Express Travelworld (Vol.11, No.4) May, 2016

EDITOR’S NOTE

Now for some ‘incredible’ action

T

hink India and what may probably follow is a list of adjectives to describe its essence. From calming to chaotic, rustic to rejuvenating, from historic to healing, every region of India does have a unique connect to both, the national and the international traveller. No doubt it is the Taj Mahal that ropes in the foreign traffic, however the Incredible India campaign did do it's bit of travelling beyond the Taj. It was successful to a large extent to introduce to the world India’s varied facets, from wellness to nature. The campaign also did well for the locals to appreciate and accept India with a new perspective. As I always tell all my foreign guests, do not come to India with mental blocks and preconceived notions. Its a country that needs to be explored with an open mind and take all the surprises that come your way as special momentos of the land.

However, having said that, I wonder was it enough to just speak about its beauty and splendour when there is so much more that is desired to be done to improve her tourism infrastructure.

Undoubtedly, we have done well in terms of highway infrastructure development and road connectivity, but there is more to be done for a seamless

HEAD OFFICE MUMBAI EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD® Ashwin Kamble The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Business Publication Division 2nd Floor, Express Tower, Nariman Point Mumbai- 400 021 Board line: 022- 67440000 Ext. 527 Mobile: +91 9833666558 Email id: ashwin.kamble@expressindia.com Branch Offices NEW DELHI Baljinder Singh The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Business Publication Division Express Building, B-1/B Sector 10 Noida 201 301 Dist.Gautam Budh nagar (U.P.) India.

Board line: 0120-6651500.

Mobile: +91 9999070900 Fax: 0120-4367933 Email id: baljinder.singh@expressindia.com CHENNAI Mathen Mathew The Indian Express (P) Ltd.

Business Publication Division New No. 37/C (Old No. 16/C) 2nd Floor,Whites Road, Royapettah, Chennai- 600 014 BANGALORE Ravindra Pawar The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Business Publication Division 502, 5th Floor, Devatha Plaza, Residency road, Bangalore- 560025 Mobile: +91 9632428272 ravindra.p@expressindia.com HYDERABAD The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Business Publication Division 6-3-885/7/B, Ground Floor, VV Mansion, Somaji Guda, Hyderabad – 500 082 KOLKATA Ajanta Sengupta The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Business Publication Division JL No. 29&30, NH-6, Mouza- Prasastha & Ankurhati,

“Aserious look needs to be given to hygiene and sanitation facilities on most sectors.This is not an option anymore.

Clean and functional sanitation facilities should be put on the ‘urgent’mode” Vill & PO- Ankurhati 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 Nirav Mistry The Indian Express (P) Ltd. 3rd Floor, Sambhav House, Near Judges Bunglows, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad - 380 015 Mobile: +91 9586424033

driving holiday experience in India. A serious look needs to be given to hygiene and sanitation facilities on most sectors. This is not an option anymore. The government has been speaking aggressively on clean and functional sanitation facilities but the implementation of the same should be put on the ‘urgent’ mode. The recently concluded ADTOI convention also brought out some valid pointers. It’s time these discussions at conferences and conventions get implemented once out of the convention room. Though today, we can be proud of our world class airports in metros and mini metros of the country, better air connectivity between strategic destinations is still waiting in the wings. A classic case is that to fly from Mumbai to Khajuraho, one has to travel up to New Delhi and then back into Khajuraho. For tourism to truly work in our favour, our transport infrastructure needs to work as a strong support system.

Our cover story this issue, explores the interesting hotspots for a monsoon getaway. From Munnar to Ladakh, travel agents can use these to boost their bottomlines during this lean period.

REEMA LOKESH Editor editorial.etw@expressindia.com

BHOPAL Ashwin Kamble The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Business Publication Division 2nd Floor, Express Tower, Nariman Point Mumbai- 400 021 Board line: 022- 67440000 Ext. 527 Mobile: +91 9833666558 Email id: ashwin.kamble@expressindia.com JAIPUR Baljinder Singh The Indian Express (P) Ltd. S2,J-40, Shyam GHP Enclave, Krishna Marg, C-Scheme, Jaipur - 302 001 Mobile: +91 9868848013 Email id: baljinder.singh@expressindia.com

Important: Whilst care is taken prior to acceptance of advertising copy,it is not possible to verify its contents.The Indian Express (P) Limited cannot be held responsible for such contents,nor for any loss or damages incurred as a result of transactions with companies,associations or individuals advertising in its newspapers or publications.We therefore recommend that readers make necessary inquiries before sending any monies or entering into any agreements with advertisers or otherwise acting on an advertisement in any manner whatsoever.

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CONTENTS MANAGEMENT Vol 11 No 4 MAY 2016 Pages 40

26

Chairman of the Board

Viveck Goenka Sr Vice President - BPD

Neil Viegas Editor

Reema Lokesh* Chief of Product

Prabhas Jha

BUSINESS IN LUTHER COUNTRY THE GERMAN NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD (GNTB) COULD NOT HAVE HAD A BETTER BACKDROP FOR THE 42ND GERMAN TRAVEL MART (GTM) THAN SAXONY ANHALT WHICH WILL BE CELEBRATING ITS FAMOUS RESIDENT, MARTIN LUTHER KING AND 500 YEARS OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION IN 2017

Assistant Editor

Steena Joy Sr. Associate Editor

Sudipta Dev CONTENT TEAM Kolkata

Joy Roy Choudhury New Delhi

Saloni Bhatia DESIGN National Design Editor

Bivash Barua Assistant Art Director

EDGE

Pravin Temble Senior Graphic Designerr

Rushikesh Konka

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Senior Artist

Ratilal Ladani, Kiran Parker SCHEDULING & COORDINATION

Ashish Anchan Photo Editor

Sandeep Patil MARKETING Regional Heads

Harit Mohanty - East & West Prabhas Jha - North Manager

Ashwin Kamble Marketing Team

Debnarayan Dutta Ajanta Sengupta Mathen Mathew Ravindra Pawar

MONSOON

MANTRA MARKETS

CIRCULATION

Mohan Varadakar PRODUCTION

A BILLION OPPORTUNITIES WHILE MANY INDIANS ARE TRAVELLING OVERSEAS, THE REAL OPPORTUNITY LIES IN OUR OWN BACKYARD. THIS WAS THE THEME OF THE SEVENTH ADTOI ANNUAL CONVENTION IN KHAJURAHO

(20-25) LIFE

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CANADA FOCUSES ON MILLENNIAL TRAVEL

08

IATO ANNOUNCES NEW TEAM FOR 2016-2018

09

NORTHERN LIGHTS DRAW INDIANS TO ICELAND

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SOUTH AFRICA TO OPEN FOUR NEW VISA CENTRES IN INDIA

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General Manager

B R Tipnis Manager

Bhadresh Valia Express TravelWorld® POSTAL REGD. NO. MCS/163/2016 – 18 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 & Administrative Offices: Express Towers, 1st Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400021)

P03: EDITOR’S NOTE

A ROYAL CALLING UK'S ROYALTY JOINS HANDS WITH ELEPHANT FAMILY TO HELP SAVE THE ASIAN PACHYDERM

P35 : APPOINTMENTS P36 : WEEKEND

Copyright © 2016 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

IN THE NEWS

Canada focuses on millennial travel Indian-origin tourism minister of Canada encourages Indians to visit Sudipta Dev Montreal BARDISH CHAGGER, minister of Small Business and Tourism, Canada is among the four Indian-origin cabinet ministers in Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau's new government. In an exclusive interaction with Express TravelWorld during Canada's annual mega travel trade event Rendez-vous Canada in Montreal, the tourism minister of Canada talks about her Indian roots and invites more Indians to visit her country. “I welcome everyone from India to come and visit Canada. We will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of Canada in 2017 and it would be a great time to come,” said Chagger. Mentioning that her parents immigrated from Punjab, India in the early 1970s, she said, “India is very close to my heart. I speak in Punjabi and love my Indian food.”

During her keynote address at Rendez-vous Canada, Chag-

Bardish Chagger

ger had launched the Millennial Travel Program. “We have just launched the Millennial Travel Program and it is really important that millennials travel, not only to see the world, but to come to Canada. You can discover the entire world in our country. We have 10 provinces, three territories and numerous experiences,” she stated. Pointing out that a lot of effort is going into promoting aboriginal tourism, Chagger added,

“Hopefully at some point, we will be advancing culinary tourism. We really want millennials and all generations to come visit our country.”

Millennial travellers, she reminded, are born with smart phones in their hands and are al-

ways connected with the digital world through apps and snaps.

Canada is focusing on encouraging millenials to be the lifetime ambassadors of the country. The Budget 2016 is providing an additional CAD 50 million over two years to Destination Canada for

its marketing initiatives in key international markets.

The year 2015 was a milestone with tourism revenues reaching CAD 90 billion and the industry accounting for more than 637,000 direct jobs.

Maharashtra will soon get a Promotion Board for MICE tourism,pre-approval of venues Steena Joy Mumbai MAHARASHTRA which has Mumbai as an important global gateway in India is focusing on MICE tourism and plans are on the anvil to set up a promotion Board specifically for MICE tourism in the state.

Speaking at a roundtable organised by the Indian Merchants' Chamber (IMC) in Mumbai to discuss 'Repositioning Mumbai as a tourism

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destination of the future', Valsa Nair Singh, principal secretary, tourism and culture, Government of Maharashtra, informed, “We will soon set up a promotion Board for promoting MICE tourism in the state.

The Board will be a one-stopshop for MICE, facilitating permissions for big conferences and events. We are also looking at a system of pre-approved venues for the same and a Single Window System for hospitality.”

She added that the redevelopment of Film City was already in process under which 40 new studios with world class post production facilities will be set up as well as an archive for Marathi and Hindi films. She reiterated that the new Tourism Policy to be announced any time soon will have three main aspects : Project development, human resiources or skill development and investment & promotion which will offer a big basket

of incentives for the industry including complete tax exemptions for 20 years for investment in some tourism districts.

Paraag Jaiin Nainuttia, managing director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), agreed that the new policy will be a complete game changer for tourism in the state. He added, “MTDC's chopper darshan has evoked a very good response. We plan to start the

Mumbai Darshan buses in May. We will have 11 hop on hop off buses. We are also looking at promoting yacht tourism. There are about 93 private yachts in the state and

by October 2016 we hope to make some of them available for commercial use to offer tourists leisure trips in the Mumbai Harbour. We are also planning to work on setting up a few casinos in the state with the required permissions.”

IN THE NEWS

IATO announces new MoTto organise team for 2016-2018 mega India Global Saloni Bhatia New Delhi INDIAN ASSOCIATION of Tour Operators (IATO) elected its new team members for the next two year term 2016- 2018.

Pronab Sarkar has been elected as the president while Rajeev Kohli will take on as senior vice president. Rajiv Mehra will become vice president, whereas Lally Mathews will come in as honorary secretary. Amresh Tewari will continue to hold his position as honorary treasurer while Sandeep Jain has been elected as the joint secretary.

P S Duggal, Raj Bajaj, Rajnish Kaistha, Ramesh Wattel and Viney Tyagi will constitute the newly elected executive

committee while N S Rathore, Sunil Gupta and Zia Siddique are elected as allied members to the executive committee.

Speaking to Express TravelWorld, the team shared the vision ahead for the association. Kohli said, “I have had a long association with IATO and I look forward to work to the best benefit of the members. We look to add more structural associations for the team and work on better communication among the members. We will continue our efforts towards bringing in new concepts in the industry and take our members forward. I would also initiate better marketing opportunities for IATO and encourage enhanced communication

among members.”

Mehra commented, “My roles have increased now and they include working for the road shows, conventions and other activities. I will particularly see that the members earning less than ` two crore enter the mainstream and get the government benefits. We will continue to do our work in bringing new policies, get reduction in service tax and new regulations. Being the vice president brings more responsibility on my shoulders and I look forward to achieve more for the team."

Tewari stated, “Our aim remains the same, we wish to work for the benefit of our members and tourism industry as a whole.”

OM Tourism gets Prom Peru in its portfolio Melia Hotels and Onyx Hospitality to be represented

by Outbound Marketing in India Reema Lokesh Mumbai OM TOURISM will now represent Prom Peru in the India market. Peru has a strong trade link with India. Promoting tourism to this yet to be explored region of South America will only add to the vibrant links between the two countries. Speaking about Peru and the plans to market and promote the destination in India, Sanjay Sondhi, CEO,

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OM Tourism said, “Peru for me is a mysterious destination waiting to be explored. It is rightly called the Land of Hidden Treasures. The Inca Trail is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Apart from the well known Machu Picchu, there is so much more to unfold in this unique region.

The cuisine, adventure, fun and entertainment aspect of the destination makes it attractive for the younger age groups travelling from India.

We are all set to connect and conduct knowledge based trade and media engagements to promote the destination. We are keen to both understand the queries of the trade and also educate them on the destination simultaneously.”

Outbound Marketing has also been appointed by Melia Hotels International and Onyx Hospitality to handle their sales and marketing in India.

Travel Mart in January 2017 Steena Joy Khajuraho THE MINISTRY of tourism, Government of India plans to organise a mega India Global Travel Mart from January 10-14, 2017 in Delhi. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the seventh Annual Convention of the Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), Vinod Zutshi, tourism secretary, Government of India, announced, “The mega India Travel Mart will be on the lines of international trade shows like ITB Berlin and WTM London.

We will also be organising a Tourism Investor’s Summit this year from September 2123 in Delhi.” Zutshi also informed that the new Civil Aviation Policy will be launched soon. “Regional connectivity will be the strength of this policy,” he said.

Zutshi also stated that the MoT plans to set up a MICE cum cultural centre in Khajuraho to bring in the big conventions and exhibitions.

He further informed that a heritage tourism circuit is being planned in Madhya Pradesh as part of the Swadesh Darshan initiative of the Government of India.

As for coastal tourism, Zutshi opined that tourism products related to water have not been tapped to their full potential at all. He said, “We have already started working on this. Funds of `500 crore have been allotted to five

Vinod Zutshi

The mega India Travel Mart will be on the lines of international trade shows like ITB Berlin states to develop infrastructure like boat jetties and houseboats.” Adding to this, Tanvi Sundriyal, assistant managing director, Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) said, “We have already constructed boat jetties at 13 locations in the state and are issuing licences to houseboats to operate in these locations.”

IN THE NEWS

Northern Lights draw Indians to Iceland Sudipta Dev Mumbai INDIA is a new and emerging market for Iceland. The country received a little over 1,000 tourists from India in 2015. Promote Iceland that recently organised its maiden roadshow in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, is looking at attracting the highend Indian traveller. "We have only recently started to work in the India market.We get over a million visitors a year, the share of India is not good, but we see a lot of interest from this market, a lot of queries at the embassy through us,” said Thorir Ibsen, ambassador of Iceland to India.

At present the main interest

Thorir Ibsen

of the Indian traveller in Iceland is the Northern Lights. “The Aurora Borealis can be seen from October to February. That seems to attract Indians quite a lot. They are much more interested in winter tourism,” said Ibsen, adding that the other activities are skiing, visit to glaciers and highlands, traditional places like the Golden Circle, going inside a volcano, the Blue Lagoon,

etc. “You can in fact do most of the activities that you can do in summer, from a different perspective,” he mentioned adding that the country has fjords like in Norway. There is also heritage tourism showcasing the culture of the Vikings of the eighth and the ninth centuries, both in museums and locations around the country.

Iceland has good accommo-

dation options. Many people who visit during the winter months stay in Reykjavík and do day trips around the country.

“There are also good hotels across the country with modern amenities. In terms of cuisine there are two Indian restaurants in Reykjavík. We get chefs from India who work there. We are not a vegetarian country, but apart from the Indian restau-

rants there are a number of vegetarian outlets in the capital and hotels around the country have started to make the effort,” he stated.

The Icelandic delegation included representation from companies like Gray Line, Iceland Air, Iceland Europe Travel, Tripical, Gudmundur Jonasson Travel, Iceland Travel and Terra Nova Iceland.

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IN THE NEWS

South Africa to open four new visa centres in India Mohit Rathod Mumbai SOUTH AFRICAN Tourism has announced the opening of four new visa application centres in India, in order to cater to increasing visa applications. The new centres are expected to open by the end of 2016, bringing the number of visa application centres from nine to thirteen. Locations of the four new centres are yet to be disclosed.

Derek Hanekom, minister of tourism, South Africa, commented, "The number of visa applications from India is increasing and to cater to them,

we are opening four new visa application centres in India by the end of this year. One of the biggest challenges facing us is visa processing. We are giving dedicated attention to the same."

Elaborating on this, Margie Whitehouse, chief marketing officer, South African Tourism, said, "There has been a strong recovery in visa applications from India in the last three months. But visa processing has been a barrier for us and we are working towards removing these barriers. The future contains great potential in India."

Agreeing with Whitehouse, Hanekom further added, "Our efforts are directed at reducing the load of visa applications at our centres in India.

We are also working towards relaxing the visa process for Indians. One of our future considerations may grant visa exemption to Indians if they hold valid US, UK visas or visa from any country that has stringent visa processes. Furthermore, we are also planning to move in the direction of e-visas."

Alongside, Maropene Ramokgopa, consul general, South African Consulate General also revealed the plan to

One of our future considerations may grant visa exemption to Indians if they hold valid US, UK visas or visa from any country that has stringent visa processes.

We are also planning to move in the direction of e-visas ease visa processes for business travellers and frequent travellers. Aimed at reducing the load of visa applications, the plan which is still under consideration, will allow busi-

ness travellers to get a 10-year visa by applying just once.

Whereas, other frequent travellers will get a three-year visa.

This is expected to reduce the load of visa applications.

Tourism Malaysia aims to achieve target of one million Indian visitors Sudipta Dev Mumbai THE INDIAN traveller has been focused on certain traditional destinations in Malaysia like the capital Kuala Lumpur, Genting Highlands, and Langkawi. Tourism Malaysia is looking at introducing new facets of the country through new destinations and products. From destinations like Borneo and Sipadan to self drive holidays and homestays, there are a lot of unexplored attractions awaiting the Indian traveller in Malaysia, believes Mohd Hafiz Hashim, director, Tourism Malaysia, Mumbai. The newly appointed director acknowledged that there was a decrease in Indian

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visitor arrivals, he shared, “The Indian arrivals for 2015 was at 722141, a 6.2 per cent drop from 2014.” The drop in number can be attributed to factors ranging from increase in hotel rates in Malaysia to wariness of tourists to travel

by Malaysian Airlines. “Our target this year has been set at one million and I believe that through our offices in India, along with the travel trade, we can achieve the one million target. If we achieve that, we might get more budget for next year for promotional activities,” he mentioned.

Despite the fact that there was a drop in visitor arrivals, there was an increase in terms of visitor spends. “The India market is at number six, and it

The e-visa is also expected to boost visitor numbers with considerable reduction in processing time Mohd Hafiz Hashim

can be among the top three markets,” stated Hashim. The e-visa is also expected to boost visitor numbers with considerable reduction in processing time to 24-48 hours. Only In-

dian passport holders residing in India can apply for the e-visa.

Hashim is looking at introducing new products into the India market – from homes-

tays to education tourism packages. The latter being not just for school students, but also for students of higher education who can go to Malaysia for a short period of time to pursue an area of interest. He also believes that products like self drive packages could be of much interest to Indian travellers. "We have very good highways, from North to South and East to West. Also, the fact that both India and Malaysia have driving in the right side makes Indian tourists comfortable in exploring the many attractions of Malaysia on self drive holidays,” he said. Luxury travel, business travel and MICE market are the other focus areas.

IN THE NEWS

Greece says 'Yiassou' (hello) to business partners in India

Ras Al Khaimah, Cox & Kings tie up to increase Indian arrivals ETW Staff Mumbai

Mohit Rathod Mumbai GREECE IS finally looking at the India market. A travel trade delegation from Greece, in association with Emirates, recently held a presentation session for the travel fraternity in Mumbai.

The delegation included Vassilios Kontos, board member of the Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies (HATTA); Tonia Andronikou, president, Tourism Committee of Mykonos Island Municipality; Antonis Mallis, representative of Milos Island Municipality; and Maria Alifrangi, vice president, Signature Travel.

Milos Island was promoted for the first time in India market through this presentation session. Mallis said, "Milos is mainly an FIT destination; we do groups, but small ones such as top corporate groups. Milos is majorly for very niche markets.

It is for people who want some-

thing different; those who prefer an off beaten track. We are currently targeting only Mumbai.

We have come here at the right time, because more and more travel agents in India are interested in Greece."

Kontos informed, "MICE is doing well in Greece. We have a good number of islands and the mainland has good facilities for MICE. The existing infrastructure and the hotels cater to any kind of MICE requirements. There is a lot of connectivity options from India to Greece, on carriers such as Emirates and Qatar Airways." He added, "We are currently building relations with Indian travel trade. Greece was not much visited by Indians until now, but after our interactive sessions, I believe that Indian travel trade has realised the potential of our tourism products. Greece is not very expensive, so people can enjoy long weekends here."

Andronikou had a lot to share on Mykonos as well. She was confident that her region has the right ingredients in place to statify the travel wishlist of the Indian traveller who is looking for extraordinary experiences. Alifrangi was looking forward to welcoming more Indians who would also savour the local Greek flavours and cuisine. According to her, a destination can be best enjoyed if the local flavours in all its facets can be experienced.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Sunil S Kallyat, regional manager, Western India, Emirates, said, "I am delighted that the delegates from Greece have come here to interact with their Indian counterparts. It is a win-win situation for both, the delegation and Emirates, in order to jointly promote Greece as a destination."

RAS AL KHAIMAH Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has signed an agreement with Cox & Kings to strengthen its relationship and expand its presence in the India market.

This agreement will focus on promoting the various aspects of Ras Al Khaimah and popularise it in the India market. The agreement, which was signed at Arabian Travel Market (ATM), is aimed at increasing tourism arrivals to Ras Al Khaimah from India. The partnership will take effect from May 1, 2016 and will introduce Ras Al Khaimah to the India market through specially created itineraries, creation of stand alone tourism products for the emirate and market the destination via a series of campaigns and training programmes for Cox & Kings staff.

India has already cemented its position as one of the emirate’s leading source markets with an 80 per cent increase in visitors year-on-

year during 2014-2015.

Haitham Mattar, CEO, RAKTDA, said, “Following our revised strategies and vision to reach one million visitors by the end of 2018, we will be announcing a number of partnerships such as this.

Air India Express has already launched new routes to the emirate and our agreement with Cox & Kings will ensure we are making the destination as accessible. We are proud to begin a long relationship with such an established travel company within one of our top source markets. India offers a significant contribution to our overall visitor figures and we are keen to progress this opportunity to target Indian travellers even further.”

Ashutosh Mehere, senior vice president – alliances and special projects, Cox & Kings, added, “Ras Al Khaimah offers the Indian traveller an opportunity to explore a new destination. We will focus on promoting the destination aggressively in the India market and create affordable packages that capture the essence of the destination.”

(With inputs from Reema Lokesh)

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IN THE NEWS

Norwegian expands India business with offices in Mumbai, Delhi

Mohit Rathod Mumbai NORWEGIAN Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) has opened its first two sales offices in India in Mumbai and Delhi. The company has also appointed country heads to lead business activities in India, which includes Manoj Singh, country head - India, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL); and Puneet Kumar, country head India, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The two offices will represent operations of NCLH's three brands – Regent, Oceania and NCL. "We are investing heavily in our first India sales offices in Mumbai and Delhi, which are part of our expansion plan. We recognise the importance of the India market and we want it to

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become as big as China. Our business is exclusively served through travel trade. Asia Pacific is growing rapidly and we want to capitalise on that," said Steve Odell, senior vice president and managing director – Asia Pacific, NCLH. "I like the India market, which is one of the top and fastest growing markets. For us, India and Japan are the top markets. Europe is very popular among Indians and we cater to them with our various Europe itineraries," added Felix Chan, vice president, sales – Asia, NCL. Over the next four years, NCLH will introduce five new ships across the three brands.

Odell informed that the company will also invest US$ 525 million on fleet enhancements.

Speaking on the importance of the MICE segment, Odell

commented, "MICE is the strongest for the NCL brand. It is slightly difficult for high-end brands, because the cruises are longer and the ticket prices are higher. But MICE is important to us, particularly in the India market. We are looking at how we can segment cruises to make them shorter in Europe. There are some cruises where we can make a seven-day itinerary into a four-day one, to get more of the incentive business."

From March 2016 to April 2017, NCLH’s fleet will sail 45 itineraries across Asia, including destinations such as Mumbai, Goa, Mangalore, Kochi, Hong Kong, Singapore, Xiamen, Shanghai, Tianjin (Beijing), Jeju, Incheon, Kyoto (Kobe), Nagasaki, Okinawa (Naha), Tokyo, Yangon and Colombo, etc.

Monarch Cruise to offer high sea cricket and Bollywood experience ETW Staff Mumbai MONARCH CRUISE is all set to give its clients a live extravaganza of both cricket and Bollywood events at high sea in 2017. Recently in Mumbai, Aussie cricket stars Shane Warne and Brett Lee showcased the cruise experience from Monarch, which aims to bring together the best of Bollywood and cricket. The two cricket icons gave the audience a preview of the kind of entertainment they will experience on board. Somesh Jagga, CEO, Monarch Cruise presented the luxurious experience that the cruise will offer, which has an inventory of 800 cabins. Elaborating on the concept of Monarch Cruise, Somesh Jagga said, “Throughout this cruise, we will bring to Indian travellers the ultimate luxury cruising lifestyle in a way that is truly unique. We are delighted to have with us several of the personalities who will be on board the Monarch Cruise.

We’re sure that the cruise will give travellers the experience of what it will be like to meet their favourite cricket stars and celebrities in person.”

The cruise offers seven different itineraries with four seven-day legs, two 13-day legs, and one 26-day experience for the cruise enthusiasts. Departing from Singapore on March 5, 2017, the ship will course through Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Penang, Colombo and Cochin before reaching Mumbai and retracing the route back to Singapore. As per the initial reports, ticket sales have been very strong, with selected cabin types already selling out. Other stars and personalities scheduled to be on board the Monarch Cruise include Kumar Sangakkara, Brendon McCullum, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Dean Jones, Michael Bevan, etc.

From red carpet gala events, shore entertainment, destinations views, gourmet meals, Monarch aims to bring to Indian globetrotters a unique cruise experience.

IN THE NEWS

St Pete/Clearwater looks to expand reach in India Sudipta Dev Mumbai AT A DISTANCE of 153 km from Orlando, which is popular with Indian travellers to Florida, is another interesting destination that could be of much interest to visitors from India on account of its diversified attractions.

St Pete/Clearwater is one of Florida's premier destinations. “Whether it is our pristine, white sand beaches Clearwater beach is ranked first on TripAdvisor’s Best Beaches in the US and St Pete Beach is ranked at fourth - or our world class museums like the Chihuly Collection or the Dali Museum, our destination has the ideal blend of cultural and outdoor offerings,” said David Downing, executive director, Visit St Pete/Clearwater. He pointed out that St Pete/Clearwater is also home to a bustling foodie scene and features countless award win-

David Downing

ning, individually owned and operated restaurants.

Acknowledging that presently they do not have any data that measures the growth in visitor arrivals from India, Downing remarked, “We are always looking for new ways to experience growth in visitation from this market.” Regarding engagement with the Indian

market, he mentioned, “St Pete/Clearwater is always interested in expanding our reach - both nationally and internationally. While we do not have any solidified plans for a specific outreach initiative in India at this time, it is a country that is on our radar

to expand efforts into.”

It is a destination that always offers something new for repeat travellers - from new hotels to tourism activities.

“This year, St Pete/Clearwater opened two new, oceanfront resorts -the Opal Sands on Clearwater

Beach and the Treasure Island Beach Resort on Treasure Island. In addition, the Dali Museum features rotating exhibits, so there is always something new to explore on every trip back to the destination,” informed Downing.

Thailand's Surat Thani province targets Mumbai,Surat markets Kajol Somaya Mumbai THE GOVERNOR of Surat Thani province of Thailand Wongsiri Promchana, along with a Thai delegation, organised a trade road show in Mumbai, aimed at promoting tourism, trade and business.

Around 19 trade partners from Thailand participated in the show. The province is

currently targeting Mumbai and Surat markets.

Surat Thani, the largest province in Southern Thailand, has good ties with Surat in Gujarat due to historic similarities. Promchana highlighted the tourist attractions of Surat Thani, as part of educating the Indian travel trade. The mainland of Surat Thani attracts mostly MICE activities, while also

serving as a family destination.

“As of now we only plan to promote and market Surat Thani in Surat and Mumbai.

India is one of the most important markets for us and has huge potential,” said Promchana.

Alongside India, the province has been active in promotional activities in China and Europe.

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IN THE NEWS

Sovereign Hill aims to attract Indians with 'Christmas in July'

Bridging the digital gap between travellers and travel agents Saloni Bhatia New Delhi

Saloni Bhatia New Delhi STARTING from Harley Davidson tours, food and wine tours, coffee tours to 'chocoholics tours', Melbourne has a lot to offer for the tourists. Ballarat's Sovereign Hill brings to life the excitement of Australia’s great 1850s gold rushes.

Situated at about one and a half hour drive from Melbourne, it has been named Australia's 'Major Tourist Attraction' three times in a row. Sovereign Hill received about 165,000 international visitors in 2015, of which, Indian tourists accounted for over 10,000. The place organises 'Christmas in July', celebrating the festival and making it a major tourist attraction.

Talking to Express TravelWorld about this relatively novel concept, Garry Burns, director, marketing, The Sovereign Hill Museums Association, explained, “We have invested AU$ 1.2 million on this project and expect around 80,000200,000 tourists this year, 10

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Garry Burns and Beena Menon

per cent of which would be international. This year we have extended Christmas in July from two weeks to one month to showcase the place to a wider audience. During the day, the street is brimming with Christmas decorations and people singing carols. There is snowfall in the evening and a live demonstration of wonder lights adding to the experience.”

“India ranks ninth on our inbound list, but we expect a growth of over 20 per cent in the coming years. We are targeting

groups and families for a day trip to the hill. Christmas in July is a relatively new concept that we have brought along and we hope that we will attract more tourists. Apart from this, Sovereign Hill is a major attraction throughout the year, with Pan for Gold as a major attraction.

There is a sound and light show, one of the best in the world, that the guests can enjoy in the evening. We have introduced several packages including day trips and overnight stays,” he added.

HELLOTRAVEL is a new marketplace aggregating travellers and agents to make planning and booking trips easy and convenient.

With over two million active users, the online portal has 13,000 travel packages available from over 5,000 travel agents. Available on both website as well as app, it simply assists the travellers in booking the right package. Gaurav Gupta, cofounder and CMO, Hellotravels.com, said, “Layers between a traveller and local travel agent increase the overall cost of a package.

Whereas using us, travellers get access to the most competitive rates for their trip, and travel agents can customise the deals. Online travel portals sell their services after adding their margins which puts a dent in consumer delight.”

Speaking on travel agents' presence on the portal, he elaborated, “We want Hellotravel to be one-stopshop for travellers for all their travel needs. Be it visa, ticketing, accommodation, sightseeing, car rental, tour guide or any other travel related service. Secondly, booking with local travel agents ensure competitive pricing for travellers. Travelling through a local travel agent, who has first-hand insider knowledge on the destination, ensures that travellers gets what they expect from the destination and not a standard itinerary usually sold to them. We have over

Gaurav Gupta

5,000 travel agents from 50 countries and 80 per cent of our agents have received more than 4.2 / 5 rating on their overall service.”All of the portal's bookings come through the agents and over 70 per cent travellers travel with an agent connected through HelloTravel. The company is currently focusing on domestic/outbound sector in India, and adding agents from all zones within India. “We also have a dedicated team which is building a base of international travel agents. Travel agencies and their businesses in India have traditionally been seasonal and unorganised with pricing variations that are unimaginable. We are trying to sift through that clutter and also work on lending some element of credibility to these businesses for the travellers, while at the same time ensuring a sellers’ market for the agents,” he added.

IN THE NEWS

Florida generates $89.1 bn in tourism revenues ETW Staff Mumbai NEWLY RELEASED figures from the Florida Department of Revenue report that visitors spent US$ 89.1 billion in 2015, an increase of US$ 7.1 billion from the previous year. Florida welcomed 105 million out-of-state and international visitors, marking the fifth consecutive record year for Florida tourism.

“Visitors spent US$ 89.1 billion in Florida last year on taxable goods, of which more than US$ 5.3 billion was returned to the state in sales tax collections. That represents an increase of US$ 425 million over the previous year. Those are taxes Florida’s businesses and families don’t have pay because

our visitors have paid them for us,” said Dr Jerry Parrish, chief economist and director of research, Florida Chamber

Foundation.

Record visitation and visitor spending have translated into record employment in

Florida’s hospitality industry, which currently employees 1.2 million residents. The achievement is attributed to

the leadership of Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature, and the private-sector support and investment.

Air Canada to launch seasonal Vancouver-Delhi flight ETW Staff Mumbai AIR CANADA has introduced non-stop flights from Vancouver to Delhi, beginning October 20, 2016, in time for Diwali festivities. The seasonal, three-times weekly flights complement Air Canada’s Toronto-Delhi non-stop service.

Benjamin Smith, president, passenger airlines, Air Canada, said, “Customer response to our Toronto-Delhi

service has been positive, and with this new seasonal Vancouver route, we are strategically increasing our presence in the important Asia-Pacific market in time for Diwali festival celebrations. Our nonstop Dreamliner flights from our Vancouver hub will also offer the shortest elapsed flying time from Calgary, Edmonton, Seattle, Portland and Los Angeles to Delhi.”

“The cultural ties between India and British Columbia reach back 100 years, and with

These direct routes facilitate speedy travel for those considering and currently doing business in India

increasing trade and investment links, those ties are growing stronger every year.

Air Canada’s new VancouverDelhi route reflects the increasing importance of our relationship with India,” commented premier Christy Clark.

Flights will operate threetimes-weekly from October 20, 2016 to April 8, 2017 with Air Canada’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft featuring 30 international business class lieflat pod suites, 21 premium

economy and 247 economy class seats with upgraded inflight entertainment at every seat throughout the aircraft.

“The Canada-India Business Council is thrilled to hear that Air Canada will be offering yet another direct service to India from Vancouver.

These direct routes facilitate speedy travel for those considering and currently doing business in India,” expressed Gary Comerford, president and CEO, Canada-India Business Council.

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IN THE NEWS

Macao leverages luxury Los Angeles offerings to drive focuses on India market growth from India Mohit Rathod Mumbai MACAO, which is renowned for its luxury experiences, has seen a significant growth in Indian arrivals in recent years. Around 80-85 per cent of Indian arrivals in Macao consist of leisure travellers, making India an important market for Macao to promote its luxury offerings.

Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Arzan Khambatta, head, India representative office, Macao Government Tourism Office, informed, "Indian travellers visit Macao to experience its luxury and grandeur, so while they might stay at three-star or fourstar hotels in neighbouring countries, they would want to stay in a five-star hotel in Macao just to experience the luxury.

Alongside, we have also observed the trend of celebrations; a lot of Indians are now looking at Macao to celebrate their special occasions."

India stood as the 10th most important source country for Macao in 2015, with 167,578 Indian arrivals in Macao, contributing 0.5 per cent of total arrivals from across the world.

Whereas, Mainland China and Hong Kong continue to dominate figures, Khambatta is positive about India maintaining or improving its position in 2016.

He stated, "In 2016, until now, India is not on the top 10 list, primarily due to travel patterns.

Our season has just started; April, May, June and July form the peak season for us, and we hope that India will appear in the top 10 list this year too."

Elaborating on the importance of India market, Khambatta added, "India possesses

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MICE is one of the main segments for Macao, specially the incentive travel. Indians don't require a visa to visit Macao, which is a big advantage tremendous growth potential for travel to Macao. India is the fastest growing country for outbound travel and Macao, with is varied offerings, will be able to attract increasing number of Indians. In fact, for the first quarter of 2016, we are already up by around 6.5 per cent. Alongside our core markets – Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, we are now entering more markets like Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Pune and Chandigarh. It's part of our strategy for 2016; to reach out to the Tier II cities through participation in exhibitions and sales visits."

Although Macao is dominated by the leisure travel segment, MGTO identifies MICE as a significant area and plans to grow the segment through various incentives. "MICE is one of the main segments for Macao, especially the incentive travel.

Indians don't require a visa to visit Macao, which is a big advantage for Macao to attract corporate incentive travel. Macao, with its well-developed infrastructure, rich culture and high entertainment value, offers a very attractive proposition for incentive movements. The numerous massive hotel properties offer big room inventory, which is an added advantage to cater to the big incentive movements from India. We also have an interesting incentive programme

for corporates choosing Macao for minimum of two nights.

Macao might not be a standalone destination for leisure travel from India, but it has definitely emerged as a standalone destination for incentive travel," said Khambatta.

Due to most of the inbound travel taking place via Hong Kong; MGTO, as part of its strategy, is looking at promoting the region as a whole and pairing Macao with itineraries including other destinations in the region.

India-specific marketing approach will highlight family oriented activities and promote various interesting facets of Macao, such as its unique culture, family attractions, entertaining shows, grandeur and more. Khambatta affirmed focus on Tier II cities of India due to their growing potential. He stated, "Responses from the Indian travel fraternity have been very positive. People recognise Macao as a prominent destination. We are working with travel agents and have been doing many promotional activties in India including trade interactions, and multiple consumer focused campaigns. Our online strategy utilises social media very effectively and extensively to reach out to consumers and inspire them about our magnificent destination."

Mohit Rathod Mumbai LOS ANGELES Tourism & Convention Board, which recently partnered with India's Sartha Global Marketing, is establishing its presence in the India market. Sartha will facilitate relationships between LATCB and Indian travel trade and MICE partners, along with focused promotions with airline partners in India.

Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Ernest Wooden Jr, president and CEO, LATCB, informed, "India is the second largest fastest growing market for tourism in Los Angeles, just behind China. There's a possibility that India may overtake China, which is one of the main reasons why we are representing in India. Last year, LA welcomed more than 46.5 million people, which makes it one of the principal destinations in the world for leisure travel. Because of that robust growth, we are expanding our footprint internationally, and India is a major part of it."

LA witnessed 99,000 Indian travellers in 2015, marking 7.6 per cent growth over 92,000 Indian travellers in 2014. LATCB's research department is projecting that Indian arrivals will grow by 4.8 per cent this year.

Although India is presently the second largest fastest growing inbound market or LA, it is still not among the top 10 markets.

Wooden Jr, commented, "Ten years ago, China was not in

Ernest Wooden Jr

the top 10, but it's now the number one inbound market for LA; the world is changing rapidly, so despite the fact that India is currently not among the top 10 inbound markets, it will soon be, there's no doubt."

Of the seven million international travellers to LA, about 19 per cent were business travellers. "Los Angeles is a diverse commercial hub that features entertainment, but we also have great manufacturing industries. So the business travel segment is taking off because of the diverse economy of Los Angeles," said Wooden Jr. Informing about marketing strategy, Sheema Vohra, managing director, Sartha Global Marketing, added, "Initially, Mumbai and Delhi will be our focus regions for marketing. Currently, our promotional efforts will be on educating the Indian travel fraternity and consumers."

HOTEL TALK

'OUR BRAND IS HIGHLYFOCUSED ON THE MILLENNIALDEMOGRAPHIC' Girish Jhunjhnuwala, the Indian origin owner and founder of Hong Kong based lifestyle hospitality brand, Ovolo Hotels, is looking at expanding his brand to different countries, including India. By Sudipta Dev What is the USP of Ovolo Hotels brand?

We make hospitality effortless from check-in to check-out.

Ovolo guests never had to worry about such things as whether they will be charged for the can of coke at the minibar, because it’s all inclusive with their rate in our suite of signature freebies. In addition to a free fully-stocked minibar, the suite includes free daily happy, high-speed Wi-Fi in the hotel and the city, self-service laundry, flexible checkout and much more. Our eight hotels ensure that the utmost effort is made to all of life’s necessities are an arms-length or phone call away.

Your expansion plans in the next five years?

To continue growing the Ovolo brand overseas, particularly in the Australian market.

We see great potential for our boutique concept in established

properties. Every property (currently 10 in total: eight hotels; two serviced apartments) in Ovolo’s portfolio is both owned and operated by us. This will continue to be our development focus for the foreseeable future.

Girish Jhunjhnuwala

markets, and aim to open more hotels in the country, while keeping a close eye on opportunities elsewhere in APAC, Western Europe and the US. Will this expansion be through management contracts or owned properties?

Our business strategy has always been focused on owned

How focused are you on India, as a source market for your properties?

There’s incredible potential in India’s every-growing middleclass market. We’ve had significant interest in recent years for Ovolo hotels, particularly in Hong Kong, from the Indian market, and have also begun seeing upward trends in interest for Australia from Indian business and leisure travellers.

Our goal is to show Indian travellers, who are already spoiled for choice in premium hospitality within their own country, that Ovolo is a brand that count on for consistent quality with a

unique approach, when travelling overseas, every time.

Do you have any plans to introduce Ovolo Hotels in India?

If yes, then where?

We’re very keen on expanding the Ovolo brand to India, and it’s certainly in our five-year plan to introduce our gamechanging, exciting brand to India. Our brand is highly focused on the millennial demographic, a sector which India is expecting to have more than 700 million constituents in the coming years. We couldn’t be more excited to introduce the Ovolo brand to them.

Your perception of the evolving trends in APAC's hospitality market.

Customisation and individuality are becoming more and more highly demanded in APAC’s hospitality market. The age-old idea of creating one ho-

tel brand, and copying it across various markets for consistency is no longer valid, especially with millennials. They want to stay at hotels they can ultimately “call their own”. Hotels that cater to their various needs. We firmly believe Ovolo’s leading this rising trend.

Any other significant factor you would like to highlight?

When we started Ovolo, everyone doubted our ability to succeed with our all-inclusive vision. But we’ve proved over and over the concept works.

There’s nothing worse than checking out from a hotel, and finding additional charges for things you didn’t even know were billable. Transparency can come in a lot of ways. For the hotel business, we firmly believe letting your guests know what they’re paying for upfront, is the guaranteed path to customer loyalty.

Marriott and Starwood stockholders vote to approve merger ETW Staff Mumbai STOCKHOLDERS of both Marriott and Starwood Hotels & Resorts have approved proposals relating to Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood, which will create the world’s largest hotel company. Holders of over 97 per cent of Marriott shares present and voting at the meeting, representing over 79 per

cent of outstanding shares, voted in favour of a proposal to issue shares of Marriott common stock in connection with the transaction, and holders of over 95 per cent of Starwood shares present and voting at the meeting, representing over 63 per cent of outstanding shares, voted in favour of a proposal to approve the transaction. Arne Sorenson, president and CEO, Marriott, said, “With

this successful stockholder approval milestone, we are much closer to completing our transaction. Our teams continue to plan the integration of our two companies, and we are committed to a timely and smooth transition. ” At closing, Starwood stockholders will receive 0.8 shares of Marriott common stock plus US$ 21 in cash for each share of Starwood common stock.

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HOTEL TALK

India, the top market for Address Hotels in Dubai Saloni Bhatia Mumbai THE ADDRESSS Hotels and Resorts recently organised a road show in India with the aim to reposition the brand in the India market. They also introduced two new properties: The Address, Boulevard in the five star segment and Rove hotels for the budget travellers. Chris Newman, corporate director – operations, Emaar Hospitality Group LLC, and Pascal Dupuis, general manager, The Address, Boulevard, Dubai were present at the event.

Talking to Express TravelWorld, Newman, said, “India is an important market for us and is now the number one market. Dubai has over 1.6 million Indian tourists which has seen a 25 per cent increase from 2014-2015. For us, the India market in 2015 was approximately 10,000 room nights. With the launch of some new properties and

Chris Newman

brands coming on board for us, we feel we shall be able to double the room nights by 2017.” Talking about plans to pitch to the Indian customers, he said, “ We have three different brands and distinct hotels that offer three different price points. Starting at the Address Hotels and Resorts which is our premium luxury

Figures tell us that India is already the number one market entering Dubai and the growth is going to continue.

Now we have services, food and beverages more tailored for Indian clients

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lifestyle brand, we then have Veda hotels and resorts which is our boutique lifestyle brand and finally Rove that we will be launching on May 1, 2016 which is a contemporary midscale brand. With a varied portfolio, I think it would widen our potential to tap into the India market.”

Newman also stated, “The business coming from India comprises of 55 per cent leisure travellers. I think there is not much of challenge to bring them to Dubai. Figures tell us that India is already the number one market entering Dubai and the growth is going to continue.

Historically our offerings may not have been strong enough, but now we have services, food and beverages more tailored for Indian clients. We are now offering tea along with Arabic coffee to our guests at the entrance and even the buffet has items cooked by Indian chefs. Those little touches would make us more friendly and dynamic for the India market.”

Dupus further informed, “The Address is the second largest building in downtown and we have 196 rooms and 532 apartments. We are largely focusing on families on vacation. I feel the restaurant section would particularly appeal to the Indian travellers since we have Indian chefs preparing dishes for the guests and also live kitchen section.”

MHG announces Oaks Bodhgaya in India ETW Staff Mumbai MINOR HOTEL Group (MHG) has announced the development of Oaks Bodhgaya in Bihar, India. The project is in partnership with GP Group and Top Travel & Tours (TTPL). The overall project investment is US$ 6.7 million.

Oaks Bodhgaya is in the final stages of development and is slated to open in Q4 this year. The first phase of the property will have a total of 78 keys, in addition to a restaurant, a conference hall, a terrace with meditation area and landscaped gardens. The second phase is also under development which will add a further 60 keys and will bring the total to 138 keys. The hotel is located along the main road in Bodhgaya between the Mahabodhi Temple and the airport. Dillip Rajakarier, CEO, Minor Hotel Group, commented, “Hot on the heels of our first Oaks India an-

nouncement earlier this year, we are thrilled to be bringing the Oaks brand to Bodhgaya.

Religious tourism is a huge market and represents a great opportunity and Oaks Bodhgaya will be well placed to capitalise on this when it becomes the first Oaks in India upon opening towards the end of the year. We are pleased to be partnering with GP Group and look forward to working closely with the team to bring this new hotel to the market.”

Sanjog Modgil, vice president – hospitality, GP Group, said, “The GP Group has long recognised the potential of the Indian Buddhist circuit and the opportunities for developing branded hotels in all the major destinations within the circuit. We are delighted to partner with Minor Hotel Group and Top Travel & Tours to launch the Oaks Bodhgaya, which marks our first step in establishing our presence in the world famous Buddhist circuit in India.”

HOTEL TALK

'ALLCITCO PROPERTIES HAVE THEIR DISTINCTFEATURES' Hotel Mountview in Chandigarh occupies a place of pride in the CITCO (Chandigarh Industrial & Tourism Development Corporation) portfolio. Rakesh Rawat, GM, Hotel Mountview talks about the evolving hospitality scenario in the region and the challenges of guest/talent retention

By Reema Lokesh How do you witness Chandigarh as a business destination and growth city?

Chandigarh aka City Beautiful is a growing destination. The domestic traveller is still discovering the city. An excellent IT park is awaiting its full bloom and the advantages of having the business areas of Mohali, Panchkula and Zirakpur make it an ideal destination for social events and incentivised MICE. Does the city hold potential for a vibrant hospitality business. If yes, why?

Yes indeed, Chandigarh happens to be a midpoint halt for people visiting Shimla and nearby destinations. Even a one night’s stay leaves the traveller enchanted with what the city offers with respect to the parks, Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden and heritage structures like Capitol Complex designed by Le Corbusier. It would be unfair not to mention the efforts of the administration in maintaining traffic discipline and cleanliness in addition to other services provided for the citizens of Chandigarh.

What is the USP of your property and the others in the CITCO portfolio?

All CITCO properties have their distinct features. Hotel Mountview Chandigarh is a five star hotel, the first one of its kind in the city ideally situated

and easily accessible to the business district, shopping malls and places of entertainment. Shivalik View is a four star property situated in the evergreen Sector 17 of Chandigarh and Parkview is a busy mid-segment hotel and runs a full house practically. Each of the hotels has their own potential with respect to business and have their loyal guests from decades.

How do you position your property in the city and beyond?

Spread over approximately 6.2 acres, Hotel Mountview is five star business hotel suitable to hold meetings and conferences.

We have a large market share for wedding seasons as we have the best lawns in a five star hotel here. The hotel boasts of two large lawns which combined can accommodate 1,500 guests.

We definitely have an edge in this sector with our rightly priced menus.

How do you analyse the region of Punjab and Haryana as business zones for hospitality investments?

Both regions have immense potential. We need to just activate certain factors to add the leisure segments. Punjab and Haryana, both have easy access to Chandigarh and thus there is great synergy between the three regions: undoubtedly, the best example of a symbiotic re-

and Haryana. Guests here are fond of all international cuisines and an evening out to experiment is not ruled out. My take on the trends is that classical Indian food rules the region, followed by pan Asian cuisine.

Rakesh Rawat

lationship between three areas.

There is potential for which category of hotels?

With the growing desires of the youth travelling in search of challenges and the phenomenal push the start ups are giving them, I strongly feel there is a need for the mid-market and lower segment hotels. By midmarket and lower segments, I mean to say that comfort and quality need not be compromised, but have the same at no recurring costs to the hotel.

With the room aggregator business taking its toll and challenging the large operators, these segments in cities like Chandigarh are making a kill.

What are the F&B trends in the region?

Chandigarh is a city of people who are widely travelled and are well informed. It also happens to be the capital of Punjab

What are the challenges in terms of human resource, talent search and skills development?

Human resource has its fair share of challenges of bringing in the right kind of talent. Fortunately for Chandigarh, we still do manage to get good talent. Hotel Mountview has very experienced staff. This has proved to our advantage and attrition has been low for us. We are constantly, with the help of IHM and CIHM Chandigarh, trying to impart skill training and carrying out various certifications for the staff of the hotel.

'Hunar Se Rozgar' is an excellent medium of imparting skill development to the needy, so that they can be made to sustain themselves.

What are your challenges as a general manager?

As general managers, it has become extremely challenging for us to retain guests as well as talent. The guest is constantly looking to better the deal and the talent is constantly looking to move to a different property or to a different city, based on the comfort levels the individual is seeking. Thus one needs

to be innovative all the times to retain both.

What is your message, as a general manager, for future hospitality talent?

As anyone in the hospitality industry will confirm, general managers have their work cut out for them. It can take up to 15 to 20 years to become a hotel general manager. This long and bumpy road is undoubtedly filled with excitement and accomplishments as well as challenges and sleepless nights.

While some qualities of a successful hotel general manager may seem innate, such as composure, patience, being a 'people person', and leadership, to name a few; most hoteliers will tell you that a lot of blood, sweat and tears is involved to get to the top of the ladder. Years of experience in different areas of the industry have got you to a nice office, but don't get too comfortable. With so many meetings, emails, and administrative tasks to attend to, it's easy to get trapped. Spend too much time in the office and you may lose track of what is happening in the 'front of house'.

So make it a practice to spend a little time each day walking around the hotel, helping the front desk, directing and motivating employees, inspecting rooms, interacting with a guest or two. This will help you understand your employees, guests and hotel better.

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MONSOON MANTRA India has several destinations that can sell as unique monsoon getaways.

All that is needed is a strategy that can turn this lean season into a viable business opportunity

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THE MAIN FOCUS

ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS T

he Andaman & Nicobar Islands, over the years, has developed into a popular ecotourism destination.Andaman & Nicobar Islands features humid weather.The monsoon lasts for around 180 days in a year.The South West monsoon touches the Indian soil first in the Andamans, then proceeding towards mainland India.These islands are blessed with the bounties of both South West, mid-May to September; and North East monsoons, November to January.

During monsoon season, tourists can have more options both indoors and outdoors.The lush green vegetation and scenic beauty of the islands are more predominant in monsoon.Various adventure activities can be enjoyed during this period. Monsoons accompany moderate to heavy

rainfalls. Hoteliers in Andamans also offer discounts during monsoon seasons.

One of the major monsoon attraction at the islands is the Music Festival / Monsoon Festival.The Monsoon Festival is organised in the month of August-September in order to provide round-the-year tourism activities to tourists.The festival features music, food kiosks and many more attractions.The Music Festival, alongside the Monsoon festival, is very popular among visitors.

The island also organises Food Festival and World Tourism Day celebrations. Coinciding with World Tourism Day celebration on September 27, the tourism department organises a four-day food festival featuring ethnic food of the islands.

Music performances and a variety of cultural programmes are also

held during the festival.

How to reach: Veer Savarkar International Airport at Port Blair is connected to Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Vishakhapatnam, Bengaluru and Pune. Passenger ship service is also available to Port Blair from Chennai, Kolkata and Vishakhapatnam.

Accommodation: Silver Sand Beach Resort, SeaShell Havelock, Symphony Palms Beach Resort, Barefoot at Havelock, Fortune Resort Bay Island, Sea Princess Port Blair, Sinclairs Bay View, Port Blair, Dolphin Resort, Hotel Sentinel, Eco Villa Palm Beach Resort and more.

GOA

S

ituated along the west coast of India touching the Arabian Sea, Goa is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India.The state features partly hilly terrain with Western Ghats in the East.The climate of Goa remains pleasant throughout the year.The period of June to September is South West Monsoon Season, which is most rainy season for Goa. Whole infrastructure of state like

agriculture, drinking water and electricity etc depends upon the monsoon season. Goa experiences an average rainfall of about 330 cm annually and about 90 per cent of annual rainfall occurs during this period. However, rainfall is more in the areas which are nearer to the Western Ghats in east parts of Goa. The state receives abundant of precipitation during these monsoon months.July is the wettest month

of the year with more than 995 mm of rainfall.The average high stands around 30 degree Celsius, while the low falls to mid-teens. During this time, Goa receives a reduced level of sunshine as July gets not more than three hours of sunshine per day. Locals feel that the state is at its best during the monsoons. Parties and celebrations are held to welcome the rains, and the countryside turns lush and green almost overnight.

Every monsoon the Sao Joao festival is celebrated with grandeur and gaiety. It is dedicated to St. John the Baptist which is celebrated as a feast on June 24.The festival includes villagers jumping into the wells, streams and ponds.

This jump is to signify the joy that St.John felt when Jesus was born.

During monsoons, the event is the major attraction for tourists.

Guests are made to wear crowns

made of leaves and flowers called ‘Kopel’. Popular Goan music bands and dancers perform at various locations and delicious Goan delicacies are served.

How to reach: All flights, national and international, to and from Goa, operate from the Goa Airport at Dabolim near the port town of Vasco-da-Gama. Goa has two major railway stations – Margao and Vasco-da-Gama. Goa is connected with all the major towns in India via the National Highways NH4A, NH17 and NH17A. Accommodation: Deltin Suites; Estrela Do Mar Beach Resort; Vivanta by Taj - Holiday Village, Goa; Taj Exotica Goa; The Leela Goa; DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Goa Arpora – Baga; Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa; The Zuri White Sands Goa Resort & Casino; Casa De Goa Boutique Resort; Novotel Goa Shrem Hotel among many more.

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LADAKH L

IGATPURI L

ocated in the Nasik district of Maharashtra, Igatpuri is one of the most interesting and challenging regions of the Sahyadris range.

The beautiful hill station is greeted with a sunrise as the skies are painted with hues of gold, orange and yellow and the lands reflect lush green colour.

Situated at an altitude of about 1,900 feet, the place is relatively cool and quiet than other hill stations of the region. The place flourishes with waterfalls as the rain water makes its way through the green hills.

Apart from the scenic hills, the place is also well known for its old forts. Igatpuri is an allseason destination but is best visited from June to September and from November to March.

In the heart of Igatpuri is the first centre of Vipassana meditation in India that offers a Buddhist style of meditation, Dhamma Giri. There is a complete course in the age old traditional art of meditation. The Tringalwadi fort is about 3,000 feet high and offers splendid

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views of the mountain range from Kumpan to Kalsubai, and the peaks of Utvad and Harihar.

The Camel Valley has cascading waterfalls dropping from a height of 1,000 ft, making it a prime spot among tourists. The hills offer the best view during the monsoons when the valley receives heavy rainfall. There are also numerous opportunities for rock climbing, trekking and cycling all through out the year.

Another popular place among tourists is the Ghatandevi temple dedicated to the goddess of the ghats, situated right at the entrance of Igatpuri. There are over five waterfalls at the end of the road that leads to the temple.

How to reach : It takes about 3.5 hours to reach Igatpuri from Mumbai by road. Igatpuri railway station is on the Mumbai-Nasik railway route.

Accommodation: Golden Resort, Manas Lifestyle Resort and Dew Drops Boutique Retreat are few of the options available.

adakh is known for its moderate rainfall, which makes it one of the ideal destinations to visit during the monsoon season. For tourists seeking adventure, monsoon is considered the best time to visit Ladakh. Since the water levels stay high during July to August, tourists can experience th best of white water rafting in Indus river and Zanskar valley. Trekking becomes more adventurous during the monsoon period, due to mild showers, that add to the challenges.

Mountain biking on some of Ladakh's highest routes, surrounded by monsoon clouds, provides a unique experience. The journey takes one over some of the highest passes in the world, including Rohtang La, Baralacha La, Lachlung La and Tanglang La and the grand Daddy of them all, the Khardung La – the world’s highest motorable road standing at 18,380 ft.

Apart from adventure activties, Ladakh is also popular for its culture and tradition. A lot of monastery festivals take place during monsoon. The most famous Hemis Festival will be held from July 14-15, 2016. The festival celebrates the birth of Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. A vibrant face of Ladakh can be explored during

this festival, with masked performers in colourful outfits dancing to traditional rhythms. This year's festival will be a unique one as the unfurling of the largest Thangkha, a special ceremony happening once in 12 years, will take place.

Other festivals during this time include the Karsha Gustor, held at Zanskar Valley's largest monastery, Karsha; the Pheyang Tsedup, the annual festival at Pheyang monastery; and the Korzok Gustor, at Korzok monastery, near Tso Moriri Lake.

How to reach: Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport is the main airport in the region, which is connected with New Delhi, Jammu and Srinagar. The nearest railway station is Jammu Tawi, which is well connected with Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.

Ladakh is located about 434 km from Srinagar and 494 km from Manali. One can hire a cab or a jeep or board a state-run bus to reach Ladakh. Bike trips are popular among many travellers.

Accommodation: Ratna Hotel Ladakh, The Grand Dragon Ladakh, Hotel Nalanda Ladakh, Gomang Boutique Hotel, Hotel Royal Palace, Hotel Chube, The Zen Ladakh, Ladakh Himalayan Retreat, Ladakh Sarai, Hotel Ladakh Palace, and more.

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THE MAIN FOCUS

MAHABALESHWAR

O

ne of the largest hill stations in Maharashtra, Mahabaleshwar is a vast plateau bound by valleys on all the sides.

The name has been derived from Sanskrit, meaning ‘god of great power’. There are many magnificent sites and pristine waterfalls that one

can visit on a trip.Along with Panchagani, Mahabaleshwar offers a pleasant weekend gateway from the city during the monsoon season.

The highest peak in the city, about 1,439 m above sea level, is known as Wilson or Sunrise Point.To get an expanse view of the Jor valley, one

can visit Arthur's Seat.Another exotic location is Kate’s Point that gives visitors a view of the Dhom and Balakwadi dams.

Exploring these points on horse rides is an interesting option for visitors. Some of the major points that provide different views of the valley are Kate’s Point, Needle Hole point, Monkey Point, Carnac Point, Falkland Point, Helen’s Point, Elphinstone Point, Mumbai Point, Marjorie Point and Babbington Point.A boat ride can be enjoyed at the Venna lake while one relishes strawberries or indulges in fresh strawberry ice cream. History lovers can also visit the Pratapgad fort which is just 22 km from Mahabaleshwar. It was built 1,080 m above sea level on a

spur which overlooks the road between the villages of Par and Kinesvar.Also a must visit during the monsoon season are the Lingmala and Dhobi Falls that come alive, adding to the beauty of the place.

How to reach: By Mumbai, it takes about four to five hours via Panvel, but there are frequent buses from Dadar and Mumbai Central stations.The nearest airport is in Pune about 120 km away, and it a pleasant drive on through Wai.While the major railway junction is in Pune, the nearest rail road is Satara around 55 km away.

Accommodation: MTDC Mahabaleshwar, Evergreen Bungalow, The Travellers Inn,Valley View Resort among others.

LONAVALA AND KHANDALA D

uring the monsoon season, these twin hill stations are considered a blessing to those living in Mumbai and Pune.

They are perched on the hill ranges that separate the two cities and are known for their pleasant climate and lush green environs.There are several sites tucked away in small villages that offer breathtaking views during the monsoon season.

Lonavala offers few gardens and temples as its best tourist spots.

The Ryewood park is an extensive garden covered with tall trees which makes up for a good picnic spot for a family outing.There is another beautiful garden at the foot of Valvan Dam set in the Sahyadris hills.

One can also visit the Rajmachi point, about 6.5 km away from Lonavala that offers a view of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s famous fort, Rajmachi, and the surrounding valley. For the adventure seekers, another point about 12 km away from the city called the 'Duke's Nose' has some hiking trails.The famous Tiger Point is a cliff top with a sheer drop of over

650 m, giving an extensive view of the valley.Just around the point is a small waterfall that is only active during the monsoons and serves as the best place to have a relaxing time.There is also a celebrity wax museum by Sunil Kandaloor, a first in India, that features celebrities, including Sachin Tendulkar and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. It is considered one-of -a-kind experience that tourists can have.The hill station is a must visit places during the monsoon season as the water brims over the valley adding to the beauty of the place.

How to reach: Lonavla is about three hours away from both Mumbai and Pune through the expressway. By rail, one can get down at Lonavala station which is about 2.5 hours from Mumbai, while the nearest airport is in Pune about 66 km away.

Accommodation: Sunrise Hill Resort,The Dukes Retreat, Fariyas Resort, Rhythm Lonavala,Amby Valley City, Hilton Shillam Estate Retreat and Spa are some of the accommodation facilities available.

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cover )

SHANTINIKETAN A

small town in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, Shantiniketan lies about 212 km away from North of Kolkata. Earlier the city was owned by the Tagore family which later became famous

by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore.The history of the state dates back to 1862 when Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, the poet’s father, decided to built a small house on the lush green paddy fields. He called Shantiniketan, the abode of peace and founded an ashram, becoming the initiator of the Brahmo Samaj. The place now attracts thousands of tourists since it is home to ashrams and universities.

Mainly known as the home of Rabindranath Tagore, the place has many tourist spots as well.

One of them being the Uttarayana complex where the poet used to live. It consists of several buildings such as Udayana, Konark, Shyamali, Punascha, and Udichi that re-

flect the architectural genius of the poet’s illustrious son – Rathindranath Tagore. One can also see the Kala Bhavan, Sangeet Bhavan, Patha Bhavan, Bichitra, Cheena Bhavan, and Hindi Bhavan. The Chhatimtala and Prayer hall gather most number of tourists.

Close to Shantiniketan, there are several tourist destinations such as Fullora (40 km), Nalhati (104 km), Sainthia, Kankalitala (seven km), Bakreshwar (58 km), Massanjore (78 km), and Tarapith (80 km). The first five are Shaktipithas where the different body-parts of Goddess Sati are said to have fallen. The district where Shantiniketan is located is known for its fairs and festivals like Poush Mela held in December, Joydev Mela held in January, Basanta Utsav in March and the famous mystic Baul Singers.

How to reach: The closest railhead is Bolpur, about two km away.

Trains directly connect to Howrah and Sealdah in Kolkata. It is also well connected by road with Kolkata being 212 km away.

Accommodation: Shantiniketan

Tourist Lodge run by West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation, Mark & Meadows and other private hotels and resorts are options available.

SHILLONG

T

he capital city of the state, Shillong is also the district headquarters of East Khasi hills. These hills are best known for being the wettest place on the earth, making the city one of the best hill stations in the Eastern

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side of the country. The name has been derived from U-Shyllong, a powerful deity. The place is richly endowed with natural beauty and is also the hub of education for the entire North East region. Specially during the rains, the city has a dif-

ferent charm that never ceases to amaze a tourist.

The Lady Hydari park is located in the heart of the city, a popular spot among tourists. Best months to see the place are April and October when there is abundance of plants and flowers. The Ward's lake is a man made lake with short garden walks and boating facilities for the tourists. The Government Museum under the control of Art and Culture department offers insights on the lifestyles of people for those interested in knowing the ethical tribal culture of the people. The Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures combines a museum with a research and publication centre, for promoting and preserving the rich cultural heritage of North East

India. It is considered a wonderful sight as it is a unique fusion for all the sister states. One of the oldest and best natural golf courses in the city is set in the valley covered with thick groves of pine. On the outskirts of the city are many waterfalls like Elephant falls, Spread Eagle falls and Sweet falls that can be visited as well.

How to reach: The nearest railway head is Guwahati which is about 103 km away. Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC) has bus services from Guwahati. There is a small airport at Umroi, about 35 km from Shillong.

Accommodation: Hotel Pinewood, Hotel Orchid, Hotel Centre Point, Blueberry Inn and Hotel Rainbow are few of the options available.

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THE MAIN FOCUS

SAPUTARA S

aputara, meaning ‘Abode With Snakes’, is a hill station in Gujarat situated in the Dhang district at an altitude of 1000 m above the sea level.

This picturesque town is among the Sahayadri Mountains and is the perfect blend of nature, beauty and wildlife. Saputara is situated on the MaharashtraGujarat border and thus attracts large amount of tourists from both the states. It most known for its Monsoon Festival, which is an initiative by Gujarat Tourism to promote the hill station. This initiative has led to a 30 per cent rise in tourist arrival during last two years. Saputara receives an average rainfall of 456 mm.

The locals here celebrate monsoon with joy. This is because it is an agriculture-oriented place and the locals welcome the rains, which is the ideal time of the year for adventure enthusiasts since it provides more than 13 adventure sports, including the 450-metre-long zip line passing atop the Gira water fall, zorbing, ground obstacle and high rope obstacle, tree walk, hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, trekking, etc.

Saputara also has mythological significance because it is

believed by the locals that ‘Sitavan’ is the place where Lord Ram, Goddess Sita and Lord Lakshman spent years of their exile and the ‘Pandav Gufa’ is rumoured to have sheltered the Pandavas during their exile. Saputara is renowned for its Warli Paintings and various tribal forms of art. Amitabh Bachchan, the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism calls Saputara “Aankhon ka Taara” of Gujarat. Tourists can see thedivine beauty of this hill station during monsoons.

How to reach: The Waghai railway station which is at Billimora is the nearest railway station from Saputara approximately 50 km away. This station is well accessible from Mumbai as well as Ahmedabad. Surat is the nearest domestic airport and Mumbai is the city for nearest international airport. Saputara has a hilly terrain but is well-connected with most of the neighbouring cities like Nasik (80 km), Surat (172 km), Mumbai (280 km) Ahmedabad (420 km) and Vadodara (300 km).

Accommodation: Hotel Lake View, Aakar Lords Inn, Patang Lords Eco Inn, Savshanti Lake Resort, Shilpi Hill Resort and many more.

MUNNAR I

deally situated in the South Western Ghats, Munnar is a beautiful hill station in the Idukki district of Kerala. Munnar features hills, mists, streams, valleys and tea plantations, all under its skies.The hill station is located at altitude of 1,600 m to 1,800 m above sea level. Munnar is considered an ideal hill station for monsoon lovers. This is because the average rainfall recorded here is around 2,470 mm. Munnar receives rainfall from June to August, but it is at its peak during June and July. It is most known for its tea plantations which are dependent on this rainfall. In the rainy season, it seems as though the hills are painted into the green landscape. Munnar's climate remains cool and windy during monsoons.

Popular monsoon attractions in Munnar include the Sita Devi Lake, a hike on this lake requires permission from Tata Tea Estate Officials. It is believed by the locals that Goddess Sita herself bathed in this lake. Earlier on it is said that British would come here quiet often for fishing. The lake is 22 km away from Munnar.

Kolukkumalai Tea Estate is another popular attraction. During the monsoon season, in the

breezy atmosphere, this estate allows tourists to experience sipping tea at the world's highest tea garden at an height of 8,000 ft. From here, one can see the mountains and villages of Tamil Nadu. The tea factory here has been standing since the 1930s and is still in use to produce tea in the orthodox seven-step process. It is 32 km away from Munnar. Tourists wishing to explore the cultural heritage are recommended to visit the Dolmens of Marayoor – fascinating stone structures, anciently believed as chambers of burial. Parmar river also flows from this hill top.

How to reach: Munnar doesn't have its own airport, but it is easily accessible from Kochi International Airport which is 110 km away. State-run or private buses plying from various towns in Kerala and Tamil Nadu are a convenient way to get to Munnar by road.

The nearest railway station is Aluva, which is 110 km away.

Accommodation: Terrace Greens – A Sterling Holidays Resort, Mountain Club Resort ,The Sienna Village,Spice Tree Resort, The Neelakurunji Tea Plantation Hotel, Club Mahindra Munnar and many more.

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May 2016

SPOTLIGHT

Business in Luther country The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) could not have had a better backdrop for the 42nd German Travel Mart (GTM) than Saxony Anhalt which will be celebrating its famous resident, Martin Luther King and 500 years of the Protestant Reformation in 2017.

By Steena Joy

M

agdeburg, the capital city of the region of Saxony Anhalt in Germany, played host for the first time to the 42nd German Travel Mart (GTM) from April 16-20. Organised by the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) in a different city or region every year, GTM is Germany's most important B2B platform for its inbound tourism industry and is an opportunity to showcase the unique aspects of the destination to a worldwide audience. Interestingly, this year's opening night was held in the Collegiate Church of St Servatius, burial site of the first German king, Henry the Fowler, and his wife Mathilde in the UNESCO World Heritage Town of Quedlinburg. As delegates walked up Castle Hill to the abbey church, they were offered a panoramic view of the medieval town known for its halftimbered houses. Saxony Anhalt is also the birthplace of Martin Luther King, the father of the Protestant Reformation. It was here in Wittenberg in October 1517 that Luther first nailed his 95 theses to the door of the All Saints Church. In 2017, the region has lined up several events to commemorate 500 years of the Reformation.

Speaking at the press forum held at Maritim Hotel Magdeburg, Petra Hedorfer, chief executive officer, GNTB stated, “The fact that the GTM, in its 42nd year, continues to attract travel industry professionals of the highest calibre from around 45 countries shows how important it is for Destination Germany.

Our host city, Magdeburg recorded more than 550,000

26 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD May 2016

overnight stays by overseas visitors in 2015 – an increase of 5.6 per cent that reflected Germany's overall performance in the international market. Germany is now in the top tier of European travel destinations. We succeeded in cementing this position in 2015 with growth in both absolute and percentage terms. Next year, we will be using our ‘Luther 2017 – 500 years since the Reformation in Germany' campaign to focus our global marketing activities on towns, cities and regions in Saxony-Anhalt that are associated with the great church reformer, Martin Luther.”

Sandra Yvonne Stieger, managing director, Magdeburg Marketing Kongress und Tourismus GmbH (MMKT), said, “We are very proud that Magdeburg is hosting such a high-profile sales event. I have no doubt that the GTM will help us to draw even more attention to Magdeburg's cultural and historical highlights. This is a huge oppor-

East Asia is participating for the first time with delegates from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. This year we plan to expand our presence in this market. Also participating for the first time is Australia. India and UAE have a strong presence this year. India has participants from Mumbai, Delhi Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata.”

Some of the Indian delegates who participated were MakeMyTrip, Thomas Cook, TUI, Chrysalis Holidays, World of Vacations, LTA Tours, Indiana Travels, All 4Season Holidays, HOPP Worldwide Excursions, M M Sons, Aaryan Holidays, and Journeys & Beyond.

Commenting on the India market, Hedorfer stated, “India is an important market for us.

We have increased our promotional budget in this market recognising the growing importance and demand. We are also looking at Tier II cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Indians travel in large groups so there is huge potential. We are aware of their culinary expectations and inhibitions and are ready to make the adaptations.”

Strong growth

tunity for the city of Emperor Otto to show an international trade public what it has to offer.”

Asia and Australia had a strong presence at this year’s GTM. Rijkert Kettelhake, re-

gional manager, Asia and Australia and director, German National Tourist Office Japan, stated, “This year more than 100 participants from Asia and Australia are present at GTM. South

The focal point of the GTM was the two-day B2B workshop at Messe Magdeburg trade fair centre. Around 300 exhibitors from the hotel industry and transport industries – together with local and regional tourism organisations – showcased the variety and quality of Germany's inbound tourism to an international audience. This year too, the GNTB used social media such as Twitter (hashtag #gtm16) to ensure that the event

SPOTLIGHT had the widest possible reach.

More than one billion outbound trips were made worldwide in 2015, of which 573 million were to Europe. Destination Germany accounted for 59 million of these trips, according to figures released by the market research institute, IPK International. Germany accounted for 52 million trips from other European countries in 2015 – a year-on-year increase of 4.4 per cent (2014: 50 million trips) despite stiff competition from elsewhere in Europe. Spain recorded 3.1 per cent growth and topped the rankings with 56.8 million trips. France remains in third place, growing by 1.8 per cent to 39.1 million trips. Then comes Italy (35 million trips) and Austria (26 million trips).

European countries account for 73.4 per cent of all overnight stays in Germany by foreign visitors, and these markets also made the greatest contribution to the strong growth in 2015, with an increase of 2.1 million overnight stays or 50 per cent of absolute growth. Of the countries that helped to drive growth in inbound travel to Germany, Spain tops the rankings with 517, 000 additional overnight stays, followed by Switzerland (up by 492,000), the UK (up by 382,000) and the Netherlands

(up by 176,000). Holidays, with a 56 per cent share of the market, make up the biggest segment in travel from Europe to Germany.

The number of holiday visits in 2015 rose by a further five per cent year-on-year to 29 million.

Two trends from previous years added to the momentum in 2015: the market for longer holidays of four or more nights grew by 12 per cent to reach 18.2 million, and Germany remains the number one city-break destination for Europeans.

Business travel Germany reaffirmed its leading position in the business travel market for trips from Europe in 2015, with the strong segment of promotable business travel helping to stabilise the trend. Trips to conferences and conventions, amounting to 3.6

million (up by eight per cent) and 2.8 million visitors to trade fairs and exhibitions consolidated this position.

Hedorfer forecasted, “We are expecting the upward trend to continue in 2016. However, because of various elements of uncertainty – including the security situation in Europe and around the world, the difficult conditions in parts of the global economy and the refugee crisis – our forecast is for a slightly slower growth rate of around one to three per cent. We are all educated and we are convinced of good political decisions.”

Germany is also focussed on being a barrier-free destination.

“Our infrastructure is getting barrier-free. We are trying to do the same for the elderly too. We have got a clear committment to this segment,” she said.

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May 2016

DESTINATION OUTBOUND

Guatemala: Heart of the Mayan world Guatemala in Central America is home to a rich Mayan heritage with over 3000 archeological sites, a vibrant culture, fascinating landscape and diverse species of fauna, which would be of much interest to the new age Indian traveller.

By Subhash Motwani

T

his October was my first trip to Central America and to Guatemala the heart of the Mayan world. I landed at La Aurora International Airport and thereafter for a quick city tour of the capital – Guatemala City. Guatemala is a year round destination and comprises seven diverse regions in a country which is about one-third the size of Maharashtra, with the largest province of Peten in the north bordering Mexico.

The Plaza de la Constitucion is one of the main squares in Guatemala City with the colonial government headquarters on one side and the metropolitan cathedral on the eastern side. The square itself was busy with shoeshine boys, icecream vendors and local food on sale on the square inspite of the light drizzle, as it was the end of the wet season.

Guatemala is a year round destination with the dry season from November until April followed by the wet season from May that ends in October. For the Indian travellers visiting friends or relatives in the US it is a perfect getaway as it is just a five hours flight from Newark and Indian guests with a valid US or Schengen visa do not need a visa. It is the people that make the place, and the warmth, hospitality and smile were visible as I stood alongside a street vendor who was

28 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD May 2016

preparing tamales – delicious pork or chicken with spicy salsa freshly prepared in steamed banana leaves.

I was privileged to be the only delegate from India to be welcomed at the Museo Miraflores by the Guatemala Tourism Board that evening with a Marimba band playing in the background. Museo Miraflores is an archaeological museum dedicated to the display of artefacts from the ancient Maya city of Kaminaljuyu and is located in the area where once the Maya city existed.

In Mayan land Next morning we boarded the 33 seater SAAB aircraft to

Mundo Maya International Airport and in less than 70 minutes we were in Peten, known for its archeological richness and sites. We were received by Benedicto, our Mayan guide and boarded our bus to head towards Yaxha National Park – our first stop of the day. Yaxha comprises of the words Yax and Ha where Yax stands for green or blue and Ha for water.

Yaxha has four beautiful buildings which were built by the Mayans between two lakes and when the sky is grey, the lake is green and when the sky is blue, so is the lake. The lake has big Mayan crocodiles. Yaxha is a large Mayan site with over 600 Mayan buildings that were dis-

covered by archaeologists and comprise of carved mountains, a quarry and artificial waterways. Founded around 800 BC atop a long, limestone ridge, the city was home to more than 40,000 people at its peak, around 250 AD. Yaxha is also an astronomical centre since 600 BC. The Peten province itself is part of the Mayan lowland with a maximum altitude of 300 metres above sea level and its lowest point being 127 metres above sea level. The entire region is at the base of the Yucatan Peninsula and the limestone rocks found here are similar to the rock formation in Chichen Itza, Mexico. The Peten province is just 30 miles

from the Mexican border. At the entrance of Tikal, we made a short stop at Puerta de Yaxha to get our first of the many coffee breaks of our trip. It is not surprising that both tourism and coffee exports are leading industries.

Our next stop was the capital of the Mayan world – Tikal which comprises over 3,500 buildings with the Temple of Gran Jaguar being the iconic pyramid in Tikal. It is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the preColumbian Maya civilisation. In 1979, Tikal was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The highest temple is Temple IV which was built by the Mayans using 280,0000 cu.metres of limestone. Tikal, formerly known as Motul, translates as the place of voices and the acoustics here at the main plaza is truly exceptional. The clapping of the hands brings back an echo effect which resembles the sound of the Quetzal – the national bird. The currency of Guatemala is named after this exotic bird. After a sumptuous lunch at El Meson located in the Tikal National Park, our next stop was near the second largest lake of Guatemala – Peten Itza, in Flores. Peten Itza lake is home to five species of turtles, 24 species of fish and a specie of crocodile. A cruise along the lake is a must for avid bird watchers. The Pescado Blanco

DESTINATION OUTBOUND

or white edible fish is a must have in Peten Itza. For vegetarians, Peten province offers corns, beans, avocado and papaya.

Exploring Antigua For the next couple of days I was in Antigua Guatemala – located very close to the capital city and known for its colonial Hispanic heritage. Antigua is a most beautiful city surrounded by three volcanoes – Aqua, Fuego and Acatenango.

Guatemala is home to 33 volcanoes of which three are active including Fuego and Pacaya volcanoes both of which are in driving distance from Antigua, which is a perfect place for day trips in the region – be it for cycling expeditions, coffee plantations or even to hike up a volcano. Antigua was declared a Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979 and one of the best times to be here is during the Lent season when the streets are ordained with handmade sawdust carpets – a

tradition that is followed for over 100 years during Semana Santa and colourful people lead the procession along the cobbled stoned streets of Antigua.

One of my best personal experiences of Antigua was enjoying a sumptuous Guatemalan breakfast on the terrace rooftop of Los Pasos and seeing the Fuego volcano smoking not too far away from the city. A typical Guatemalan breakfast comprises of eggs, black beans, sweet fried plantains, thick Central American style cream and handmade tortillas – a wholesome meal followed by a cup of Guatemalan coffee.

Another unique experience was the night hike up the Pacaya volcano which is less than 90 minutes drive from Antigua. The short hike comprised of a picnic dinner and one can heat the dinner in one of the 16 craters that you find up this volcanic mountain.

Pacaya is an active complex volcano which rises to an elevation of over 2,500 metres. After

being dormant for over a century, it erupted violently in 1965 and has been erupting continuously since then. It last erupted on March 2, 2014 causing ash to rain down on Guatemala City, Antigua and Escuintla. Antigua is an extremely artistic town and is a great hub for those who wish to enjoy adventure activities, bird watching as well as gastronomical delights. La Noche Barroca or the baroque night is an experience which should be planned as part of your itinerary and comprises of fireworks and culinary experiences the Guatemalan way filled with joy and festivities.

I had opted for an adventure tour of Guatemala and this included cycling on one of the days. We stopped at Santiago Zamora known for its homemade textiles. We spent a good couple of hours to see the fine art of handmade textiles by local Mayans before making our way to Valhalla known for its Macadamia nuts farm tour. An interesting trivia is that Nivea

and Lancome - the world class brands which pioneered Macadamia oils and products for facials - buy from the farms at Valhalla as well as the antiageing cream which comprises of 24 per cent Macadamia nuts.

Post a lunch stop at Macadamia farm, we had a stop at De La Gente where we experienced coffee tasting and met a local farmer who owns a coffee plantation. He narrated the various stages that go into coffee production from growing to harvesting to processing, sorting, roasting, packaging and marketing.

The harvest season extends from December to April once the cherries are gathered and put in water. Once the coffee is produced the farmers working at San Miguel cooperative export the produce with the help of De la Gente – a cooperative that has grown over 10 years starting with seven people and now supports farmers which comprise over 80 per cent of the people living in the town of San

Miguel. One of the other highlights was a visit to the 450-year old Iglesia de la Merced – an iconic church with baroque details including stucco carvings of saints and coffee plants on its dazzling yellow facade.

Thanks to the Embassy of Guatemala in India and to the Guatemala Tourism Board (IUGUAT), I had the most amazing and diverse four days in Guatemala – covering only two of the seven regions and wanting to explore more of this wonderful country comprising of 22 provinces, each with its own Mayan dialect, over 3,000 archaeological sites, over 720 species of birds, and a diverse vegetarian cuisine.

The people are friendly and Guatemala is one of the safest countries of the Americas which I would highly recommend for you to include in your bucket list of destinations to visit in the near future.

(Subhash Motwani is founder director of Namaste Tourism)

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May 2016

IN FOCUS

A billion opportunities While many Indians are travelling overseas, the real opportunity lies in our own backyard with domestic tourism poised to grow exponentially. This was the theme of the seventh ADTOI annual convention against the backdrop of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh

By Steena Joy

I

T WAS WITH a purpose that the Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) organised its seventh annual convention in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh (MP). What better reason than to showcase a temple city, known for its exquisite and world famous sculptures.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, guest of honour, Nagendra Singh, Member of Parliament, Khajuraho, said, “India is a small part of global tourism so we have to work harder. Even countries small-

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er than ours are attracting more tourists than us. If we offer better facilities for domestic tourists, it will automatically benefit the international tourist. We need good roads, good buses, good connectivity and good airports like the new Khajuraho airport because even domestic tourists are now flying.”

Singh opined, “I have visited some tourist places which are in such a bad state that we are better off not showing them to tourists. We have to also develop unknown places as tourist destinations. Don’t make stereotypes of destinations. Instead work on the strengths and ethos of each

IN FOCUS

destination. Here human ingenuity is the need of the hour. I am having difficulty in convincing airlines for connectivity. Air India has agreed to operate direct flights from Delhi between October to April. We have to convince them for a longer duration. We have also spoken to other airlines for connectivity from Kolkata, Mumbai and Hyderabad.” He also informed that the Patna to Chattarpur Road will be ready before the coming peak tourist season.

The road ahead Dr Venu V, former secretary, Kerala Tourism said, “I have seen the birth of ADTOI. The association has gained in strength and members.

Recently on a vacation, I took a road trip to Orchha, Gwalior and onward to Rajasthan. I would say that 90 per cent of the roads were of international standard. This is a big change. India is at the cusp of

international quality roads and domestic tourism is set to explode. Using such good roads, Khajuraho is only a six hour journey from Delhi, so it becomes a weekend destination. This is the exciting new future for India’s domestic tourism.

I congratulate

Madhya Pradesh, the host state, for always firmly focusing on the potential of domestic tourism. We should move away from old traditional packages and innovate.” He believes that tourism should become knowledge based.

“Knowledge should become

A billion + opportunities will come only if we think innovative every time, everywhere. Besides, we need to worry about sustainability and carrying capacity of a place

more and more relevant in the tourism mindspace. ADTOI is a powerful forum for discussing the creation of new tourism products” he said.

Tanvi Sundriyal, assistant managing director, Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC), was optimistic about the future of domestic tourism, especially in her state. “We received six National Tourism Awards in one go last year! We want investors/entrepreneurs to come to MP. We have the willingness to support a simple land allotment policy. Only ` one lakh is the reserve price for heritage properties and a 90 year lease is granted.

Three heritage hotels will soon become functional.”

Domestic = Winning strategy Hari Ranjan Rao, managing director, MPSTDC

Vinod Zutshi, tourism secretary, Government of India, felt that Khajuraho is a must experience must visit place.

He said, “It matches our National Tourism Policy. Pehle Swadesh, Phir Videsh.

Domestic tourism is on the upswing and a billion + tourists is a do able proposition. Focusing on domestic tourism will be a winning strategy for India. Religious tourism forms a mainstay of domestic tourism. The ministry's role is to be a proactive facilitator and handholder to the private sector.”

Jyoti Kapur, president, ADTOI, was clear about the association's mandate. “We have to push domestic tourism. That is why we decided to organise our convention in Khajuraho. We wanted to promote this spiritually and culturally rich destination.

This is a great platform to showcase this temple city and the nearby attractions like Raneh Falls, Panna National Park, etc. ADTOI aims to generate employment and tap local talent, strengthen tourism infrastructure and preserve our culture.”

The convention also witnessed several informative and thought provoking business sessions which were conducted with industry experts on the panel. During the session on Domestic Tourism: Managing the next billion, Hari Ranjan Rao, managing director, MPSTDC said, “A billion + opportunities will come only if we think innovative every time, everywhere.

Recently we invited several wedding planners to develop Orchha as a wedding destination. We held the Jal Mahotsav to unlock the potential of water bodies in the state. Most of the islands we have are part of forest land, so we could not exploit them for tourism. But we realised that this problem can be resolved through special permissions from the District Forest Office. So now we plan to invite the private sector to unlock this potential.

Besides, when we talk about a billion + tourists, we need to worry about sustainability and carrying capacity of a place. Capacity building in tourism sector is grossly neglected.”

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TRAVEL TECH

How Big Data Analytics is redefining the travel industry Gunendra Patil explains the potential of Big Data Analytics in transforming the travel sector in India Consumers have become much more influential that they even hold the power to impact the reputation of travel service providers.

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HE SMART phone penetration, fast mobile internet access, and social media influence has brought in unprecedented growth in the travel industry. Mobile travel space has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few years. Apart from multitudes of online travel portals, many mobile apps are there to provide real-time travel plans, suggestions regarding hotels, GPS tracking anywhere, booking tickets, comparing prices for the travellers and collect their feedback regarding a travel. This digital transformation era has brought in great powers to consumers. Travellers are now well aware and informed on the wide variety of choices and services they can get from travel service providers. This, in turn, has made them more demanding in terms of their expectations regarding customer experience and the quality of services. While technology has brought in huge opportunities for travellers, on the flipside, travel service providers are exploring ways and means to effectively utilise technology to overcome the challenges of competition, reach, and service quality and customer preference. They are now embracing new age disrupting technology concept like Big Data Analytics to increase their business efficiency, stand out among competitors and to transform customer experience into a true delight.

Let us have a glimpse of how Big Data Analytics is improving customer experi-

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Better pricing strategy

ence and increasing business efficiency in this arena.

The travel industry handles and generates vast quantity of data around reservations, enquiries, itineraries, hotels, rental cars, trains, airlines, fare charts, customer feedbacks etc, thus leaving long trails of data. A potential traveller leaves behind large quantity data from multiple channels and devices at various stages like research, planning, price search, comparison, booking, cancellation, feedback etc.

Existing as well as new players in the travel domain are now looking for innovative ways to leverage this information generated from customers to provide them better, more targeted and ultimately profitable services and products. With an in-depth understanding of the markets, travel service providers are now looking for innovative ways to forecast market trends and customer travel intentions. The industry has realised the potential of big data analytics on the volume, variety, velocity and veracity of travel data to bring in actionable business insights. Many players in the travel domain have already adopted big data analytics to deliver real-time,

personalised and targeted travel experience.

Below are some of the improvements that travel intelligence, via Big Data Analytics, can bring in the two areas – customer experience and business efficiency improvement.

Personalised customer experience True personalisation of the traveller's experience is one of the key factors which Big Data Analytics can offer. With the availability of personal data from social media platforms, Big Data Analytics help in making travel more responsive and focused around the traveller's needs as well as preferences. Better targeted services and products bring in better customer relationships or more loyal customers and eventually better business outcome.

Customer recommendations Consumers are transforming from consuming content to creating and aggregating it.

They are writing reviews, providing ratings and recommendations which can strongly influence other potential travellers who access digital media for travel related queries.

Price is often a deciding factor for consumers while considering their travel plans.

Big Data Analytics can effectively replace traditional manual fare analysis with smart automation by gathering, indexing, filtering and analysing existing and realtime data from multiple sources. Dynamic analysis of competitors’ pricing will help service providers in creating a better pricing strategy. Big Data Analytics allows travel sites to forecast changes in pricing over time for better serving their consumer requirements.

Customer analytics and betterment of services Understanding customer buying patterns, grievances and feedbacks by analysing data collected from online forums, social media platforms, call centre conversations etc will help to identify customer intent and to design a service strategy. Tracking and analysis of overall consumer behaviour will help service providers to figure out offerings they may want to bring in the future.

Marketing and sales optimisation With increasing competition, travel service providers are looking for more targeted marketing by attracting, engaging and converting their customers. Big Data Analytics can be used to optimise marketing efforts on targeted travellers

by customising the offers based on their requirements. By analysing vast quantity of unstructured data, service providers can gain valuable insights which can enable them to deliver targeted offers or services at the right time, place and through the right channel or device. Service providers can also track their customers and make location relevant real-time offers by enabling GPS technology with data analytics.

All this shows that Big Data has the potential to reshape the travel industry. To identify consumer trends, travel patterns, business pulse and opportunities, a sound Big Data Analytic strategy is becoming indispensable.

Though Big Data Analytics in the travel industry is still in its stage of infancy, the industry is trying to overcome the challenges like lack of data scientists, affordable infrastructure, and deployment costs.

However, considering the current pace of digital revolution, it is evident that the early adopters will have an upper edge.

Technology is advancing very rapidly and with wearables, advanced analytics and augmented reality in the horizons of the IT industry, we can expect that the travel industry will also experience more revolutionary changes in the next few years. We might be moving from ‘one touch’ era to a ‘touch free’ era, where we can book our tickets with no touch, but at the blink of our eyes!

The writer is vice president – retail, travel and entertainment industry head, Happiest Minds Technologies

CONSERVATION

Aroyal calling UK's royalty joins hands with Elephant Family to help save the Asian pachyderm

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heir Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s recent visit to Kaziranga marked the launch of Elephant Parade in India, a public art event that will take place in 2017, the year of India-UK culture. A call to artists from across India is being made to participate in creating a visually stunning herd of painted model elephants, similar to the ones their Royal Highnesses saw during their visit to Kaziranga.

Elephant Family cares for both elephant and human families, funding pioneering solutions such as elephant corridors.

Born from the success of its predecessor in London, the Elephant Parade in India will generate vital funds to help secure 100 elephant corridors across India for the endangered Asian elephant who faces risk of displacement through fragmentation of habitat and human disturbances. Crucial sponsorship will also facilitate the voluntary relocation of communities living on elephant corridors to safer areas. The last London Elephant Parade, which took place from May to June 2010, became London’s biggest public art exhibition with more than 250 brightly painted elephants located across central London. With an audience of 25 million, the campaign raised over £5 million for the endangered Asian elephant.

The 300 painted model elephants on parade across Delhi and Mumbai in 2017 will create a striking spectacle of colour and showcase the nation’s most creative artists and emerging talents; whilst celebrating India’s national heritage animal.

Having supported Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) to secure an elephant corridor in Kerala in the past, Elephant Family is currently working with WTI in As-

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sam to help secure the Kalapahar Daigurung corridor through voluntary village relocation.

Since 2004, Elephant Family has invested heavily in conservation projects spanning the length and breadth of the country; and will continue to secure corridors for elephants with valued support from its corporate partners, including PWC India.

Ruth Powys, CEO of Elephant Family, says, “We are thrilled their Royal Highnesses were able to join Elephant Family and WTI at Kaziranga Discovery Park in Assam to see firsthand the important animal conservation work that goes on here. The royal visit also marks Elephant Family’s call to India’s creative artists to participate in creating the Elephant Parade 2017.”

MOVEMENTS Tourism Malaysia, Mumbai MOHAMMAD HAFIZ HASHIM recently took over as the director, Tourism Malaysia, Mumbai. Malaysia is expected

keting officer of the company.

He will be responsible for leading marketing activities across all Yatra.com business lines and group entities. While focusing on strengthening Yatra’s brand equity in the travel category, he will be responsible for driving the marketing and communications strategy to support the company’s overall strategic objectives. Mudaliar brings with him over 17 years of experience and has handled leadership roles across business management, marketing, sales and strategy functions. He previously served as chief sales and marketing Officer at Lenskart.com.

Expedia Mohammad Hafiz Hashim

to attract one million Indian tourists this year and Hashim's main responsibilities include developing Western India market, targeting especially the Tier II and Tier III towns to reach these numbers. Hashim is also planning to promote niche products like self-drive, luxury travel, eco-tourism, sports tourism, business travel etc to reach out to special interest segments of the Indian traveller. In his earlier roles, Hashim has served at Tourism Malaysia offices in Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.

Yatra.com Yatra.com has announced the appointment of VIKRANT MUDALIAR as the chief mar-

Vikrant Mudaliar

SIMON FIQUET has been appointed as general manager, Expedia for South East Asia and India. In his new role, Fiquet will be responsible for growing Expedia's business across seven point of sales. Fiquet will manage the operations, introduction of new products and the overall business results for Expedia. With over four years in Singapore, Fiquet headed the online travel team at Google Singapore.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) has appointed KURT EKERT as president and CEO, replacing Douglas Anderson. In his new role, Ekert will report directly to the Carlson board of directors. Ekert most recently

Kurt Ekert

served as executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Travelport.

Thomas Cook

SilkAir SilkAir has appointed FOO CHAI WOO as its chief executive. Chai Woo will assume his new position with effect from May 18, 2016. He has been SIA’s divisional vice president, sales and marketing since May 2014.

An SIA veteran with nearly 21 years of service, he has held positions in both head office as well as overseas. Before taking on his current role in sales and marketing, he was based in Los Angeles since November 2010 as SIA’s regional vice president, Americas.

Bombardier Business Aircraft Bombardier Business Aircraft has created a dedicated, worldwide sales team for its Learjet 70 and Learjet 75 aircraft. MIKE FAHEY will assume overall responsibility and accountability for the Learjet programme worldwide as vice president – Learjet Aircraft Sales. Fahney began his career in 1981 as sales director for South East Asia and was assigned positions of increasing responsibility over the years. Bombardier's pre-owned aircraft sales activities will now be led by PETER BROMBY, newly appointed regional vice president, pre-owned aircraft.

Bromby has over 20 years of experience in the industry.

IATA International Air Transport Association's (IATA) board of governors has unanimously approved to recommend ALEXANDRE DE JUNIAC, chairman and CEO of Air France-KLM, to succeed retiring director general and CEO, Tony Tyler. With confirmation by the IATA annual general meeting to be held June 1-3, 2016 in Dublin, Ireland, de Juniac will take up duties as the head of the association after a short handover period. de Juniac been serving as chairman and CEO, Air FranceKLM since 2013. Prior to that, he

Mahesh Iyer

Rajeev D Kale

Thomas Cook recently announced new roles and additional portfolios for its senior management team.

MAHESH IYER has been appointed as the chief operating officer. Iyer has contributed to the foreign exchange business across functions of operations, products, projects, airports and commercial, and the visa and passport vertical.

Prior to his new role, Iyer was responsible for the overall strategies for the company, in addition to its foreign exchange business.

RAJEEV D KALE has been appointed as president and country head – leisure travel, MICE. Kale joined the group in 2007 as

head of MICE. He has played a pioneering role in setting up MICE operations for the organisation. Other major appointments include ABRAHAM ALAPATT as president and group head – marketing, service quality, financial services and innovation; AMIT MADHAN as president and group head – technology and shared services; RAMBHAU KENKARE as president and group head – legal, secretarial and administration; MONA CHERIYAN as president and group head – human resources; and INDIVER RASTOGI as president and country head – corporate travel.

was the chairman and CEO of Air France. From 1995 to 2009, de Juniac held various leadership positions in Thales, the French aerospace, defense and transport company previously known as Thomson-CSF.

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines has appointed Henry Kuykendall as vice president – New York, and has promoted Chuck Imhof to vice President – New York, sales.

Since 2011, Kuykendall has served as Delta's vice president – airport customer service at New York's JFK International Airport. Whereas, Imhof joined Delta in 2009 as head of the air-

line's New York sales team.

Grand Hyatt, Taipei SAMMY CAROLUS has been appointed as general manager of Grand Hyatt Taipei. He was previously the general manager of the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin and The Barai in Thailand. Carolus has relocated to Taipei with more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He started as a sales executive with Hyatt Bali in 1992 and later served as associate director of business development and director of business development at Grand Hyatt Bali. In 2003, Carolus became director of marketing for Hyatt Regency Hua Hin.

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weekend

E V E N T S

LEVERAGING ON EMERGING MARKETS The Department of Tourism (DoT),

TAPPING GUJARAT Tourism Council of Bhutan recently conducted a road

Philippines, with its 25-member delegation, recently conducted the ‘Visit the Philippines Year Again (VPA) 2016’ roadshow for its travel trade partners based in Pune and Ahmedabad

show for travel agents in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, as part of its India agenda, to enhance Indian footprint in 2016

PROMOTING IRELAND Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons (fourth from left)

A WARM WELCOME Captain John Smith's descendent Colonel Henry Martin Lockhart Smith (centre) and wife Margaret (second from left) recently visited the Ajanta caves and were welcomed Valsa Nair-Singh, principal secretary, Tourism and Culture, Government of Maharashtra (third from left); Paraag Jaiin Nainuttia, managing director, MTDC (fifth from left); and other officials

made his first official trip to India to promote the island of Ireland to Indian travel trade

CELEBRATING NATURE ixigo recently celebrated Earth Day, themed “Trees for the Earth”, with employees coming together to plant trees near the IFFCO Chowk metro station in Gurugram

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LUXURY RIDES Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC), along with Sania Mirza, brand ambassador for Telangana, launched two new catamaran yachts for the Hussain Sagar Lake at Lumbini Park in Hyderabad

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E V E N T S

TRULY TRADE Tourism Malaysia recently held its nine-day sales mission to India and Sri Lanka, covering the Indian cities of Chandigarh, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Kochi, and Colombo in Sri Lanka

INDIGO A320NEO LAUNCH Mary Ellen Jones, vice president, sales – Asia Pacific and China, Pratt & Whitney (centre), with Aditya Ghosh, president, IndiGo (to Jones' left) at the launch of first A320neo Powered by PurePower Engine by Pratt & Whitney, at India Aviation Week

KOLKATA HOSTS IITM The 2016 Kolkata edition of India International Travel Mart (IITM) was recently held at the Milan Mela Trade Centre and inaugurated

by AR Bardhan, principal secretary, tourism, Government of West Bengal

NEW CONNECTIVITY H E Hamed Saif Ali Al-Rawahi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to India, inaugurating Jet Airways' newly started DelhiMuscat daily direct service, at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi

NEW ONBOARD Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer, flydubai (right), receiving its membership certificate from Hussein Dabbas, regional vice president, Africa and the Middle East, IATA at an event held in Dubai

EXPLORING BUSINESSS AVENUES The Italian Trade Commissioner Dr Francesco Pensabene announcing the unveiling of the first Italian campaign in India, ‘Italy: The Extraordinary Commonplace’, focusing on food and food processing, design, fashion, infrastructure, smart cities, luxury, and furniture

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E V E N T S

CYCLING FOR TOURISM As part of its ‘Developing Destinations’ initiative to promote tourism, environmental friendliness, public participation and healthy living, The Lalit Resort & Spa, Bekal, in association with District Sports Council and Cycling Association, Bekal, recently organised a cycle rally – ‘The LaLiT Cycle-on’

HOMAGE TO DR AMBEDKAR Satish Soni, joint managing director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (left) and Paraag Jaiin Nainuttia, managing director, MDTC, paying homage to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 125th birth anniversary at MTDC headquarters in Mumbai

FIRST TRADE SHOW IN INDIA The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) recently conducted its first travel trade roadshow in India in Mumbai and New Delhi

JOYOUS CELEBRATIONS Tourism Authority of Thailand recently organised the biggest ever Songkran (Thai New Year) celebrations in Bangkok

CELEBRATING LIFE Taufiq Qureshi performing at The Worli Festival 2016 in Mumbai; an annual celebration featuring musical performances, art, food and more

REWARDING GROWTH Air Arabia recently awarded the best performing travel agents in Nagpur at Enterprising Travel Agents Awards 2016, for their contribution to the growth of the airline across the Central India

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REGD.WITH RNI NO. MAHENG/2005/15993,POSTAL REGD. NO. MCS/163/2016 – 18,PUBLISHED ON 11TH EVERY MONTH, POSTED ON 12TH,13TH,14TH OF EVERY MONTH, POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE,MUMBAI – 400001.