Express Travelworld (Vol.13, No.9) October, 2018

V0L 13 NO. 9 PAGES 40

October 2018, `50

EDITOR’S NOTE

Meeting of minds

T

his is time of the year when the travel fraternity goes in for some reflections. It is the last lap before one enters a new calendar year, when the final files of the winter vacations and year end breaks gets to near closures and one plans once again to to relook at ‘what was’ to ‘what can and should be’ for companies to achieve business excellence.

Rules are written, rewritten and unwritten, strategies formulated and both learning and unlearning taking place irrespective of the size or turnover of the company, or area of specialisation, namely inbound or outbound business.

The reflective mode continues further, as it is also the time, when most associations have completed their annual mandatory conventions and conferences. One sits back and analyses the findings and the take home from the event. The good news is if the meeting of minds resulted in some progressive action, if not then, well, it calls for some serious introspection. When it comes to travel agent specific conventions the airline agent relationship was a topic that was numero uno on the agenda. However, it would always end on a note of hope without concrete solutions. Well this time so, the discussions may gain a new flavour. For travel agents whose core business is ticketing and outbound, October 1, 2018, would hold significance and value. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) rolled out its NewGen ISS programme in India. This programme is expected to deliver faster, safer and more cost effective and relevant financial settlement services and solutions to airlines and travel

“ The good news is if the meeting of minds resulted in some progressive action,if not then, well,it calls for some serious introspection ”

agents that rely on the IATA Settlement Systems (ISS). Our lead story in this issue gives you the primary highlights of the programme as it promises to bring in a positive change in the way business will be conducted in the future. The story speaks about the advantages of the programme and it's future applications. The agent airline relationship has been a part of most discussions since close to a decade and this programme aims to bring in a better understanding in terms of business dynamics between the two players. Travel associations feel that initially there could be some adaptability issues but have welcomed the move for the benefit of the trade.

Travel Agents Fraternity of India (TAFI), recently concluded its annual convention in Abu Dhabi. Redefining the offline travel environment, was the key convention theme.

For further details, do look through the story in this issue to get more insights on the convention. The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and Yunnan Provincial Tourism Development Commission (YPTDC) have also signed an MoU for organising TAAI’s 65th convention in Kunming in Yunnan province from November 27 to 29, 2018.

Finally, our cover story takes you on an Island journey to reflect and reconnect on the changing dynamics in the travel and tourism space.

REEMA LOKESH Editor editorial.etw@expressindia.com

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CONTENTS EVENT ROUNDUP Vol 13 No 9 October 2018 Pages 40

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Chairman of the Board Viveck Goenka Sr. Vice President - BPD Neil Viegas Asst. Vice President - BPD Harit Mohanty Editor Reema Lokesh*

REDEFINING THE OFFLINE TRAVEL ENVIRONMENT The Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) recently convened in Abu Dhabi for its annual convention themed 'Innovate-Transform-Disrupt: Redefining the offline travel world'. The 12th edition of the event, which was held at the prestigious Emirates Palace Hotel, saw a gathering of key decision-makers from the Indian tourism industry

Assistant Editor Steena Joy DESIGN Assistant Art Director Pravin Temble Chief Designer Prasad Tate Senior Designer Rekha Bisht Graphics Designer Gauri Deorukhkar Senior Artist Ratilal Ladani DIGITAL TEAM Head of Internet Viraj Mehta SCHEDULING & COORDINATION Santosh Lokare Photo Editor Sandeep Patil MARKETING Prabhas Jha Debnarayan Dutta CIRCULATION Mohan Varadakar PRODUCTION 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, 1st Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400021.

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(18-23) Islands have always been seen as exotic destinations due to their isolation and their exclusivity. Express Travelworld lists out ten of these havens that are Nature's tourism jewels

SPOTLIGHT

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MARKETS

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NEWGEN ISS IS THE NEW GENERATION APPROACH TO DOING BUSINESS

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MOT LAUNCHES SWACHHTA HI SEWA CAMPAIGN ÍN PORBANDAR

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OMAN TOURISM REITERATES ITS PRESENCE IN INDIA, OFFERS NEW SHORT-TERM TOURIST VISA

P05 : EDITOR’S NOTE P36 : MOVEMENTS P37 : WEEKEND

TOWARDS A SUCCESSFUL DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN SIKKIM'S TOURISM The scenic town of Pelling in West Sikkim was recently the venue for the World Tourism Day celebrations with a focus on this year's theme of ‘Tourism and the Digital Transformation’ being addressed with a series of workshops, adventurous tourism and other activities

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IN THE NEWS

NewGen ISS is the new generation approach to doing business: Sunil Kumar, president,TAAI Steena Joy Abu Dhabi ON OCTOBER 1, 2018, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) rolled out its NewGen ISS programme in India.

This programme is expected to deliver faster, safer and more cost effective and relevant financial settlement services and solutions to airlines and travel agents that rely on the IATA Settlement Systems (ISS).

Speaking exclusively to Express TravelWorld, Sunil Kumar, president, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) said, “NewGen ISS is a part of a new governing resolution of the Passenger Agency Agreement of IATA. This will replace the existing 818G which is a resolution that currently governs us. The NewGen ISS which is resolution 812 is called the new generation approach to doing your business.

It covers areas that perhaps were not part of the old resolution like different accreditation levels of members. To become an accredited travel agency of IATA you don’t need to have any finan-

cial security as a mandatory requirement anymore. And your financial review every year is also not mandatory. Instead what happens is that you are given an accreditation called the Go Lite model which primarily denotes that you are an IATA accredited agency but 100 per cent of the ticketing you do is by alternate financial transmitting methods.

One is of course the credit card of the agency subject to the consent of the airline. Second is the credit card of the customer and third is called EasyPay.” IATA EasyPay is a secure and cost-effective pay-as-you-go solution that transfers money from your account to a dedicated IATA account where in real time your GDS will support the issuance of a ticket. Kumar continued, “So Go Lite thus makes it easier for a lot of travel agencies who cannot get a bank guarantee or financial security or cannot get a financial review done annually to go forward and become an IATA agent.” The other feature of NewGen ISS which can benefit agencies is the Remittance Holding Capacity (RHC) that will en-

TAAI TO ORGANISE CONVENTION IN CHINA FOR THE FIRSTTIME The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and Yunnan Provincial Tourism Development Commission (YPTDC) have signed an MoU for organising TAAI’s 65th convention in Kunming in Yunnan province from November 27 to 29, 2018.This is the first time TAAI will be organising its annual convention in China.

For over an year there have been discussions between TAAI and YPTDC to organise the TAAI convention in Kunming. Kunming is directly connected from Delhi and Kolkata and has extensive connectivity from India via Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Guangzhou.

Sunil Kumar

sure a safer selling process. RHC is the agency’s credit worthiness and will for the majority of agents be calculated based on the average of their three busiest periods plus 100 per cent. Measures will be available to agents allowing them to manage their capacity, and to continue selling in a secure manner once their capacity is reached.

Kumar took pride in saying, “Most important TAAI as an association especially represented

at UFTAA, was determined that Resolution 890 wherein airlines prohibited the use of agency credit card for third party sales be amended. This meant that airlines were actually taking shelter under 890 and not allowing agents to use their credit card.

We didn’t want the NewGen ISS and Easy Pay to be launched without the provision of the credit card of the travel agency being accepted. So at UFTAA we took up this matter aggressively

and now finally Resolution 890 stands amended and an agency credit card can be accepted with the consent of the airline. So from the earlier ‘prohibition’ from an airline to accept it, to now a ‘discretion’ of the airline to accept it, is the big change.”

Kumar said that they would be talking to the airlines. “And I am sure if the airlines want more business from travel agents, they will have to give us the credit card facility,” he added.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines celebrates 99 yrs ETW Staff Mumbai THE DUTCH carrier, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will celebrate 99 years of its glorious journey on October 7, becoming the only airline in the world to reach this milestone. Since 1919, KLM has continued operating under its original name, making it one of a kind in the aviation industry.

This special day will be celebrated across all KLM establishments worldwide. KLM in India will treat its customers in true Dutch flavour. Starting October 4, KLM will be launching exclusive promotions and engagement activities for 99 hours across multiple channels, offering attractive discounts on ticket purchases to Amsterdam and to over 40 destinations across its network.

“For us, this is an occasion to thank our customers for their continued loyalty over the years.

Our customers are at the heart of our business and we take care of them with special attention and passion. This is what makes us different,” said Jean-Noel Rault, general manager Air France - KLM, Indian Subcontinent.

He added, “For the past 99 years, we have been flying cus-

tomers from all over the world and creating beautiful memories across generations. We have brought Europe and the rest of the world closer to our customers in India with our partnership with Jet Airways. Together we offer 31 weekly flights to Amsterdam, connecting from 45 Indian cities. We look forward to the coming year and our 100th anniversary, making us the only airline in the world to

celebrate a centenary” Customers can avail the special 99-hour deal when they book their flights via KLM’s website www.klm.com or through their travel agents. On October 7, customers travelling from Delhi and Mumbai airports via KLM flights will be able to experience the birthday-themed KLM check-in counters and start their journey on a sweet note.

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IN THE NEWS

MoT launches Swachhta hi Sewa campaign ín Porbandar Plans to replicate Indore’s Swachh Sarvekshan success in Bhopal and Navi Mumbai Steena Joy Mumbai THE MINISTRY of tourism (MoT) recently launched its campaign ‘Swachhta hi Sewa’ (Cleanliness is Service) at Porbandar in Gujarat. India Tourism organised cleanliness drives at important tourist sites as part of the campaign which ran from September 15 to October 2.

Speaking exclusively to Express TravelWorld, Neela Lad, regional director, Western & Central region, MoT, Government of India said, “The cleanliness drive started from Kirti Mandir, the birthplace of

Mahatma Gandhi and ended at Porbandar Beach. Nearly 300 students participated. And the Collector also joined.”

She also revealed that the ministry has started an Art Deco Tour in Mumbai which will cover the UNESCO heritage circuit in Fort area and the art deco buildings on Marine Drive.

MoT recently invited the Indore Municipal Corporation to interact with Mumbai and neighbouring municipal corporation representatives as Indore has won the Cleanest City in India title by the Swachh Sarvekshan Survey for two consecutive years 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Neela Lad

“We plan to replicate Indore’s model in Bhopal and Navi Mumbai. This will mean that all the top three municipal corporations in the Swachh Sarvekshan will be in the Western region – Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. This is a proud moment for us,” Lad explained.

She added that MoT was in talks with the Navi Mumbai municipal corporation and the other surrounding corporations like Thane and Mira Bhayander. “There is nothing like sharing best practices.

There is always something to learn from someone else. Our officers will also be going to all

the Central schools, the Kendriya Vidyalayas. And educate the students with a presentation on Swachhta Abhiyan and how we should keep our city clean. This is basically to inculcate a pride in them to be proud of your city as they are future citizens.” she said.

Dr Uttam Yadav, health officer, Indore Municipal Corporation said, “The fact that we won the Cleanest City title twice shows our dedication. We want that other municipal corporations should replicate this. We want everyone to know the importance of sanitation and hygiene. We hope to be a role model for others.”

Fiji Airways appoints Bird Travels as GSAin India ETW Staff Mumbai FIJI AIRWAYS (formerly known as Air Pacific), the flag carrier airline of Fiji has appointed Bird Travels, the Airline Management Services arm of Bird Group as its local representative in India. The association marks the airline’s latest step in developing its sales distribution network within the Indian market.

The appointment of Bird Travels is part of the intensive preparations undertaken by Fiji Airlines to realise its presence and quality enhancement within the Indian market starting September 1, 2018. Reinforcing the airline’s commitment and growing confidence in the market, Bird Travels will now be responsible for all the airline's sales, marketing and ticketing activities in India.

Announcing the association,

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Gaurav Bhatia, executive director - Bird Group said, “Our association with Fiji Airlines will go a long way in improving the carrier’s business in India as we are committed to promote its routes and overall presence in the country. We have devised a mechanism with a team of experts and latest technology that will sure enhance their operations, at the same time giving a fillip to their sales and marketing pursuits in the country. We are delighted and look forward to a long-term partnership with Fiji Airlines.”

Sajid Khan, country manager India, Fiji Airways said, “With increasing number of international travellers in India every year, Fiji Airways has also witnessed a growth in Indian passengers. This is expected to grow due to a steady flow of leisure and MICE travellers flying between the country and 13 other countries of

Fiji Airways’ operation. Therefore, India becomes one of our prime markets and our association with Bird Travels will hopefully help us to tap into their distribution network effectively.

Fiji Airways operates international services to 13 coun-

tries and 23 cities including Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands (Oceania), the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore. It has an extended network of 108 international destinations through its codeshare

partners. The airline resumed direct flights to Narita, Tokyo on 3 July 2018. The Fiji Airways Group brings in 64 percent of all visitors who fly to Fiji, employs over 1000 employees, and earns revenues of over FJD $815 million (US $390m).

IN THE NEWS

'TOURISM INTO ACOUNTRYIS LINKED TO THE STANDING OFITS SOCIETYAND CIVIC AMENITIES' India is aiming to bring in 20 million tourist arrivals by 2020. Though there has been some action to bridge the gap with improving infrastructure facilities, the Incredible India 2.0 campaign, visa facilitation, however reaching that number may be a challenge. Himmat Anand, founder, The Tree of Life Resorts & Hotels, gets candid about the 20 million target Will India reach the mark of 20 million by 2020, if yes why and if no, then why not?

I will go back a decade or little more when the India story was not supposed to be about ‘numbers’ - it was supposed to be about ‘quality of guests; that the country got; it was supposed to be about ‘length of stay’ where our overseas visitors were supposed to be spending an average of 18-20 nights in the country as against the usual six to eight nights in competing destinations. And I guess with time, yardsticks also change. The re-alignment of wealth has ensured that travellers tighten their belts and spend lesser. In my belief our product offering is also not that which will attract the high spending travellers in large numbers - hotel statistics will confirm that. And what used to be 18-20 nights is today an average of 12 nights, as people have started taking shorter holidays with more frequency. What has

also impacted overseas arrivals is that short haul travel is more on the rise and long haul destinations, of which India is one, have a lower priority.

Having said all of the above, in order to reach the 20 million mark we need to be clear on two issues. Are we talking about 20 million overseas tourists or are we talking about 20 million overseas arrivals? What we get today, the 10.5 million claimed, are overseas arrivals and not overseas tourists. The former has NRIs, POIs, businessmen, airline crew, double entry passengers etc all included. Irrespective of this, in order to reach the 20 million number, we would need to have a compounded growth of around 27 per cent year on year for the next three years on the present figure being put up. Even present growth shows an increase of some 11 per cent from last year and it defeats me as to where this optimism is coming from. I am

given our product offering, which is what it is, why is the country not accepting the fact that some 13 million is great - if we can do that in the coming two years !

Himmat Anand

not seeing any new international airlines coming into the country in great numbers; bilaterals for increasing seat capacity are not moving fast enough; there are no plans for major cruise liners to dock at our ports - so how are these additional 10 million odd passengers going to get here ?

And I always wondered,

What according to you should be the India tourism story?

Incredible India, which was launched some two decades ago was the gamechanger for us and propelled India into another level of tourism marketing and destination positioning.

Twenty years is a long time to wait for another similar gamechanger - that is what we need ! We need not push India necessarily as what India has in abundance - monuments - because a bulk of the travellers are no longer looking for just monuments. We must be a destination of fun, of activity, of music, of good, of wellness (not just Ayurveda), of beaches (we have a 3,200 km coastline and one effective beach destination - Goa !). We must be a destina-

tion where commuting on one's own must be easy and safe; where as a tourist I am not an object of someone to be ripped off; where cleanliness is a way of life. Till we do not offer most of this, our story will continue just as it is….in hope!

Which are the niche areas that we need to fix for the international clientele?

I have over the years reached a very clear conclusion - tourism into a country is linked to the standing of its society and civic amenities. Look at any country successful in tourism and you will find a strong positive impact of both these aspects. The way we are today and the way we are heading, I see no positive change which will hugely impact our international arrivals. It is going to be a tough road for us, with a huge mismatch between potential and reality.

(As told to Reema Lokesh)

Macerich,Simon sign JVfor Los Angeles Premium Outlets ETW Staff Mumbai MACERICH, one of the USA's leading owners, operators and developers of major retail properties in top markets, and Simon, a global leader in premier shopping, dining, entertainment, and mixed-use destinations, today announced the formation of a 50/50 joint venture to create Los Angeles Premium Outlets, a state-of-the-art Premium Outlet

center.

Macerich and Simon will codevelop and jointly lease LA's newest outlet, designed to open with 400,000 square feet, followed by an additional 166,000 square feet in its second phase.

Los Angeles Premium Outlets will be located in Carson in LA County and take advantage of its positioning west of the I-5 corridor and south of the I-10 Freeway.

Site work for the uniquely situ-

ated, elevated shopping destination with parking below is expected to begin immediately, with an opening planned for fall 2021.

Destined to attract the most affluent local residents and international tourists, Los Angeles Premium Outlets will have 2,500 lineal feet of frontage on the high-traffic I-405 Freeway, with 300,000 cars passing each day.

Additionally, 215,000 cars pass the site daily on the I-110 Free-

way. The high-profile project will also benefit from the region's high density of 2.5 million residents within 10 miles and its location just 11 miles from LAX, the nation's second-busiest airport serving 81 million passengers annually. In addition, Los Angeles Premium Outlets will be just a short drive from City of Champions Stadium, the future home of the Rams, Chargers, and world-class entertainment options.

Said Ed Coppola, president of Macerich, and David Simon, CEO and chairman of Simon, “We are very pleased to partner in the development of this one-of-a-kind outlet project on great, well-positioned real estate to serve one of the nation's most attractive markets. We look forward to creating the ultimate outlet destination of choice for both local residents and international visitors to Los Angeles.”

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IN THE NEWS

Oman Tourism reiterates its presence in India, offers new short-term tourist visa ETW Staff Mumbai OMAN TOURISM recently conducted a three city roadshow in New Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The team at Oman Tourism is all set to take the discussions and feedback from the recently concluded roadshow to the next level. Tour operators gave the destination the much needed encouragement and are ready to work closely with the sellers across sectors, namely local agents, DMC, Hotels, attractions are more. The India promotional visit was lead led by Her Excellency, Maitha Saif Al Mahrouqi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) Oman along with representative partners from the tourism industry and members from Oman Air. Maitha Saif Al Mahrouqi said, “The Indian traveller is in a rapid state of evolution and is looking to be engaged in many ways. We recognise and acknowledge the demand we see from India and other potential markets. Hence, as part of the Sultanate’s National Tourism Strategy 2040, the MoT seeks to introduce the sector’s latest developments, services, projects and facilities of the tourism

(L-R) Sunil V A, RVP, ISC, Oman Air; H.E. Maitha Al Mahrouqi, undersecretary, Ministry of Tourism, Oman and Lubaina Sheerazi, India Representative, MoT, Oman

industry, such as opening the new passenger terminal at Muscat International Airport and launching the Electronic Visa. It also aims to promote the Sultanate’s unique cultural heritage, the pristine environment and terrain diversification that will allow tourists to experience the destination. The objective of our visit is to highlight the various facets of Oman as a destination and to create awareness about the new segments and offerings that the country has to offer. We see India as a promising potential

market and have witnessed significant growth over a period of time.”

Since 2014, Oman has witnessed over 31 per cent growth in Indian arrivals. In 2017 alone, Oman received 321,161 Indian visitors, showcasing growth of over 7 per cent in just one year.

Commenting on the roadshow, Lubaina Sheerazi, India Representative, MoT, Oman said, “India represents an important and vast market for Oman given the high percentage of its residents willing to travel and experience new destinations across the

world. The roadshow offers us a platform to expose the uniqueness of Oman as a holiday destination from India. Being a short journey, the country offers a diverse landscape and varied activities for the evolved Indian traveller. From luxurious resorts and campsites to exotic scuba diving spots to rustic shopping experiences, Oman has something to offer to anyone who has a quest for adventure and thirst for a distinctive cultural experience.” Further, the tourism board decided to float a new format interactive platform with prefixed meetings gave trade partners and travel agents in the Indian market an opportunity to interact and learn more about the diverse product offerings and experiences that Oman has to offer.

Additionally, the MoT looks committed to enhancing the MICE sector and to help the Sultanate achieve its potential to be a first-class destination for this segment. The Sultanate has seen an increase in business tourism with the recent launch of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre in Muscat, which supports international and local organisations in hosting large events. The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre includes

state-of-the-art theatres, conference rooms and four hotels with almost 1000 rooms along with major exhibition halls that can cater to tens of thousands of people at one time. Oman is not only seeing a surge in MICE travel but also a preferred wedding destination for many. Muscat is a well endowed city with modern infrastructure and provides a perfect set up for weddings with various urban world class hotels.

Oman Air, the national carrier is also well connected via direct flights with major Indian cities. Furthermore, to encourage more travellers to visit the country, Oman has recently announced a new short-term tourist visa at 5 Omani Riyal (OMR) equivalent to approximately `940 to visit the Sultanate for a period of 10 days. Indians who hold a valid visa to any one of these countries – USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Japan and Schengen States can avail the Oman visa through an e-visa process by simply logging on to https://evisa.rop.gov.om/ and make the 5 OMR payment on checkout, whereas other Indian travellers can get a sponsored visa by paying 5 OMR plus processing fee through their tour operators.

SWISS launches 'Stopover Switzerland' in India ETW Staff Mumbai TRAVELLERS on Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) can now both get to their final destination and explore Switzerland en route. Both leisure and business travellers can extend their stopover in Switzerland by one to four nights by adding a customisable travel package under the

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new “Stopover Switzerland” offer, which SWISS has launched in close collaboration with Switzerland Tourism (ST) and Switzerland Travel Centre (STC). India, Singapore and the United States are the first SWISS markets to introduce the new stopover programme which offers an initial range of eight customised single or multi-destination travel packages covering all Swiss

regions and with all accommodation in a three- or four-star hotel at the chosen destination and public transport included.

With the single-destination Stopover Switzerland packages, which are bookable for one to four nights, guests can choose one Swiss city such as Zurich, Interlaken or Lucerne as the base for their excursions and discoveries.

The package also includes

tips on possible local trips and activities, to help the guest make the most of their stay. All packages also include a Swiss Travel Pass for 1st or 2nd class travel, giving unlimited rides on Switzerland’s extensive public transport system for the duration of the stopover.

The multi-destination Stopover Switzerland packages, which are bookable for

two to four nights, offer a fixed itinerary including transport with different locations for the overnight stays in three- or four-star hotels, as well as a flexible range of activities.. Guests can, for example, choose the “Best of Switzerland” package, which includes excursions to some of the most popular Swiss lakes and mountains.

IN THE NEWS

Tanzania hopes to triple Indian visitors to 180,000 over two years Air Tanzania to start three weekly direct flights from Mumbai this November Steena Joy Mumbai TANZANIA TOURIST Board has been promoting itself all over the world and it was keen to venture into India. Which is why it recently held its first roadshow in the country.

Speaking exclusively to Express TravelWorld in a telephonic interview, Devota Mdachi, managing director, Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) said, “India is one of the top ten markets for us at number 5.

Nearly 69,000 tourists came from India in 2017 out of the total 13 lakh arrivals into Tanzania. We are seeing the potential. Over the last five to seven days, we met with leading travel agents in India. The interest in our country is tremendous. There is huge potential.

We are excited about this.”

She also informed that Air Tanzania, Tanzania’s national carrier, will start its Dreamliner flight between Dar es Salaam and Mumbai before November 30 this year. “It will be a six hour direct flight, three times a week which means that a business traveller can have now his breakfast in Mumbai and just six hours later arrive into Tanzania for a late lunch or an early dinner. With this direct flight, we expect the Indian arrivals to double. As for Delhi, our roadshow showed us the potential from the capital city so we may later add have another flight from Delhi on a codeshare agreement,” she stated.

Historically the two countries have always been connected by trade through the years. Elaborating on the de-

Devota Mdachi

mographic mix of Indian visitors, Mdachi said, “We get a lot of business travellers, VFRs (Visting Friends and Relatives) because Tanzania has one of the largest Indian communities in Africa, as well as tourists looking for new destinations.

With the coming direct connectivity, we expect these numbers to triple. Looking at the potential, the sky is the limit. In two years, we expect to triple the visitor arrivals from India to 180,000 or more. We have lots to offer Indian travellers like wildlife, Zanzibar, history, culture and local cuisines.”

Mdachi informed that to market this destination a presence in India was needed so TTB will soon announce its PR and Marketing agency before the end of October. “We will have another roadshow in November when the direct flight will be launched. We will invite leading media companies to visit Tanzania. We are also or-

ganising FAM tours for Indian travel trade. More than 20 Indian travel agents are participating in our annual Travel expo this October in Dar es Salaam. We will also be holding talks with leading film production houses in Mumbai to invite them to our country to see the excellent locales we have for shooting films. Our embassy here in Delhi will assist them in obtaining the necessary permisions and open doors for them” she said.

Apart from Mt Kilimanjaro and Serengeti, TTB is also promoting the Crater called Eden of Africa. “It is a must visit on any bucket list and looks like a Noah’s Ark. We have nearly 120 tribes that have their unique cultures and cuisines and m0st of them speak Swahili. We also have many Indian and Chinese restaurants for those Indian travellers who want to have familiar food.,” she said.

Aviareps to represent Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation in India ETW Staff Mumbai AVIAREPS has been appointed as the sales, marketing and PR representative in India for Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). The appointment came into effect owing to Maldives’ growing outbound demand, steady rise in visitation from India, along with surge in the length of stay and spending power of Indian travellers.

Speaking after the announcement, Haris Mohamed, acting managing director, MMPRC, said “Maldives tourism industry has been expanding over the years to provide unique experiences to its visitors whilst also catering to specific needs of the niche segments that Maldives attracts. We are delighted to have appointed Aviareps to represent the Maldives tourism board in India.

We hope to work together with the aim of increasing the number of tourists from India, which has been a growing market and the top 5th market in terms of arrivals to Maldives. With well-planned strategies and activities targeted towards educating and inviting the Indian market, we hope to achieve continued growth in the years to come”.

“We are honoured to be representing Maldives

We hope to work together with the aim of increasing the number of tourists from India, which has been a growing market and the top 5th market Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) in India. The Maldives is one of India’s closest neighbor with world class resorts and tourism offerings. We are quite sure given Aviareps expertise, we can bring stronger growth to the Maldives. Our plans include working very closely with the Indian travel trade and media to reach out to the Indian consumer. Our prime focus will be on maintaining and strengthening Maldives’s positioning in India as the first choice beach and leisure destination with myriad of tourism offerings,” commented Joseph Fernandes, GM – India, Aviareps, on the appointment.

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IN THE NEWS

'IN INDIA,WE WERE THE FIRSTCOMPANYTO OFFER BRANDED DOMESTIC HOLIDAYS' As Cox & Kings, the world's oldest established travel company completes 260 years in the industry, Peter Kerkar, Group CEO, Cox&Kings, recalls the journey so far and the roadmap ahead. By Steena Joy Cox & Kings is celebrating 260 years in the travel industry. How has the company evolved in this journey?

Cox & Kings traces its origins to 1758, when Richard Cox’s career took off when Lord Ligonier led the Flanders campaign of the War of Austrian Succession. In one letter sent back to London, Richard Cox makes a demand that "suitable winter provisions and housing should be made available for the three English companies" and he became entwined with logistics and the general welfare of the troops. Ligonier made Cox his private secretary in the late 1740s, went on to become the colonel of the First Foot Guards in 1757, and rewarded Cox with the post of 'military agent' after the incumbent died in May 1758. Thus was born Cox & Co. There were about a dozen main agents working for the army at the time and each regimental colonel chose one to serve their troops. These agents arranged the payment of officers and men, organised the provision of clothing, acted as intermediaries for the buying and selling of officers' commissions and acted on any special requests from the regimental adjutant.

Historically, Cox & Kings has been an army agent, a travel agent, a printer and publisher. It has also worked as a news agent, cargo agent, shipowner, banker, insurance agent, and dealer of several travel-related activities. Its core activities now include the sale of packaged holidays for leisure travel.

In 2009, it listed on the stock exchanges in India and was the first Indian travel multinational company. In 2011, it acquired

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HolidayBreak in the UK. Today, the company has operations spread across 22 countries and four continents.

How has C&K reinvented itself for the new age Indian traveller?

The travel industry is constantly evolving and that’s the nature of our industry. One has to adapt, innovate and capture the trends that prevail in the market and offer it to the clientele. In India, we were the first company to offer branded domestic holidays under the Bharat Deko brand in 2001, at a time when domestic travel market was looked down upon and the five-star hotel chains scoffed at our initiative. Today, all the hotel chains are making a beeline for the Indian domestic travel. Similarly, we were the first ever private company to run four luxury carriages in a train from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer. Today, we operate the Deccan Odyssey, the one-ofits-kind luxury train in India, that boasts of a Pan-India itinerary. All this has been made possible due to our innovative efforts in understanding the demands of the traveller.

In another innovative effort, we are marketing a product called The Ultimate Travelling Camp (TUTC), this is super luxury and we have set up our camps in Ladakh, Nubra, Kohima and Dudhwa. These cater to a market which has been unexplored.

Cox & Kings' tremendous contribution to the country's travel industry is known to all.

With innovations like 'Enable Travel' – unique holidays for the disabled travellers to specialist brands such as ' Trip 360' for adventure enthusiasts, 'Getaway Goddess' for women

Peter Kerkar

travellers and 'Self Drive 365' that is set to change the realm of self-drive tours in India and elsewhere, Cox & Kings has reinvented the space.

A successful company must focus on continuous customer engagement.

Comments.

Our target market is the entire spectrum of travellers. We engage differently with different target groups. We take part in roadshows across the country and also market online. We do not limit ourselves to a particular vehicle or channel, it’s the entire spectrum we engage with through innovative campaigns.

Anushka Sharma as brand ambassador. How can celebrities add value to an already established brand?

Aspirational Indians have a good connect with influencers that represent them. Celebrities have immense value and can help us create a differentiated connect with Indian travellers.

What has been the response

to the Enable Travel initiative?

The response has been positive so far. Since we launched in 2017, we have facilitated travel for over 200 disabled people in domestic, inbound and outbound segment. We see a huge scope in the inbound space.

Apart from curating customised itineraries for the disabled, Enable travel has designed unique digital and onground campaigns that works towards changing mindsets of people and making them believe there is nothing one can’t do.

When will Self Drive 365 hit the roads in India? Which regions will it cover ?

Self Drive 365 has already hit the roads in India. With some tempting road journeys from across the world, Self Drive 365 is the country’s one of the first road-trip specialists.

The new vertical covers the entire country with unimaginable customised itineraries. Those passionate to explore the Indian wonders through road, SD365 offers you the beauty and cultural marvels of Maharashtra, Goa, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Leh-Ladakh and Karnataka. Besides, riders interested to explore any other part of India, a custom trip can be designed.

India is a promising destination for Self Drive 365. In view of the long run, we have all witnessed a growth in the number of kilometres of new roads in the country. Besides, the existing infrastructure well suits self-drive journeys.

2018 has been declared as the Year of Adventure Travel. Is Trip 360 indicative of India's

adventure tourism potential?

Adventure tourism is witnessing an impressive growth in India. One of the indicators being, the inbound travel in the adventure space which is growing at an estimated rate of five per cent to seven per cent per year. The statistics indicate there is growing interest among the international community of enthusiasts in exploring the adventure side of India.

India has a vast coastline and about 73 per cent of the Himalayas waiting to be explored with the right infrastructure.

Indian adventure tourism is yet at a nascent stage that is charting its own growth path.The sector is growing faster than any other segment in the tourism industry. With appropriate regulations, the Indian adventure sector can mark its space globally.

We haven’t even scraped the tip of adventure travel opportunities available in India. With the record number of coasts, the river bodies running through the entire length and breadth of the country and the beautiful mountain ranges in the north and south, the national parks we have in the country, we can in the next 10 years be the top destination for Adventure Tourism.

Your comments on the UDAN scheme.

The government’s UDAN (regional connectivity scheme), initiative is a step in the right direction. Existing airlines have invested in aircraft to connect to the new airports and routes that were not deemed profitable. Many of them are now commercially viable. This demonstrates that the government is the catalyst in the growth of Indian aviation.

SPECIAL FEATURE

Bathukamma Come be part of Bathukamma, a colourful floral festival of Telangana celebrated by its womenfolk with exotic flowers of the region

B

athukamma festival has over the years become a symbol of Telangana culture and identity. It is celebrated during the latter half of monsoon, before the onset of winter. Bathukamma is actually a beautiful flower stack, arranged with different unique seasonal flowers most of them with medicinal values, in seven concentric layers in the shape of a temple gopuram.

In Telugu, ‘Bathukamma' means ‘Mother Goddess come Alive’ and Goddess Maha Gauri -‘ Life Giver’ is worshipped in the form of Bathukamma - the patron goddess of womanhood.

The monsoon rains usually bring plenty of water into the ponds and tanks of Telangana and it is also the time when wild flowers bloom in various vibrant colours across the uncultivated and barren plains of the region. The most abundant of these flowers are ‘gunuka’ (or ‘gunugu’) and ‘tangedu’. There are other flowers like the ‘banti’, ‘chamanti’, ‘nandi-vardhanam’, etc.

The ‘shilpakka pandlu’ (or ‘sitaphalalu’), custard apples, are another great attraction during this season. The custard apple is tasty fruit that grows in the wild with little or no water and is often called the ‘poor man’s apple’. Then there is corn (‘jonna’ and ‘mokka jonna’) waiting to be harvested. Amidst these, Bathukamma is celebrated by the womenfolk of Telangana, heralding the beauty of vibrant nature in multitudinous flowers. The festival begins a week before the ‘Saddula Bathukamma’ (the grand finale of the Bathukamma festival) which falls two days before Dassera. The womenfolk normally get back to their parents’ homes from their in-laws and breathe the fresh

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air of freedom to celebrate the colours of flowers. For one whole week, they make small ‘Bathukammas’, play around them every evening and immerse them in a nearby water pond. On the last day, menfolk of the house go into the wild plains and bring home bagfuls of these flowers and the entire household sits down to arrange them in stacks.

The flowers are carefully arranged row after row in a brass plate (called ‘taambalam’) in circular rows and in alternate colours. The Bathukamma grows in size and the bigger it gets, the better.

The white ‘gunuka’ flowers are coloured using water paints and Bathukamma gets colourful circular layers of them along

with ‘tangedu’ in between. The Bathukamma is then placed before the family deity and prayers are offered.

Human circle of unity As evening approaches, the womenfolk dress colourfully in best of their attire adorned with a lot of ornaments, and place the Bathukammas in their courtyard. The women of neighbourhood also gather in a large circle around it. They start singing songs by making rounds around them repeatedly, building a beautiful human circle of unity, love and sisterhood. After playing in circles around the ‘Batukammalu’, before the onset of dusk, the womenfolk carry them on their heads

and move as a procession towards a bigger water body near the village or town.

The procession is extremely glittering with aptly dressed and decorated women and ‘Bathukammalu’ . Songs of folklore are sung in chorus throughout the procession and the streets resonate with them.

Finally, when they reach the water pond, the ‘Bathukammalu’ are slowly immersed into water after another round of playing and singing. Then they share the ‘maleeda’ (a dessert made with sugar or raw sugar and corn bread) sweets amongst the family members and neighbourhood folks. They return to their homes with the empty taambaalams, singing songs in praise of Bathukamma.

SPECIAL FEATURE The songs of Bathukamma echo in the streets until late night during the entire week.

Bathukamma is a celebration of the inherent relationship human beings share with earth and water. During the entire preceding week, women make ‘boddemma’ (a deity of Gowri ‘mother Durga’ made with earthly mud) along with Bathukamma and immerse it in the ponds. This helps reinforce the ponds and helps them retain more water. The flowers used in Bathukamma have a great quality of purifying water in ponds and tanks and flowers so immersed in abundance are environment friendly.

In times when the fresh water ponds are gradually diminishing and dwindling away, it is indeed a matter of pride for Telangana that its womenfolk (with mostly agrarian background) inherently know how to rejuvenate them by celebrating the festival of flowers.

The festival heralds the beauty of nature, collective spirit of Telangana people, the indomitable spirit of womenfolk and also the ecological spirit of the agrarian people in preserving the natural resources in a festive way.

BROWSE FASTWITH THE BATHUKAMMAAPP A collection of Bathukamma Songs (paatalu) to celebrate Bathukamma Festival.This app has more than 50 lyrics for different types of Bathukamma songs to sing while playing Bathukamma.Audio songs are provided for some of the lyrics.

Favourite songs can be selected to find them quickly.All the songs are written in Telugu language.

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IN FOCUS

India gets its first ever India Tourism Mart Tourism minister Alphons announced that ITM will be an annual event hereafter in line with other international tourism marts and it will be held in the month of September

T

he Union minister for railways and coal, Piyush Goyal recently inaugurated the ‘first ever’ India Tourism Mart (ITM 2018) in the presence of Union tourism minister, K J Alphons and the tourism minister of Morocco, Mohamed Sajid, in New Delhi.

The India Tourism Mart was organised by the ministry of tourism (MoT) in partnership with the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) and with support of state /UT Governments.

Inaugurating the event, Goyal wished the best to the tourism ministry to reach the ambitious goal of US$ 100 billion FTA receipts/year within five years. The minister said that unless the infrastructure /fundamentals are set up, India can’t come up as a well sought after destination and he said that the present government has been developing these like ensuring 24 hour power supply, promoting renewable energy forms, and improving connectivity by effectively connecting the remotest destinations.

He also added that the most important element that will help promote tourism in a complete way is the Government’s cleanliness drive, the Swachhta Abhiyan, which will ensure India becoming a preferred destination for all international tourists. Mentioning the income multiplier effect in the tourism sector, the minister said that tourism generates a number of employment opportunities in formal and informal sectors and

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The most important element that will help promote tourism in a complete way is the Government’s cleanliness drive, the Swachhta Abhiyan, which will ensure India becoming a preferred destination for all international tourists can change the destiny of the country. Goyal added that the youth of the country can be entrepreneurs, service providers, interpreters etc in the sector and ascertained that India with its varied features has tremendous potential and we just need to leverage from it.

Speaking at the event, Alphons announced that ITM will be an annual event hereafter in line with other international tourism marts and it

will be held in the month of September. The minister said that India is so vast that there will be something new for everyone to see and experience in this country with its varied geography, culture, traditions, architectural marvels, religions. Alphons also added that visiting the country has become easier with the new evisa regime which is now open to 166 countries.

ITM was held for the first time and the tourism industry

stakeholders came together for such a large scale event with the ministry’s support.

FAITH is the apex organisation of all the important trade and hospitality associations of the country and all the 10 major tourist organisations like FHRAI, HAI, IATO were involved in this mega event and India Convention Promotion Board (ICPB) coordinated the whole event. This was a Business to Business event. The objective of the event was to

create an annual global tourism mart for India in line with major international travel marts being held in countries across the world.

The Mart provided a platform for all stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industries to interact and transact business opportunities.

ITM 2018 had a participation of around 225 hosted international buyers and media across the world such as North America, West Europe, East Asia, Latin America, CIS countries, etc. The international delegates from overseas markets interacted with Indian seller delegates and the buyers included current buyers who are already marketing India as a tourist destination as well as potential buyers who are not marketing India as a tourist destination at present but have shown interest in the country. The event also provided an opportunity to the buyers to see the world class tourism facilities available in the country such as airports, hotels, tourist destinations, upcoming facilities, MICE facilities, possibility in the field of adventure tourism and other niche products.

Around 225 stalls were provided to the sellers to enable them to interact with the buyers.These included pavilions for states & Union Territories to showcase their unique tourism destinations and products. FAITH and state governments also offered pre and post event FAM trips (familiarisation trips) for the buyer delegates from overseas.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

The Ritz-Carlton, Colombo and JW Marriott Colombo O

ne Transworks Square has announced a plan to bring two luxury brands – The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott – to Colombo, set within a prestigious, new mixed-use complex that will offer occupants panoramic views of the Indian Ocean. “The One” luxury project will be composed of three gleaming glass towers set on four million square feet of prime property at Transworks Square, Colombo 1. In addition to The Ritz-Carlton, Colombo

and JW Marriott Colombo, the complex will include a combination of offices and residences, high-end retail, a banquet hall, collective fine dining experiences and a helipad. Set to soar 300 meters high, The Ritz-Carlton, Colombo and JW Marriott Colombo will be built in adjacent towers, with the third tower slated to be South Asia’s tallest building at 376 meters high and 92 floors. A beautifully restored heritage structure is also a part of this

project. The Ritz-Carlton, Colombo will feature 200 luxuriously appointed guestrooms and 187 branded residences. It will offer guests and residents four dining options, including a specialty restaurant, as well as

two lounges, a pool bar and a signature Ritz-Carlton Spa. JW Marriott Colombo will boast 250 contemporary hotel rooms and 218 residences on high floors that will offer stunning views of the destination.

AVANI Central Busan Hotel A

VANI Hotels & Resorts has announced the signing of a second property in South Korea. In the final stages of development and scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2019, AVANI Central Busan Hotel has an ideal location in Busan’s city centre.

Just a 30-minute drive from the city’s Gimhae International Airport, the 289-key hotel is conveniently located in the Munhyeon Finance Complex that includes the tallest building in Busan known as the Busan International Finance Centre (BIFC). The hotel is a part of a 37story twin-tower mixed-use complex that includes offices, residences, a retail mall, and the largest theatre (1,800 seats) in Busan capable of hosting international stage productions.

Delicious meals and snacks will await at the Sky Restaurant & Bar, an all-day dining restaurant, and PANTRY at AVANI. An 800sqm event space will host everything from seminars to parties, while AVANISPA offers relaxing and revitalising treatments and AVANIFIT gym provides the latest equipment to keep in shape. AVANI Central Busan Hotel joins the AVANI Busan Hotel, which was signed last year and is scheduled to open in 2021.

Alcove Hotel Seoul

Dining options will include three, best-in-class culinary outlets and a lobby lounge, with an additional 1,870 square meters of banquet space for intimate ceremonies, social gatherings and business meetings.

Legend Hotel Lagos Airport

L L

ocated in trendy Gangnam district, the 108-room Alcove Hotel Seoul is set to open its doors this October. Designed by SungGahun, Alcove Hotel Seoul managed by AccorHotels & Ambassador is an urban hideaway for business and leisure travellers featuring seven room types with large private outdoor spaces and a stunning rooftop bar that overlooks the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Seolleung and Jeongneung (Seonjeongneung) Royal Park.

Styled like a comfortable neighbourhood bistro, Salmanazar Restaurant serves a range of American classic dishes which can also be enjoyed at the restaurant’s private garden while Salmanazar Café offers all-day-and-night dining with gourmet coffees, freshly baked pastries and a selection of wines. For an intimate get-together or gathering with friends, the exclusive members-only Bluewood House lounge and bar is the perfect social club venue for an evening wine down. Perched on the rooftop of the hotel, Club Limit is a metropolitan oasis where creative dishes and mellow music come together against the panoramic backdrop of the city.

egend Hotel Lagos Airport sees the introduction of Hilton’s Curio Collection to Africa and marks the milestone of 500 operating hotels across EMEA. Legend Hotel Lagos Airport is located at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The stylish hotel is adjacent to the airport’s private jet terminal and has an exclusive immigrations and customs desk in the hotel for private jet passengers. This is Hilton’s first hotel in Lagos and its second in Nigeria, with an additional seven hotels in its development pipeline for the country.

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Islands have always been seen as exotic destinations due to their isolation and their exclusivity. Express Travelworld lists out ten of these havens that are Nature's tourism jewels

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THE MAIN FOCUS

MALDIVES C

onsisting of 26 natural atolls, the Maldives archipelago nestled in the Indian Ocean is the planet's lowest lying nation, rising no more than three meters above the sea at its highest point, a measurement that shrinks every year.

With a total area approximately the size of Portugal but a land area comprising islands and sandbanks about the size of Singapore, the ocean forms over 99 per cent of the country. Luminous aquamarine waters with a crystal clarity offer the best scuba diving and snorkelling sites. Surfers also flock here to ride the uncrowded breaks. The domestic airport was upgraded to an international airport in February 2012, with the introduction of direct flights to Thiruvananthapuram in India by Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives. Now GoAir also oper-

ates flights to Male. A holiday in the Maldives is a chance to gain an insight into this unique country, by exploring island villages, sourcing local handicrafts, visiting heritage sites and the National Museum.

With ten domestic airports, travel between islands can be swift and comfortable by scheduled flights. . If you want to hop between resort islands, that can be done by using Ibrahim Nasir International Airport as the hub, arriving on one resort boat and leaving on another. The easiest way for guests to visit other islands while staying at a resort is to take one of the resort’s guided tours. These typically include a visit to an inhabited island with an escorted walk around the sandy streets, an opportunity to buy souvenirs, taste local cuisine and watch cultural performances.

Some tours take in a visit to a genuinely uninhabited island, for a chance to swim or for a picnic. Some resorts will organise a daylong Robinson Crusoe experience on an islet or sandbank. Since boats are the taxis

of the islands it’s possible to hire one to get from one island to another. From Male, you can easily visit the residential islands of Hulhumale or Vilingili by inexpensive ferry running regularly from their Male terminals. If

you are in a group wanting to visit several islands, then chartering a LiveAboard safari vessel for a few days is the best way, as you can arrange with the boat’s skipper to visit islands off the tourist trail.

MAURITIUS

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he island of Mauritius is relatively young geologically, having been created by volcanic activity some eight million years ago. While Mauritian Creole is the mother tongue of most Mauritians, most people are also fluent in English and French. Port Louis, the cosmopolitan capital city of Mauritius is full of cultural and histori-

cal treasures that should not be missed. Beyond the central market, are many historic sites including the Champ de Mars - the oldest race course in the southern hemisphere. The Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden, commonly known as the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden near Port Louis is also the oldest botanical garden in

the southern hemisphere.

Located on the shores of the country’s biggest lagoon, Mahebourg is a coastal town that is closest to the island’s only airport. Its unique amalgam of colonial and Creole architecture, and its local markets makes Mahebourg a must visit. Founded in 1805, the town was named after the famous French governor

Mahé de Labourdonnais.

A small complex of buildings on the seafront in Port Louis, Aapravasi Ghat was the place where the first indentured workers arrived into Mauritius. Between 1834 and 1920, almost half a million indentured labourers arrived from India at Aapravasi Ghat (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site) to work in the sugar plantations of Mauritius.

At present, less than half of the Immigration Depot area as it existed in 1865, survives. However, some of the key original structural components still stand.

These include the remains of the sheds for the housing of the immigrants, kitchens, lavatories, a building used as a hospital block and the symbolical flight of 14 steps through which all immigrants entered the Immigration Depot.

Grand Bassin is a crater lake

about 550 meters above sea level with a depth of between 50 and 55 feet. In 1972 a priest from India brought sacred water from the Ganges and amid much ceremonial poured the holy water into the lake. From then on the lake has been known as Ganga Talao. Ganga for Ganges and ‘Talao’ means ‘pool’.

Chamarel is a mountain hamlet, home to the famous Terres de 7 Couleurs (seven coloured mud), a natural phenomenon and a prominent tourist attraction. The rolling dunes of multicoloured earth have long intrigued geologists. Chamarel is also known for its world-class rum. En route to the seven coloured earth lies La Rhumerie de Chamarel Distillery, one of the rare distilleries that cultivates its own sugarcane for its rums.

There are guided tours ending with rum tasting.

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nce a hill range extending from Myanmar to Indonesia, these picturesque undulating islands, islets numbering around 572, are covered with dense rain-fed, damp and evergreen forests and endless varieties of exotic flora and fauna. Most of these islands (about 550) are in the Andaman Group, 28 of which are inhabited. The smaller Nicobars, comprise some 22 main islands (10 inhabited). The Andaman and Nicobars are separated by the Ten Degree Channel which is 150 kms wide. The islands are prominently featured in Arthur

Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mystery, The Sign of the Four, as well as in M M Kaye's Death in the Andamans.

These islands also boast of freedom fighting days’ historically significant landmarks viz.

Cellular Jail, Ross Island, Viper Island, Hopetown and Mount Harriet. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been declared as two of the 218 endemic bird areas of the world. Port Blair, the capital town offers water-based activities like snorkeling, scuba diving, seacruises, and glimpses of the history and culture of the region.

LAKSHADWEEP L

ocated some 400 km off India's west coast into the Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep is known for its exotic and sun-kissed beaches and lush green landscape. The name Lakshadweep in Malayalam and Sanskrit means ‘a hundred thousand islands’.

20 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD October 2018

India’s smallest Union Territory Lakshadweep is an archipelago consisting of 36 islands with an area of 32 sq km. It is a uni-district Union Territory and is comprised of 12 atolls, three reefs, five submerged banks and ten inhabited islands.The islands are typically accessed from

ANDAMAN ISLANDS The Aberdeen Bazaar forms the centre of the town. Havelock island is a picturesque natural paradise with beautiful white sandy beaches, rich coral reefs and lush green forest. It is one of the populated islands in the Andaman group.

Neil Island is known as the ‘vegetable bowl’ of the Andamans. The settlers named the beaches after mythical

characters of the epic Ramayana (Bharatpur, Laxmanpur, Sitapur, Ramnagar etc).

You can walk the whole island in about two hours. Lalaji Bay beach is a beautiful, sandy beach on the west coast of Long Island. One has to take a boat from Rangat jetty to reach there. Situated in north Andaman, Diglipur provides rare experience for eco-friendly

tourists. The place is famous for its oranges, rice, forest wealth and marine life.

Baratang island between South and Middle Andaman has beautiful beaches, mangrove creeks, mud-volcanoes and limestone caves. Forest and PWD guest houses are available. A couple of private accommodations are also available.

Kochi (Kerala) and a permit is required to visit (for all tourists including Indians). The capital is Kavaratti and it is also the principal town of the UT. It doesn't have its own airport and can be accessed from Agatti, the nearest airport. In fact, Agatti is the only island belonging to the Lakshadweep group with its airport that makes the island destination extremely accessible from major parts of the world. Scuba diving and glass bottom boat rides are incredibly famous on

Agatti island.

Also known as Bunnagara in the local language, Bangaram island has a population of only 10 and just one beach resort,The Bangaram Island Beach Resort which was inaugurated in 1974.

One can go canoeing, kayaking, water skiing or windsurfing.

There are also provisions for diving and snorkelling.

Minicoy island was earlier the part of Maldives group of the islands until it was acquired by the Republic of India. It is known

for its vibrant coral reefs, quaint white-sand beaches, luxury beach resorts and also for its dance tradition, known as the lava dance.

The islands are well connected by regular flights from Kochi. Helicopter transfer is available from Agatti to Kavaratti throughout the year.

Lakshadweep has a tropical climate and it has an average temperature of 27° C – 32° C. October to March is the ideal time to be on the islands.

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FIJI F

iji is an archipelago of 333 sun-kissed, picture perfect islands tucked away in the South Pacific, close to Australia and New Zealand. Home to the recently upgraded international airport, the multi-cultural town of Nadi is the gateway to Fiji.

When you land at the Nadi International Airport, you are greeted with smiling faces that chant ‘Bula’. Bula (pronounced as boolah) is a word in the Fijian language that literally means ‘life’ and is most commonly used as a greeting.

Offering perfect weather all year-round , this sun-kissed collection of more than 300 volcanic islands surrounded by azure-seas and coral atolls, Fiji is home to the friendliest people on the planet. You can choose to relax and unwind in one of Fiji’s world-class spas

and beaches or indulge in the many activities and experiences - skydiving from 14,000 ft over coral reefs, or testing your skills on Fiji’s most iconic wave, the world-famous Cloudbreak, from dirt biking to river rafting, scuba diving, trekking and cultural tours.

Jet skis, SUPs and Hobie cats are readily available at most resorts. For land-based thrills, there are off-road vehicle tours, skydiving and zip lining.

At nearby Denarau island, there are excellent golf and tennis facilities plus a huge waterpark for the young and young at heart. You can also set sail from Port Denarau for a day trip to the nearby Mamanuca (featuring in the classic Tom Hanks film Cast Away) and theYasawa islands.

Visiting the Yasawas was once limited to cruise ships, and

passengers were forbidden to actually set foot on these islands until the 1950s. Thanks to a government ecotourism initiative, the islands are now

dotted with accommodation options. In the northern part of the island group, the limestone caves of Sawa-i-lau are a great destination for a day

trip. Or, for the more adventurous, you can dive with manta rays on Drawaqa island and snorkel with sharks on Kuata island.

SEYCHELLES

S

eychelles is a archipelago country in the Indian Ocean. In 1971, with the opening of Seychelles Interna-

tional Airport, tourism became a significant industry. Mahe is the largest and the most developed island in Seychelles, home

to the capital city of Victoria.

Praslin, La Digue, Fregate, North Island, Silhouette Island, and Cousine Island are a few of

the other islands in the archipelago. Spectacular reefs, colorful corals, and exciting shipwrecks, all make diving and snorkeling, popular activities in Seychelles.Seychelles has two types of islands - coral and granite which feature UNESCO-listed jungles and thriving coral reefs. Almost half the total land area of these equatorial isles is protected, and many of the islands lie within fishrich marine sanctuaries. The Seychelles also feature some of the planet's richest fishing grounds, making this a top destination for anglers. On Mahe island, Cousin Island Special Reserve is a superb example of eco-tourism. It is one of the best protected sites for nesting Hawksbill turtles and the highest density of lizards per hectare in the world. It is visited by 300,000 nesting

seabirds each year and home to five endemic land birds.

On Praslin island, enjoy the unique chance to encounter over forty thousand giant clams and to learn about their feeding and reproduction habitats at the Black Pearl Ocean Farm. Black pearls are also cultured here in the first and only pearl farm in the Indian Ocean region. With the temperature always remaining between 24 °C and 32 °C, the island nation can be visited at any time of the year. Top domestic and international airlines like Air Seychelles, Jet Airways, Etihad Airways, Emirates, and Ethiopian Airlines operate more than 150 flights to Seychelles from New Delhi every week. The airports at Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai also operate regular flights to Seychelles.

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cover ) ELNIDO,PHILIPPINES W

hile the spectacular views from the Airswift flight from Manila to El Nido, prepares a traveller to what lies ahead, island hopping on a traditional bangka boat is an exhilarating experience of discovering the natural beauty of the destination. There are stunning views all around as you pass through the rocky islands dotting the sea. The towering Cadlao island is the largest in El Nido, while Helicopter Island does look like a chopper has landed on water. The highlight is definitely the astoundingly beautiful small lagoon, which can only be accessed in a kayak because of its small entrance. The emerald green waters of the lagoon are surrounded by vegetation like cactus, wild orchid and vines. The big lagoon was earlier a cave, and the sights of stalactites and stalagmites are indicative of this. This area supports a lot of marine species and commercial fishing is not allowed. The Cathedral Cave is a highlight of island hopping in

El Nido, and the cave gives one a feeling of a sacred space crafted by Mother Nature. The spectacular rock formations, look like spires of a cathedral and are a sight to behold. Visitors have to wade through waist deep waters and crawl through a small opening to enter the Cudugnon Cave. This was an ancient burial site and artefacts have been found here. This mysterious cave was also used by the locals to hide from Japanese during World War II. A popular destination for snorkelling is the Snake Island, which has a naturally L shaped sandbar.

Guests can take a break from island hopping and enjoy a picnic lunch at Entalula Beach Club. Waiting for the food to be served they can go for a swim, do snorkelling or just laze around on a hammock. El Nido is a great destination for minimum three nights and attracts repeat visitors because of its untouched natural beauty and many activities.

SANTORINI,GREECE

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he whole complex of the Santorini islands is still an active volcano and probably the only volcano in the world whose crater is in the sea called a Caldera. Also known as Thera in Greek, San-

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torini islands have a growing reputation as a “wedding destination” for couples not only from Greece but from all over the world. A trip to Santorini with the other half is a dream for anyone who has seen at

least one photo of the island’s famous Caldera!

Firá is the picturesque capital of the island; perched high up on the edge of the Caldera, it looks like a marvellous painting. Firá, together with Oia,

Imerovígli and Firostefáni located high above on a cliff, make up the so-called “Caldera’s eyebrow”, the balcony of Santorini, which offers an amazing view of the volcano. Other famous smaller villages are Akrotíri and Méssa Vounó, with their famous archaeological sites, Pýrgos, Karterádes, Emporió, Ammoúdi, Finikiá, Períssa, Perívolos, Megalohóri, Kamári, Messariá and Monólithos: some of the villages are cosmopolitan some more peaceful; they are surrounded by vast vineyards; whitewashed cliff-top towns with castles affording amazing views out over the Aegean.

Soaking up the villages’ distinctive traditional atmosphere is a very rewarding experience.

Treat your taste buds to some famous traditional prod-

ucts like cherry tomatoes, white egg plants, fava, caper and “hloró tyrí”, a special kind of fresh goat cheese found on the island, or try some of the exceptional wines produced from grapes grown in the volcanic soil of the island.

Venture into Santorini’s seaside treasures and enjoy deep blue waters and beaches with white, red or black sand or volcanic pebbles, spectacular rock formations and impressive lunar landscapes. Visitors can easily rent one or hop on a day cruise at Athinio, Gialos or Ammoudi, and take a tour around the Caldera. Discover the churches built into caves and the old stairs used for mining excavations along the cliffs. On the small island of Palia Kameni, if you dare, you can dive into the thermal waters that form a volcanic spa.

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THE MAIN FOCUS

BORABORA, FRENCH POLYNESIA B

ora Bora, is famous for its lagoon which resembles an artist’s palette of bright blues and greens. The island has lush tropical slopes and valleys of Mount Otemanu that blossom with hibiscus, while palm-covered motu circle the illuminated lagoon like a delicate necklace. Bora Bora’s perfect white-sand beaches give way to blue waters where tropical-colored fish animate the coral gardens and giant manta rays glide leisurely past.

The overwater bungalow concept is a can’t-miss element of Bora Bora. From rooms, suites of floating villas, lose yourself in the colours of the lagoon framed by unfor-

gettable sunsets. Designed and built in traditional Tahitian style, these bungalows offer direct access to the lagoon.

There are many opportunities to explore the lagoon, the motu, and the ocean while scuba diving, helmet diving or viewing from a glass-bottom boat. Other options include fishing, cruises, jet ski, kite boarding, paddle boarding, outrigger canoe rides and more. Or visitors can hire a four-wheeler, going for a hike or an unforgettable helicopter tour. Bora Bora is also known for worldrenowned shopping for local and international original art, Tahitian pearls and precious wood handcrafts. The resort and island restaurants

on Bora Bora are as famous as the island itself. Each of the resort and hotel restaurants offers world-class dining with magnificent lagoon

views, while regular afterdinner Polynesian shows feature the island's best musicians and dancers.

Bora Bora is served by Air

Tahiti with frequent 50-minute flights to Bora Bora from Papeete, or from Moorea, and daily 20-minute flights from Huahine and Raiatea.

BRAC,CROATIA

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rac is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea. It's best known

for the white-pebble beach Zlatni Rat (Golden Cape), a favoured windsurfing site

outside the resort town of Bol. Supetar, the island's main town, offers a horse-

shoe-shaped beach and ferries to and from Split. Brac is one of the easiest islands to get to from Split which is why visitors can even do it as a day trip from Split.

It is separated from the mainland by the Brac Channel, from the island of Solta by the so-called Splitska Vrata (Split Gate) and from the Island of Hvar by the Hvar Channel. The highest peak of the island, Vidova Gora (Vitus' Mount) (778 m), is also the highest peak of all Croatian islands. Brac also has an extensive and fascinating history as it has been inhabited since Neolithic times. Brac is most famous for its beautiful white building stone which has been exploited since ancient Rome.

Diocletian's Palace in Split was built from Brac stone.

Brac is a relatively dry island; you won't find the lush vegetation of, say Korcula or Hvar, but there are some lovely spots along the rocky shores and great scuba diving from Lucice Bay. The olive oil in Brac is made from a rare variety called buhavica and there's over a half-million trees. Olive cultivation dates back to the Venetian years. Skrip is an easy walk or drive from Splitska and is a fascinating stop for history buffs. The medieval town center has prehistoric walls and an Island of Brac museum.

Pustinja Blaca, once famous desert of monks, and later observatory, is situated on the east part of the valley on the south side of Brac island.

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October 2018

SPOTLIGHT

Optimising airline revenue management and ticketing with AI In recent times, a large part of the airline industry’s success has been attributed to optimising revenue using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

By Neeraj Gargi

A

irline ticket prices are decided by algorithms that change fares depending upon several factors such as past bookings, remaining capacity, average demand per routes and the probability of selling more seats later, etc; all of which can be included in a strategy called “Airline Revenue Management”.

Sabre, the largest Global Distribution Systems provider for air bookings in North America, describes this as a system that is “used to determine the optimal price of selling a seat at any given point in time”.

Airline revenue optimisation, though, is becoming increasingly difficult citing several factors, not the least of which is the upward trend in candidates to the cheap carrier segment and the ever-increasing list of competitive in-flight services. Plus, with increasing competition in the industry and market volatility, the airline industry is looking for solutions that will offer ways to maximise profits and deliver better customer experience and customer service.

Changing airline dynamic pricing science As CRM systems and e-commerce strategies go through the transformation to adapt to changing buying patterns, preferences, the inability for airlines to implement an effective dynamic pricing strategy is one of the biggest challenges that the industry faces in the digital era.

This is where AI comes in. Welcome to a sophisticated dynamic pricing science powered by AI, cognitive algorithms and ma-

24 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD October 2018

chine learning technology.

Today, AI is doing more than just providing a seat. AI has unlocked the previously untapped data to enable more informed decision making across the airline industry. To optimise airline revenue management (RM) - organisations need an approach that will provide fair pricing which many experts believe AI can provide.

AI and cognitive technologies are used to make sense of data that can streamline and automate analytics, customer service and machinery maintenance and other internal processes and tasks. AI is useful in various elements of airline operations, which includes revenue management tasks. Here is how they implement data analytics in RM.

Flight routes in demand While revenue management is all about the best ways of selling a service, carriers use AI to answer a very specific question - “Where to fly?” Data scientist Konstantin Vandyshev of Transavia, a KLM company explains, “To define air routes, specialists have to analyse data and make decisions based on the insights. When researching a demand for a destination among different customer groups, they can rely on such data sources as search history and macroeconomic factors (for example, GDP).” It has industry-specific standards that the experts use to determine the customers’ willingness to pay (WTP).

Willingness to pay Airlines collect and crunch data about customers to under-

nected to dynamic pricing, which is the practice of pricing a product on the basis of customer’s will to pay. To calculate the WTP correctly, data must be selected accurately. Revenue management in the airline industry combines elements such as similar markets, differentiate peak and non-peak seasons, business destinations, holidays and weekends to accomplish this.

Neeraj Gargi

stand their preferences and buying behaviour well enough to suggest them offers they are most likely to buy. Therefore, revenue managers start by measuring willingness to pay when the customer is likely to pay the maximum price to buy one unit of a product.

In terms of airline ticketing, customers in general are ready to pay more when there is less time before the departure of the respective flight. The willingness to pay in the airline industry thus, depends upon a factor called “day before departure”.

So, in practice, the experts define the average WTP price, which would be something that at least 50 per cent of customers would be likely pay for a specific ticket on a particular day before departure.

Such willingness to pay is equivalent to price elasticity (the number of passengers that would buy a ticket if the price drops by a certain percentage) with some hypothesis between the market demand and supply.

This particular metric is con-

Expected marginal seat revenue The expected marginal seat revenue (EMSR) is an optimisation model that is calculated after the WTP is set.

This metric can be explained as the expected value of the current seat and requires allocating a seat to a particular fare class. Data scientists measure the EMSR by multiplying the sales profit by the probability of selling additional (marginal) seat allocated to the specific fare class.

Altexsoft writes, “The moment comes when sales probability of a higher-fare ticket is so low that the expected revenue in a lower fare class will be bigger.

So, knowing these probabilities you can determine the fare-class allocation for each day before departure.” In a best case scenario, the scientists will have to know the sell-up probabilities in the different fare classes and the days before departure in order to find the WTP and the EMSR accurately.

The sell-up probability will show if the customer will buy a higher priced ticket if their request is denied. Flight grouping as per flight dates and des-

tinations are needed. The revenue management team will also perform a “click-stream” analysis which figures out the number of customers that saw a webpage displaying a specific price. Airlines also use historical sales data to find out willingness to pay and the EMSR.

Ancillary price optimisation This is another method used to drive airline revenue via analytics based pricing. It allows the data scientists to learn about a customer’s inclination to purchase ancillaries (add-ons) like baggage. Like for instance, experts determine the markets and days on which travellers are more likely to spend more to check their bags.

Conclusion Any modern commerce needs to work at a break-neck speed, this means that airlines need to respond to customers with a precision and consistency across all channels. Of course, vendors that respond first win most percentage of the deals.

Static, outdated prices that were once designed to protect profit margins today represent lost revenue.

Airlines who will keep their operations innovative, embracing a science-driven business will be able to stay in this competitive market and capture opportunities that otherwise would be lost without sacrificing margin or leaking revenue.

(The author is the chief technology officer at Intelegain)

EVENT ROUNDUP

Redefining the offline travel environment The Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) recently convened in Abu Dhabi for its annual convention themed 'Innovate-Transform-Disrupt: Redefining the offline travel world'. The 12th edition of the event, which was held at the prestigious Emirates Palace Hotel, saw a gathering of key decision-makers from the Indian tourism industry to exchange knowledge and help members navigate the ever-evolving business environment. By Steena Joy

T

he Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) opened its annual convention in Emirates Palace Hotel , Abu Dhabi with a welcome address by HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, undersecretary, Department of Culture & Tourism (DCT) Abu Dhabi followed by an inaugural address by HE Navdeep Singh Suri, Ambassador of India to the UAE. In his address Gobhash said, "Hosting an event of this calibre is testament to Abu Dhabi’s growing reputation as a worldclass destination for high-profile conventions and meetings. As the UAE continues to further boost its knowledge-based economy, tourism is singled out as one of the leading sectors that guide our vision and strategy for the future. Against this backdrop, we recognise India as one of Abu Dhabi’s top overseas source markets for guests, as it has recorded a remarkable upward trend over the last few years. As such, we are proud to host this prestigious event and invite all attendees to take the time to explore the emirate’s rich offerings and enjoy unique experiences whilst they are here.”

Commenting on holding the convention in the UAE capital, Praveen Chugh, president TAFI said, “As TAFI we go always outside the country because our strength is in IATA related matters and aviation business so that makes us automatically by default strong outbound tour operators. So we look for destinations which are a little of a mix beautiful but also challenging and how we can bring in results for that destination. For example Israel where we had a convention was not so easy…there was some kind of fear in people’s minds the moment they hear about Israel. With our convention we have crossed that. It was the same with Turkey which was not a new destination for Indians but Dalaman and Antalya were

fairly new destinations which we were able to showcase and these places which was only seeing 10 to 14 per cent growth previously are now showing 100 per cent growth in visitor numbers.”

He added, “We hope to do the same with Abu Dhabi. It is a fantastic destination but people in India usually see it as a day trip or maximum one night destination. Our focus is that there is a market out there. Almost 360,000 people are visiting this country, a lot of expat community from India are working here. They have their family members and relatives visiting them. We will be showcasing Al Ain, Al Dhafra and new attractions like Warner Bros, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World, etc. We want to convert it to a two night traffic at least. And our efforts will be towards making Abu Dhabi a gateway to the Middle East.”

Elucidating on the theme, Chugh said, “The theme is about redefining the offline travel world. We wanted to show how important offline is to the industry, People still need the human touch on complex itineraries. At the same time we want to show offline companies the important role of technology in their business. “ Mubarak Al Nuaimi. director of promotions and overseas offices, DCT – Abu Dhabi said, “As you know, the Indian market is hugely important to us. I fervently hope that this Convention boosts ties between our two countries and the various stakeholders in the industry in order to develop even further our competitiveness in promoting Abu Dhabi as a destination of distinction.”

The convention had several business sessions by eminent speakers like Ashwini Kakkar, executive vice chairman, Mercury Travels; Michel J De Blust, secretary general European Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Associations (ECTAA)

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EVENT ROUNDUP

'THE LEVELOFAWARENESS OFINDIAN TRAVELLERS ABOUTTHE DESTINATION IS INCREASING' H E Sultan Al Mutawa Dhaheri, executive director tourism, DCT - Abu Dhabi spoke about the emirate's tourism journey and what the India market means for Abu Dhabi tourism How has tourism evolved in Abu Dhabi?

Abu Dhabi is an emerging destination. The department was set up in 2005-2006 so officially as an industry and as a sector we are almost 15 years old. In these 15 years, we have achieved a lot. We started with around 7,000 hotel rooms and around one million hotel guests. Today we have around 32,000 hotel rooms in Abu Dhabi and last year we welcomed around five million hotel guests. We are expecting another 10,000 rooms in the pipeline and we expect to grow the visitor numbers to more than seven million hotel guests. So a big achievement in a short timeframe. And that is due to the clear strategy of our leadership how to develop tourism as a driving sector of an oil economy.

Many investments happened that contributed to the growth - airport expansion, Etihad Airways as the official carrier for UAE and the main airline for Abu Dhabi, Yas Island, theme parks, Louvre Museum development of historical and archaeological

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sites and having an overseas presence as DCT to promote our destination. So all this sums up what Abu Dhabi is today.

Going forward, we want to work closer with our trade partners, we want to make sure we have better ties, we want make sure the destination is more compatible to our visitors in terms of services, experiences, payment methods, language and preferences. It is a continuous journey and we would not have been able to do that without the support of our trade partners.

How do you expect to grow the tourist numbers from India?

Last year we received around 350,000 visitors from India and this year till August we have clocked 250,000 already which is a growth of 80 per cent so we see how India is growing and we notice that the level of awareness of Indian travellers about the destination is increasing. We are investing more to ensure our position in the India market

H E Sultan Al Mutawa Dhaheri

and probably TAFI is just an example of what we do. We participate in trade events like SATTE, we organise roadshows, we have an office in India, we have marketing and promotional campaigns and we are also educating our stakeholders how to develop their services to make it more tailormade for Indian travellers.

What about events based tourism?

We have a business mix

strategy. So we focus on leisure and different segments like luxury, family. We focus on MICE so meetings, incentives, exhibitions, conferences, etc and we focus on anchor events to develop better awareness of Abu Dhabi, to drive traffic for the emirate and the experiences.

For example Formula 1, is one of our anchor events. So we have chance to strengthen our position by building more events leisure and business to ensure that they are contributing to our objective when it comes to increased number of visitors and driving better revenues.

Does the government have any plans to build a MICE facility?

Currently we have a convention facility in Abu Dhabi National Exihibition Centre (ADNEC) designed only for conventions so we have the exhibition halls and the convention halls. Definitely we have plans to add more venues to support the growth because we see demand coming from conventions especially in the

size of 4000 to 5000 pax.

What about overnights?

Previous Abu Dhabi was a day visit destination.Today we see a huge trend combining Dubai and Abu Dhabi and sometimes even choosing Abu Dhabi as the end destination especially for Indian weddings. Emirates Palace Hotel is well known for hosting many Indian weddings.

What about cruise tourism?

Cruise is a growing segment here. In 2008 we had 7000 cruise passengers to Abu Dhabi. We used to put up a tent at the harbour, like a temporary terminal. Today we have a world class terminal and we have around 350,000 cruise passengers into the emirate and five cruise ships is home porting here which means they start their journey from here and finish it here.

So it is a huge milestone from being a temporary terminal to being a home port. We are also working on special segments like medical tourism. We have signed an agreement with the Medical Tourism Association.

EVENT ROUNDUP

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SPOTLIGHT

Abu Dhabi calling Host destination for TAFI’s convention has varied tourism offerings

The Louvre on Saadiyat Island Born of a collaboration between Abu Dhabi and France, Louvre Abu Dhabi is a universal museum that enables visitors to experience art - and humanity - in a new light. Masterpieces by many of the world's greatest artists including Van Gogh's self portrait are on display, revealing threads of creativity that connect diverse cultures across thousands of years Housed in a magnificent domed structure designed by architect Jean Nouvel in Abu Dhabi's cultural district on Saadiyat Island, Louvre Abu Dhabi opened to the public in November 2017. In the first decade, hundreds of artworks from its own expanding collection will be on view, in combination with an equal number of masterpieces borrowed from the Louvre and 12 internationally preeminent French partner museums. It is part of a thirtyyear agreement between the city of Abu Dhabi and the French government. The museum is approximately 24,000 square metres (260,000 sq ft) in size, with 8,000 square metres (86,000 sq ft) of galleries, making it the largest art museum in the Arabian peninsula. The museum is part of a US $27 billion tourist and cultural development for Saadiyat Island, a

complex which is planned to include three other museums, including a Guggenheim Museum and the Zayed National Museum. The centrepiece of Nouvel's vision is a huge silvery dome that appears to float above the entire museum-city.

Despite its apparent weightlessness, the dome in fact weighs approximately 7,500 tonnes (the same as the Eiffel Tower in Paris), inspired by the cupola, a distinctive feature in Arabic architecture, Nouvel's dome is s complex, geometric structure of 7,850 stars, repeated at various sizes and angles in eight different layers. As the sun passes above, its light filters through the perforations in the dome to create an inspiring effect within the museum, known as the `rain of light'.

This ode to nature and the elements takes its inspiration from the palm trees of Abu

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque’s architects were British, Italian and Emirati, and design inspiration was borrowed parts of Turkey, Morocco, Pakistan, and Egypt among other Islamic countries, revealing a glistening architectural marvel with an astonishing capacity of 40,000 worshippers and visitors

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Dhabi. Their leaves catch the bright sunlight from above to dapple and soften its projection onto the ground.

Every year, Louvre Abu Dhabi offers visitors a vibrant

programme of exhibitions, performances, cultural and education events, a Children's Museum, a lounge, restaurant, and a boutique. Today Louvre Abu Dhabi is a place

for people to meet, learn, reflect, and find their own stories. It presents a different way of looking at art - a gift from the United Arab Emirates to the world.

SPOTLIGHT Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque features 82 spectacular onion-top domes, over a 1,000 columns, 24 carat gold gilded chandeliers and the world's largest hand knotted carpet. The main prayer hall is dominated by one of the world's largest hand knotted carpet. The main prayer hall is dominated by one of the world's largest chandeliers - 10 metres in diameter, 15 metres in height and weighing twelve tonnes. The mosque s first

ceremony was the funeral of its namesake, Sheikh Zayed.

Reflective pools surround the mosque, amplifying its beauty.

The striking white and gold colours shining in the sun are transformed at night by a unique lightning system which reflects the phases of the moon.

As a testament to the vision of its founder, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque sits majestically at the entrance to Abu Dhabi City Island, distinctly visible

from the three main bridges connecting the island to the main land, the Maqta, Mussafah and the Sheikh Zayed Bridge. The strategic geographical location of the mosque is a symbolic expression of the emotional connection the Mosque has in the hearts of all UAE citizens particularly because the burial place of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, first president of the UAE, is located beside the mosque.

Warner Bros, Yas Island Opened its doors to the public on 25 July 2018, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is the world’s first ever Warner Bros. branded indoor theme park!

Warner Bros Abu Dhabi features six immersive lands: Metropolis and Gotham City, inspired by the universe of DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains; Cartoon Junction, Bedrock, and Dynamite Gulch, themed after iconic animated properties such as Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera; and Warner Bros. Plaza, reminiscent of old Hollywood, where these seminal characters and stories were originally brought to life. Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, is a one-of-a-kind, world-class destination and home to 29 state-ofthe-art thrill rides, interactive family friendly attractions, and unique live entertainment. The theme park also includes retail outlets featuring a wide collection of merchandise inspired

by Warner Bros. franchises as well as a full range of dining options from full-service sit down to grab and go.

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SPOTLIGHT

Towards a successful digital transformation in Sikkim's tourism The scenic town of Pelling in West Sikkim was recently the venue for the World Tourism Day celebrations with a focus on this year's theme of ‘Tourism and the Digital Transformation’ being addressed with a series of workshops, adventurous tourism and other activities

T

he event was organised jointly by the Tourism & Civil Aviation Department, West District Administration and West District Tourism Society (WDTS) with the support of tourism stakeholders of West Sikkim.

A state-level celebration committee was constituted headed by Sikkim tourism and civil aviation minister, Ugen T Gyatso Bhutia and UDHD minister N K Subba as the chief patron and other MLAs of West District as patrons. The committee had Sushil Tamang as working president of WTDCC. The event was successful in bringing together experts in various fields relevant to the tourism industry to deliberate upon how best to ensure that the burgeoning tourism sector in the state continues to thrive in a sus-

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tainable manner while creating employment for the youth. The experts also discussed the huge potential of Sikkim in terms of tourism and how bringing in the right people from relevant fields can unlock that very potential in such a way that truly benefits the people of Sikkim.

The inauguration of a Greenfield airport in Pakyong (the 100th airport in India) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the start of a rail link from Siliguri to Rangpo is expected to improve ease of travel to the state. On Independence Day this year, the chief minister Pawan Chamling released the State Tourism Policy 2018.

In view of the theme of this year's World Tourism Day being focused on the digital transformation of the tourism sector and the challenges being faced by

Sikkim’s tourism sector , a panel discussion on “Tourism & the Digital Transformation in the Context of Sikkim” was organised where seniormost representatives of leading Online travel companies, digital news and media companies, travel writers and leading local hoteliers, travel agents and tourism stakeholders were invited to be a part of the panel.

Ugyen Chopel, CMD of Chumbi Group, spoke on how there was a need to take advantage of opportunities already coming to Sikkim and raising the level of tourism in Sikkim. He emphasised on the need for consistency and persistency in what is said about Sikkim. He also raised the issue of the need to have a professional focus on marketing. Rajesh Ghanshani, business director of STAAH, spoke on how important it is

SPOTLIGHT

to not be intimidated by technology because it is actually easy to use and not as expensive as many would think.

STAAH already works in over 80 countries with more than 5000 customers so would be happy to work with the government to help in their digital transformation.

He stressed that the hotelier should control rate parity and that online business is going to grow so we should embrace it.

Angelo Daimari, regional director, RightClique Hospitality spoke on the need to bridge the digital gap between the tourism stakeholders, hoteliers and homestay owners in Sikkim. RightClique was responsible for identifying and bringing in the national level relevant experts for the World Tourism Day event to Sikkim. He spoke on how revenue management is vital in ensuring optimal earnings and how RightClique handholds to help achieve this through various online and offline distribution, cluster and circuit marketing, focussed sales and marketing, preparing feasibility reports, help in operations and also to pay back the loans by optimising earnings.

Ruchi Lahoti, area manager India of booking.com, spoke on how Sikkim is one of the top 15 ranking destinations travellers on booking.com are searching

for. However it remains largely focused on Gangtok and more must be done to market other parts of Sikkim.

She stressed on how booking.com empowers the host to define terms of booking and visual marketing tools and must use the same while taking help if required from local market managers.

Sandip Roy, noted travel author, spoke on how important it is to write about the experience and not just the description of a particular place. He spoke of how these stories of experiences are what are actually attracting people today to visit a specific destination.

Bjorn DeNiese, vice president, Mayfair Hotels & Resorts, spoke on how leasing out of hotels must be avoided by the Sikkimese. By doing this, not only buildings and concrete are leased out but the entire culture and tradition of Sikkim as well. Every guest must be given a Sikkimese experience and not that of other states when they visit here. He stressed on the need to help young entrepreneurs with the right technology and guide them so that tourism can move forward with a proper growth plan in Sikkim. There should be proper training from experts and information dissemination at grassroots level. Adarsh Jha, supply manager India, Yatra, spoke on how Sikkim must have an

interactive website and use virtual reality, augmented reality, encyclopaedia of tourism products and things to do. He mentioned how there has been a 250 per cent growth in search levels for Sikkim with maximum searches interested in activities to do.

Lok Sabha MP, P D Rai spoke on the new policy and how many answers to issues are detailed out in the recently launched tourism policy. He mentioned that the state is on mission mode for broadband internet connectivity through BSNL and all GPVs by March 2019. He stressed that a market of responsible tourists should be created and the leasing of hotels should be avoided where more capacity building can help.

The World Tourism Day event concluded in Pelling with the tourism minister calling upon the masses to work for the overall growth of Sikkim as a major tourist hub. He also highlighted various government schemes for promotion of state tourism at national and international levels. Sikkim also received the national award for best tourism state from the ministry of yourism, Govt of In-

dia, on the occasion of World Tourism Day which was received by the department secretary, C P Dhakal. The World Tourism Day celebration in Pelling was a grand success with several of the deliberations and discussions that took place being taken forward so the same can materialise in successfully bringing about a digital transformation in the tourism industry of Sikkim.

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SPOTLIGHT

34th annual convention,Visakhapatnam

Mission Tourism: 20 million by 2020 The 34th annual convention of IATO in Visakhapatnam, a three-day event whose theme was 'Achieving 20 million foreign tourists by 2020', debated on pertinent issues that India currently faces in reaching this milestone

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HE 34TH ANNUAL convention of one of India's biggest inbound travel trade associations, the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), kickstarted with a grand opening at Novotel Hotel in Visakhapatnam. The minister of state (I/C) for tourism, K J Alphons graced the event which saw an overwhelming attendance from IATO members pan India.

The three-day event whose

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theme was 'Achieving 20 million foreign tourists by 2020', debated on pertinent issues that India currently faces in reaching this milestone. At present, India welcomes a little over 10 million foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) per year. This was revealed by Rashmi Verma, secretary tourism, Government of India. She said, “In 2017, we had a growth of 15 per cent in FTAs. We also saw a 20 per cent increase in foreign exchange earnings. We have set ourselves a very tough target by our tourism minister - that of achieving 20 million tourists

by 2020. Last year, for the first time we crossed the 10 million mark which was a doubling of the numbers in just three years. This was no easy task. I am sure that the new target we have set for ourselves will also be achieved if we all join hands.”

Other government dignitaries present at the inauguration included Bhuma Akhila Priya, minister of tourism, Government of Andhra Pradesh; Kadakampally Surendran, tourism minister of Kerala; Mukesh Kumar Meena, secretary tourism, Andhra Pradesh

and Himanshu Shukla, CEO, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority.

The evening started with cultural performances local to Andhra Pradesh followed by welcome speeches from the IATO team and keynote addresses from the various state minsters.

Meanwhile, Alphons paid tribute to his home state of Kerala and asked the audience to give a standing ovation to the people of India who had come to the aid of the state in the time of trouble. He said, “I was there for 10 days during

the floods and I was overwhelmed to see the kind of support that came from the people of Kerala. I am very happy to say that today, Kerala is ready for business. It has bounced back!”

The tourism minister of Kerala extended an invitation to the association to hold their next convention in his state.

During the evening, IATO along with FAITH, presented the state of Kerala with donations over of Rs 50 lakh.

With such a great beginning to the convention, IATO was all set to convene meaningful dis-

SPOTLIGHT

cussions over the next two days of the convention.

IATO brainstorms on key issues Keeping with the theme of the convention - ‘Mission 20 million tourists’ - the sessions on Day 2 of the convention were aligned to bring out some core issues behind achieving this ambitious target, and how the trade can come together to make it possible. With a day stacked with business sessions focusing on pertinent issues and state presentations, the audience was treated with intense discussions on day two of the three-day convention. The day started with the conventional IATO Run for Responsible Tourism in the morning which took the participants alongside the lovely R K Beach.

IATO registered a record number of delegates this year crossing 900 members from across India. The first session of the day was the flagship ses-

sion of this convention and it aimed to highlight the challenges of touching the ambitious milestone of 20 million foreign tourist arrivals within the next two years. The panelists also touched upon the ways in which this can be achieved. Rashmi Verma, who was part of the panel, said, “The 20 million is definitely achievable - there are no doubts about that. Of course, there are challenges but we have set certain things in place such as the inter-ministerial group that we have created which has been very successful in resolving issues which cannot be sorted by the ministry of tourism alone.”

She added, “This group includes the ministry of culture, the environment ministry, the ministry of civil aviation, the ministry of external affairs as well as the home ministry. We also need to take a cue from the Kerala Tourism model which has worked along with the pri-

vate sector to double their visitor numbers.”

Another strategy that the panelists agreed on was for India to focus on the neighbouring countries such as China, Russia and Japan and make India a short-haul destination while continuing to market in the traditional markets of US and Europe.

Change is the need of the hour The second session brought together members of key hotel companies face to face with tour operators to discuss what both industries can do to help the other since it is getting harder and harder to do business, whether it is the hotels or the travel trade. Homa Mistry, CEO, Trail Blazer, who was moderating the session, exclaimed, “Change, change, change is what we need. We also need to promote India in the summer season so that the hotels can fill their rooms dur-

ing the lean season.” He indicated that in turn the hotels could continue to include the tour operators instead of going direct to customers.

The next session had an all women panel who spoke about their personal experiences that are evidence that India is a safe country. However, they did present ways in which the safety of women travellers could improve.

The final panel discussion, moderated by Rajesh Mudgill, secretary, IATO, and MD of Planet India Travels, deliberated on how to change one's business to adapt to the changing mindsets of today's travellers.

This was followed by presentations by different states including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Odisha and Rajasthan. In between the state presentations and the panel discussions, the audience also took advantage of individual presentations on FAITH by

Nakul Anand, chairman, FAITH and an interesting and informative session on how travel agents can use digital marketing by Avijit Arya who is the founder of Internet Mogul.

The day was bookended by a session on forex management.

The evening saw delegates enjoying the evening cultural performances and networking at the convention venue of Novotel Hotel in Visakhapatnam.

The last day of the convention saw attending delegates leave Visakhapatnam completely motivated. The event started off with an ambitious theme but the two days of intense deliberations and discussions with the government representatives, the ministry and the hoteliers showed IATO members a clear path ahead.

The last day saw a short recorded video message from Suresh Prabhu, ministry of commerce and industry and civil aviation, Government of

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SPOTLIGHT

India, specially for the members attending the IATO Convention since he was unable to be present personally due to travel commitments. He spoke about the Champion Sector and what the ministry of civil aviation was doing under it. He also requested the audience to share their ideas on what the ministry can do to provide the impetus that the travel trade needs.

Desh ki UDAN The first session of the day beautifully moderated by Subhash Goyal, former president of IATO and chairman, Stic Travel, focused on the government’s scheme of UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) and how the airlines and the tour operators can symbiotically work together to benefit from each other.

The participating airlines on this panel included the two low-cost carriers, IndiGo and SpiceJet. While both the air-

34 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD October 2018

lines have introduced multiple routes under the UDAN scheme and continue to do so even today, the travel trade has requested them to look at newer routes that have tourism potential as well and not just financial viability for the airlines.

They also recommended some destinations that see a lot of tourist traffic already or has huge potential for it. Keeping the session relevant was G K Chaukiyal, executive director, Regional Connectivity Scheme, Airports Authority of India (AAI). He gave an elaborate presentation on the work that AAI has done and is currently focusing on to ready the airports under the UDAN scheme. While some airports are ready to receive flights, some are under development and a few others are in the planning stage. This was followed by various presentations

by West Bengal Tourism, Tamil Nadu Tourism and Jammu & Kashmir Tourism where they

showcased myriad products that the states offer to the tour operators which they can weave into their itineraries.

Suman Billa, joint secretary - tourism, Government of India, flew down specially for the convention to make a presentation on the various steps that the ministry has undertaken and its plans for the near future. He also made the session interactive by taking many questions from the audience and noting down suggestions that the stakeholders made to him. One of the most pertinent issues that was brought up by the members was of the guides and escorts and the lack of skilled guides available for their foreign tourist clients.

An interesting session that IATO included this year was on the SEIS (Service Export from India Scheme) presented by Sangeeta Godbole, director general, SEPC. After some more state presentations by Uttar Pradesh Tourism and

Punjab Tourism, the valedictory session made an apt conclusion to an exciting convention. On the panel were experts in the field of tourism: Satyajeet Rajan, director general tourism, Government of India, who had flown into Visakhapatnam specially for the session; E M Najeeb, founder and chairman, ATE Group of Companies; IATO president Pranav Sarkar and some members of IATO’s executive committee; Vasant Kumar, vice chairman, Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) and P S Naidu, director, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation.

This was followed by presentation of Awards and Mementos in order to recognise the work that individuals in the industry do. This included winners of the IATO Run for Responsible Tourism under all categories, and those who have continued to support IATO for its conventions such as the media, the air-

lines and hotel partners and the state tourism boards. The day concluded on an inspirational note with a special motivational session by Swami Gopal Das Gaur who spoke on ‘Transforming Negativity’ and how individuals can multiply their success multi-fold by following simple and basic rules of life and redefining ‘success’.

The day ended with a networking evening for the members with cocktails and dinner.

With the 34th IATO Annual Convention coming to a close, the IATO team thanks all its members who extended their support to the association and made the effort to participate in this grand event. The team at the association hopes that it continues to receive such overwhelming response from its members, the government as well as its sponsors every year.

The association wishes everyone a great season and a fantastic year ahead! Until next time….

SPOTLIGHT

'CULINARYTOURISM IS STILLNOTTAKEN AS SERIOUSLYAS ITSHOULD' A graduate of the prestigious Cordon Bleu Culinary School, London, Chef Michael Swamy’s career graph covers the whole spectrum of food - from cooking to styling to writing and consultancy. Having worked with several Michelin chefs, his book The East Indian Kitchen won the Gourmand Award 2011-12. Here he gives his insights on culinary tourism and the chefs who are working hard to put India on the global culinary map. By Steena Joy What inspired you to become a chef?

Growing up I would watch a lot of TV shows and coming from a family background that was into film and media, I knew I wanted to work with food. It was my mum and cousin who told me to become a chef first as that would add more credibility to my profession. It was at a time when there weren’t that many chefs into television in India either.

How did the Le Cordon Bleu (LCB) experience shape your culinary skills?

LCB gave us the art of learning and mastering culinary techniques. It gave me the most solid foundation in the kitchen. We did not learn recipes, we learned how to team ingredients, flavours and textures with techniques so that we could create our own recipes. When I was at LCB, two of my professors had worked in Michelin restaurants and their skills helped me imbibe certain values and culinary traditions.

The journey at LCB also got me into food media and imbibed enough confidence and habit of research in me that at the age of 27, I could write my first cookery book which is still in print to this day.

Your insights on culinary tourism?

Culinary tourism is a big deal but unfortunately still not taken as seriously as it

should. We eat when we travel and every journey is made richer by partaking of the local cuisines. It’s fascinating to see how flavours, textures and ingredients change with changing landscapes. When I say it’s not taken as seriously as it should I mean that it is only limited to food journalists writing about it or regional authors penning books - and they all are doing a fabulous job! But we also need to make our future chefs and students realise the beauty of our own cuisine and culture and inculcate pride in it so that we are also ambassadors of our own cuisines to other nations.

About celebrity chefs like Vikas Khanna, Hemant Oberoi, Hari Nayak putting India on the global culinary map?

There are many chefs whose careers have been more based on PR than real cooking. It’s very important that we learn to filter between personalities and real chefs.

It’s important to know that celeb chefs are backed by equally talented and hardworking teams who are fiercely loyal to them. Let’s talk about real chefs, who are doing a great deal for food as a whole and Indian cuisine.

Let’s talk about chefs like Vineet Bhatia, Chef Alfred Prasad (UK), Manjunath Mural (Song of India, Singapore). These are chefs who

created an almost all French menu with a spattering of Italian dishes is another favourite project of mine.

Chef Michael Swamy

still create and cook in the kitchen and are in touch with their craft. These are the people who are truly working hard to put India on the global culinary map.

How has your journey been so far from Copper Cabana to Nueva? Which of these projects was the closest to your heart and craft?

I have done several restaurant projects in my time. I have dealt with several types of owners. With tentwala caterers who aspire to do fine dining and botch it all totally to owners who love the art of feeding, entertainment and service. My best project was probably Nueva, but I don’t take abuse of any kind so walked away when things got out of hand. Copper Cabana is a new journey of doing what foods I love. The Peppermill Bistro in Bengaluru where we

Is food styling an art in itself? Can hospitality students look upon it as a career especially in India?

Food styling is definitely an art in itself. You need to have an inbuilt artistic streak to take it on. I have worked on all my books from the styling to the photography and it has taught me a lot by way of changing styles and presentations to suit the need. We have done books for clients where we have won 3 Gourmand Awards. We created a Food Media course at a catering college and doing one more now at another college. The reason is that chefs want to learn styling for different reason and for the betterment of their own skills. As a career, it is trending these days and hospitality students can and should look at it as a career option – particularly because they truly understand food.

What do you think of hospitality education in India?

What role does the government need to play in making it comparable to international standards?

Hospitality education needs a serious revamp and updating. Yes, the basics don’t change but the approach needs to change drastically. We still follow the sub-

jective textbook approach where a student of hospitality is expected to be good at performing practical tasks but even better at writing 4 page long answers. What we need to understand is when you’re in the kitchen or at the front desk, nobody is going to ask you to recite an essay.

The government needs to visit the strategies followed on global scales and begin making small changes. I and my team have implemented a couple of small changes in teaching methodology in the colleges we have worked with and these changes have proven successful in enabling the student to grasp more and retain it. But just when we begin to see the changes, management runs out of patience and goes right back to the old way. Then they wonder why there is no improvement in performance.

What were the takeaways from working with Masterchef India?

Masterchef India was a huge learning experience positively and negatively. Unfortunately the negative overpowers the positive in this case. The show held such promise had it been treated as a serious food show rather than just another TRP generator. But yes, it did show us how much serious talent India holds in its kitchens and how, if given proper guidance, this talent can also prosper.

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MOVEMENTS South African Tourism South African Tourism has appointed MITALEE KARMARKAR as the head of Marketing and Communications: India. She joins SA Tourism from the Consulate General of Sweden where she was the senior officer for communications, media and cultural affairs for the past four years.

educational, and special interest travel to New York City's five boroughs from key visitor markets including China, India, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia. Most recently, Govada worked at the planning and design firm UDP International, as well as, IBM Corporation.

NHCC & HICC Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre (NHCC) and Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) has announced the appointment of MANISH DAYYA as the new general manager. He brings with him over two decades of experience in the trade and hospitality industry. He has been with AccorHotels since

NYC & Company NYC & Company has announced ARUN GOVADA as the organisation's new director, tourism development - Asia-Pacific. In his new role, he is responsible for driving leisure,

Subhankar Bose

team. As head of the hotel, Subhankar will be leading the executive team with strategic planning and tactical management.

He brings a wealth of over 17 years of operational experience, with expertise in hospitality operations and management.

The Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Mitalee Karmarkar

Her responsibilities include developing, implementing and managing strategies to help the country achieve this goal. Mitalee has over 11 years of experience in the communications and media industry and has held a variety of marketing, business development and communication roles and comes with a wealth of experience in the tourism industry.

Essel Group

Manish Dayya

2013 and has held multiple roles across various locations in India. Being a proficient hospitality professional, Manish has expertise and valuable insights on augmenting brand standards for the company. In his new leadership position, Manish will be responsible for spearheading operations at this dual property.

Louis T Collection has named ROBERT C HAUCK general manager of the iconic Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka and area vice president for South Asia. In this new role, Hauck will oversee the operations of the 156-room historic seafront property while supporting growth objectives and driving operational excellence for Louis T as it accelerates its strategic expansion in South Asia.

A hospitality leader with over 25 years of experience in hotels across Asia, Europe, South America and the Caribbean, Hauck was most recently general manager of Kanuhura in the Maldives.

Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel

Arun Govada

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SUBHANKAR BOSE is the newly appointed General Manager at Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel. In his new role, he will spearhead various specialised functions of the hotel and will be responsible for steering the management

Robert C Hauck

Essel Group has announced the appointment of industry veteran JURGEN BAILOM as President & CEO of the Group’s upcoming cruise line business, Zen Cruises (an Essel Group enterprise). With Bailom’s appointment, Essel Group heralds the announcement of India’s premium cruise line with the purchase of its first ship, the Pacific Jewel - a 70,285-ton, 2000 passenger ship from P&O Australia. With a career spanning over 30 years in the cruise and hospitality industry, Bailom was president and CEO of Grupo Vidanta

Cruises prior to Essel Group.

He has also held senior corporate director positions within several of Royal Caribbean’s brands.

Travelport

Boeing

Travelport has appointed MARK MEEHAN as managing director of its newly formed Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region. Meehan has built a distinguished career at Travelport, having been successful in a range of

Boeing has announced that PHIL MUSSER, senior vice president of communications, will depart the company in early November due to personal and

Phil Musser

Mark Meehan

high-profile global and regional roles during his 19-year tenure with the company.

Most recently, he was managing director of Travelport’s Asia Pacific operations, which grew by 10 per cent during 2017. Prior to that, Meehan was managing director for Travelport Africa, a role that saw him grow the company’s share across the continent and establish owned operations in both South Africa and Kenya.

family considerations. Musser joined Boeing in September 2017.

ANNE TOULOUSE, current Boeing vice president of global brand management, will replace Musser on an interim basis until a permanent successor is named.

Toulouse joined Boeing in 1989 as media relations manager in Huntington Beach, Calif., at what was then McDonnell Douglas.

Anne Toulouse

weekend

E V E N T S

A FIRST FOR INDIA TOURISM Union minister for railways and coal, Piyush Goyal inaugurates the 'first ever' India Tourism Mart (ITM 2018) in Delhi

CELEBRATING 260 Karan Anand, head - relationships, Cox & Kings; Peter Kerkar, group CEO, Cox & Kings; tourism minister of Maharashtra Jaykumar Rawal; A B M Good, chairman, Cox & Kings; S C Bhargava, independent director, Cox & Kings and Arup Sen, director, special projects, Cox & Kings at the company's 260th year celebration party in Mumbai

EMPLOYEE CELEBRATIONS WEEK Tristan Beau De Lomenie, GM delegate, Pullman & Novotel New Delhi Aerocity at the three day Employee Celebrations Week of the hotel

ITDC GOES GLOBAL K J Alphons, minister of state (IC) for tourism, Government of India; Ravneet Kaur, IAS, CMD, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC); Imad Barrakad, chairman and CEO, SMIT and Mohammed Sajid, minister of tourism, air transport, handicraft and social economy, Government of the Kingdom of Morocco at the signing of an MoU for tourism cooperation between the two countries

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weekend

E V E N T S

MYCHICAFRICA AccorHotels launches MyChicAfrica, a new lifestyle and travel

BREW DESTINATION 35 Brewhouse opens at JW Marriott Chandigarh, the

media platform

region’s first microbrewery in a 5 star property

PARTNERS IN TRAINING Bird Academy was signed on as IATA’s regional training partner in India. At the signing ceremony Radha Bhatia, chairperson, Bird Group with Conrad Clifford, IATA’s regional vice president - Asia Pacific

FIREWORKS AND LANTERNS MGTO director Senna Fernandes speaking at the opening ceremony of the 29th Macao International Fireworks Display Contest and the third International Lantern Festival in Macao

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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.