number of footfall as 2015 in terms of exhibitors but with newer products.”

The Global Panorama Showcase 2016 will witness participation from over 100 exhibitors comprising hoteliers, airlines, tourism boards, visa facilitation companies, travel insurance, foreign exchange currency providers, tour operators, international roaming SIM card brands, cruise companies, event management companies, online booking engines, etc.

This year, with a focus on sustainability, GPS is also taking steps to make the

event paperless. Anand added, “The format of our event will be tabletop as the past events, but from this year we will start selling premium spaces which will have LED screens behind the desk.

The products of the clients can be displayed on these huge LED screens, which will reduce the number of brochures. We want to go paperless over a period of time, that is our main motto. This will also help our exhibitors as they do not need to carry paper materials with them from August 15, 2015 registrations will be live for GPS 2016.”

Indonesia sees increase in length of stay among Indian travellers Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai THE MINISTRY of Tourism Republic of Indonesia is looking at highlighting newer destinations besides Bali to the India market. These destinations include Yogyakarta, Lombok, Surabaya and Batam. Apart from MICE, the destination has been receiving a growing number of groups and honeymoon travellers from India. Speaking at the recently held Sales Mission Indonesia to India, organised by The Ministry of Tourism Republic of Indonesia and Visit Indonesia Tourism Organisation – India in Mumbai, Saut Siringoringo, consul general, Consulate General of The Repub-

lic of Indonesia, informed, “Indian travellers know only Bali as a destination due to the religious and cultural similarities. We see India as a huge potential market to attract more number of travellers, and hence we are looking at aggressively promoting newer destinations and experiences that Indonesia has to offer. In 2014, Indonesia received 2,34,000 tourists from India, and this year, our target is to attract 2,40,000 tourists.” The new trends highlighted by travel agents based out of Bali included the growth of group movements to Indonesia and the length of stay increase from two daysthree nights to five days-six nights. Apart from this, there has been a growing demand for villa

accommodations by travellers.

Continuing further, he said, “We are looking at offering experiences related to spa therapies, handicrafts and gastronomy, apart from culture and heritage, adventure and more. My target

is now people-to-people contact.

Apart from the Tier I and Tier II cities, we have been seeing a growing interest from travellers in smaller cities in India wanting to explore Indonesia. As of now, India is on the seventh position

of our source markets, as most of the others are from Asian countries. In Jakarta itself, we have 40-50 golf courses, and there we see huge tourist arrivals from South Korea and Japan.”

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IN THE NEWS

ICON to offer mobile apps in Oct Akshay Kumar Mumbai

Single window clearance the buzz word at FICCI Investors Meet Reema Lokesh New Delhi THE FICCI TOURISM Investors Meet, held recently at FICCI House in New Delhi, witnessed an offering of a single window clearance promise from the approximately 12 states, apart from robust and promising investment opportunities.

Every state had a special offer for the private sector from building of three-star resort hotels to that of partnering in building golf tourism and MICE centres.

From water based tourism to rural tourism, the state had a gamut of investment opportunities lined up with a B2G meeting format. The event also witnessed the coming together of the ministry of tourism and the ministry of aviation. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, minister for civil aviation and Mahesh Sharma, minister of state (IC), ministry of tourism, spoke about the relevance of team work to help spread a strong message of brand India as a powerful tourism product. The two-day ‘Tourism Investors Meet’ was organised by FICCI in partner-

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ship with the ministry of tourism, Government of India and Tourism Finance Corporation of India (TFCI).

Speaking in a special ministerial session on ‘Tourism Infrastructure and Opportunities for Investment’, Raju said that the 5/20 rule in aviation is a thing of the past and it should be re-considered. He urged the industry to employ the under utilised bilaterals in civil aviation sector to give a boost to tourism sector.

Responding to the issue of opening the Indian sky, Raju added, “The country’s sky has been opened up for SAARC nations.

India was amongst the few countries that had satellite navigation and it could help in making our skies safer, travel economical and environment less polluting.

The onus is now on the industry to utilise this to its advantage.”

He also spoke about the ever debated need of centre state co-ordination for better performance.

Sharma said that the highest priority should be accorded to improving India’s perception abroad.

“As a country, India must be looked at as a congenial and con-

ducive environment by foreign tourists. It was imperative for citizens to cherish the country’s heritage and communicate its richness to visitors,” opined Sharma. He also briefly touched upon the role of medical tourism and mentioned that India has lagged behind in medical tourism despite its competitive pricing of health care delivery.

“For instance, a heart surgery may cost a person in Europe in Indian rupees around `15-20 lakh but in India the same would cost approximately `two lakh.

Yet, we have not been able to realise the potential as the sector remains unorganised,” he added.

Jyotsna Suri, president, FICCI, said that foreign tourist arrivals in India in 2014 was 7.7 million with a foreign exchange earning of `1,20,083 crore. Indian tourism grew at 10.6 per cent while the world tourism at 4.4 per cent. With this projected growth, the country witnesses a void as the infrastructure struggles to cope with the demand in tourism. The Tourism Investors Meet aims to bring together policy makers and investors on the same platform.

ICON (Inventory Connect), an e-distribution solution for DMCs/tours operators, hotels and travel agents from Etravel Online, is all set to offer mobile apps for its clients from October 2015. Currently, the company is also working on increasing its presence in Latin America and Europe.

Speaking about ICON, Rajiv Gokani, managing director, Etravel Online said, “We would like all DMCs across the globe to be online through ICON. We are working on languages for ICON and would have our system ready with German, French, Spanish and Portuguese to help us promote the product throughout Latin America and Europe.” “ We will also offer mobile apps for clients on ICON from

early October. We want to make ICON an extremely viable product for all sizes of DMCs and would target a deliverable time frame of 15 days for the DMCs to be live and by next year we will look at a seven day project delivery depending on the requirements of the client,” he added.

ICON was introduced in October 2014, and has progressed well over the last eight months. Speaking about the growth, Gokani added, “Initially it was tough for us to sell as the product was new and as a tech developer we were unknown but with time and by promoting ourselves through trade shows like ITB Berlin, ATM and now WTM in November we will reach our target audience. Awareness of our brand as a tech developer has been the need of the hour.”

RIP Saroj Datta I was fortunate to meet SAROJ DATTA, former executive director, Jet Airways, at the CAPA Aviation Summit in February 2015 at The Leela Mumbai. He was one of the panelists at the event and I waited to hear him speak and share his wealth of knowledge on the aviation sector. Though he looked weak physically, his words and vision of the aviation industry were sharp as always. At the end of the session, I walked up to him and said, “Sir you are a living legend in the world of Indian aviation and you never stop teaching me the nuances of this industry through your wealth of experience.” He

replied, “Reema, you are always generous in your words, and you are doing a good job.

Keep up the good work.” Motivating words indeed from an aviation expert who was also known for his no nonsense attitude. RIP Saroj Datta. The aviation industry has lost its visionary.

By Reema Lokesh

IN THE NEWS

ETAA raises awareness on service tax and cyber crime issues Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai With a view to address the increasing cyber crime threat and service tax issue to travel agents, Enterprising Travel Agents Association (ETAA) recently organised a knowledge session on service tax and cyber crime for its members at Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach Hotel. Service tax expert Sunil Gabhawalla of S B Gabhawalla & Co gave a brief on the negative list regime of service tax introduced on July 2012 and the issues pertaining to it. For instance, the reverse charge mechanism (RCM) was introduced alongwith negative list regime of service tax. Explaining the RCM, Gabhawalla stated, “One has to be careful about RCM. You need to check whether your client is a corporate entity or

Travel agents who liaise with rent-a-cab operators end up paying more service tax, if one client is a corporate entity and the other a non-corporate not, as corporate entities would have to pay their own taxes while for non-corporates, you need to pay. Travel agents who liaise with rent-acab operators end up paying more service tax, if one client is a corporate entity and the other a non-corporate.” He went on to highlight the inefficiency in CENVAT Credit.

“Even if travel agents do not get service tax from their clients, they would still have to pay.”

Speaking on cyber risks and the legal compliance for travel agents, Vicky Shah, advocate and founder, The Eagle Eye informed, “Only 65 countries have cyber laws. Of these, India has signed treaties with most countries.

Since travel agents do business online they can seek remedy from countries which have cyber laws if the information provided by them is misused.”

Highlighting the major

Sunil Gabhawalla

Vicky Shah

concerns of cyber threat for travel agents, Shah stated, “A travel agent can incur a financial liability of up to `five crore for failing to protect the personal data of his customer. It can also lead to civil and criminal liability. However, to avert cyber risks you can have service level agree-

ments with agents, agreements with customers and clients, agreements with overseas agents, and tie-ups with associates/single agents, etc.” He also advised the travel agents to have an IT Security Policy in place which has a duration of three to five years.

Jet Airways launches enhanced website Akshay Kumar Mumbai JET AIRWAYS, one of India’s premier international carriers has introduced its revamped website. The theme of the new website is #Designed to Delight and the project took the Jet team around 12 months to complete. The website is built on the latest trends and after analysing the customer behaviour, will provide personalised services.

Cramer Ball, executive officer, Jet Airways said, “The new Jet Airways website will pro-

vide guests with a refreshed, one-stop service for all their travel requirements. The use of latest trends in user experience, design, personalisation and technology, will provide a unique experience which we believe will ensure our guests keep coming back.”

The website has been built with a mobile first approach, as mobile phones are playing a major role in airline bookings.

Also, Jet Airways offers the seat selection ancillary service complimentary while booking.

Ball added, “Jet Airways has always been at the forefront of

The website has an array of local payment options. The new website will provide guests quick access to key tasks like flight bookings, check-in, viewing flight status, managing bookings, etc adopting evolving technology to enhance guest experience across touch points. The new website symbolises our contin-

ued commitment to our customer focused ‘Guest First’ service philosophy, which is at the core of our business.”

To further personalise the booking experience, the new website will track the location of the customer and generate content content accordingly.

Also, the website has an array of local payment options. The new website will provide guests quick access to key tasks like flight bookings, check-in, viewing flight status, managing bookings, etc.

Guests can also avail the benefit of earning 500 JPMiles for every flight booked and the flexibility to change or cancel ticket within 24 hours of booking with no penalty fee.

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IN THE NEWS

India ranks first as MICE market for Thailand Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai THE THAILAND Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is working on introducing new products, programmes and destination experiences for the Indian MICE segment. In the first half of this fiscal year from October to March, India has been ranked number one in terms of being the MICE market to Thailand. Nooch Homrossukhon, acting director, meetings and incentive department, TCEB said, “India has been our top priority market. We are looking at positioning Thailand in a unique way that does not only attract mass leisure or incentive groups, but also provide affordable luxury and premium MICE experiences to Indian travellers. We are looking at offering new destinations like Chiang Mai, Krabi, Koh Samui, Khao Lak, Hua Hin and more.”

From the corporate sector, TCEB has been seeing MICE business generation from industries like insurance, pharmaceutical, textile, FMCG, telecom. While from the travel trade, apart from

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We want to enter into the Tier II cities where mid sized corporates are growing established players like Cox & Kings, SOTC, Kesari, Thomas Cook, etc, there has been a lot of growth of mid sized companies. Nitin Sachdeva, representative in India, TCEB informed, “We want to enter into the Tier II cities where mid sized corporates are growing. Apart from 65 per cent of MICE business coming from Mumbai and Delhi, there are now regional based corporates who are the decision makers in Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. The south India market has increased its MICE share in the last five years. We are trying to not only educate agents from the major cities but also from Tier II and satellite towns.”

Authentic plantation experiences attract discerning travellers Sudipta Dev Mumbai LOCATED AMIDST COFFEE AND TEA ESTATES, Plantation Trails by Tata Coffee enables its guests to enjoy the life of a planter while staying in heritage bungalows. Currently, Plantation Trails by Tata Coffee offers seven unique heritage colonial-style bungalows across Coorg and Chikmagalur. “The concept has been evolving over time and is slowly yet steadily becoming popular amongst discerning travellers. We notice immense scope for Plantation Trails as it opens an all new category of tourism for families looking to indulge in tranquility and lesser known activities,” said Gautam Prakash, head, Plantation Trails. Pointing out that occupancies have grown despite the increased competitive intensity in the marketplace, Prakash mentioned that all their properties seek to recreate the authentic plantation experience, including a luxurious stay in a planter’s bungalow and a coffee or tea plantation visit where one gets to experience the bean-to-cup jour-

Gautam Prakash

ney in the truest sense.

With more people travelling and looking for authentic experiences that a place has to offer, there have been interesting trends in terms of visitor profile and preferences. “Of late, we have observed that the number of women travelling alone or in groups has risen over the years.

Now we see more independent women in their 30s – 40s travelling without their family. It’s a growing trend and a welcome

change. Along with this, we have seen an upward trend among couples who take a vacation to catch up on their ‘we time’,” said Prakash.

Cottabetta and Thaneerhulla Bungalows are the flagship projects of Plantation Trails by Tata Coffee. Both were recently restored. “The plan is to focus on premiumisation and restoration of other bungalows. These bungalows are unique colonial heritage properties, combining the grace and grandeur of a bygone era with contemporary comforts and warm service. The recent restoration has added the luxury elements to the old colonial charm,” he said. The spacious and quaint bungalows offer a personalised cook and butler service to guests who are also treated with authentic Coorg delicacies from home-styled kitchens. In terms of activities there are many options for guests - trekking, boating, white water rafting during monsoon season, and sports like badminton, table tennis and golf. Nature lovers can go for a guided bird watching tour in the plantations.

HOSPITALITY

V Resorts to expand presence in picturesque, offbeat destinations Sudipta Dev Mumbai V RESORTS offers experience based holidays to its guests in picturesque, less explored, offbeat locations.

Currently, there are seven resorts in Uttarakhand (Sattal, Bhimtal, Ramgarh, Dhampur Corbett, Pauri, Rajaji National Park and Mussoorie), two in Himachal (Narkanda and Kullu), one in Rajasthan (Auwa - Pali district) and a Training & Recreation Centre in Delhi. In the next three - five years, in addition to expanding to various picturesque remote locations of India like Andaman & Nicobar islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, etc, the company plans to expand internationally by adding destinations like Nepal, Bhutan, Bali, etc. “We are the only chain that is completely asset light, focused on experiential holidays, providing standardisation of services by consolidating various different properties under a

single brand umbrella. Our goal is to provide our guests with a new experience each time they plan a vacation with us. Therefore, each resort has a unique positioning and experience – Sattal is our lake resort, Fort Auwa our heritage resort, Narkanda – a skiing resort, Rajaji – a jungle resort and so on,” said Aditi Balbir, co-founder and MD, V Resorts.

She added that each place has unique local activities designed to hear and live the local stories, local cuisines and local staff to complete the experience.

Many interesting activities are offered in these resorts, which are of particular interest to urban travellers. “However, we do understand that a minimum level of comfort and service is desired by our guests.

Therefore, we are not rural stays, in fact quite the opposite,” stated Balbir. The properties are both brownfield and greenfield projects. The common elements that form the USP of the brand are – sit amidst nature as the re-

Aditi Balbir

sorts have private balconies, verandahs and sit out areas to relax and enjoy the views; rooms are designed to feel like home but equipped with all modern facilities; activities are unique and taken from the local surroundings. For instance, Sattal is a birding destination while Pauri is good for fishing. “Enthusiasts from across the world travel to Pauri to catch the huge Mahaseer fish found in the Ganges.

At Auwa we have a village walk

where customers can learn the local trade like pottery. Most of the properties are ideal for trekking – we usually equip our guests with a utility belt and an energy drink, some supplies and a map so they can carry on the activity themselves. We also have options for our guides to meet them at common points and serve refreshments,” explained Balbir. At most times V Resorts ties up directly with farmers for fresh and local pro-

duce. The restaurants also have local themes and flavours.

The focus of the marketing strategy, informed Balbir, is to increase organic searches, create content around offbeat places, have presence across various social media platforms, and promote the recently launched membership programme. “We are also seeking partnership with like-minded brands like NatGeo, Wildcraft, Woodland, etc,” she added.

Omega Hospitality Consultants to position Haridwar beyond pilgrimage Reema Lokesh Mumbai OMEGA HOSPITALITY Consultants founded by Rakesh Lamba, has moved into the business of providing complete hospitality solutions for projects from start to finish, from acquisitions to marketing promotions.

The company recently took over a project in Haridwar called Hotel Ganga Sadan and is

focused to promote the region beyond just a pilgrim destination. Haridwar is blessed with interesting tourism attractions around its core area that can be interesting for tourists who visit the region.

The Rajaji National Park, which is 15 km from the hotel, is a unique experience of fauna and flora. The region is also attractive for adventure tourism experiences namely river raft-

ing at Rishikesh, training programme for kayaking, rock climbing, yoga workshops and more. The yoga workshops are also conducted within the hotel premises. The 39 rooms property with a roof top restaurant and open space for buffet at the Ghats of the Ganges, offer an option for medium size MICE groups.

Speaking about the region and the place Lamba said,

“Haridwar is primarily promoted and positioned as a pilgrim destination but we intend to position it beyond pilgrimage.

The place is blessed with interesting options to choose from.

Our property has also designed a special NRI package of six nights and seven days as a gift for senior citizens. It is an all encompassing hassle-free package, which we offer our clientele.

Most visitors move on for their

Char Dham Yatra, leaving the senior citizens back at Haridwar many a times unattended, without any support staff. We step in here to cater to their requirements and give them a complete pilgrim holiday experience.”

The Haridwar market and local spots are also worth exploring.

It is well connected from New Delhi and other regions, hence an accessible destination to rediscover.

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OUTBOUND

India second fastest growing market for SouthWest Germany

South Africa to implement biometric regulation for visa application Akshay Kumar Mumbai

ETW Staff Mumbai INDIA HAS BEEN declared as the second fastest growing market for SouthWest Germany (SWG). Indian visitors to SWG (Baden Wurttemberg) stay for an average of 7.1 days per visit as compared to the average of 2.4 days per visit from other nations. The total number of overnights from India reached 39,488,

representing a 34.6 per cent increase for the period January-March 2015 as compared to the same period last year.

SWG had 165,000 overnights from India in 2014. Based on the statistics of three months, ending March 2015, India is now the second fastest growing market in percentage terms after China.

The online training programme launched by SWG Tourism at www.going-

The online training programme launched by SWG Tourism recently met with success in India.

There are 475 specialists who have completed the programme, which included frontline staff working with tour operators

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cuckoo.com recently met with success in India. There are 475 specialists who have completed the training programme, which included frontline staff working with tour operators and travel agents. There are 1500 agents who are registered with the programme, one in three who register are qualified specialists.

At the 2014 Golden Ticket Awards, the 'Best of the Best' title was conferred to EuropaPark in Rust, SWG. EuropaPark draws over five million visitors a year and welcomed its 100-millionth visitor in 2014. Divided into 13 European themed areas, with more than 100 attractions and shows, the park boasts of the Gazprom Blue Fire mega coaster, with the highest loop of a launch-coaster in Europe, as well as five themed, luxury hotels. Colosseo, the largest hotel, has a Roman theme. Europa-Park is two hours southwest of Stuttgart.

SOUTH AFRICA is all set to implement the biometric regulation by the end of this year in India. The new regulation will be implemented soon after the right infrastructure is created. Last year, despite the e-bola outbreak in West Africa and terrorist attacks in the East, South Africa did not witness any significant drop in tourism numbers from India.

Malusi Gigaba, minister of home affairs, South Africa said, “This year we will be introducing new visa regulations. Firstly, we want to meet every visa applicant in person, so we will be implementing a biometric system in India. We won’t allow a third party to apply for visa.

Secondly, we had a policy that in case of a child we used to demand for the birth certificate also as an ID proof, but specifically for India we have decided that we will only accept the passport and have waived off the latter criteria.”

Also, the ministry of external affairs, South Africa are looking at rolling out evisa facility for Indian travellers. According to the latest reports, India ranks 15th in their top 20 source markets.

Speaking about further developments for the year he said, “I am also considering to roll out e-visa facility for Indian travellers and all the top 20 source market for us.

We are also seriously consid-

Malusi Gigaba

ering to create a three year multiple entry visa for frequent travellers. We have already asked our Indian offices to create a list of all the frequent travellers and this list will include all those travellers who have relatives in South Africa. This visa will be exclusively for tourists and not business travellers.”

Gigaba added, “South Africa and India enjoy a longstanding relationship. India is a strategic business partner and one of the most important source markets for us. It is important for us to cultivate and strengthen the relationship and promote tourism in this country. During this visit to India, we had a discussion with minister Rajnath Singh and we have already announced that we will issue the BRICS nation business travellers with a 10 year multiple entry visa. During the meeting I have requested for a reciprocity from my Indian counterpart and minister Singh is positive about it.”

IN THE NEWS

Cox & Kings renews alliance with InterGlobe Technology Quotient ETW Staff Mumbai COX & KINGS, one of the leading holiday and education travel groups, has announced the renewal of its alliance with InterGlobe Technology Quotient, a strategic business unit of InterGlobe Enterprises, for accessing its Galileo platform. The agreement, taking immediate effect, enables Cox & Kings to

continue to use the Galileo Platform to distribute, manage and book travel management services for its customers, and to continue to drive immense benefits from the latest product offerings and innovative tools of Galileo, such as Smartpoint, Travelport Rooms and More, and Universal API to increase its efficiency. These products are aimed to enhance the shopping experience for Cox

& Kings and also provide options to its customers. Cox & Kings will also continue to use the advanced technology of Travelport and its online solutions as well.

Speaking on this, Karan Anand, head, relationships, Cox & Kings, stated, “Travelport’s Galileo Platform has always been an important GDS provider for us and we are confident that as a result of this new agreement, we will

continue to receive impressive scope and quality of content coupled with leading technology solutions, beneficial for us and our customers.”

Anil Parashar, president and CEO, InterGlobe Technology Quotient, added, “We are extremely delighted to renew our partnership with Cox & Kings. As a leading tour operator with a long, impressive history, we are pleased to continue providing Cox & Kings

with the technology and solutions to support its ongoing business needs.”

Cox & Kings is one of the longest established travel companies in the world since 1758. Headquartered in India, it is one of the leading holiday and education travel groups with operations in 23 countries across four continents.

In India, Cox & Kings has presence in 149 cities across the country.

MSC Cruises becomes Europe’s number one cruise line ETW Staff Mumbai THE 2015-2016 CRUISE Industry News Annual Report declared MSC Cruises the number one cruise line in Europe, including in the Mediterranean. The report stated that MSC Cruises conquered the leading rank in the industry thanks to a deployed capacity across the continent of about 1.1 million passengers.

Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises said, “We are particularly proud of this achievement.

For it, we wish to thank all our guests whom with their choice recognised the quality of our product and offering thus making MSC Cruises the number one cruise line now also in Europe. MSC Cruises is a Europebased company with global ambitions; we sail to many select destinations worldwide, from

the Caribbean to South America and South Africa. But Europe, and the Mediterranean in particular, remains at the heart of our business, even as we grow and open up new geographical possibilities – Cuba being just the most recent example.”

Onorato added, “Going forward, we will continue to build on this position of strength in Europe to ensure we remain the cruise line of choice for more than 150 nationalities every year, in Europe, in the Mediterranean and in other markets, where our distinct cruise experiences set us apart.”

Swiss-based MSC Cruises S.A. It’s one of the world’s largest privately-owned cruise lines. In addition to being the market leader in Europe, including in the Mediterranean, the company benefits from a leadership position in the

South American and South African markets.

MSC Cruises also offers cruises in the Caribbean, the French Antilles and other sought-after locations around the world from Northern Europe to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman. Additionally, earlier this month MSC Cruises

made the headlines when it announced that, as of December 2015, it will be the first global cruise line to offer travellers the opportunity to visit Cuba and set sail on one of the 16 cruises that MSC Opera will operate from Havana.

MSC Cruises will give cruise travellers from around the

world the unique chance to get aboard the completely renovated 65,542 GRT MSC Opera, part of the company’s €200 million Renaissance programme, and cruise to Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Mexico, with two nights and two and a half days in the Cuban capital.

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E MAIN FOCUS T H E TMH A IN FOCUS

MUMBAI umbai's history offers many heritage structures and historical precincts, which display an eclectic mix of architectural gems, ranging from traditional Islamic to Indo-Gothic styles.

Most are located in the south of Mumbai, as historically, access to the city was only through the port there.

The southern tip of the city is home to the Fort precinct, the urban core of Bombay, which during the colonial period was enclosed by fortified walls.

Mumbai had 591 heritage structures registered as of 2012, which includes buildings, archaeological sites, colonial, industrial, domestic architectural sites and public spaces. Most of the structures were built during the British period. They are in the Victorian Neo Gothic architectural style, Indo-Saracenic Revival or Neoclassical styles. The Elephanta Caves and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station are recognised as World Heritage Sites. Mumbai is also home to a large number of Art Deco structures, with the largest count of buildings in this style after Miami. Many of these buildings are cinema halls, such as Eros Cinema and Regal Cinema. A string of Art Deco apartment buildings line the city's waterfront promenade, Marine Drive.

Walking tours expose many residents and visitors to these structures.

They are sponsored by the Bombay Heritage Walks group, established in April 1999. The heritage walks aim to raise the awareness of the people of Mumbai and visitors, about the city’s architecture and heritage monuments. Personalised, educative and imaginative, the walking tours highlight the vast range of architectural styles, planning elements and ornamental details, tracing the social and cultural history of the city. The heritage walks are offered in English or

heritage walks

M

The Banganga Walking Tour takes you for a 'parikrama' or holy circumambulation around the Banganga tank, stopping at various temples along the way.

History associated with this incredible locality are unfolded French and in two time slots - 9:00 am and 4:30 pm.

On the Kala Ghoda Route, you will see a veritable parade of archetypal Neo-Gothic public buildings built in the 1860s and 70s such as the glorious Bombay University Library with its high campanile and the grand imposing High Court that are south Mumbai's main architectural attractions. Fronting this line of historic Gothic edifices across the open space of Oval

Maidan is a row of 1930s Art Deco apartment buildings making this a marvellously unique setting both visually and architecturally. Other highlights on this heritage route are the culturally vibrant Kala Ghoda node with recently restored Elphinstone College, the 'miniature Gothic' David Sassoon Library, the Neo-Classic Army and Navy building and much more.

The city’s long association with the British is reflected in the old

world charm of its buildings made in varying styles - from the early 1800s Neo Classic to the late 1860s Victorian Neo Gothic, to the early 20th century Indo Saracenic style of architecture that combined Gothic-like flamboyance with Muslim-Indian architectural features to the flamboyant Art Deco of the 1930s and 40s. On the Horniman Circle Route you see some of the city's well-known landmarks, in the heart of the old Fort area – Mumbai’s oldest business district. Besides their heritage value, the presence of over 30 banking establishments and important financial institutions renders the area into Mumbai’s principal tourist and commercial hub. The tour starts at the Asiatic Library where you are given an introduction to Mumbai, its historical background, geographic morphology and are told about the surrounding Fort precinct including the Asiatic Library, Horniman Circle, etc.

The stepped tank called Banganga, surrounded by temples (mandirs), memorials (samadhis), hermitages (mutts), pilgrim rest houses (dharmasalas) and residences, stands on the western fringes of Malabar Hill in south Mumbai. Over the decades, and particularly since the intensive development of Malabar Hill beginning from the 1960s, this tranquil, historic centre of pilgrimage has been severely transformed by being virtually engulfed by haphazard highrise development in the environs.

The Banganga Walking Tour takes you for a 'parikrama' or holy circumambulation around the Banganga tank, stopping at various temples along the way. History and legends associated with this incredible locality are unfolded on the tour. You will see that even though the physical state of the complex has deteriorated considerably, the ambience and sanctity of Banganga is still intact.

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DELHI elhi offers an interaction between ancient, medieval and modern. Its monuments are the most evident traces of its past, spanning a period of almost a 1000 years. They highlight Delhi’s historic role as a capital city. Different dynasties built their capitals here.

Some altered and extended existing ones, others built new cities. One can count anywhere between eight to 15 sites where a new city was built: Anangpur and Lal Kot in the early medieval period; Tughlaqabad and Kotla by the Sultanate rulers; the Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad and most recently, New Delhi, built by the British.

To make the citizens aware of the importance of this cultural and historical environment, organisations like INTACH Delhi Chapter have been regularly conducting heritage walks in various areas of Delhi. For instance, a walk through Chandni Chowk, the main street of the old city of Delhi (Shahjahanabad), is a fascinating experience. Chandni Chowk, literally means moonlight square and derives its name from the fact that a canal ran down the centre of the street with pools at major intersections which would reflect the moonlight. Today, the stream is gone and Chandni Chowk is a busy road. There are shops, schools, residences, places of worship along the road. A walk around Chandni Chowk covers Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, Gauri Shankar temple, State Bank of India, Central Baptist Church, Sisganj Gurudwara, Sunheri Masjid, Paranthewali Gali, Naughara, Dharampura, and Gali Guliyan. The walk ends at the gate of the Jama Masjid.

The Hauz Khas heritage walk explores the medieval ruins of this village and the Deer Park. The highlight of this area is the 13th century

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The remains of this massive complex stretch as far as the eye can see.A walk through this complex takes you through a royal tomb which once stood in a lake, palace buildings, dungeons and a secret escape route reservoir which has now been revived and the renowned madarsa. Beside the madarsa is also the tomb of its royal founder, Firoz Shah Tughlaq. The Deer Park has some buildings with names like ‘the dome in the garden of the world’ and ‘the gifted dome’. Several other pavilions, tombs and mosques are to be found in the surrounding park.

Lodi Garden is one of Delhi's most beautiful and popular parks.

Here monuments are located amidst landscaped gardens. It has the royal tombs of medieval rulers of Delhi - Muhammad Shah Sayyid and Sikander Lodi; a gateway called Bara Gumbad with an exquisitely decorated mosque, Shish Gumbad; a 16th century bridge and a couple of Mughal monuments. A beautiful landscaped garden set in the midst of New Delhi, this park contains some exquisite examples of medieval architecture.

A walk around the Kashmiri Gate and its neighbourhood takes you through the landmarks of the uprising of 1857. It also covers life and times of the British living in the city before the revolt broke out. The trail includes Nicholson Cemetery, Kashmiri Gate, St James Church, old campuses of Hindu College and St Stephen's College, Dara Shukoh’s library, Telegraph Memorial and remains of the British magazine.

One of the largest mosques in Asia, the Jama Masjid offers a view of the entire old city. This walk takes you through the narrow lanes of Old Delhi with mansions, colourful bazaars, Jain temples and stalls selling street food. A 14th century capital of Delhi, Tughluqabad is ruins frozen in time. The remains of this massive complex stretch as far as the eye can see. A walk through this complex takes you through a royal tomb which once stood in a lake, palace buildings, dungeons and a secret escape route.

The Old Fort is on the old Mughal highway, close to the river Yamuna and dotted with ruins from the medieval period. This walk includes the Khair ul Manazil built by Maham Anga and is also the place from where a murder attack on the king took place; the shrines of Khwaja Nuruddin and Shaikh Abu Bakr (Matka Pir); the burial (that might not be) of one of most revered poets of Persian-Bedil; and a temple for Bhairon (a form of Shiva), established to protect the legendary Indraprastha.

A walk of the Mehrauli Village explores the area behind the famous Qutb complex. A historic village, Mehrauli is built around the Sufi shrine of Bakhtiyar Kaki. Each monument in the neighbourhood has a story to tell - stepwells where water smelled of sulphur, a tank where Prophet Muhammad left a mark, martyrdom site of Sikh hero Banda Bahadur, a palace of the Mughals and an empty grave for the last Mughal emperor.

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KOLKATA ntil December 1911, Kolkata (then known as Calcutta) was given a lot of importance by the British empire. The British East India Company had the state as its hub for trading, political and administrative business. Holding an interesting line of stories, Kolkata has an immensely rich cultural heritage and a lot to offer to tourists from the Dalhousie Street to the Victoria Memorial, Hazarduari, Shaheed Minar and the Terracotta Temple in Murshidabad.

To pay homage to its heritage, travellers can opt for specialised walks to familiarise themselves with the various architectural styles of 18-19th century Kolkata.

The route begins from The Shaheed Minar (formerly known as the Ochterlony Monument) on Dufferin Road, Maidan to Town Hall and High Court, further ahead to Hare Street towards Metcalfe Hall down towards Koilaghat Street to Bankshall Court, Eastern Railway offices, Netaji Subhas Chandra Road to corporate buildings of early 20th century.

For a glimpse of Bengali Renaissance, specialised tours begin from Old Bengali residences towards Jorasanko Thakurbari (Tagore House) to Pathuriaghata street and then towards PK Tagore street and Sovabazar street. The route to explore Waterfront Walk begins from Fort William on the eastern banks of the River Hooghly to Princep Ghat- Babu Ghat – Chandpal Ghat, then towards the Old Strand warehouses proceeding towards Mullick Ghat to the flower market and then end the tour at Nimtollah Ghat.

Known to be a busy trading hub in the 18th century, the market had varied products such as spices,

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muslin, opium, indigo and jute.

The Armenians had set up business since the early 1700s. The Jews and Parsis followed. The Chinese were not left behind either and the earliest record of a Chinese doing business in Kolkata dates back to 1780. They brought with them skills of cabinet making, carpentry and shoe making. To soak into the cultural mosaic of these communities, the route that travellers can opt for starts from The Armenian

Church in the northwest corner of Barabazar and head towards Canning Street towards M.David Synagogue and then ahead to the Portuguese church, further down to Saifi Mosque and Bethel Synagogue. After these, one can proceed towards Lalbazar to the Chinese Church and Mission Row Old Mission Church.

For a British Raj reverie, tours begin from meandering through the area near and around the Dalhousie Square, now known

For a British Raj reverie, tours begin from meandering through the area near and around the Dalhousie Square, now known as the BBD Bagh area near the Hooghly river in the western part of central Kolkata

as the BBD Bagh area near the Hooghly river in the western part of central Kolkata and is a square built around the old Lal Dighi tank. The old fort built by the British was where the general post office is now. The area was in the heart of Kalikata or the White Town in old Kolkata. This walk takes travellers down the 18th and 19th century history highlighting the architecture of Kolkata, and it is the present administrative hub, which has been important during the British, named after Lord Dalhousie, who was the governor general in the 1850s.

The route begins from Raj Bhavan at BBD Bagh to Treasury Building to St John's Church to GPO Philatelic Museum. Further moving towards Collectorate Building on to the Writer's Building, to St Andrew's Church and then a stopover at the Old Currency Building, one can then head towards the Central Telegraph building to outhouses of Raj Bhavan, ending the tour at the Great Eastern Hotel (now known as The Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata).

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LUCKNOW he city of Lucknow with its rich repository of historic monuments is a perfect destination for heritage walks – reflecting the splendour of the Nawabi legacy and the quintessential remnants of the Victorian era. The two hour Lucknow Heritage Walk covers many monuments of historic significance and tourist interest, while at the same time giving an insight into its living cultural legacy – going beyond the monuments into the heart and soul of the city. The walk will take you to the areas where you can see the arts and crafts being practiced through generations – from elaborate zardozi to fine chikan embroidery to production of scented oil 'itra' and of course the many iconic food haunts where visitors can try the famous local delicacies.

Lucknow Heritage Walk starts from Lal Pul, and covers Tila Wali Masjid, Bara Imambara, Gol Darwaza, Chowk Bazaar, Phool Wali Gali, and culminates at Akbari Darwaza. An experienced guide accompanies the visitors who answers all questions related to the sites and traditions of Lucknow. The Lal Pul, which is also called the Pukka Pul, across river Gomti is the perfect place to start the heritage walk. This bridge adjoins the Tila Wali Masjid.

Also called the Alamgiri Mosque, Tila Wali Masjid is to the north of the Imambara complex. It is believed that Lord Ram gifted the area of Lucknow to his brother Lakshman (from whom the name Lucknow is derived). The ancient Lucknow is connected to the mound called Lakshman Tila, on which the Tila Wali Masjid now stands. It is a beautiful white edifice known for its perfect symmetry.

Next comes Gulab Vatika, a rose

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The main hall in the Bara Imambara has no beams supporting the ceiling and is one of the largest such arched constructions in the world.The most interesting aspect for visitors is the maze called Bhulbhulaiya garden near Rumi Darwaza, which as the name suggests has wide varieties of roses in bloom.

The Rumi Darwaza is the imposing gateway that is considered an iconic symbol of Lucknow. Built

by Nawab Asaf-ud-Dowlah in 1784, it is one of the perfect examples of Awadhi architecture. The gate, that is at a height of 60 feet, has been inspired by a similar gateway in ancient Constantino-

ple. Nearby is Naubat Khana or drum house / orchestra pit where the drummers stood during ceremonies.

The walk then takes visitors across to the city's grandest edifice – the Bara Imambara. The monument has an interesting history and continues to intrigue visitors with its many unique architectural features. Built by Nawab Asaf-ud-Dowlah, it is also called

the Asafi Imambara. It is probably the only monument in the world where the architect (Kifayatullah) has been buried alongside the ruler - making it obvious the importance given to man who created the edifice. The nawab was known for his astounding generosity - the story goes that to enable common people to earn money during a devastating famine he asked them to work at the site during the day - at night the (unskilled) noblemen would demolish what was built. The nawab did this so that the people would continue working and earn a living. The famine lasted a decade.

The main hall in the Bara Imambara has no beams supporting the ceiling and is one of the largest such arched constructions in the world. The most interesting aspect for visitors is the maze called Bhulbhulaiya, which is a labyrinth of 489 identical doorways, where you can easily get lost without a guide. The guide will also show you blocked entrances to miles long secret passageways, even going reportedly as far as Faizabad and Delhi. A part of the complex is the grand Asafi mosque. There is also a bowli (stepwell).

At the Chowk Gol Darwaza market visitors can buy chikan clothes at wholesale rates. They can also pickup beautiful pieces of meenakari or kundan jewellery. A stop at the 'itr' shop is part of the itinerary.

No visit to Lucknow can be complete without tasting its many famous delicacies - the walk takes visitors to the centuries old Tunday Kebab shop. The iconic Rahim Ke Kulche Nihari is also at Akbari Gate lane.

Lucknow Heritage Walks are conducted by UP Tourism and Tornos Destinations. The latter also conducts Victorian Walk and Culinary (Tour) Walk.

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GOA ith the rule of the Portuguese for over 450 years and the consequential influence of Portuguese culture, Goa presents a somewhat different picture to visitors than other parts of the country. Goa is one of the few places on the subcontinent where houses dating back to the 1700s are still in well kept condition and is still inhabited by generations of the original owners. Unlike the other colonial powers in India, the Portuguese managed to leave a much more visible mark on the residential architecture of the area they ruled. These palatial houses inspired by European architectural style are still found in Goa, although they are confined to the rural areas such as Chandor and Loutolim.

An exception is the commercial town of Margao, which still has some houses in its Borda area. The British and the French left their mark on the architecture of huge buildings such as assemblies and railway stations which have become landmarks of the period.

The best way to explore these heritage sites in Goa is through heritage walks, some of which are conducted by the Goa Heritage Action Group, an NGO in existence since September 2000. Amongst the activities conducted by the Goa Heritage Action Group are four Goa heritage festivals and four Fontainhas Festivals of the Arts. The Fontainhas Festival of the Arts is held in the heritage locality of Fontainhas to raise awareness about its uniqueness and all these festivals are open to the public.

The heritage walk is through the old precinct of Panjim that covers the wards of Sao Tome, San Sebastain and Mala. Panjim became the capital of Goa in 1843 and the oldest residential settlements lived in these three wards. Together these three wards

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comprise of the precinct of Fontainhas. Settlements in Fontainhas date back to about 150 years and it is the most charming part of the town with its narrow bye-lanes, winding alleys and quaint Indo-Portuguese architecture. Sao Tome is the first ward and its name originates from the chapel of St Thomas at its entrance while San Sebastian is the second ward with the chapel of San Sebatian dominating the area. Both these areas have a large proportion of catholic people while

Mala is the ward where a large portion of Hindus reside.

Old Goa, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprises mainly of churches and cathedrals like the Se Cathedral, Church of St Francis of Assisi, Church of St Caetano, Chapel of St Catherine and the Basilica of Bom Jesus where the relics of St Francis Xavier are kept.

The walk starts from Panjim Church, and after a point it leads you to the High Court which was formerly the ‘Lyceum’. The Lyceum

Unlike the other colonial powers in India, the Portuguese managed to leave a much more visible mark on the residential architecture of the area they ruled.These palatial houses inspired by European architectural style are still found in Goa

was a Portuguese high secondary school. The other prominent places to look forward to are - one of the oldest bakeries in Goa, the '31st January Bakery', boutique hotels like Casa Fontainhas, Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada and the St Sebastian Chapel. Surrounding the St Sebastian Chapel Square, you will find old heritage houses, some with beautiful courtyards, the Afonso guest house and a little lane which leads to Viva Panjim, a popular restaurant dishing out some of the best Goan and Portuguese home cooked food.

There is also a Portuguese organisation known as Fundacao Oriente, that has worked a lot for the restoration of the heritage buildings, like the custom house, police headquarters and chapel in Monte in Old Goa. Next to Panjim Inn you will find the Velha Goa Galeria, where you can get anything which is Goan or Portuguese - from Mario Miranda’s cartoons on tiles, to ordering your nameplate on blue and white ornamental tiles, crockery and glassware from Portugal, ceramic showpieces depicting heritage homes and table mats with Mario Miranda’s cartoons.

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SHIMLA erceived and established by the British during colonial period in the first half of the 19th century as their summer capital, Shimla acquired global fame by the time they left in 1947. Shimla can be called as 'a wonder of colonial era'. The British established many architectural masterpieces such as Viceregal Lodge, Gorton Castle, Railway Board Building, Gaiety Theatre, Town Hall, Auckland House, Ellerglie, Barnes Court and Challet Day School. Shimla also has a building called North Bank where Nobel Laureate writer Rudyard Kipling lived in 1907. The 96.5 km section of Kalka-Shimla railway line with 103 tunnels is an engineering feat and provides unique experience to those who travel by this historic route. It is the most spectacular narrow gauge railway line in the world. The city possesses distinct British heritage including institutional buildings, bungalows, churches, socio-cultural spaces, hotels, cemeteries, coffee houses, clubs, theatres, schools, hospitals, street pattern and street furniture, which immensely add to the grace of the city with their distinct expressions.

With a vast history and architecture to marvel at, travellers can begin their heritage walk from Gaiety Theatre, which was erected in 1887, and was the tallest five storey building of that period. The architect Henry Irwin, who designed the Viceregal Lodge, also designed the theatre building. It was a source of entertainment for the Anglo Indian Society. It was first of its kind in Asia. In 1911, as the structure was found to be unsafe, the upper portion of the building was dismantled. Built in stone, with artistically shaped windows, doors, lintels, and openings, it also possessed boxes, galleries, beautiful paintings and

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Gaiety Theatre, which was erected in 1887, was the tallest five storey building of that period.The architect, Henry Irwin, who designed the Viceregal Lodge, also designed the theatre building sculptures. It was used as a stage for Shimla Amateur Dramatic Club, an important cultural venue.

Moving along the way, travellers can stop by at the Scandal Point, known to be the place where Prince of Patiala took up a challenge with the daughter of the Viceroy of India. The prince was thrown out of Shimla and he then made another town (with palace) at Chail near Shimla. Next to Scandal Point there is the General Post Office, and mov-

ing ahead is the Catholic Church on the Ridge, built in the Neo-Gothic style in 1857 to serve the British community. The Christ Church is situated on The Ridge where it stands out as one of the prominent landmarks of Shimla. The Municipal Corporation building of Shimla adds to the surrounding architecture, reminiscent of the pre-independence era. The building is preserved in its original form. For a religious tryst, one can visit the Kali

Bari Temple, which was built in 1845 and is believed to be the ancient temple of Shamla, i.e. the goddess Kali. The last stop for the tour can be at the Railway Board Building, which was built in 1896-97. This unusual cast iron and steel structure once held the offices of the Railway Board and the Department of Commerce. But at a time when safety was a core-consideration for important buildings throughout the British Empire, this was designed to be structurally fire-resistant, and a recent blaze in Shimla has been testimony to this. The building was originally designated as the 'Public Works Department Secretariat Offices' and was fabricated by the Bombay based firm of Rishardson and Cruddas.

After the half day visit, the walk can proceed towards the Observatory Hills where the Viceregal Lodge is located. It was known as Rashtrapati Niwas, and was formerly the residence of the British Viceroy Lord Dufferin, which was the venue for many important decisions, which changed the fate of the sub-continent. After independence, the lodge remained the summer retreat of the President of India. In the early 60s the President of India, Dr S Radhakrishnan, a leading philosopher and writer, and then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru decided to make it a scholars’ den where the best minds would find an ideal retreat. That’s when the Indian Institute of Advanced Study moved into the lodge in 1965.

Shimla is also home to the Vidhan Sabha. The edifice was completed and inaugurated by Lord Reading, the then Viceroy of India, on August 27, 1925. The need for this building arose as the British chose Shimla as the summer capital of the Imperial Government.

The Gorton Castle is one of the most striking buildings of the British empire, and is a Neo Gothic structure that had the famous Sir Swinton Jacob as its architect.

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AHMEDABAD hmedabad was found in 1411 on the ancient site of Ashaval and Karnavati. The city has some of the finest Indian and Islamic monuments and exquisite Hindu and Jain temples.

Its carved wooden houses are another unique architectural highlight. The Heritage Walk of Ahmedabad is conducted by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). Since November 19, 1997 as a part of the World Heritage Week, AMC has been conducting The Heritage Walk of Ahmedabad for its project 'Getting the City to the People'.

The Heritage Walk of Ahmedabad is a guided walk of two and a half hours. This daily affair by the AMC is designed in guidance and co-operation with CRUTA and Swaminarayan Trust, being operated by a group of young volunteers.

There is also a half hour special slide show unfolding the city's history from the time of its birth in the 10th century AD to the present walled city re-founded during the period of Ahmedshah and onwards.

A special feature of Ahmedabad is the plan of the old city, comprising numerous 'pols', which are self-contained neighbourhoods, sheltering large number of people. Some of these pols are virtually small villages, traversed by narrow lanes, usually terminating in squares (chowks) and comprising the community well and chabutro (for feeding birds). These pols were protected by gates, cul-de-sacs and secret passages. These historic residential settlements are explained in detail during the walk.

The walk begins from the picturesque Swaminarayan Mandir in Kalupur and ends in the fascinating architectural legacy, the Jama

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Masjid, covering in between the numerous pols, havelis, ornamental facades, workplaces of artisans and number of magnificent Hindu and Jain temples. The walk proceeds from Kavi Dalpatram Chowk - which housed the great 19th century Gujarati poet in Lambeshwar ni Pol, to the city's textile era - the Calico Dome and the century old Kala Ramji Mandir in the Haja Patel ni Pol which has a unique idol of Lord Rama in a dark colour and in a sit-

ting posture.

During the walk through Doshiwada ni Pol, Zaveri Vad to Chaumukhji ni Pol, you can witness ornate temples with their beautiful wooden carvings hidden under plain exteriors and camouflaged beneath the aura of the Mughal rule, lanes punctuated with intriguing chabutras, and a three foot wide alley leading into the 110-year old Harkunvar Shethani ni Haveli.

Moving through the historical

A special feature of Ahmedabad is the plan of the old city, comprising numerous 'pols', which are selfcontained neighbourhoods, sheltering large number of people. Some of these pols are virtually small villages traversed by narrow lanes, usually terminating in squares (chowks)

Fernandez Bridge to Manek Chowk where amidst the deafening traffic and full of parked vehicles the guide will explain to you about the legend of Manek Baba after whom the chowk was named and Manek Baba Mandir, at the site where he shrank and entered a bottle to show his magical powers to Ahmed Shah, the founder of the city. Finally one can visit the Rani no Hajiro and Badshah no Hajiro to end the walk at the Jama Masjid.

Another heritage walk tour organiser, The House of MG has its own unique tour called the ‘DTours’, an audio synchronised heritage walk, complete with instructions and interviews with common people. It includes market sounds, vendor calls, people chatter, temple bells, mosque chants, bird twitter and other road sounds.

Starting from The House of MG to the Sidi Saiyed Mosque, to the Bhadra Fort, the busy Gandhi Road, the Teen Darwaza Gate and the Jama Masjid mosque. The tour ends at a stunning wooden haveli in Lakha Patel ni Pol.

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he city of Mysore, located 139 km from Bengaluru, is famously known as the 'Sandalwood City'.

Mysore is a quiet and placid town unlike the industrial and cosmopolitan capital city - Bengaluru.

The aura of grandeur and royalty is still present in Mysore, the official capital of the erstwhile Maharajas. Buildings with vaulting archways and majestic domes are a common sight in Mysore.

Royal Mysore Walks is a local tour operator which organises heritage tours called the 'The Royal Walk' which takes travellers through the royal connections and colonial link to Mysore.

On this tour, one can get to connect different world events like the American War of Independence, French Revolution and the Battle of Waterloo to Mysore.

Also travellers can get to taste the famous Mysore Pak sweet from the family who invented it. The tour also takes one through the 125 year old market known for its colours and vibrancy.

The starting point of the walk begins from the historic Town Hall building which has been the epicentre of the city planning activities during the royal era. This building was inaugurated on April 1, 1884. Next the tour takes you to one of the most interesting and unexplored heritage site called the Secret Society. The Secret Society which was mentioned in the Da Vinci Code book has its presence in Mysore. The building structure is much older than the Mysore Palace and interestingly the society is still active.

The tour then takes you to the Clock Tower which is situated in the heart of Mysore with major

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MYSORE On this tour, one can get to connect different world events like the American War of Independence, French Revolution and the Battle of Waterloo to Mysore.Travellers can also get to taste the famous Mysore Pak arterial road meeting at this point. This beautiful heritage tower was built in 1927 to commemorate the 25 year rule of the Mysore king Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar. This Clock Tower is situated close to the Town Hall and is opposite to Chamarajendra Circle near the Balarama Gate of Mysore

Palace. This tower was built in Indo-Saracenic style. The dial of the clock is etched with numbers in Kannada. The tower is also known as Dodda Gadiara, which means the 'big clock tower' in Kannada. Interestingly, there is also a small clock tower called Dufferin Clock Tower located near K R Circle.

From the Clock Tower travellers can visit the statue square.

Next heritage property is the Jaganmohan Palace. This palace is divided into two partsthe main building lying to the west and a spacious pavilion to the east. The pavilion was used for marriages and other purposes when the old palace was burnt. The western, older building is a treasury of pictures and models, illustrating Mysore's history and personalities. The ground floor contains a number of paintings giving the genealogy of the Mysore kings and other articles of great interest.

The second floor adorns the paintings of great painters from different countries of the world.

One of the most attractive paintings is of the 'Lady with the lamp'. In one of the rooms there are items used by the great warrior Kantivrava Narasaraja Wodeyar. On the third floor, the Rung Mahal or picture hall, has many quaint and interesting mural paintings. There is a room that contains pictures of the modern school, Kolkata and some examples of the work of Mysorean, K Venkatappa. One big hall is dedicated to the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma. Finally, the walk ends at Devaraja market, which is one of the best places to get a flavour of the local people’s daily life. With more than 100 years of history, this market is well knitted into the heritage of Mysore. The northern side of the market is usually filled with stalls selling fruits, mostly banana. The southern part is for selling vegetables. And there is a section in the middle where one can find rows of shops selling the local flowers. This market was the inspiration for RK Laxman's cartoon character The Common Man.

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AMRITSAR mritsar was founded by Sri Guru Ramdass, the fourth guru of the Sikhs in about 1574 AD. Before the city was founded, the area was covered with thick forests and had several lakes. To start the city the guru invited 52 traders from different sects belonging to nearby places like Patti and Kasur to settle here. These families started the first 32 shops in the city which still stand in the street called Batisi Hatta (32 shops). The guru himself shifted to live among them in the city which came to be called Ramdaspur and has been eulogised in the Guru Granth Sahib. The construction of Amrit Sarovar from which the city gets its present name was also started by Guru Ramdass.

His successor, Guru Arjan Dev, completed the project and located the Harmandir Sahib in its midst.

The heritage walk is a guided tour deep inside the narrow lanes and by-lanes of the 400 year old city of Amritsar. One gets to see Katras, Akharas, Bungas, Havelis and Hattis the vocabulary of traditional town planning and architecture. The walk takes you back in time as you witness traditional trades and crafts being practised in the same place and in the same manner, as it has been done for centuries. In the old town is the famous Golden Temple, which is the holiest shrine of the Sikh faith and displays a harmonious blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture. The temple sits at the centre of the Amrit Sarovar, or the 'pool of the nectar of immortality'. The present temple complex dates from 1776-84 - the gold ornamentation of the Harmandir Sahib was donated by the legendary Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The walk begins from The Town Hall, built by the British in 1866, which is the centre of Amritsar’s local administration. Near

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The construction of Amrit Sarovar from which the city gets its present name was started

by Guru Ramdass. His successor, Guru Arjan Dev, completed the project and located the Harmandir Sahib in its midst the police station there is a Jaan Mohammad Mosque. This mosque was built by Mian Jaan Mohammad in the Hijri Year 1289 (1872 AD).

Just near this heritage building there is another building housing Punjab National Bank. Long before the partition it was named Lal Haveli and it housed an oil and a perfume manufacturing factory owned by Kahan Singh and Mohan Singh. Next on the route is the Gurdwara Saragarhi, which is dedi-

cated to the 21 soldiers of the 36 Sikhs Battalion who lost their lives bravely defending their posts on September 12, 1897. The third stop on the route is Qila Ahluwalia, the fort that once belonged to Ahluwalia Misl. Its famous leader Jassa Singh Ahluwalia played a crucial role in repelling foreign invasions during the 18th century. Located in the heart of Amritsar’s commerce sector, Jalebiwala Chowk is a gastronome’s delight. It

is home to a world famous jalebi shop that has been in operation since 1956 and is renowned for creating one of the best melt-in-yourmouth treats, sure to satisfy everyone’s taste buds.

The fifth stop on the route is the Udasin Ashram Akhara Sangalwala, founded in 1771 and originally known as Nirvan Akhara after its founder, Nirvan Priyatam Dass.

Akhara is sarais for sadhus, yogis and holy men, who stay and practice religious ceremonies. This was originally in a desolate and uninhabited expanse; there was nothing in the area except a large tree where Nirvan Priyatam Dass conducted daily meditation and prayers. Nearly 100 years later, the new Mahant (chief priest) of the Akhara attached a thick iron chain to its main gate, a symbolic act to perpetuate the memory of its creator.

Standing testimony to architectural beauty, the Chitta Akhara, also known as Ganga Ram Akhara after its founder Mahant Ganga Ram, was established in 1781, making it over two centuries old. The Darshani Deori, marks the spot from where Guru Arjun and Guru Hargobind would stand to view the Golden Temple. As there were no buildings around it at that time, there was a clear view of the shrine from this spot. Much later the beautiful painted and gilded ceiling was added.

In the middle of the road near the end of the Bartan Bazaar, there is a large Banyan (Bohar) tree. The Banyan Tree is considered sacred because of its ties to ancient worship and its many inherent beneficial properties.

Entering the courtyard of the Thakurdwara is like stepping back in time, shedding light on the colonial-style architecture that has influenced much of downtown Amritsar. Completed in 1876, the Thakurdwara is dedicated to Lord Krishna and contains two shrines.

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KOCHI ochi is one of the few cities in the world that has seen mixed influences of different colonial powers - Dutch, Portuguese, British as well as a touch of Jewish culture. Asia’s oldest Jewish Synagogue as well as the Dutch Palace (Mattenchery Palace) can be found here. The area, which is home to several migrating communities, has evolved its own cultural mix, and you can find temples, mosques, art galleries and cosy cafes co-existing in this quaint landscape. The Bazaar Road that connects to the adjacent area of the former British Cochin to the trade centre makes for a perfect heritage walk, lined by warehouses, many of which are more than 300 years old.

Cochin Magic organises a heritage walk through Fort Kochi, a heritage town which is a cultural melting pot. The walking tour takes you to the old quarter of Fort Kochi with its quaint streets as well as seaside promenade. The meeting point for the two hour walk is the entrance to the 400 year old St Francis Church (India’s oldest European church) built by the Portuguese Franciscan Friars.

The walk then covers the Chinese fishing nets that is a trademark of Kochi, the colonial houses that ring the Nehru Children’s Park (Koder House, Tower House, Old Harbour Hotel), Fort Immanuel (a Portuguese bastion), the Dutch cemetery, which is now managed by the Church of South India, and the Santa Cruz Basilica that changed hands from the Portuguese to the Dutch to the English. The walk ends with tea/coffee at a local café. There is also wheelchair assistance for those differently abled.

According to historians, a devastating flood in 1341 wiped out the legendary port of Muziris, the hub of spice trade on the Malabar Coast, and

heritage walks

K

The trademark Chinese nets that dot the Kochi skyline are ancient fishing contraptions that date back to the years of foreign trade with the Malabar Coast. Some of the nets are more than 80 years old, having been recast several times over the years

opened up a beautiful natural harbour just south of Muziris. Till then a tiny fishing hamlet, Kochi (earlier known as Cochin) quickly rose to become an important trading hub.

In the early 16th century, the King of Cochin, who felt threatened by his neighbour, the Zamorin of Calicut, allowed the Portuguese to build a fort in Kochi.

Another heritage walk, Fort Cochin Heritage Walk will take you around the old Fort on a three-km walk and explain to you the story of the fort over the centuries under the three European powers. The walk covers 31 historical and heritage locations in the town. The tour starts from Burgher Street, and goes around the Bastion Street to the historical Santa Cruz Basilica, before turning to Santa Cruz High School Road. The walk also takes visitors to the Dutch Governor, Henrik Van Rheed’s residence and the prestigious Cochin Club.

The walk winds up at the St Francis Church before passing through the Bastion Bungalow, the Chinese fishing nets and the natural harbour.

The net connection The trademark Chinese nets that dot the Kochi skyline are ancient fishing contraptions that date back to the years of foreign trade with the Malabar Coast. There are differing opinions about the origin of the nets. While some credit the Chinese for its origins (hence the name), others say it was the Portuguese who brought them here either through their trade with China or the know-how from th eir colony in the Far East. Whatever their origins, some of the nets are more than 80 years old, having been recast several times over the years.

Made of teak, and operated with stone weights, they are lowered in the waters till they entrap fish and are then hauled up. Conservationists are making a concerted effort to bring these fishing nets under a heritage label.

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CORPORATE FILE

PROMOTING PARADISE Conceived in 1943 by a Danish gentleman, Johansen along with a local youth, Ali Mohammed Gosani, Johansen Travel Agency has the distinction of being the first travel agency in Jammu &Kashmir. Today, 72 years down the lane when its progenitors are no longer in the picture, the company continues to lead from the front to put this destination they call Paradise on the world tourism map

By Steena Joy

P

IONEERING tourism in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) since the pre-independence era, Johansen Travel Agency (JTA) has come a long way. In these last 72 years, the company has been catering to a large percentage of both international and domestic tourists visiting the Himalayan states of J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. The company has contributed tremendously to the upliftment of tourism by opening up new areas. Treks hitherto unknown especially in the Valley of Kashmir and Ladakh were opened up in the late 60s and the initial 70s, thanks to efforts put in by the company's young executive then and now its managing partner, Rashid A Gosani who along with the German school of trekking and mountaineering, Dav Und Skischule Munich conducted some first-of-its-kind treks in Ladakh, Nubra and Zanskar. Gosani says, “There was no set up for tourism and infrastructure viz accommodation or transportation in J&K. The only accommodation available was Doonga (small houseboats for personal use by locals). A commercial touch was given to these boats by the British officers stationed in Kashmir as they could buy these boats being movable property. There were hardly any vehicles and for local sightseeing tonga (cart pulled by horse) was used. The soldiers who wanted to holiday in J&K came in their own vehicles by road from Rawalpindi which is

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now in Pakistan. It was very difficult to do business in those times; however both Johansen and Ali Mohammed Gosani worked very hard and it was because of their efforts, they were successful.”

Rashid Gosani has continued with the legacy inherited from his father the late Ali Mohammed Gosani who along with Johansen, a Danish gentleman set up the agency in 1943 to cater to army personnel during their holidays in J&K at that time. With offices in Srinagar, Ladakh, Manali and New Delhi, the company over the years has built some beautiful deluxe houseboats located at prime locations on the world famous Dal Lake in Srinagar and also hires other houseboats on both Dal and Nagin lakes. The company can cater to trekking expeditions of nearly 100 pax at a time and sources its state-of-the-art high altitude gear like tents, sleeping bags, etc from the German company Salewa.

Gosani agrees that a lot has changed now. “Earlier, there was no support to promote tourism from the state government but now the government is going all out with efforts to bring more tourists to this part,” he mentions. There are around 500 houseboats on Dal Lake divided into different categories but there are not enough good standard houseboats.

Commenting on the pollution in the lake, Gosani says, “The pollution problem is not only the creation of houseboats but also by the hotels situated around Dal Lake. A houseboat com-

Rashid Gosani

monly has three bedrooms while the smallest hotel is not less than 10 rooms. All the residue of these hotels mostly goes into the lake. There have been many discussions and promises made by the government body known as LAWDA but not much has been done in this regard. If nothing is done soon, there is the threat of the Dal Lake disappearing.”

Last year's floods in J&K devastated the Valley and stopped tourism in its tracks.

Gosani reveals, “Tourism is the first thing to get affected in these kind of situations. Last year in September when we had these terrible floods which was never seen in the last 100 years, we were expecting a very good volume of business . But due to the floods most of them cancelled which affected our peak season by 65 per cent.”

He feels that it is very important to maintain the carrying capacity of the Himalayas.

“This is where the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) and Adventure Tour Op-

erators Association of India (ATOAI) comes into the picture. Any group which goes on an expedition has to take a permit from IMF which also makes sure that not more than the carrying capacity goes on a particular expedition,” he asserts.

The company does it own bit in creating awareness. “The Himalayas being an eco sensitive zone, we always try to give detailed information to guests about do's and don’ts. For example, we inform our expedition teams not to use any polythene bags as polythene is one of the biggest threats to our environment. We also advise them to take perishable food items and light luggage so that less ponies are used,” informs Gosani.

Expressing his thoughts on the future of tourism in the state, he sums up, “The future of tourism in J&K if organised professionally with the help of J&K Tourism Department is very bright. A lot of training is required for local youth who want to make tourism their ca-

reer. The tourism department should take the initiative of introducing tourism courses in the colleges.”

The company plans to get into e-commerce at the earliest. Gosani opines, “We believe the future of travel is online.

Being the oldest and one of the most reputed travel agents in the Valley, our name in the market for last 72 years, makes it a bit easier for us to penetrate this field. We also have plans to open internships for youth who want to make careers in this field. This will help us to have good and experienced staff and will open a lot of jobs in the market. At the moment we have no choice but to appoint staff with no experience at all. Also we are planning to open a training course for professional guides in the Valley. At the moment we do not have any professional guides which are approved by department of tourism of J&K. We are planning to take up this initiative with the help of the department.”

SPOTLIGHT

NURTURING THE NIJHAWAN DREAM When B L Nijhawan started out on his own without any support decades ago in 1974, he probably did not envision that his company would have plans to reach the US$ 750 million turnover mark by 2016. Under the leadership of his son Sham Nijhawan, his grandson Ankush Nijhawan is taking the business to the next level. By Reema Lokesh

C

HARTERED ACCOUNTANT Sham Nijhawan, chairman, Nijhawan Group stands with pride today. The vital link between the past and present, this finance wizard stepped into the business at the right time to assist his father B L Nijhawan (founder of the Nijhawan Group) to strengthen the business and expand its reach. A man who firmly believes in processes for business success, Sham admires his father's conviction and commitment to start a business against all odds. However you cannot miss the pride his voice when he speaks of the achievement of his young turk, son Ankush Nijhawan who is redefining the way of doing business in the travel trade and beyond.

Though Sham Nijhawan’s strategies and astute vision gave his father the confidence to continue his mission, he underplays his achievements and firmly believes that there is so much more to life than just business talk. He says, “My father is a complete workaholic.

He is unstoppable even at 91 years of age. A few years ago (when he was 88 years old) he shocked us by discussing work even when on ventilator support in a hospital. When it

comes to me, I switch off from my world of business at around six pm. There is so much more that life offers to explore and experience than just work.” He totally agrees to the saying 'work hard and party harder'.

B L Nijhawan, started his career in 1946 and is today a living legend of the trade. The group today thrives on his sales acumen and sheer determination to work in the unexplored territory in the regions of Punjab. Working at the grassroot level, he travelled across villages in the early 70s and 80s and proved to be a true entrepreneur building jobs, careers and homes in the field of travel and tourism. He worked out of a hotel for over 10 months as he had no support, no bank guarantees and neither offices. He built his empire steadily with sheer grit and gumption. B L Nijhawan points out, “I was boycotted, looked at with suspicion but I never drifted from my goal. I kept doing good work against all odds and criticism because within me I knew I was on the right track.” Many travel agencies were set up under his guidance. He founded the group as the GSA for British Airways in 1974. On a lighter note, there was a time when people in Punjab called British Airways (BA) as Bansilal Airways, which is the founding father’s first name. With his 69 years of experience in the busi-

ness he has given the industry a company that is today a leading business house diversifying incisively each day.

The transfer of the baton within this company was also well defined from the father to the son. Today, armed with his grandfather’s well wishes and his father’s financial acumen, Ankush Nijhawan is managing director, Nijhawan Group. A graduate from Boston with a major in marketing and psychology, he is the young blood who has taken travel beyond its set boundaries. Though he was born with all the comforts and a well established job to set into, he decided to take the tough way to success by working like his grandfather from the grassroot level, walking through the bylanes of New Delhi to meet and understand their travel partners. In 2001 he wanted to pursue his MBA overseas but his father sat him down to discuss his future and convinced him to not do his MBA as he had taken a lot of responsibilities off his father's shoulder. From a brick and mortar B2B Delhi centric business of US$ 40 million in 2002, Ankush Nijhawan, took the first mover advantage by adopting technology which has transformed Travel Boutique into Travel Boutique Online (popularly know as TBO) with its wings spreading pan India and in 55 other

Working at the grassroot level, B L Nijhawan travelled across villages in the early 70s and 80s and proved to be a true entrepreneur building jobs and careers in travel and tourism countries as well. With his vision and hardwork, TBO today is a leader in the online B2B travel space. The Nijhawan Group now also represents luxury hotel brands and

has ventured into retail brands, catering and salons.

This angel investor’s aim to be an established private equity investor is only a matter of time.

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RESEARCH

India outbound: Forecast 2018 iGATE Research report entitled 'India Outbound Tourism Market and Forecast to 2018' provides an in-depth analysis and clear picture of the booming India outbound tourism industry

T

HE SLUGGISH economy and poor sentiments did not have any adverse impact on the Indian outbound tourism market.

Despite drastic fluctuations in rupee value recently, numbers of outbound tourist’s departures from India did not take a hit. India has emerged as the world's fastest–growing outbound market and in absolute numbers it is second only to China.

The foreign tourism boards are gearing up to meet the growing number of Indians who are travelling abroad and splurging. While many of the National Tourism Organisations have established their own offices in the country, others are making use of representations or their embassies/cultural desks to test the waters, before taking the plunge. Personal and official travel for holiday/leisure, business and MICE tourism are the most significant contributors for growing outbound travel. The easy availability of attractive packages, increased promotion by travel agents/tour operators and destination countries will further drive outbound departures.

the most popular tourist destination for Indian travellers. In 2013, over six per cent of the total Indian outbound tourists visited Thailand. Thailand has seen growth in the number of Indian travellers due to its wide range of ‘value for money’ offerings that include leisure sports, fine dining, adventure services, wellness and quality hotels and resorts.

Singapore is the second most popular destination for Indian outbound tourists being followed by United States and China which stands at the third and fourth spot respectively.

Malaysia is the fifth most popular destination for Indian tourists.

Spending analysis Indian outbound tourists spending was around US$ 17 billion in the year 2013. In terms of spending by Indian tourists, United States is the leader with over 30 per cent of spending share in 2013. United States is likely to maintain dominance during the forecasting period as well. Thailand and Singapore together accounts for around 15 per cent share of total outbound spending by Indians in 2013. Australia and United Kingdom stands at the fourth and fifth spot respectively and the gap between them are narrowing.

Italy held sixth position in the year 2013, being followed by Malaysia, which is at seventh spot in the same year.

Emerging countries Indian tourists have now started exploring new destinations as well. Among the emerging countries, Sri Lanka, Nepal, China, Japan and South Africa are becoming the destination of choice for Indian tourists. In 2013, over 200 thousand Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka while number of Indians visiting Nepal was a little less than Sri Lanka. Japan is also focusing on plans to triple the number of tourists travelling from India to the country by 2020 from the 2013 level. Countries like Indonesia, Philippines, Mauritius and Egypt are also seeing an increase in influx of Indian tourists. We believe that increased promotional activities by travel agents will further drive outbound departures to many new destinations in the years to come.

Driving factors Much of India’s outbound growth may be attributed to increasing disposable income, decreasing cost of international airfare and availability of affordable travel packages. In particular, the rise of low cost carriers (LCCs) in India has im-

pacted the way Indians travel as they now have more alternatives, beyond domestic travel, when planning for short holidays.

The proliferation of the internet has also significantly changed the way Indian travellers now plan and book their trips. The availability of information on the internet has instilled greater confidence among Indian travellers to look farther when planning their travels. With information readily available at the click of a mouse, consumers are no longer dependent on traditional travel agents.

However, feedback and recommendation from travel agents is still held in high regard.

In December 2011, Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) – a national, not–for–profit organisation was formed by India’s outbound tour operators and travel agents in order to promote quality outbound tourism. Since its inception, OTOAI has also established itself as a collaborative platform for all key stakeholders to engage, network, discuss, resolve and address multiple issues concerning the industry and its constituents.

The Indian film industry, termed as Bollywood has sig-

Visit analysis It is predicted that India will account for nearly 30 million outbound tourists by 2018.

While business travel, holiday and VFR trips dominates outbound volumes, people are also opting for niche products like sports tourism, luxury travels, MICE, honeymoon packages and cruises.

Thailand has emerged as

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In India, companies tend to specialise in either inbound or outbound; few do both successfully.

The skill sets and experience needed for both segments are unique and not complementary.

The average Indian travel agent deals with customers who are extremely price sensitive

nificantly influenced Indian culture. According to an estimate, almost 14 million people in India enjoy Bollywood movies on a daily basis. Bollywood has always been recognised as having the strongest influence for potential Indian travellers. For example, Bollywood films such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kabhi Khushi Khabhie Gham and Mujhse Dosti Karogi have all presented Switzerland in a new light to Indian tourists. More recently, with the popularity of Bollywood blockbuster Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD), Spain witnessed a surge in the number of India tourist arrivals in 2012 and 2013.

The challenges In India, companies tend to specialise in either inbound or outbound; few do both successfully. The skill sets and experience needed for both segments are unique and not complementary. The average Indian travel agent deals with customers who are extremely price sensitive and are inherent shoppers. Bargaining is a cultural trait. There is basically a feeling that agents have no right to make money.

In general, agencies in India are not equipped or trained in charging fees. Another hurdle for Indian outbound tourism market is the rupee depreciation that has become a very big hurdle for Indian outbound tourism. Destinations such as United States, Canada, London, France, Italy and Switzerland have seen a dip in bookings due to rupee depreciation.

(Courtesy: S S Sah, Project Manager, iGATE Research)

THE TORCHBEARERS

A self-driven man In the days when Google Maps, GPS and Internet were nearly non-existent, a young man started his career by designing maps and giving directions to self-drive tourists in 1961. Sushil Bhatt, CEO, Forvol Travels looks back on his early days and how it shaped his career map

By Akshay Kumar

B

orn in 1943 in Mumbai, Sushil Bhatt grew up to be one who lost interest in studies after completing his SSC exams. Bhatt says, “After SSC I wasn't interested in studies anymore and that was the time when one of my cousin sisters was working for Western India Automobile Association (WIAA). She asked me to join the association if I didn't have the interest to study further. That is how I started my career with WIAA in 1961. We used to design maps during the period when there was no Internet, but still our maps used to be precisely designed with every information about the area.

We also used to get calls from travellers and we guided them and helped them with directions. We used to make maps of one mile to one inch scale during that time. Today if you ask me, I can give you any detail about any place.”

Today, sitting inside his sea facing cabin as the CEO of Forvol Travels since 2003, Bhatt adds that his experience in WIAA has taught him one important lesson, that in every work there must be authenticity. “There should be originality and authenticity while designing a package or planning an itinerary,” he points out. From his drawer he removes a book called 'Motoring Maps of India' and explains that this is his Bible.

But that was not the end

of his education for he went on to complete his law.

Bhatt exclaims, “One fine day my father asked me to study as I already had a job. I started studying Bachelors in Arts from Jai Hind College.

Later, I also completed Law and Business Management in Industrial Relations from the Government Law College.”

That was the time when tour operators used to visit WIAA to get a detailed map of their itinerary. “This is when Tej Sahni who used to handle inbound in Trade Wings used to frequently come to us for map designing.

We used to prepare customised maps for them. One day, he asked me if I was interested in joining Trade Wings and he called me to his office. But due to some commitments I couldn't make it.

After a month or so I finally went to the Trade Wings office where I met Tej Sahni and Vinoo Ubhaykar. I joined Trade Wings in 1969. This is the place where I actually learnt making itinerary, costing, handling accounts. This was the second successful step in my life,” highlights Bhatt.

From 1969 to 1984 Bhatt worked with Trade Wings.

Later in 1984, Bhatt and Jai Saini both planned to either start their own company or join some other firm. Bhatt mentions, “After a lot of discussions, finally we both

joined Thomas Cook from where I retired in 2009. In my new role I was the head of inbound. Here I got a chance to handle many big conferences like the World Interpol Conference in New Delhi with 1000 members. But the biggest conference which I remember is the World Poultry Congress in 1996 in Ashoka, Delhi. We managed over 4,500 delegates in that conference without any glitches.”

Finally giving a word of advice to the youth in the travel industry, Bhatt emphasises, “Be honest to yourself.

Sincerity and hard work is what I believe in. The most important advice which I would give to the next generation travel professionals is to know your product. Product knowledge is extremely important. Secondly, perfectly structuring the itinerary and packaging is important in our industry. This will help in increasing customer satisfaction. In short, one should have passion to work in this industry.”

Sushil Bhatt

His experience in WIAA has taught him one important lesson, that in every work there must be authenticity. There should be originality and authenticity while designing a package or planning an itinerary EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD

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MOVEMENTS NYC & Company NYC & Company has announced that industry veteran ABBY SPATZ has joined the company as chief marketing officer. In her new role, Spatz will lead the company's marketing group and will oversee the in-house creative, digital, editorial, photography and video teams as she directs and implements the company's strategic marketing plan. Spatz will report to Fred Dixon, president and CEO, NYC & Company. Spatz joins NYC & Company from the spa and beauty brand Bliss, where sheserved as the head of integrated marketing and communications.

Prior to that she spent 20-plus

Abby Spatz

years working across a range of marketing functions with global consumer lifestyle brands including as managing partner at MEC/MediaEdge, where she led the channel business for the WPP-agency. She was also head of consumer engagement and integrated marketing at eBay and senior director of integrated marketing and advertising for Hilton.

Sabre ROSHAN MENDIS is senior vice president of Sabre Travel Network Asia Pacific. His appointment began in July 2015 with Sabre Corporation’s acquisition of Abacus. He is responsible for growing the combined Asia Pacific business. The new role within the Sabre portfolio follows 12 years with subsidiary, Travelocity.com which he led as president of the Americas, until its 2015 sale to Expedia. He held

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Taj Wellington Mews, Mumbai

Roshan Mendis

Pramod Dalvi

various senior positions within the online travel agency, including as president of Zuji, Travelocity’s Asia Pacific brand, and as vice president of Travelocity’s B2B distribution business.

Mendis is now based at the Sabre Travel Network Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore.

ment bodies, DMCs, conducting academy lectures once a week, future plans contributions, corporate travel management guidance, cruise tie-ups, assisting HR and admininistration for manpower selection, coordinating for road shows, and overlooking the Forex department.

RENÉE J JAMES has been elected to Sabre’s board of directors, effective August 3, 2015. At Sabre, James will serve on the audit committee and the technology committee of the board of directors. She currently serves as the president of Intel Corporation, and is a member of the board of directors of Vodafone Group. In 2012, US President Barack Obama appointed James to serve as a member of the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee. Earlier in her career, James was executive vice president and the general manager of the software and services group; vice president for developer programmes; and director and COO of Intel Online Services. She was also part of the team working with independent software vendors to port applications to Intel Architecture, and served as chief of staff for former Intel CEO Andy Grove. James holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from the University of Oregon.

Four Points by Sheraton Vishakhapatnam Four Points by Sheraton Vishakhapatnam has appointed ADITYA SHAMSHER MALLA as general manager. He brings with him over 21 years of luxury and mid-scale hospitality experience. He returns to the Starwood family as general manager of Four Points by Sheraton Vishakhapatnam and has previously held Excom assignments with Starwood as director of sales and marketing of The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, as EAM – sales and marketing of The Westin Mumbai Garden City and as general manager of Four Points by Sheraton Jaipur.

Amadeus ALBERT POZO has been appointed as president of Amadeus Asia Pacific. Effective August 3, 2015, he will direct Amadeus’ corporate strategy for Asia Pacific, focusing on distribution and new business areas such as rail, hotel, payments and venture investments. Pozo has been with Amadeus since 1993 and has extensive experience within market, regional and global roles. He served most recently as vice president for global customer group, leading commercial activity, strategy, and business development for global multinational travel.

Bombardier

Kesari PRAMOD DALVI has been appointed as vice president- public relations at Kesari. He will be responsible for coordinating with tourism boards, airlines, govern-

ANMOL AHLUWALIA, executive assistant manager – accommodations, Taj Bengal, Kolkata has been appointed as general manager – Taj Wellington Mews, Mumbai. In his new role, he will report to Taljinder Singh, area director – Mumbai and general manager - The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. He joined the Taj family in September 2005 at Vivanta by Taj – Fort Aguada, Goa as an executive housekeeper. He rose to an accommodations manager position in 2008 at Vivanta by Taj – Panaji, Goa. Thereafter he moved to Taj Bengal, Kolkata as an executive assistant manager – front office and was subsequently elevated to

Aditya Shamsher Malla

Bombardier has appointed JOHN DI BERT as senior vice president and chief financial officer, effective August 10, 2015. Prior to joining Bombardier, Bert spent the past 14 years at Pratt & Whitney Canada as vice president, customer service. Earlier in his career, he worked at Rolls-

the post of executive assistant manager - accommodations.

Royce Canada as manager, financial accounting from 1999 to 2001 and at KPMG as senior auditor for major clients including manufacturing, retail and distribution companies from 1997 to 1999. Bert is a chartered accountant. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Accountancy from Concordia University in Montréal (Canada).

Fiji Airways Fiji Airways has appointed the current head of Air Mauritius, ANDRE VILJOEN, as CEO and managing director.

Viljoen will take up the position before October 1, 2015.

Viljoen has 33 years of professional experience in the airline and tourism industry and has been the CEO of Air Mauritius since 2010. Viljoen joins Fiji Airways after its recent transformation, including its rebranding from Air Pacific and a fleet upgrade, and at a stage when it is exploring further commercial opportunities, including new routes.

BUSINESS AVENUES

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E V E N T S

JOYOUS CELEBRATIONS On the occasion of Canada Day, Tourism Toronto presented a jar of cookies to various MICE sellers in India for their contribution in promoting Toronto as a MICE destination for Indians during an event held in Mumbai

TOURISM POTENTIAL Zanzibar Tourism Promotion Centre in association with Travel Agents Federation of India's Western Region Chapter conducted its first FAM trip for Indian travel agents

LINKING BOUNDARIES L-R: Tourism New Zealand’s representatives, Steven Dixon, regional manager, South and South East Asia; Nisha D’Souza, marketing communications manager - India; Kevin Bowler, chief executive; Neha Bhola, country manager - India; Paul Trowell, trade development manager; Darshana Tripathi, market development manager - India; Naomi Lobo, public relations manager – India at Tourism New Zealand’s annual travel trade event, Kiwi Link 2014 India, held in Mumbai

BETTER UNDERSTANDING South African Tourism recently organised the Mumbai Learn SA session for the frontline staff of travel agencies at Palladium Hotel, Mumbai

TAPPING NEW MARKETS The Tourism Authority of Thailand in Mumbai recently took travel agents from India, Sri Lanka and Maldives to Thailand to showcase its Muslim friendly locations

BACK IN ACTION Members of Seychelles Tourism Board and Air Seychelles announce their support for the filming of Rocky Handsome

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E V E N T S

YEARLONG FESTIVITIES (Fourth from left) Noor Azman, director, Tourism Malaysia - Chennai alongwith tour operators and travel agents from Puducherry to update them about the latest products and highlight events lined up for Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015

SPECIAL OCCASION Tigerair, the Singapore-based budget carrier, recently announced its partnership with Singapore Tourism Board to celebrate Singapore’s Golden Jubilee and 50 years of bilateral relations between Singapore and India during an event held in Chennai

NEW ACHIEVEMENTS Thomas Cook (India) was felicitated with the Diamond Award for Exemplary Achievements in visa issuance and registering the highest number of visas at the French Ambassador's Travel Awards in Mumbai

EVENTS PLATFORM Indian travel and hospitality participants at the recently concluded VKonect MICE, India’s B2B meeting platform for MICE, held at Holiday Inn Aerocity, New Delhi

PERFECTING SKILLS SriLankan Airlines recently implemented the fifth edition of Nena Pahan Youth Development programme in Colombo to develop the talent of children of the airline’s employees

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REGD.WITH RNI UNDER MAHENG/15993/05, MH/MR/SOUTH-156/2013-15 PUBLISHED 11th OF EVERY MONTH AND POSTED ON 12, 13 & 14 OF EVERY MONTH POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE.