Travel and Hospitality (TnH) - September 2020

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ISSUE 11 / VOLUME XI / SEPTEMBER 2020

Where Old Meets New: A quick tour of ever-enthralling Istanbul Whatever you are yearning for through your travels, Istanbul packs a punch. Step inside and discover some of Istanbul’s most legendary wonders, even the most jaded travel will be left mesmerized!

Rs.350 / Pages 48

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Individually, we are one drop; Together, we are an ocean.

Another month has passed and now it’s September! Just before the pandemic hit, global tourism was hitting record highs and then most abruptly an industry that was booming was shut down. A world we couldn’t imagine at the beginning of the year is presently the new normal. Now finally, after months of interruption, travel is reopening and how we handle this comeback will be defining moments for our businesses. Nothing could have prepared us for this time, yet all is not lost. We are all reinventing and pivoting our businesses and ourselves.

And while I do not know where the industry will go next, I know one thing for certain- we won’t get there without building and lifting each other.

Thanks to my role as editor of this magazine, I have the privilege of meeting many entrepreneurs and professionals. During my conversations, over the course of past few months, I have realized for once we are all in the exact same boat, dealing with the same problems at the same time. So, in an effort to start a more open dialogue that can build and lift our peers, this issue is dedicated to publishing business insights and suggestions from a few industry experts. I do hope you find the articles informative and useful.

How we recover and rebuild from these moments is what will determine our strength, potential and legacy. For entrepreneurs, restarting and rebuilding whether by choice or due to forces beyond one’s control, is always a part of the script. Failure may occur, but it’s never the end of the story if you don’t give up.

Publisher & Editor Srishti Jindal

CONTENTS

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Building an Empire, Surviving a Pandemic & Putting Indian Cuisine on the Map with Restauranteur Zorawar Kalra

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Travel Insurance in the Aftermath of Corona: An Interview with Dev Karvat, Founder, CEO – India & Emerging Markets, TrawellTag Cover-More

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Disruptive trends that will transform the travel industry

Where Old Meets New: A quick tour of historical and mesmerizing Istanbul

High Class Meets High Altitudes: Meet Seema Jindal Jajodia, the businesswoman scaling new heights

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Level UP: The Skills Travel Professionals Will Need Post Covid- 19

Travel Marketing in the COVID-19 Era: How to Pivot Your Marketing Plan in Times of Crisis

Travelport Study: Majority of travellers in India ready to consider domestic and international travel but only with proper safety measures in place

@tnhmagazine

www.tnhglobal.com Printed, published and owned by Srishti Rai. Printed at Naveen Printers, F-11 B, Okhla Industrial Area, Ph-1, New Delhi-110020, Published at C-4, 2nd Floor, Community Center, Safdarjung Development Area, Opp Main IIT Gate, New Delhi-110016;

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Publisher & Editor Srishti Rai

Art Director Sunny Singh

Director Bharat S. Rai

Correspondent (Kolkata) Swaati Chaudhury

Creative Head Shulabh Gupta

Accounts Chander Shakher Balodi

Managing Editor Prem Kumar

Administration Executive Sarwat Jahan

GM - Marketing Prem Sagar premsagar@tnhindia.com (M) +91 99106 81111

For any query : info@tnhindia.com

09 Entrepreneurship

Building an Empire, Surviving a Pandemic & Putting Indian Cuisine on the Map with Restauranteur Zorawar Kalra The very beginning of Zorawar Kalra’s journey into food—whilst no doubt influenced by his father’s career as a famous food journalist and consultant—began autonomously.

Today, Kalra is a name that commands respect in the Indian hospitality industry. Armed by his mission to make Indian food hip, he first founded Punjab Grill and now heads Massive Restaurants, a brand that owns and operates several trendsetting restaurants including Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra, Farzi Café, KODE, Pa Pa Ya and others.

Here, Kalra shares his story and subsequent success and also gives invaluable tips to other hospitality entrepreneurs.

Words by Srishti Jindal

“My advice would be to control your capital expenditure, go for low-risk business models and control every P&L item. Make sure that there is no unnecessary cost and especially keep your fixed costs under control.�

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food industry. I already knew that I wanted to be in the food business but it was during that trip, when I was 16 years old, I realized exactly what I was going to do - set up restaurants. That’s the reason I even decided to do my MBA. When I went to Boston to do my MBA, the goal was not do get a job but to arm myself with the knowledge to be able to set up a proper business. In order to set up a restaurant, you need to have solid business acumen because it’s a very tough industry. It has one of the highest business failure rates in the world, with somewhere around 90% failure in the first year of the business. It is essential to have a solid foundation on which you base your venture. So I started this way.

So it wasn’t that your father expected you to do this. It was all your own decision?

Let’s start at the beginning, tell us a little bit about your childhood and how it influenced your ideas about the food business and what was possible?

I think my father and grandmother were perhaps the biggest influences in my life. But my father was number one.

I grew up in a household that was very food-focused. It got us together. All of us used to meet together on the dining table.

Incredible food was made multiple times a week but I started really enjoying and appreciating it when I turned 10 years old. Food suddenly started to excite me.

I also found my father’s lifestyle very intriguing. He used to travel all over the country and across the world for work. I would see him develop great concepts and do research on food and even write books. I found that fascinating. Somehow, something just struck a chord with me. So probably, sometime, when I was between 10 and 12 years of age, I decided that I wanted to get into the food business.

Also, at least once in two years, my father used to take us for a trip in the summer to some part of the world. The idea was to travel to different parts of the world and try the food. I remember in 1993, I went for a trip to Scotland and Wales with my father. It was a trip along the coast.

We stayed at multiple bed and breakfast facilities and experienced some amazing food. In fact, the farm-to-fork food trend that is huge these days is something I experienced way back in 1993 during my trip. Everything that we were offered from vegetables and fruits to even the meat was absolutely fresh. All the vegetables were grown in the backyard and the food was truly sublime. I think this particular trip cemented my decision to enter the

Actually, he did not want me to do this because he was a consultant and a food journalist, not a businessman as such.

He used to come up with great ideas and develop these ideas but for others, particularly hotels. I found that a little against my grain or my way of thinking; I wanted to build concepts that we could take ahead ourselves. However, I was definitely shaped by my father‘s experiences and lifestyle. As a food journalist he wrote a lot of books and did a lot of research for these books. In a sense, he was a renaissance man who wanted to bring around renaissance in Indian food and he was very successful in doing that. I would read his research and his books and was influenced by them. Although he did not want me to go into the restaurant business as such, he was always open-minded. He never came in my way but I don’t think he ever expected me to go into this business the way I did.

What was the first project you worked on that was completely your own?

The first restaurant I opened was Punjab Grill, in 2007, which is now a big chain.

It started out, as a food court outlet in Gurgaon and that became a brand that we evolved further. Ultimately we closed down all the Punjab Grill outlets in the food courts and we converted them into the new avatar that you see nowadays - a fine dining restaurant. Actually, I ventured into the food business even before that. I think it was 2006 when I started a brand called Parantha Company which was a small cart-based system where the idea was to build thousands of carts across the country to serve only one product: ‘Galouti Kabab’

with ‘Ulte Tave Ka Paratha’. Eventually I found that using my dad’s name would not be appropriate for the cart system.

Moreover, quality control issues were becoming huge. So I decided to shut that business and entirely focus on the food court and restaurant business.

What was that experience like? What was the biggest challenge you faced?

The biggest challenge with any new business is obviously the fact that you are always worried about getting customers. You put your heart and soul, everybody does. Everybody who opens a restaurant puts a lot of effort into it, does lots of planning and lots of other background activities. It might look calm on the outside, but lots of tinkering, lots of systems and processes are going on in the back. I still remember the first day I opened my restaurant.

We had a launch party on Saturday and we were to open on Monday. I think it was in June 2007. We shut the restaurant on Sunday for preparation and opened on Monday. From Monday to Wednesday we had a lukewarm response. Although the response from the people that were coming was good, not too many people were coming. The mall was not that known, but of course, Jiggs Kalra was very well known. So we were still decently busy for the first three days but it was not as busy as we expected. However, the moment Friday came, the very first Friday, the fifth day of the launch, we suddenly got overwhelmed. I think the word of mouth spread. Remember, in 2007 there was no social media, no Facebook, no Instagram; people just went by word of mouth. I remember that Friday, we were so overwhelmed that I think 30-40 % of our customers went back without even paying because we did not have the manpower or systems to give bills on time. Customers were so fed up with waiting for the bill that they just walked out. We were okay with giving free food because we did not want to spoil our reputation by giving bad service. Luckily, people really loved the food they did not complain about the hiccups and service issues. We even ran out of cloth napkins so we started giving tissue papers.

That was very embarrassing for a Jiggs Kalara restaurant, so in that sense the first Friday was a nightmare but it was also exciting. I still remember Friday onwards we literally could not sleep; we tried to get everything organized for the weekend. We still couldn’t serve napkins on Saturday because we had run out of them, but Sunday onwards or even from Saturday evening things started becoming a lot more streamlined. All in

Butter pepper garlic prawn, Brun pao

Beetroot and cream cheese tikki, fennel chutney

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all it was very exhilarating.

I think our restaurants always followed the basic principle of serving great food with good service.

I believe there is no golden rule of running a restaurant apart from the fact that guests should be served great food in a hygienic manner, with a smile. I think that goes a long way.

That sounds really rewarding. I think an amazing part of running a restaurant is that you get feedback directly and immediately from the customers.

Correct. You are also getting judged every day. Everyone is a critic. It comes with the territory and you have to understand if you are going into this business you need to have very tough skin. You will have to absorb all the criticism and all the online crap, even if it is incorrect. But that’s okay. That’s part of the business.

Around 2015, when Zomato initially became a big and popular search and discovery platform, I used to be obsessed with it. For the first year and a half, I used to open Zomato ten times a day to see reviews and what was happening. If I saw a bad review I would get upset; it became an obsessive and vicious circle. Finally, I realized you have to develop tough skin and now for the last five years

I have not opened Zomato. But to keep in touch with my customers, I still need to read feedback about my restaurants. I make it a point to read the feedback forms that we collect every day from our restaurants. Before the lockdown, I used to get about 25 emails from all the various restaurants with the details about how many customers gave outstanding feedback, how many gave excellent, how many good, how many averages and so on.

What do you think has been your biggest success when it comes to people responding to your food?

I think that our biggest success is that we made Indian food ‘cool’. I think Farzi Café started the trend of having cool Indian food for the youth. India is a very young country and youth is an intrinsic demographic that every restaurant needs to cater to. Before Farzi Café, Indian food was restricted to fine dining or restricted to being the go to option for your grandparent’s anniversary, your parents’ birthdays or a family outing. You would not take your date to an Indian restaurant. You would not go hang out with your friends at an Indian restaurant. Indian food, like ‘dal

makhani’, ‘butter chicken’, etc. were delicious but boring. There was no playfulness and no youthoriented facets to it.

With Farzi Café, the whole goal was to make Indian food cool and hip. We introduced a sense of fun at the restaurant. We made sure the atmosphere was lively. We had good music and incredible cocktails along with very quirky and cool yet familiar food. Today, Farzi Café is present in seven countries and we are very proud of the growth of the brand. Our brand has stood for only one thing, that is innovation and spreading love for Indian food across the country and now of course across the world. But like I mentioned, the primary goal was pretty humble and that is to make Indian food cool amongst the Indian youth. I think we have been successful in doing that.

We have ended up creating a genre that is the most popular in the whole industry now - Modern Indian. Today, Modern Indian cuisine is not just a trend, it is a phenomenon; a worldwide phenomenon. At least at our price point or rather for the causal diner scenario, we are the innovator or first ones to introduce this genre.

“I think that our biggest success is that we made Indian food ‘cool’.”

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You have managed to start a number of successful casual and fine dining joints, won multiple awards and more recently even taken your brand international. Are there any insights you can offer to someone just starting out in the business?

Yes, my first advice to anyone will be to not open a restaurant for the next one year. There might be a bloodbath because you don’t know how people are going to respond after the pandemic.

We have seven restaurants under construction at the moment. We are putting all of them on hold. We might not even open some of them, even though we have invested money in them and they are half-ready.

In the current situation, I will say one should not open any restaurant in the entire financial year, we should write off 2020. Till March 2021, you just try to survive. The reason I say this is because you don’t know how things are going to turn out. I would rather suggest one should focus on smaller units that are delivery- based, with low rent and low cost because the moment you get into a high-risk situation with so much uncertainty around the horizon, you wouldn’t know what you need to do and you might end up losing everything. Of course, if you see in the next six months that people are returning to restaurants, malls, cafes and cinema halls in droves, then please go ahead with your plans.

But at this moment, you are a lucky man if you have not put your money in the restaurant business. Stay away from it.

Cash is king at the moment.

Also, in general, I think it is very important for budding restaurateurs to understand that it is a tough business and not a glamorous one; it looks glamorous only on the outside. I will use the analogy of ducks. The duck looks very comfortable and very relaxed when you see it swimming but you don’t know how fast it is paddling underwater. So even though it looks extremely relaxed on the surface, it needs to do a lot of work behind the scene. That is the same thing that happens with the restaurant industry. It looks very exciting, very glamorous but lots of effort and hard work is needed behind the scene. It is a very risky business in which failure rates are very high. There are very low barriers to the entry into the business, anybody can open a restaurant but only few can run and survive. You must have the right reasons to enter this business.

Don’t enter the industry for frivolous reasons. I am not joking, some people enter the business simply because they

are getting married and want to show their future father-in-law that they are doing something. That is not the right reason to go into it. You should go into it because you are passionate about it.

So how will you approach the launch of each of your restaurants moving forward? Do you have any advice on planning and budgets?

All my future restaurants are going to be built on a lower budget. We are not going to spend too much per restaurant. Secondly, we are going to do a lot of workflow analysis and process-based work to ensure there is no undue cost associated with the restaurant. This also means that manpower requirements for every restaurant will reduce, because when there is uncertainty, the first thing people do is let people off. So rather than letting people off, it is better that you don’t hire them to begin with.

It is better to run a lean operation, make sure that every P&L item is looked at and avoid unnecessary capital expenditure. Try to build a restaurant at the lowest cost and do not go for high risks spaces to open restaurants, only go for sure shot locations. The unfortunate part is that sometimes sure shot locations come with a heavy rent, but I would still suggest that within the category of sure shot restaurants, it is better to open restaurants at A- or B+ kind of locations than to go for A++ location and end up paying rent which you might not be able to recover. This is a time for caution. As Jack Ma recently said, forget about expansion plans and forget about growth, 2020 and 2021 are just years to survive.

If you are able to survive, then you will live to fight another day and to execute your plans in the future.

But if you don’t survive for the next one-year, then you are in trouble.

So again my advice would be to control your capital expenditure, go for low-risk business models and control every P&L item. Make sure that there is no unnecessary cost and especially keep your fixed costs under control.

I think my other advise to all budding restaurateur or entrepreneurs of any age in the post COVID era is to be patient and not jump in. Be a little more risk-averse. Don’t be a cowboy.

The cowboy days of doing business are gone. I am also a maverick. I am

also a risk-taker. Usually, when chips are against me, I take even bigger risks.

But I have to change my own way of thinking. I am going to be more riskaverse. I am going to make sure that I am thinking ten times before making a capital expenditure.

You see a human being and an entrepreneur does business on the basis of hope, on the basis of the projection of future or that kind of stuff. If the future starts looking gloomy and unsettled, then you have to reassess your entire business model. So I think a lot of us will have to undergo lots of changes in our existing model. We will have to be more patient, more risk-averse and more economical. That is my advice to all entrepreneurs.

I think COVID has really made us all think, not only about business models but also about what is important in life. So, do you feel the need or desire to give back through your work now?

Yes, absolutely. We have been doing lots of charity since the lockdown. We have served meals to about one lakh people ourselves, just from Massive Restaurants. Further, as part of NRAI’s ‘Feed The Needy Campaign’, with which I have been very closely involved, we have fed more than 55 lakh people as of today. I was inspired by the whole ‘langar’ concept of Gurdwaras. Feeding people at this time is perhaps the most important thing, especially migrant labour. I remember, two-three days after the lockdown, I was going on a medicine run for my mother and on the Gurgaon – Faridabad road I saw thousands of migrant workers walking.

They were walking with kids, with their entire luggage in their hands, with all their belongings on this 200-km journey.

They were trying to get to the border of UP. I am sure a lot of them were not even allowed to pass through. That struck a chord with me. I realized that these guys have nothing. They have no jobs, no money; they don’t even know how far they can go. On top of that they are starving. In that moment I just felt compelled to start this whole feeding campaign. We first started off at the Massive Restaurant level and then it became a much larger thing. 37 kitchens in 6 cities across the country became involved. We made a lot of effort towards feeding the people who needed it the most. It started off with migrant labour but it went on to anyone who didn’t have access to food. I truly believe in this day and age, in 2020, no body should

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go hungry. These are our countrymen and women who really need our help. I think what this lockdown has really taught us, is that everything is so pointless unless there is a greater cause attached to it. What is the point in having this business when there is no hope, what is the point of having cars when you can’t give back to your society. If you can help some people, I think that makes you happier than anything else. In a way, it’s a selfish move because when you do charity it makes you feel good about yourself. So it’s helping you from that perspective as well.

Even after this pandemic is behind us, we are going to institutionalize the process of feeding children at all our restaurants. We are still coming up with the name for this prerogative but it is essentially going to be a system where kids in the vicinity of our restaurants are going to be fed. We haven’t worked out the details of the initiative but we will provide food to needy children at orphanages, schools or clusters around our outlets. We are going to start doing this as a standard process as a part of our CSR activities.

We are so happy to learn of your initiatives. The work you are doing is admirable. Now for our last question, have you thought about the kind of legacy you would like to leave?

I think our main goal, both my father’s and mine, has always been to put Indian food on the global palate.

So one legacy I would like to leave behind is that by the time all this is done and dusted and I have moved on, Indian food will be considered as a tour de force across the culinary world. I want a person to go to any major city in the world and in his top three dining destination options; one should be an Indian restaurant. I think if we can achieve this, it will be the ultimate legacy of all. We have the greatest cuisine in the world. We have the most culinary depth, we have a variety that is unparalleled and we have sophistication that is absolutely unmatched, but we have a bad marketing problem. We have not been able to open really good restaurants across the world. And that’s what my personal goal is with Farzi Café and Masala Library. This is the legacy I would like to leave behind, either through me or through others - Indian cuisine should be in the spotlight on the global culinary stage.

19 Opinion

Disruptive trends that will transform the travel industry Technology-driven trends will redefine the shape of the travel industry. Accelerated by the pandemic, they will soon revolutionize how the industry responds to changing situational and consumer requirements and also provide interested and innovative companies with avenues of growth and gain.

Words By Anil Parashar

“Both government and private enterprises in the industry need to work together to ensure that the end traveller feels not only safe but also comfortable. “

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A

n unexpected pandemic has left the entire world in shock and completely changed the pace of development. Today, almost every industry is bearing the implications of our collective vulnerability and endeavouring day and night for survival or growth in this new reality. In this time, technology is emerging as a premium antidote to safeguard dooming industries and gloomy lives. How the travel sector is finally impacted and the ways it can embrace innovative inclusions still holds much for spectators to see. Nonetheless, it seems travel and tourism’s relation with technology is no longer limited to personalization, optimization and acceleration. A whole new area of development in the name of advanced safety has now leapt forward.

As visionaries, it is our duty to reimagine travel and tourism using technology or other methods.However, first and foremost, reopening borders and tourism-related businesses, and more importantly recreating demand are the evident challenges for the industry.

While travel seems to be gaining momentum through evolving ecosystems and air bubbles between relatively safe nations, there still remains a cloud of doubt amidst travellers. To bring back the omnipotent confidence in travel, there is an evident need for responsible collaboration and advancement in three areas - safer passenger journeys, enhanced traveller comfort and simplified travel metrics. Taking technology as the backbone of these advancements, we can build a plan for swifter recovery and growth in the industry. Both government and private enterprises in the industry need to work together to ensure that the end-traveller feels not only safe but also comfortable.

For example, our government recently eased protocols for travellers to India by removing the obligation of registering with Indian missions before travelling.

Such initiations would help build tourism back, brick by brick.

With regards to how technology can assist enterprises in offering comfort and a safer experience while ensuring recovery for the industry, the following are my suggestions: Smart Airports In the age of smartphones, we in the aviation business are set to witness and eventually experience smart airports.

With enhanced process efficiency and technologized safety protocols and

structures, smart airports will integrate digital dialect with intelligent platforms to provide advanced user experience.

From smart gates to predictive analytics; advanced baggage tracking using blockchain technology to digital operational monitoring; smart security that deploys advanced biometric and AI for surveillance to bot connectivity (including UVD robots) and also operations that are mobile enabled- the mechanisms at both international and regional airports are poised for modernization. In a report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, it is stated that in the next halfdecade, airports will be deploying AI for scanning an astonishing 97 per cent of all passenger faces. That says a lot about the pool of opportunities that exist for numerous enterprises in the aviation sector. Such immense opportunities shall certainly bring greater value to businesses and the industry.

Intelligent Airplanes After smart airports, one has to mention the intelligent airplanes that are expected to make an entry in this decade. As technologists test modern technologies, especially sensor technology for common use, many of us in the aviation industry for fear of being pandemic stricken may pick sensor technology as our ally to offer advanced touchless solutions in airplanes. Bot technology and artificial intelligence are other key technologies that will bring more intelligence to airplanes, quite like Alexa but customised for airplanes. Virtual reality, both as inflight entertainment and as an experience enhancement solution is a slightly far bet for airplanes, yet an astounding possibility nonetheless. When looked at closely, this appears to be a great opportunity for travel businesses to use our nation’s brilliant minds and recreate and reinvigorate the structure of airplanes or innovate and offer smart products and technologies that airlines simply could not refuse.

Personalized Passenger Journeys Wearable technology today is a big leap towards modernizing passenger journeys to make them touchless and contactless.

Tourism companies are emerging as advanced players here, using wearable devices and ‘Internet of Things’, such as sensors to alert travellers when their baggage is about to arrive at the carousel. Travel enablers in our industry may soon look at this as an opportunity to personalize alerts and notifications for travellers, for instance alerting a traveller who is approaching a COVID-19 hotspot.

Developing such technologies to offer more options and better personalized services to passengers will prove a major game-changer.

Consumer needs and demands, market sentiment, economic instability and growing impact of the pandemic have left travel and tourism struggling for survival but there is a vast reservoir of opportunities for us to explore and leverage. Technological advancement is only one of the ways of improving business. There are various additional solutions to accommodate changing consumer needs and ultimately boost travellers’ confidence including personalized services, inter-industry and intra-industry collaborations, and redesigning the sales function, among other things. Ultimately it boils down to the individual business’ rate of adaptivity and ability to act upon the changing external environment. The enterprises that can make the move and identify opportunities to build back, be it on the grounds of technology, personalization or innovation, will ultimately be the biggest gainers from the new opportunities that keep emerging irrespective of a pandemic.

About the author Anil Parashar is the President and CEO of InterGlobe Technology Quotient (ITQ). ITQ is the official distributor of Travelport in six markets across the Asia Pacific region, including India and Sri Lanka, and provides cutting edge travel technology solutions with extensive inventory options to its customers. Prior to serving as President and CEO of ITQ, Parashar was Group CFO at InterGlobe Enterprises, a leading multi-billion dollar Indian conglomerate having interests in aviation, hospitality and other travel related services, perhaps best known for owning and operating Indigo Airlines. He is also a member of the group’s executive committee and sits on the board of several InterGlobe companies, including ITQ and IndiGo.

23 Executive Conversations

Travel Insurance in the Aftermath of Corona: An Interview with Dev Karvat, Founder, CEO – India & Emerging Markets, TrawellTag Cover-More In the post COVID-19 era, it seems travel insurance is no longer optional. After millions of travelers were stranded abroad, lost deposits or entire non-refundable ticket amounts because of the outbreak, out of fear, travel insurance is now more or less mandatory. But what should we expect from travel insurance after the pandemic? In this interview, we have Dev Karvat tell us just that.

Words by Prem Kumar

“In the post COVID world, we will see protection plans that will cover the impacts of a future pandemic.

Coverage extension, cancellations and medical benefits will be a big priority for travel protection service providers going forward.�

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Q. The world is coming to terms with what COVID-19 means for business and for the travel sector particularly.

Everyone is trying to figure out what the new normal is going to be. How long do you think it will take for travel to get back to 2019 levels and stabilize?

After almost five months of lockdown and constant efforts to keep the virus in check, the travel industry and other businesses are now gradually treading on their path to recovery. It is impossible to contain the pandemic completely until there is a vaccine in place and hence, services connected to the travel industry are levelling up their hygiene and safety standards, making provisions for contactless travel and doing everything in their capacity to adapt to the new normal. I think with necessary precautions and measures, we should be able to stabilise by mid-2021.

Q. When you speak with your clients or when you talk to other CEOs, what are the risks that they are raising with you? What are they most concerned about today?

As per the conversations we’ve had with our clients and industry leaders so far, what concerns them the most is the safety of their customers while travelling.

We have been receiving requests to customize our protection plans to cover pandemics such as Covid-19.

In addition, our assistance services have gained greater traction among our clients, especially our evacuation support and local hospitalization support. Given the interest and inputs, we are closely working with our underwriters and assistance partners to design a highly flexible and customized set of products for our clients.

Q. According to you, how should the industry adapt itself and plan its recovery?

According to me, resilience, awareness and innovation are the keys to recovery for the Indian travel and tourism sector.

Covid-19 is here to stay and we may have to learn to live with the virus for some time. Hence, our primary focus should be to regain the confidence of travellers and come together to benchmark safety and hygiene standards to ensure their safety. Plus, it goes without saying that technology made our lives a lot simpler during the lockdown. I feel it is high time we think out of the box and use technology and move towards automation to

bring down operational costs. Further, with International travel still remaining restricted more opportunities for domestic tourism have opened up. So, improving our domestic tourism offerings will also assist us in recovering faster.

Q. How is TrawellTag preparing itself for the ‘new normal’? What is your strategy for the year?

We continue to work alongside our underwriters to explore the possibilities of designing products that will be relevant in a post-COVID world. We have sharpened our focus towards travel assistance services that will be relevant for travellers during such distressful situations. We plan to bring to the trade, niche travel assistance products combined with smarter technology.

The idea is to enable the industry, as a whole, to instil faith and confidence back in travel and emerge stronger together.

Q. In the post COVID world, what should a traveller expect from travel insurance policies?

Travelling always came along with contingencies; however, COVID-19 has completely transformed the way people look at travelling. Correspondingly, services will also undergo changes as customers have now realised the importance of travel protection and are looking for holistic products that provide real-time assistance services such as local hospitalization and medical evacuation at the time of need.

In the post COVID world, we will see protection plans that will cover the impacts of a future pandemic. Coverage extension, cancellations and medical benefits will be a big priority for travel protection service providers going forward.

Q. Have you unveiled any new or redesigned insurance policies so far?

As domestic tourism has gradually started, we have developed benefits for new-age travel trends such as staycations and domestic cruise trips.

We are also covering cancellations and delays for domestic business trips. We are providing services such as medical evacuation and local hospitalization support coupled with relevant travel insurance benefits during the hour of need and constantly striving to enhance our services.

Q. Do you think revamping travel insurance can boost people’s confidence to travel?

Travellers today need reassurance that even if their trips don’t go as planned, there is someone by their side to protect and assist them. I genuinely feel that educating travellers and improving their awareness about travel protection, given the highly unpredictable nature of travel, will immensely boost their confidence to travel.

Q. Finally, as a business owner in the travel sector, what are three tips you would give to other business owners.

How can they cope up with the ongoing crisis?

Times are tough and hence we should stay strong and showcase resilience in the face of adversities. Being the custodians of the Indian travel industry, let us play our part by spreading awareness about the situation, educate our stakeholders about the precautions to be undertaken and help them during this crisis.

27 Destination Guide

Where Old Meets New: A quick tour of everenthralling Istanbul Straddling between Asia and Europe, the east and the west, the old world and the new world, Turkey is a country of many contrasts, and there are few places on earth that balance these contrasts as well as its capital Istanbul. Whatever you are yearning for in your travels, Istanbul packs in a punch. It is an incredibly immersive city; a pleasure for the senses; rich and diverse in its sights, sounds, smells and tastes; a fascinating amalgamation of art, culture and history; thus a comprehensive guide to Istanbul would have to be ginormous.

Instead, for the time being, we give you a concise list of places to experience there.

Words by TnH Desk

29

Karaköy

One of Istanbul’s most historic parts, Karaköy is one neighbourhood we love to explore. This Byzantine-era port is now the focus of Istanbul’s creative scene. It is exploding with shops, art galleries, restaurants and bars, all worth scanning. When in Karakoy don’t miss visiting the Galata Tower and Salt Galata.

Galata Tower

Built in 500 A.D., Galata Tower is one of the dominating landmarks of Istanbul. In the past, it was used as a watchtower to help defend the city. Today, visitors can go to the observation desk to see the most spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of Istanbul and enjoy glimpses of the Asian side, the highest point of Istanbul, the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Topkapi Palace, the Spice Market, and all the other significant sites of Istanbul. If the visit makes you hungry, there is a restaurant on top of the tower where you can enjoy some fine Turkish cuisine.

Salt Galata

Salt Galata is an art space and lab housed in the former Imperial Ottoman Bank. Aside from the interesting art exhibitions and lovely bookshop, SALT Galata is worth going to just to get away from the chaos of the city. The fact that you can enjoy a delicious coffee or meal at its glamorous restaurant is an added bonus.

Blue Mosque

Situated in the Sultanahmet neighbourhood, the beating heart of the city, the Blue mosque is technically called the Sultan Ahmet Mosque. It is named after the young Sultan Ahmet I, who reigned over the Ottoman Empire from 1590–1617. The mosque is the fruit of Ahmet’s ambitious wish to outdo the builders of the arresting Hagia Sophia. The byname “Blue Mosque” comes from the thousands of turquoise tiles that decorate the mosque’s vast interior. Known for its spectacular design, it’s a must see for architecture and design lovers. The blue tiles and intricate detail in the ceiling design, the stainedglass windows, the golden brushstrokes of a 17th-century calligrapher, the low hung sparkling chandeliers and the rich reds and golds of the carpet that contrast the blue tiling, all make the mosque a sight to behold. Moreover, the low hum of pious Turks and other respectful visitors and tourists fill the mosque with a calming energy.

31

Hagia Sohpia

The Grand Bazaar

Prince Islands (Kızıl Adalar)

For decades, tourists have flock en masse to Hagia Sophia for its marvelous architecture, glorious interior views and historical significance.

With beautiful Christian mosaics alongside brilliant Islamic calligraphy adorning the grand old Hagia Sophia, the site has had a history as eclectic as Istanbul itself. Starting its life as one of the biggest cathedrals in the world, the Hagia Sophia Church (Church of Holy Wisdom), the monument was turned into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest and was then converted into a secular museum. Now, as recently as July 2020, the Council of State and the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ordered the reclassification of Hagia Sophia as a mosque. Irrespective, of its title it is simply a “must-see” attraction My favourite place to go in all of Istanbul is the Grand Bazaar. You should devote at least one clear day to exploring the massive labyrinth of shops that is the Grand Bazaar. With more than 5,000 shops there is something for everyone here, but, if you enjoy searching for treasures like fabrics, shawls, jewelry, antiques, Turkish delight and other oddities, then you will have that much more delightful.

The Prince Islands are the perfect destination for a day trip. You can take a water ferry or a private water taxi out to this group of nine Islands, located just 20 kilometers south east of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. The Princes’ Islands were once the place of exile for unruly Byzantine princes; hence the name, but today they are the perfect place for tourists to swim in the sea, enjoy picturesque views and experience calm and sunshine. The seafood is excellent too and to work of your feast you can rent bicycles and explore the islands to the maximum.

33 Lifestyle

High Class Meets High Altitudes: Meet Seema Jindal Jajodia, the businesswoman scaling new heights With a mission to make healthy snacking options available and accessible to all Indian households, Seema Jindal Jajodia founded Nourish Organics in 2009. Her brand is committed to keeping good health at the center of everything they do. As a result, they end up crafting products that are just as wholesome and nutritious as they are appetizing and delicious. A true brand ambassador, Seema is personally a health & fitness fanatic and unsurprisingly lists an invigorating trekking holiday as her ultimate escape.

Here, she shares her favourite trekking and climbing experiences and also tells us how to plan the perfect trekking trip.

Words by Srishti Jindal

“Any adventure will have a fair amount of challenges. If challenges excite you and seeing stunning views, breathing pure air, and feeling fit are on your to-do-list, then you will really enjoy the experience.�

35

Q1. I want to go for a trek. Where should I even start?

It is important to understand that trekking is an adventure and adventure means having fun in discomforting situations.

Keeping this in mind, if trekking is something that is still on your radar then start reading about it or follow some bloggers and Instagram accounts for inspiration. Today, there is a wealth of information available online. For me personally, when I began trekking, I started hanging out with friends who were frequent trekkers. This was really helpful to get first hand information. So if you can, find and join trekking groups around you. Also, if you get a chance check out the interesting and informative talks the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) holds regularly. As for trekking sites, the Himalayas are a great option and offer many different levels of treks.

Q2. Tell me about your trip planning philosophy?

I am in touch with two of the premier trekking groups in the country. They keep members posted about upcoming treks and climbs. According to my time availability and interests, I sign up well in advance for the ones I want to.

Q3. How do you decide where to climb?

When I get the upcoming trek information, I study it properly. I see if it is something I would like to do and can do. Initially, I only signed up for easy treks to get a sense of the experience.

With each trekking expedition, my confidence increased and so did my strength and skills for climbing and trekking.

Q4. What does a good climb or trek experience feel like?

A good climb or trek experience depends completely on your own mindset. Any adventure will have a fair amount of challenges. If challenges excite you and seeing stunning views, breathing pure air, and feeling fit are on your to-do-list, then you will really enjoy the experience.

Q5. Who should I travel with?

My advice to you would be that you should always travel with a recommended group. Your life depends on the people who accompany you.

There are many amateur agencies that offer these experiences, but we should be wary of them. Again, IMF is a great body to recommend seasoned and safe companies. If you can, try and get to know all the people who are going on the trek with you beforehand. After all, you will be spending all your time with them during the trek.

Q6. Let’s get down to specifics. What are your top five trekking or climbing destinations?

I really enjoy talking about my favourite treks. I can go on about the incredible experiences I have had and there have been many but I will share my top five: • • • • •

Kilimanjaro, Africa in 2018 with Aquaterra Adventures Everest Base Camp, Nepal in 2019 with Juniper Travels Patagonia, South America with Pygmy Elephants Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal with Juniper in 2014 Buran Ghati Trek, Uttarakhand with my family organized by Juniper in 2018

I must warn you, if you are a beginner, the above treks will be a little tough.

However, do keep them on your to-do list.

Q7. Okay, now that I am sold. What should I pack for my trekking trip?

Packing is one of the keys to a successful trip. It is important to plan and pack all your essentials including suitable clothes, a sleeping bag, rain gear etc. In the wilderness and the mountains, your own gear is what protects you from the harsh unpredictable climate. Your shoes are the most important investment. It’s not comfortable or safe to walk on rocks and slopes in your usual running shoes. Many first-timers make this mistake. You must research and buy the strongest and most comfortable shoes and do break them in well before you are set to leave. Different treks will require different gears. The company that plans your trip will hand out a complete packing list, which must be adhered to. It’s not feasible to share things with others on the trek.

As preparation for your trek, go on regular walks in your new shoes. Build up good strength and stamina so you can enjoy the scenery rather than complain of having aches and pains because of an unfit body.

37 Trade Talks

Level UP: The Skills Travel Professionals Will Need Post Covid-19 COVID-19 has profoundly changed the way people live, work, travel and socialize. Social distancing, sanitization, contactless, etc. are the new buzzwords and safety from the pandemic has become a constant preoccupation for most of us.

In the economic sphere, the travel and tourism sector across the world has been one of the worst victims of the pandemic. The pandemic has disrupted and dismantled so many established rules, norms, practices and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that it has introduced an entirely new set of challenges for the sector. Now that travel and tourism is finally in the process of reopening after months of restrictions, travel & hospitality professionals need to grasp how to work and serve their clients amidst the ‘new normal’.

This entails new investment in physical and human resources. In this backdrop, we speak to three industry executives to understand what new skills they will look for in their team in the post COVID world. Here are their considered suggestions.

Words by Prem Kumar

Ajay Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts

SN Srivastava, President and Co-founder, Clarks Inn Group of Hotels

Rajeev Nangia, Chief Operating Officer, TRAC Representations (I) Pvt. Ltd.

39

Ajay Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts

Rajeev Nangia, Chief Operating Officer, TRAC Representations (I) Pvt. Ltd.

1. Adaptable to change:

1.Technology skills:

The way office functions and how we work has changed. In addition to being able to work efficiently from home, one also has to be able to work well under pressure, adjust to new and unexpected deadlines, prioritize tasks and even accept additional responsibilities. Hence, people with the skill to adapt quickly to changes would be of great value to their workplaces.

Even before coronavirus the growing digital skills gap was apparent. This pandemic has accelerated a huge digital transformation.

Ensuring adaptation of technology in day-today activities, will facilitate travel and help in maintaining contact with clients and suppliers.

Initially, clients may hesitate to walk into our offices and may contact us over the phone, but to make our sales effort look more professional we should try to engage them on websites, video conferencing, social media, etc. for packages and facilities if the operation has one. We may include in our services web check-in for tickets and other facilitations as these will give them a handholding experience and will go a long way in building confidence. In fact, this is the bare minimum. According to experts, artificial intelligence, Internet controlled operations, robotics etc. will be the answer that will help industries grow more resilient to pandemics in the future.

2. Innovation in business strategy: It is a very critical and crucial time to re-look at business strategy. The travel industry is facing an unprecedented set of challenges, at such a time, employees that are able to adapt the business approach accordingly, can effectively problem solve and identify new opportunities.

SN Srivastava, President and Co-founder, Clarks Inn Group of Hotels 1. Cautiousness: Hotels need to reorient and reeducate their staff.

They need to learn how to operate and manage properties during the current situation. Employees, especially front desk staff, needs to be trained to operate in a way that minimizes all possible touch-points between an associate and guests.

Maintaining social distancing at all times by adopting multiple preventive actions and safety measures should come naturally to staff now.

2. Emergency care: Another useful skill for hotel employees in the new world reality is proficiency in basic health services. This would be very helpful in case of any unforeseen emergency arising out of the Coronavirus infection or otherwise. It can be done on the lines of Civil Defense training in collaboration with the local municipal health administration. It should enable the employee to provide some immediate relief and assistance to the victim before the medical aid arrives.

2. Specialization: Specialization will play a key role in the near future as clients will prefer discussing their plans with a professional, who is fully aware and updated with the latest information about the destination, hospitality options, activities etc. After recent uncertainty, the more information you can share, the more confidence clients will have in your service and will make you their reliable travel partner instead of a just another travel agent or tour operator.

3.Transparency: People are becoming more aware of the social, economic and environmental impacts of tourism.

They are willing to pay a premium for responsible tourism and good service.

I am a firm believer that ‘New Normal Scenario’ is not going to be a period of price-cutting; rather it will bring in transparent pricing with a fee attached. It may sound little out of line from the way we have been functioning so far but now is the time to put new norms in place.

41 Marketing Strategy

Travel Marketing in the COVID-19 Era: How to Pivot Your Marketing Plan in Times of Crisis “It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.� Source Unknown Words by Priyanka Nijhawan

About the Author Priyanka Nijhawan runs the representation vertical of Nijhawan Group and is the Director of the Dubai Tourism India Representative Office. An authority in travel marketing, it is under her leadership that the group successfully represents leading luxury hotels such as the Armani Hotel in Dubai, Address Hotels and Resorts in Dubai, Vida Hotels & Resorts in Dubai, The Aitken Spence Hotels in Sri Lanka, Adaaran Island Resorts in Maldives, amongst others.

43

C

ovid-19 has compelled the whole world to adapt to a “new normal”. It has driven the entire travel and tourism industry into scrutiny and has created economic hardships for millions. The only silver lining is that it has pushed us to innovate in order to pave the way to recovery considering we all understand that the tourism sector will have to undertake huge efforts to reach back to its core potential given the current scenario.

Appropriately, there is a wide array of proactive measures that have been proposed to protect the interest of travellers. There have been innovative solutions with regards to safety and hygiene, as well as proximity of medical facilities. These factors will be of utmost importance in meeting the demand of the ‘new normal’. There is no doubt that they will influence almost every aspect of the tourist’s travel itinerary.

Accordingly, it is time for us to update our old ways of doing things. Tourism Boards and other travel marketers in particular, have their work cut out for them. They will have to propose innovative and out of the box ideas to attract travellers. To successfully do this, I believe the need of the hour is to adapt to a wider scope of technology to provide a seamless transition into this post COVID era.

Here are some of my recommendations on how to market in these times.

1. Spotlight on Health and Safety: The highlight of new marketing plans should be health and sanitization. Hygiene standards and their communication should be as rigorous as possible.

2. Flexibility in Bookings: Travellers often buy experiences as a bundle.

It is our job to package it in such a way that it is individualized and flexible, given the many contingencies associated with travel currently.

3. Management Software Programs: Usage of marketing project management software, to manage time and workflows, plan campaigns and decode human interactions with the industry, is now easier and can help us in creating personalized marketing plans.

4. Virtual Tourism: In essence virtual tourism is a hybrid of tourism and virtual reality. Integration of both may take different forms depending on the degree of

technological capability. With more than half the world coming to a halt, and millions of people being confined to their homes, the next best alternative to turn to is virtual tourism. In fact, it is a refreshing and striking way to present information about tourism products and services and will also keep interest piqued during these times.

5. Virtual Meetings: Webinars and video conferences have become the norm. They allow us to manage day-to-day professional activities while following the safety protocol of social distancing. They are a great channel for keeping in touch and marketing. At Nijhawan Group, we have been actively hosting webinars for our partners, agents, DMC’s, Tour Operators etc. for keeping them updated and staying connected during these tough times.

To sum up, the fact is that in these challenging times marketing is often the last thing on people’s minds. But as marketers, we have to turn challenges into opportunities. While the pandemic has created many obstacles, it has also inspired in us the spirit of solicitude, inventiveness and collaboration and that is what will lead us to new opportunities- no matter big or small.

45 Research

Travelport Study: Majority of travellers in India ready to consider domestic and international travel but only with proper safety measures in place A recent research shows that communication of travel safety measures is key to regaining traveller confidence and that Indian travellers are amongst the most safetyconscious in the world.

56%

56%

58%

-

-

64%

66%

68%

69%

-

Global

Airports 65%

-

-

80%

74%

80%

76%

-

-

62%

64%

64%

66%

66%

61%

71%

63%

-

-

Global 62%

India

Airlines

65%

72%

66%

70%

73%

78%

77%

74%

64%

66%

72%

76%

55%

-

68%

-

-

-

-

-

61%

-

64%

-

79%

-

75%

61%

-

58%

62%

-

-

-

-

-

77%

Global

-

India

-

Global

-

Hotels

India

Car Rentals

-

-

63%

-

-

74%

-

77%

75%

73%

India

47

A

ccording to the results of a new independent research recently released

by Travelport, the majority of travellers in India are now ready to consider booking domestic and international trips, but only if airlines, airports, hotels and car rental companies collectively implement ten different safety measures throughout their journey.

These measures include the option of fully flexible or refundable flight tickets. The study also shows that of the five countries surveyed demand for almost every safety measure is highest in India. Furthermore, it shows that travellers in India are now much more likely to book through a travel agent than before the COVID-19 crisis, with half (50%, compared to 33% globally) of all travellers anticipating an increase in their use of travel agent services.

Globally, this trend was particularly evident among millennials (44%). Overall, threequarters of travellers in India (73%, compared to 65% globally) who claimed this, said it is because they feel travel agents are best placed to provide them with the latest travel safety information.

The results of the study are based on a survey of 5,000 travellers across India, United Kingdom, U.S.A, Australia and New Zealand (1,000 per country), as well as in-depth interviews with 29 leading travel suppliers.

The study found that at all parts of the travel journey, it was deemed critical to have social distancing rules, mandatory use of face masks, and ready access to sanitizing gel or wipes, face masks and gloves. The study also revealed, however, that additional measures still need to be implemented by airlines, airports, hotels and car rental companies to fully restore consumer confidence.

The table below captures the ten separate safety measures participants of the study said they need to know have been adopted by airports, airlines, hotels and car rental

companies for them to consider domestic and international travel. The percentage figures represent the number of travellers that said they will not travel unless the respective safety measure is in place.

In regard to the study, Martin Herbert, Senior Commercial Director - Operators at Travelport, said, “The travel industry has introduced numerous initiatives to support a safe and responsible recovery of travel over the last few months. This research demonstrates just how important such measures are to ensure travellers feel safe. The industry now needs to ensure it is not only putting these measures in place consistently across the entire travel journey, but also communicating them effectively to travellers across the various channels and merchandising technologies available to them.”

Derek Sadubin, Managing Director at CAPA - Centre for Aviation, added that, “Safety and flexibility are understandably in front of mind for travellers right now. The travel industry recognizes and respects this, and what is encouraging is that many suppliers such as airlines have already implemented the measures travellers say they need to book a domestic or international trip but we still have a long way to go. Collaboration and communication are now key to restoring traveller confidence and securing a strong and responsible industry recovery.”

Further reiterating the importance of traveller safety, Sandeep Dwivedi, Chief Operating Officer at InterGlobe Technology Quotient, said that, “Travellers’ safety and consistent communication of respective safety measures, including frequent modifications, is of utmost importance to restore confidence in travel.

Travelport’s latest study will help travel agents understand ongoing procedures and identify opportunities to offer a better experience to the end traveller.”

About The Researchers Headquarterd in the U.K, Travelport is a leading technology company serving the global travel industry with representation in approximately 180 countries and territories. It operates a travel commerce platform providing distribution, technology, payment and other solutions for the global travel and tourism industry. The company’s Indian arm is operated by InterGlobe Technology Quotient (ITQ), a strategic business unit of InterGlobe Enterprises.

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RNI NO: DELENG/2010/33723 | DATE OF PUBLISHING: 4th OF THE MONTH