Travel and Hospitality (TnH) - September 2018

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FEATURE

JOBBYMOON – A NEW MOON TRENDING IN INDIAN MARKET

PA G E S 5 2

ALSO READ

EXPLORE GEMS OF GREECE WITH DIFFERENCE

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FEATURE Explore gems of Greece with a difference

INTERVIEW

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COVER STORY

IHG signs a portfolio deal for four Holiday Inn hotels in India

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BITE CORNER

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NEWS

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DIPLOMAT’S CORNER

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NEWS

Great Reformist

‘We will become the biggest hotel chain in Nepal’

NEWS

TAT promotes Golf in Thailand

Culinary splendours of Gujarat

'India will soon become a key source market for Serbia Tourism'

FEATURE Jobbymoon – a new moon trending in Indian market

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Odisha’s Tourism Industry seeks solutions of unresolved issues

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FROM THE EDITOR

His legacy will live on

Publisher & Editor Srishti Rai Director Bharat S. Rai Managing Editor Prem Kumar General Manager Marketing Prem Sagar premsagar@tnhindia.com (M) +91 99106 81111 Art Director Sunny Singh Senior Reporter Archana Sharma Correspondent (Kolkata) Swaati Chaudhury Accounts Chander Shakher Balodi Administration Executive Sarwat Jahan

For any query, write to us at: info@tnhindia.com

www.tnhglobal.com Printed, published and owned by Srishti Rai. Printed at Somsons Printing Works, 1/7, DoctorĂŠs Lane, Gole Market, New Delhi - 110001, and published at P- 23/90, Connaught Circus, New Delhi 110001; Editor: SRISHTI RAI

Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Former Prime Minister of India, recently passed away at the age of 93. A reformist statesman, Vajpayee was the PM three times. He led the first fullterm coalition government at the Centre from 1999 to 2004, made good governance his motto and introduced economic reforms. A true parliamentarian and highly respected leader across the political spectrum, Vajpayee led disinvestment of many public sector undertakings (PSUs), development of world-class infrastructure like Golden Quadrilateral project connecting major metros of the country, spectacular expansion of mobile telephony and propounded open-sky policy for airlines. He stunned the world by conducting India's second nuclear test, thereby, formalizing India's position as a nuclear power in the world.

He steered the nation through turbulent economic times and put the economy on a high growth trajectory.

The boom that we see today in the civil aviation sector is the result of his initiatives and ideas that his successors carried on.

It was his government that announced the first comprehensive tourism policy in 2002. India, for the first time, caught the attention of the world as a tourist destination, thanks to the launch of the Incredible India Campaign by his government in 2002.

He appointed the able administrator Jagmohan as his tourism minister.

The exponential growth of telephonic services made it accessible and affordable for the common man, which later led to the expansion of Internet penetration in the Country and paved the way for robust e-commerce in the travel and tourism industry.

While leading a multi-party coalition government, he never allowed the compulsions of coalition politics to compromise his firm commitment to public probity and good governance.

The magnificent legacy that he has left will live on forever and continue to inspire and guide the nation. In this issue, we pay our profound tributes to the late leader through our cover story (page 18).

Enjoy reading!

Srishti Rai Editor

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NEWS

L - R - Sethapan Budhani, Khun Cholada Siddhivarm Director TAT Mumbai, Lubaina Sheerazi COO Blue Square Consultants and Pimpingfar C. Arya - Deputy Director TAT Mumbai

Cholada Siddhivarn appointed as the new director of TAT Mumbai Cholada Siddhivarn has been appointed as director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand in Mumbai. She and her team in Mumbai will cover western and southern India as well as Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

The announcement was made at a recently held Open to the New Shades networking dinner in Mumbai.

Cholada Siddhivarn was previously the director of Europe, Africa, Middle East and the

NORWEGIAN TRANSFORMS THREE SHIPS WITH BOW-TOSTERN ENHANCEMENTS

Americas Marketing Group at TAT head office. She has been working with Tourism Authority of Thailand over 20 years now, since 1996. With such a vast experience Cholada Siddhivarn will continue to enhance travel trade and media relations in order to promote newer destinations in Thailand and boosting arrivals from India to Thailand in the coming years.

Norwegian Cruise Line announced the completed refurbishments of three ships, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Star, further showcasing its commitment to extraordinary quality and the guest experience.

As part of The Norwegian Edge, the company’s program designed to elevate the standard of excellence across its fleet, the revitalized ships now feature new designs and venues.

by TNH DESK

THE FERN LAUNCHES PROPERTY IN NEPAL The Fern Hotels & Resorts has opened its first overseas property under The Fern Residency brand in Kathmandu. Though the company has been managing hotels in the Himalayan kingdom for a

while now, it is for the first time that the company has forayed out of the country under its own brand. With this opening, the tally of the hotels managed by the group under The Fern Residency brand goes up to 23 hotels. Overall this is the 53rd hotel which is being managed by the group.

The Fern Residency, Kathmandu is located in the heart of the city.

by TNH DESK

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NEWS

Emirates Skywards expands loyalty programme including Emirates and flydubai

AVANI signs second hotel in Malaysia AVANI Hotels and Resorts continues to expand the brand presence in Asia with an agreement with KTI Property Sdn. Bhd. to manage an AVANI hotel in Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, Malaysia.

Kota Kinabalu, better known as 'KK' among locals, is the vibrant capital of Malaysia's Sabah state, blending old world charm with a cosmopolitan multi-ethnicity. This unique mix of cultures resonates in KK's sights, sounds, and, of course, flavours. KK boasts beautiful landscapes such as the highest peak in Southeast Asia – Mount Kinabalu, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as Kinabalu National Park that shelters such diverse native flora and fauna as the orangutan and sun bear. The coastal city is also a popular destination for some of the world’s best island-hopping with nearby Manukan Island, Mamutik Island, Gaya Island,

by TNH DESK Sulug Island, and Sapi Island.

Emirates Skywards replaced flydubai’s frequent flyer programme, OPEN, officially becoming the loyalty programme of Emirates airline and flydubai. The alignment of the loyalty programme now allows Emirates Skywards members to also earn Skywards Miles and Tier Miles when travelling on both airlines. Former OPEN members can enrol into Emirates Skywards to continue earning Miles on flydubai. The alignment of the loyalty programme for both airlines builds on Emirates and flyby TNH DESK dubai’s close partnership.

IHG signs a portfolio deal for four Holiday Inn hotels in India Establishes presence in Bodhgaya, Kushinagar, Gorakhpur and Shravasti InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a management agreement with Lotus Trans Travel Private Limited to establish a four hotel portfolio under the Holiday Inn banner. Slated to open between 2020 and 2023, Holiday Inn Bodhgaya, Holiday

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Inn Kushinagar, Holiday Inn Gorakhpur and Holiday Inn Shravasti together will a dd over 450 rooms to IHG’s system and establish company’s presence at the Buddhist tourism circuit.

As a part of the agreement, Holiday Inn hotels in Bodhgaya, Kushinagar and Shravasti will be refurbished and upgraded, to ensure the portfolio is fully rep-

resentative of the Holiday Inn brand globally. Holiday Inn Gorakhpur will be a new build hotel.

by TNH DESK

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NEWS

Club Med to launch Fusions at the Exclusive Collection Finolhu Villas A unique concept to delight the senses for premium and unique experiences.

Club Med is set to launch Fusions by Club Med for its Gentil Members (G.Ms) at Club Med’s Exclusive Collection resort, Club Med Finolhu Villas. Appealing to those who desire premium and exclusive experiences during their travels, Fusions by Club Med is redefining paradise by bringing together unparalleled connoisseurs from varying fields to create a series of unique enchanting experiences to deby TNH DESK light its guests.

South African Tourism appoints new Hub Head South African Tourism has appointed Neliswa Nkani as the Hub Head for Middle East, India and Southeast Asia.

A South African citizen, Neliswa will now assume reigns and spearhead the national tourism board’s initiatives in India. Nkani was the Director for South African Tourism in Amsterdam from 2003 to 2006. Prior to this she was the Chief Marketing Officer for a Government Investment Agency focusing on Europe, Middle East and Africa. In 2006, she started a company which specialized in Marketing activation in Tourism, Tourism hosting.

by TNH DESK

Riding high on outbound Indian tourist count In a major development to offer a push to the Indian tourist arrivals, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau is leaving no stone unturned.

India is incidentally the leading tourist source market for the idyllic island destination of Sri Lanka. In this day and age, Colombo has emerged as a significant MICE tourist destination.

Viranga Bandara, Assistant Director- Marketing, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau informed, “We have tied up with Master Card and we are planning to develop niche

tourism products like Ramayana trail, wedding and MICE destinations. We are also working closely with Sri Lankan Airlines and other airline players to boost Sri Lanka as

a prominent tourist destination. At the same time, we are looking forward to roll out digital marketing campaign across India during the upcoming festive season. We are targeting the five major Indian metros and tier-II cities as our potential market.”

Around 2.1 million global visitors and about 3,84,000 Indian travellers arrived in Sri Lanka last year. Bandara said, “We are looking to receive nearly 4,40,000 Indian visitors

by TNH DESK this time.”

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NEWS

India, Nepal to set up a joint forum to promote tourism Nepal Tourism Forum to be set up for mutual consultation and promotion of tourism said India's Tourism Minister. Ramayana and Buddhist circuits to be promoted through common branding by India and Nepal.

The second meeting of tourism Joint Working Group (JWG) be-

tween India and Nepal was held in Kathmandu on 6th July 2018.

In this meeting it was agreed to set up the Indo-Nepal Tourism Forum with representation from government and private sector from both sides for mutual consultation and promotion of tourism in both countries, KJ

Alphons, Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism informed Lok Sabha in a written reply. This JWG also decided to officially recognise two circuits, Ramayana Circuit and Buddhist Circuit by both governments for joint promotions through common branding and

by TNH DESK marketing exercises.

Madhya Pradesh Tourism selects DJUBO to drive online bookings

‘Paryatan Parv’ to be organized nationwide from 16th to 27th September The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in collaboration with other Central Ministries, State Governments and Stakeholders is organizing a ‘Paryatan Parv’ across the country from the 16th to 27th September 2018. The Ministry under the chairpersonship of Rashmi Verma, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism convened a ‘Preparatory Meeting’ with representatives from Central Ministries, States/UTs and other stakeholders to plan and formulate the Paryatan Parv in New Delhi. The Parv is being organized with the objective of drawing focus on the benefits of tourism, showcasing the cultural diversity of the country and reinforcing the principle of ‘Tourism for All’.

The Secretary while addressing the meeting, informed that the Paryatan Parv will have three main components as like last year, viz. Dekho Apna Desh, Tourism for All and Tourism & Governance.

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MP Tourism is one of the most active state tourism boards in India which is making huge investments in tourism and technology to increase tourism in Madhya Pradesh.

In line with its stated objectives of driving higher online revenues and tech adoption in its 68 properties, MP Tourism has chosen DJUBO as its all in one hotel technology ERP partner providing them an all in one offering including cloud based Property Management System, Online Channel Management, Direct Booking Engine, Point of Sale and Accounting Back End integrations.

Speaking on the occasion of the launch of this partnership, Sankalp Goel, Co-Founder, DJUBO stated "It is an honour that DJUBO has been chosen by MP Tourism after a thorough examination of various national and international technology product companies. It is a great testament to the all-in-one hotel technology solution that DJUBO has been building for 3 years and gaining rapid

by TNH DESK traction for."

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NEWS

GINGER SIGNS A NEW HOTEL IN BHARUCH This will be the tenth Ginger hotel in the state

Ginger announced the signing of a new hotel in Bharuch, a key city of Gujarat. The brand is present in 6 cities in the state namely Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Vapi with hotels under development in Surat and Sanand. With this new addition, Ginger will have 10 hotels with a combined inventory of close to 800 rooms in Gujarat.

Deepika Rao, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ginger said, “We are delighted to expand our presence in Gujarat and enter Bharuch by partnering Hotel Sethna Plaza Annexe. The modern day Bharuch is one of the biggest industrial areas in the state. The hotel will be ideally located to cater to the business guests.”

With 55 comfortable rooms, an all-day diner, a banquet hall and a fitness centre; the new Ginger is located just a few minutes from the railway station amidst a commercial hub catering to chemical, textile and pharmaceutical companies.

The hotel is a management contract and is slated to commence operations in 2019.

Bharuch is the oldest city of Gujarat which was a ship building centre and sea port in the ancient times.

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OYO Acquires Weddingz.in Amidst achieving the milestone of adding 100,000 exclusive - franchised and leased - rooms to its hotel chain while witnessing rapid expansion in China, OYO hotels has today announced the acquisition of Weddingz.in, India’s largest wedding banquet company. The acquisition is a bold step towards OYO expanding its playfield to real estate sector and realizing its vision of becoming a global real estate brand while continuing its dominance on India's hotel market.

Over the last five years, OYO has built and demonstrated deep capabilities in partnering with various formats of real estate and rapidly transforming them into quality and beautiful living spaces. Driving innovation, efficiency and distribution to enhance business and yield, OYO successfully operates these spaces with the consistent quality of award-winning service delivery

by TNH DESK while leveraging technology.

Indore Marriott Hotel launches new Club Marriott program Indore Marriott hotel is driven to continually challenge the status quo and anticipate their customers’ changing needs with providing new services and new guest experiences. In striving to fulfill this, the hotel announced the launch of the new Club Marriott Program, combining Club Marriott, eat drink & more, into one single paid membership program. The newly combined Club Marriott will provide members with more choices and benefits whenever they dine out in the city or visit one of the 300 participating hotels with over 1,000 restaurants in 16 brands across Asia Pacific.

by TNH DESK

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NEWS

Israel opens Visa Application Centre in Kolkata In an effort to encourage more Indian travellers to visit Israel, the Embassy of Israel in India has opened a Kolkata Israel Visa Application Centre (IVP) for West Bengal and North Eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. Additionally, visa applications in jurisdiction under the New Delhi centre are also acceptable at the new Kolkata Centre (IVP). The visa application categories include B1 for employment, B2 for business, tourism, meeting or conference and A2 for students.

Among other initiatives, Israel recently announced a reduction in visa fees to INR 1,100 from its previous INR 1,700 charge for Indian citizens.

In December last year, relaxed visa documentation was brought in for applicants who have availed visas of Schengen countries, US, Canada, Australia or Israel and have completed their travel to these destinations.

Israel offers a plethora of things to do and see to cater to the discerning traveller. From the historical city of Jerusalem to the beach city of Tel Aviv; from the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, to the marvellous underwater marine life of Red Sea in Eilat, Israel is truly a dynamic destination.

No free travel insurance in trains from September 1 The Indian Railways will not provide free travel insurance to its passengers starting September 1, an official said recently. A senior Railway Ministry official said that the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has decided to stop free travel insurance starting September 1 and 'the option of free insurance will be optional'.

Travellers while booking tickets through its website or mobile application will have to choose from two options: to opt-in or opt-out of travel insurance. He said that in a bid to promote the digital transaction, the IRCTC has been giving free travel insurance to passengers since December 2017. The railways had earlier also waived off ticket booking charge for users who make payments via debit cards.

by TNH DESK

by TNH DESK

Goa CM launches GTDC’s Taxi App ‘Goamiles’ Goa’s first and exclusive mobile app based taxi service GOAMILES has been launched by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar at the Secretariat Complex, Porvorim.

Present at the launch were Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Manohar Ajgaonkar; Hon’ble Chairman of Goa Tourism Development Corporation

(GTDC), Nilesh Cabral; Chief Secretary of Goa, Dharmendra Sharma; Secretary for Tourism, Sheo Pratap Singh, Menino D’Souza, Director, Dept. of Tourism along with other dignitaries. The launch of GOAMILES will bring about a revolutionary change in travel in and around Goa for both tourists and loby TNH DESK cals.

Manohar Parrikar Hon'ble Chief Minister of Goa

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NEWS

TAT promotes Golf in Thailand TAT New Delhi recently organized a trip for TAT lady golf ambassador Vani Kapoor to Thailand to play golf alongside other Indian golfers at The Lady Golf Challenge 2018. The tournament was organized at Alpine Golf and Sports Club, Pathum Thani Bangkok on 3rd August 2018. The tournament was a part of the Lady Golf Challenge project, a joint effort between TAT’s overseas offices and local agencies to promote the ongoing ladies special month in Thailand that will be celebrated throughout August 2018, as the month for the Women’s Journey Thailand cam-

paign, a way of commemorating Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s birthday on 12 August. This very special initiative is also to mark the Royal benevolence of H. M. the Queen of Thailand, especially in her promotion of the well-being for the Thai people and the foundation of arts and crafts.

Thailand is fast becoming the most popular and a favorite destination for golf enthusiasts with beautiful golf courses in Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phuket, Khao Yai and Samui. Destination diversities and vast choices of golf courses along with modern facilities and an excellent infrastructure has helped

golfing trips increase significantly in Thailand. There are golf courses to suit every preference.

All are located in highly accessible areas with fast and convenient door-to-door transfers possible within several hours' travel time.

But no mention of Thailand golf would be complete without mention of their caddies. Yes, there are caddies, but what makes Thailand special is that the caddies are all women. Most of the better golf courses have these knowledgeable, smartly dressed young women caddies who make a world of difference to your golfing

by TNH DESK experience.

Virgin Atlantic calls for action to reduce immigration queues at London Heathrow • International visitors are waiting up to 2 hours 34 minutes to get through immigration at Heathrow Virgin Atlantic has called on Border Force to take action as international visitors to the UK are being greeted by waiting time of up to 2 hours 34 minutes to clear immigration.

Recent high profile events such as the Royal Wedding and the favourable exchange rate have contributed to increased international visits in 2018, and coupled with an under resourced Border

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Force has led to excessively long queue times at immigration.

Virgin Atlantic has seen US passenger numbers increase by 20%, and is calling for urgent action to reduce the waiting times and extend the warm welcome visitors deserve. The airline has 23 international arrivals per day into Lon-

don Heathrow and has set up a “greet and treat” service for customers - providing water and snacks – to try and improve the experience. The UK Border Force has a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to process at least 95% of

by TNH DESK non-EEA passengers.

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COVER STORY

Great Reformist Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee 25 December 1924 - 16 August 2018

India recently lost its beloved leader, Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A stanch economic reformist, Vajpayee led the country through a turbulent economic phase, placing India on the high growth trajectory. His vision and policy also contributed immensely to the growth and expansion of India's tourism industry. The Nation will always be grateful to him for his visionary and decisive leadership.

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COVER STORY v B PREM KUMAR Y

Tourism is a major engine of economic growth in most parts of the world. Several countries have transformed their economies using the tourism potential to the fullest. Tourism has great capacity to create large scale employment of diverse kind – from the most specialised to the unskilled and all of us know that generation of massive productive employment opportunities is what India needs the most.

A

tal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister of India for three times. He became the Prime Minister of India in 1996 for the first time, succeeding PV Narasimha Rao, but his government lasted only for 13 days due to lack of the parliamentary majority.

Then followed a period of political instability in the country, which adversely impacted the Indian Economy. After the mid-term elections in 1998, the National Democratic Alliance came into power and Vajpayee became the Prime Minister of India for the second time. In his second term that lasted 13 months, Vajpayee took the historical decision to conduct India's second nuclear test in Pokhran in Rajasthan. The stunned world condemned the test, and many countries led by the US imposed economic sanctions against India. But undeterred by such sanctions, his government firmly refused to sign CTBT and NPT that ban nuclear test and possession of nuclear bombs.

This was also a time of the South East Asian financial crisis (1997-1998). The crisis gripped much of the East Asia, triggering a worldwide economic slowdown. Meanwhile, Vajpayee's government lost trust vote in Lok Sabha. The House was dis-

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COVER STORY

Empowering the individual means empowering the nation. And empowerment is best served through rapid economic growth with rapid social change

solved and the new elections were announced.

This was also the time India fought Kargil War with Pakistan. In the mid-term elections held after the Kargil war, the NDA got absolute majority and Vajpayee was elected the PM for the third time.

In early 2000, the world economy went into recession. Amid all these challenges, Vajpayee led a pro-reform government till May 2004. His tenure as Prime Minister of India was quite eventful and transformative for the Indian economy. When he had become PM in 1998, the Indian economy was growing at the rate of 5.0 %, and when he demitted office, the growth in the Country's GDP was around 8%. While former PM P. V. Narasimha Rao is credited for introducing the first generation economic reforms, Atal Bihari Vajpayee ushered in the second generation reforms.

Reform initiatives were taken in sectors such as telecom, infrastructure, banking and finance, insurance and civil aviation. These were the reforms that needed legislative changes that were very difficult to get in the coalition era. Reforms involved disinvestment/privatization of Public Sector Units (PSUs).

Vajpayee was the first non-Congress Indian prime minister to have served a full five-year term in office, and also the first PM to run a coalition Union Government for a full-term. Vajpayee left his footprint beyond the economy, especially in foreign relations. He improved bilateral ties with the US, South East Asian countries and took bold initiatives to improve ties with Pakistan, such as Lahore Bus Yatra and Agra Summit. He has once famously said: "One can change his friends but not neighbours." He took forward India's 'Look East

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Policy' with more vigour and accorded high priorities to improving relations with South Asian countries.

Fortifying links with the diaspora Vajpayee was the first Indian PM to understand the need to reach out to the Indian diaspora across the world and laid down the country's diaspora policy. His Government institutionalized India's engagement with its diaspora. He started Pravasi

Bharatiya Diwas in 2000 to hold regular interaction between India and NRIs and persons of India origin (PIOs). His policy provided the framework for all future initiatives for outreach to the diaspora.

Subsequent governments further strengthened this engagement.

Road & Rail Networks Vajpayee brought a paradigm shift in India's road network. He launched the most ambitious road projects such as the Golden Quadrilateral project connecting metropolitan cities of the country

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COVER STORY

Key aspects of Vajpayee's life...

through a network of highways, and the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna that connected distant villages across the country. He also launched many rail projects. His government approved and funded the Delhi Metro Project.

Born on 25th December, 1924 in Gwalior, MP Elected to Lok Sabha for the first time in 1957 Became President of Jana Sangh (BJP's Predecessor) in 1968 Foreign Minister from 1977 to 1980 in Janata Party Govt.

Became the Founding President of BJP in 1980 Appointed PM for the first time in 1996 Demitted office in May 2014.

Civil Aviation India's civil aviation sector has gone through widespread changes in the last one and a half decade. Number of Indians flying every day has jumped dramatically. The country today has seven or eight national airlines and many more regional carriers, offering fliers multiple choices of service and prices. It was the Government of Vajpayee, who laid the groundwork for a civil aviation boom in the country. His government adopted a revolutionary Civil Aviation Policy in 2003 that opened the Indian skies for foreign and private domestic airlines that made the sector more competitive, accessible and cheaper.

His government also was the first government to endeavour to create sufficient airport infrastructure.

The Vajpayee Government also tried to sell the erstwhile Air India, an attempt that failed. Vajpayee, while addressing a meeting of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Bali in 2003, had announced an open sky agreement with the regional grouping, allowing airlines from the regional grouping to launch a daily service to each of the metro cities in India and also many flights to 18 tourist destinations in India.

Tourism Addressing the Chief Minister’s Conference held on October 30, 2001, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then Prime Minister of India had stated, "Tourism is a major engine of economic growth in most parts of the world. Several countries have transformed their economies using the tourism potential to the

fullest. Tourism has the great capacity to create large-scale employment of diverse kind – from the most specialised to the unskilled and all of us know that generation of massive productive employment opportunities is what India needs the most."

Vajpayee's Government liberal economic policy and reform initiatives immensely contributed to the growth and expansion of India's Civil Aviation, Travel & Tourism industry. The first comprehensive the national tourism policy was launched in 2002, and that policy continues to be the guiding document for India's policymakers as no new tourism policy has been announced since then. It was during his tenure as PM when iconic 'Incredible India' campaign was launched that brought a paradigm shift in promoting Inbound tourism in the country.

Vajpayee not only reformed the economy but also introduced social reforms to uplift the unprivileged section of the society. "Empowering the individual means empowering the nation. And empowerment is best served through rapid economic growth with rapid social change," he had said.

A moderate politician and an orator par excellence, Vajpayee was an accommodative and popular leader but not a populist one. The Nation will always be grateful to him for his visionary and decisive leadership, and contribution to its development. His words and action will continue to guide us.

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FEATURE

Jobbymoon – a new moon trending in Indian market The honeymoon and the Babymoon are all well-known travel terms but there’s a new buzzword - the ‘Jobbymoon’ trending these days in the Indian travel market. Explore what exactly it is and why you must head for it.

v B ARCHANA SHARMA Y

As they say, ‘Change is the only constant thing in life’, therefore you should celebrate this change and embrace transitions in your life. A wedding and parenthood is one such crucial transition in a lifetime.

Similarly, when you move ahead on the career ladder, you need some motivation to work harder and better.

What is Jobbymoon?

Honeymoon and Babymoon are both culturally anointed trips timed to big life events. But there’s no common name for the trip that follows another milestone: switching jobs. Jobbymoon is a hot trend that has taken hype nowadays. Although these ‘Jobbymoons’ may vary based on employment circumstances, budget and personal passions, they often share one objective: to exorcise the vestiges of the last job before starting the next one. In short, Jobbymoon does its best to blend job and honeymoon.

Typically, bleisure combines business with leisure, where you are on a business vacation and still in touch with work calls, responsibility and stress.

However, jobbymoon is the duration where you won't have the shackles of a past job or any accountability for the future one. It thus allows you to spend

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your vacation minus any worry.

Why you must go for it?

Travelling and exploring places have always helped in discovering people’s intent. In every aspect, every person should go for a Jobbymoon and select a place as per their taste. Many prefer to take this journey to a beach or go trekking, some prefer a backpacking journey to learn and explore more about the place and themselves. Such vacations will be a lifetime experience as they will bestow you with assertive-

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FEATURE

ness, self-exploration, which helps in relaxing your mind and provides a different perspective towards things to come.

There are many reasons why you must take up this kind of vacation before joining a new job. First of the most important reasons is to get a chance to reassess. The time out lets you think over your past achievements or mistakes and reassess what you need to do and prioritize things for future job roles.

The next reason can be to tick off the bucket list, places where you couldn’t go because of work responsibilities or hectic schedules. You can choose any of the activity or destination which you want to visit since long like going for scuba diving or hiking in the Himalayas, typically in the no network zone.

from Singapore to visit his parents who resided near Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The purpose of his visit primarily was to spend time with his family and second, to take a break before taking up a new job. He had planned a 3D and 4N stay package at our hotel.

During the stay, he also visited Ujjain and Omkareshwara taking our customized pilgrimage package.”

In the same context, Rahul Bansode, Director of Sales and Marketing at Four Points by Sheraton said, “It is indeed a great concept. Jobbymoon will be a great time to spend with your friends and families without any job pressure or deadline staring at you. It’s a great opportunity to unwind from the day to day hectic work schedule. There might be a possibility or a scope to promote Jobbymoon as a business proposition where a package can be curated for

What does the industry say about it?

Well, the hospitality industry has taken this budding concept very positively and has already started offering special attention towards the needs of travelers of this vertical. The eminent hotel chain, Taj has specifically offered its unique ‘Jobbymoon’ locations as places to disconnect, de-stress, detox, escape and re-energise before the next work phase begins. The Taj group has disconnection factor at the Andaman Islands, de-stress regime at the Maldives, exotic escape at the best hotel in the world- Umaid Bhawan Palace and rebooting wildlife Taj Safaris in Madhya Pradesh, on offer.

While talking about the same, Sriram Ramaswamy, Director of Sales and Marketing, Indore Marriott Hotel, said, “We had a guest who flew in

the nearby corporate for their new joinees which includes room stay, guided city tour, assistance on real estate and medical, shopping options to ensure a smooth transition.”

In short, the industry is gearing up with the concept and providing custom-made Jobbymoon packages to certain customers. However, they say that a jobbymoon package may vary depending on the traveller's preference. Some people enjoy adventure sports, others prefer a quiet getaway on the beach and some prefer an escape to a city bustling with nightlife.

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NEWS

Emirates revamps its premium offering in First and Business Class The airline partners with BYREDO skincare, Bowers & Wilkins and Bulgari for latest amenities.

Emirates has refreshed its premium offering with new luxury products in First and Business Class for a more comfortable travel experience. The new products stem from collaborations with BYREDO skincare, Bowers & Wilkins and Emirates’ longstanding partnership with Bulgari for its reby TNH DESK freshed amenity kits.

ADTOI elects new national office bearers Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) recently elected its new national team for a twoyear term 2018-20. PP Khanna has been reelected as the new president of the association whereas Rajesh Arya has been elected its Vice President. Chetan Gupta is the new General Secretary of ADTOI, while Dalip Gupta has been elected the treasurer. Anil Kr. Rajput has been elected as the new Joint Secretary.

ADTOI also elected the members of its National Executive Committee. The new executive committee members are Siddharth Jain, Manoj Varshney, Rajesh Sobti, Neetish Gupta, Vishal Bhatia, Ved Khanna, Ekta Watts and Ashish Chander Sehgal.

by TNH DESK

Palladium Hotel Group launches two new luxury properties The two new hotels will offer a culinary world tour at the group’s 14 new restaurants.

Costa Mujeres – the stretch of coastline in the northeast of the Yucatan Peninsula- is set to be Mexico’s newest gourmet destination with the opening of the 673 room Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Re-

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sort & Spa and TRS Coral Hotel, a 473 room adults-only property, in autumn 2018. The newest development by Palladium Hotel Group will offer flavours and styles from around the world at the 14 restaurants that will open across its two new five-star hotels in the Mexican resort. Taking diners on a gastro

journey, from Spain to Thailand and Italy to India, not forgetting local and regional Mexican cuisine, Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort and Spa and TRS Coral Hotel will feature a carefully curated selection of restaurants set around ‘The Village’ that links the two hoby TNH DESK tels along with shops.

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NEWS

5TH EDITION OF MPTM TO BE HELD FROM 5TH TO 7TH OCTOBER International participation from USA, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Norway, Thailand, Australia, Netherlands, Singapore, Canada, Bulgaria, Finland, South Africa, Mexico, Fiji, Italy, Russia, Argentina, Belgium Slovakia, Mexico, Malaysia Cambodia and Ukraine.

The 5th edition of Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart will be held at Bhopal from October 5 to 7 this year. Over 200 national and international buyers

Gwalior Fort

Sanchi

and about 100 representatives of distinct Indian markets are expected to participate in it.

The event will be inaugurated by the dignitaries from the state.

The Primary objective of this mart is to market and promote

Insurance helps when you need it the most Business trips abroad are always exciting, especially if they are at a dream destination.

But, there are times when such dreams turn nightmares. Rajesh Chikkon, a seasoned travel industry executive opted for an adventure sports add-on with TrawellTag CoverMore, based on the itinerary of the trip.

During the last leg of his business trip to Australia, Chikkon met with an accident on a Segway ride. He had broken his femur and with the assistance of TrawellTag CoverMore, he was airlifted to a hospital for treatment with appropriate care and cashless

by TNH DESK treatment.

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Madhya Pradesh as a destination throughout the year. The concept is a B2B platform which will bring tourism stakeholders on a platform where they would interact to explore opportunities of mutual trade. The event is being supported by eminent institutions of tourism and hospitality industry including IATO, ATOAI, ADTOI, TAAI, ITTA, PATA, ICPB, TOFT, IHHA and TAFI.

by TNH DESK

Travel through time and enjoy the great outdoors in the Deserts of Mleiha Heart-pumping dune bashing, exploring past civilizations, and stargazing in the middle of the desert: Mleiha has put together an all-encompassing itinerary through its Archaeological and Eco-tourism Project. Mleiha, in the Emirate of Sharjah, is striking the right chord with history buffs and the traveller who

by TNH DESK loves the great outdoors.

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Live the life of your choice 2 & 3 BHK COTTAGES

The Cottages are exposed wilderness

One of the best location in Bhowali, Nainital - Uttrakhand

www.skewresidences.com Call us on:

+91-11-41737373

sales@skewresidences.com +91-9354152360, +91-9354483234

Booking Office Address: C-4, Commercial Complex, Second Floor, Safdarjung Development Area, Delhi-110016

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FEATURE Athens

Explore gems of Greece with a difference

Greece’s picturesque islands, sparkling beaches, fascinating history and natural beauty make it a perfect destination for globetrotters to get cherishing memories. This feature will put light on how you can explore gems of Greece with a difference.

The Church of Panagia Evangelistria

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Mykonos

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FEATURE

rary Athens is a bustling city with a strong tourism and trade industry, with beautiful architectural and oceanic vistas for the eyes to feast on. Acropolis of Athens, Parthenon, Olympieion and Plaka are some of the scenic places you must visit here. You can relish on delicious meals sitting at roof restaurants with magnificent views of ancient Greek ruins. As far as the shopping is concerned, you can spoil yourself

Where to stay?

Food in Tinos

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fficially known as the Hellenic Republic, Greece is a charming gem in the southeastern European region. Its strategic location offers a balmy Mediterranean climate which makes it one of Europe's prime tourist destinations. Selecting destinations to visit here can be overwhelming with so many options.

Therefore, here’s how you should plan a vacation to these scenic Greek isles.

Both Mykonos and Santorini boast of variety of staying options for all kind of travellers.

However, some of the top luxury hotels from international brands such as Starwood (the Santa Marina on Mykonos and Mystique on Santorini), Grace (Grace Mykonos, Grace Santorini) and Relais & Chateaux (Myconian Ambassador Thalasso Spa, and Kirini Suites and Spa, Santorini), as well as local legends such as Perivolas on Santorini and The Belvedere on Mykonos are some of the best options for luxury travellers.

Wine tasting in Santorini

with the choice of items/artifacts at the art galleries, luxury labels such as Gucci, Hogan, Armani, Chanel etc., and chic boutiques located in the city.

Explore gems of Greece with a difference Whether you just want to lay back and relax at sparkling beaches or wish to party hard, you will get all kind of indulgence in Greece. Most of the travellers visiting Greece wish to explore its popular locations such as Mykonos and Santorini. But, while heading to Mykonos, you get to disembark at a small yet beautiful sleeper hit island i.e. Tinos.

Visiting Athens Among many stunning islands, Athens is the capital and the largest city of Greece. The city is one of the oldest surviving cities in the world with its history dating back to the Neolithic Age. The city holds a huge significance not only because of its history but also because of it being a major stopover while traveling in Greece. The contempo-

Santorini

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FEATURE

Reaching Tinos Only around two and a half hour ferry ride from Athens, Tinos in Greece is a wonderful island for relaxing family holidays. While, itÊs 34 km away i.e. just 40 minutes ferry ride away from Mykonos.

Acropolis of Athens

Tinos Located in the Aegean Sea, Tinos is one of the most underrated Greek islands which tends to make a special place in your heart. It is widely known for its sacred Greek Orthodox pilgrimage site: the Church of Panagia Evangelistria. Due to its immense religious significance amongst Greeks, it’s also referred to as the island of miracles. Its natural beauty dotted with over 40 marble-ornamented villages found in hidden bays, misty mountains and hillsides. Besides its religious side, the food, made from local produce (cheeses, sausage, tomatoes and wild artichokes), is some of the best you’ll find in Greece.

Mykonos Mykonos is one of the most famous Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. Nicknamed as the 'Island of the Winds', it offers incomparable natural beauty, glamorous lifestyle, amazing food options and effervescent nightlife. In simple words, Mykonos is Greece's answer to Ibiza. Mykonos offers great seduction for shopaholics where one can check out Mavrogenous street for

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Reaching Mykonos

their choice of art stuff, Greek designers line Matogliani, while Little Venice is great for casual fashion, jewellery and tacky souvenirs. As far as its reputation of being a party capital is concerned, there are plenty of partying options available here right from high end heterosexual party hubs to gay friendly spaces. One of the best and popular places to chill here is a restro-bar named 'Nammos', which is supposed to be one of the best bars in the world.

Santorini Santorini, now officially known as Thira after its classical Greek name of Thera, is also termed as the supermodel of the Greek Islands by various travellers. The distinct sparkling white washed houses constructed on the side of a caldera that fall into the sea. They make a unique statement in itself with spectacularly contrasting view of the area and breathtakingly picturesque. With its reputation for dazzling panoramas, romantic sunsets and volcanic-sand beaches, it is a prime choice for honeymooners.

Along with honeymoon, Santorini offers variety of retreat options such

You can travel to Mykonos by taking car ferry, catamaran, or flight from Athens. It takes around 5 hours through car ferry, and just 3 and half hours through flight to reach Mykonos.

However, the ideal route to go to Mykonos is via Tinos. So, you can take a stopover at Tinos to explore its beauty before heading to the party town of Mykonos.

Reaching Santorini Santorini is just 2 and half hour catamaran ride and around 2 hours flight away from Mykonos. So, after partying hard at this vibrant island, you can head to a enchanting stay in the beautiful Santorini.

as tasting Santorini's lauded wines especially the dessert wine 'Vinsanto', visits to historic sites like Akrotiri, Fira etc., infinity pools, enchanting sunsets and much more.

Santorini is a blend of the Greek, Medieval and Renaissance culture, which is also evidently prevalent throughout the island and in its inhabitants. So, what are you waiting for? Plan a holiday now and explore gems of Greece with a difference.

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NEWS

Dubai Tourism gears up for 2020 Expo Dubai Tourism is working round the clock to make it a prime family destination.

When it comes to the ever-famous tourist hub of Dubai, India forms a significant source market.

As part of its awareness campaign, Dubai Tourism hosted a four-city tourism road show in India sometime from July 30 to August 3, this year. The road show themed “Dubai Leisure Travel 2018” got off to a heady start in Kolkata on July 30, travelled to Pune and Ahmedabad with Mumbai as the last stop.

The road show had the presence of 22 co-participants from Mumbai and nine hospitality groups ranging from Dubai’s five-star, four-star and deluxe haunts.

Khalid Al Awar, Manager, India and Pakistan International Opera-

Khalid Al Awar Manager, India and Pakistan International Operations, Dubai Tourism

tions informed, “The road show marks the biggest delegation from Mumbai. We are looking ahead to generate awareness in the Indian tourism sector. Dubai has something for all age-groups. Be it families, kids, honeymoon couples and MICE travellers, we have luxury and customised offerings.

There are a wide range of exciting theme parks and shopping experiences. As part of our Vision 2020, we intend to catapult 20 million global visitors from across the world by 2020. India contributes a share of 13 per cent to the flow of tourists in Dubai. India forms our leading performing market in terms of growth and we intend to go beyond our expectations. Indian outbound travellers visit Dubai any time of the year and don’t wait for any holiday seaby TNH DESK son.”

Calling tourists to the land of Santa Claus-Finland

Bangladesh is luring Indian travellers with its trail of Hindu shrines The neighbouring country of Bangladesh has an ample of tourism options and is a leading source market for inbound tourism in India. A K M Shahjahan Kamal, Minister, Government of Bangladesh commented, “We have the single largest mangrove forests in the worldthe Sundarbans listed in the UNESCO World Heritage site. There are a number of Hindu shrines like the

by TNH DESK revered Dhakeshwari shrine.”

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Finland with its plethora of surprises and unusual trails is likely to blow away Indian travellers.

Europe’s last destination for true wilderness for the Sara Sodhi Juneja adventurous lot is Country Head, Visit Finland none other than Lapland in Finland. With reindeer as its icon, Lapland provides awesome views of Northern Lights for 200 nights every year. There are some out-of-the box offerings in Lapland for travellers including igloo houses, dining in ice restaurants.

by TNH DESK

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'We will become the biggest hotel chain in Nepal'

INTERVIEW

In an exclusive interview, P R Bansal, Chief Operating Officer of Lords Hotels and Resorts talks about the achievements and future plans of his hotel group.

v B ARCHANA SHARMA Y

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P R Bansal Chief Operating Officer, Lords Hotels and Resorts

“Lords focuses to keep up with competitors by being updated, providing best service and improve reviews and ratings on platforms like TripAdvisor.”

“

Lords Hotels & Resorts is one of India’s fastest growing hospitality chains in the mid-market segment. Since its inception in 2007, it has grown to become a chain of 26 hotels and resorts spread across seven states in India. Catering to the business, religious and leisure travellers, Lords Hotels is currently present in Ankleshwar, Ahmedabad, Dahej, Dwarka, Jaipur, Rajula, Somnath, Saputara, Surat, Vadodara, Porbandar, Shirdi, Sasangir, Gandhidham, Jodhpur, Jammu, Bangalore, Thrissur, Bangalore, Kathmandu, Nepalgunj etc.

Talking about this year’s journey so far, P R Bansal, Chief Operating Officer, Lords Hotels and Resorts said, “2018 seems to be better than the last year. I believe people have realised that midmarket segment is here to stay.”

The group has signed eight more properties that are scheduled to be launched next year.

Talking about the new ventures, Bansal said, “We are coming up with a 200 room hotel property in Muduba (Shimoga), Karnataka. It will have an obesity cure center without medicine, where an experience doctor, Dr. Raj Ashok Shetty will be doing the treat-

ment, which will be one of its kind in India.”

In the context of future expansion plans, he said, “Since we lack presence in the Northern region, we are thinking to expand in promising locations like

Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Ludhiana. UP is also a big opportunity for us but awareness has to be created to see multifold growth. We have two operating properties in Nepal and are in talks of opening two more soon, which will make us the biggest hotel chain in the country in near future.”

The chain will be launching five hotels by December this year and are in talks with hoteliers to increase the numbers. Nine deals for such properties have been signed and already are in construction process. The group is also focused on expanding its presence in the tier 2 and tier 3 cities and towns where tourism is relatively unexplored and the hospitality industry undervalued.

The mid-market is very competitive in India. Talking about the same, he added, “Lords focuses to keep up with competitors by being updated, providing best service and improve reviews and ratings on platforms like TripAdvisor.”

A player focused on mid-market, Lords Hotels is available across four brand segments.

Lords Plaza caters to the business segment, while Lords Inn, Lords Eco Inn and Lords Resorts cater largely to the leisure segments.

TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY | SEPTEMBER 2018

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Bite Corner

Culinary splendours OF GUJARAT

Gourmet lovers, who are looking for new eating experiences and want to go on a delectable journey of Gujarati menu along with a slice of Indian menu on a platter at a reasonable price, Cafe Treat at Pride Plaza Hotel Ahmedabad is the ideal option for them.

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hen it comes to satisfying your spicy taste buds with a blend of Gujarati, Punjabi, South Indian and Continental delights, Cafe Treat is the destination to be. I had the pleasure to halt at Pride Plaza Hotel Ahmedabad for a couple of days sometime in June, this year and savour the dishes on offer. It was a culinary experience worth cherishing. The all-day dining outlet has a seating capacity of 90 and serves buffet breakfast and dinner while lunch comprises a la carte menu.

The fine-dining restaurant has a steady stream of visitors and specializes in Continental, Gujarati, Punjabi and South Indian delights.

There are 11 Gujarati recipes in buffet dinner served regularly and the main course has six vegetarian

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items. The outlet caters to your dessert cravings with six variety of desserts including one hot dessert.

According to K Vishal Kumar, Executive Chef, Pride Plaza Hotel Ahmedabad, “Gujarati dishes are more of Farsaan comprising savoury platter and we do serve eight kinds of Farsaan including Dhokla, Khandvi, Idra, Khaman, Theple, Patra, Handvo and Bhakarvadi that are fried fritters.” In other words, Farsaan forms an indispensable part of Gujarati diet.

However, the restaurant begs to differ from other food outlets in the city. Vishal Kumar said, “Our allday dining outlet caters with the most number of Gujarati delights and we serve both global and Indian cuisine offering a slice of India on your platter.”

I began my dinner with Farsaan items like dhokla, khaman, khandvi,

Dhokla

Double ka Meetha

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Bite Corner

Paneer Lababdar

idra, moong dal na gota and palak muthiya. I soon moved on to the main course comprising noodle soup and Vegetarian pulao with Gujarati kadhi, green tinda masala and kela vatana nu saak (a rich, spicy preparation of raw bananas and green peas) that was worth savouring. The best way to round off one’s meal is to pamper your sweet tooth and I had my fair share of desserts including fruit tart, choorma, srikhand, kaala jamun and the heavenly bite of chocolate balls. One gets to have the famed Gujarati sweet delicacies like meethi boondi and mohanthal (gram flour sauted in ghee and sugar syrup is added to it.)

The restaurant rustles up an elaborate buffet breakfast with juice and fruit corners and live counters for dosa, idli and theple. The puffed omelette in the live egg station is another delight. Besides, it has a separate Continental section flaunting an astounding array of bakery stuff. One can also choose from the South Indian tiffin, and there are different sections for breakfast rolls, poorie and parathas. It also has

Verdict

The food and the ambience of Cafe Treat make it an ideal option to have delicious Gujarati delicacies. For those foodies’ intending to go on a Gujarati culinary safari including famous Farsaan on a platter at a reasonable rate, Cafe Treat is the best choice.

dessert section comprising fruitbased yoghurt and Indian sweets.

The outlet has a number of signature dishes that are not-to-bemissed. Vishal Kumar further said, “Gharwaali daal, Surati curry (thin curry of buttermilk and gram flour tempered with clarified butter), kaju vatana nu saak, sev tamatar, murg tikka and paneer lababdar are some of our exclusive offerings. Meethi

Rating Food Service Ambience

Moong Daal ka Muthiya

boondi and fruit basundi or rabdi are some of our most sought-after sweet dishes. MICE and leisure travellers, social groups and clubgoers form a large part of our visitors. Pharma groups are our major stakeholders. We do have buffet lunch depending upon the occupancy at our food outlet.”

For those preferring a la carte menu, there are must-haves like Gujarati pulao, aloo rasila, double crunch chocolate pastry and mango ice cream.

Address: Pride Plaza Hotel Ahmedabad, Judges Bungalow Road, S G Road, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad- 380054.

Phone: (079) 30115555 Food for two: Rs 2,200/- approx inclusive of taxes.

3.5/5 4/5

3.5/5

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Seoul International Travel Mart September 10-14, 2018 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Seoul has hosted the Seoul International Travel Mart (SITM) since 2015 in order to provide business opportunities to international professionals with domestic organizations and also to inform you of the recent tourism trends of Seoul and Korea. The event provides a chance to network with more than 800 Korean tourism industries, all while achieving the great result of 6,000 consultations.

It befits trade fair’s reputation as one of the most representative tourism events in Korea. SITM features useful programs, various exhibitions and a Korean culture experience FAM Tour.

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PATA Travel Mart September 12-14, 2018 Location: Langkawi, Malaysia

PATA Travel Mart is Asia-Pacific’s premier travel trade show featuring unparalleled networking and contracting opportunities to help travel and tourism organisations access decision makers, meet new clients, expand their networks, establish new relationships and consolidate existing business partnerships. PATA Travel Mart (PTM) 2018 will take place at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC). In respect to exhibitors and visitors the tradeshow PATA Travel Mart focuses on tourism.

The trade show organizer of PATA Travel Mart responsible for the organisation and management is PATA.

TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY | SEPTEMBER 2018

IT&CM Asia September 18-20, 2018 Location: Bangkok, Thailand

Established in 1993, IT&CMA is at the forefront of fostering MICE growth opportunities for the AsiaPacific and beyond.

Its multi-faceted programme engages regional and international industry suppliers and buyers in the realms of business, education and networking.

IT&CMA also features dedicated platforms designed around the interests of valuable MICE niche segments, enabling the event to consistently deliver a delegate profile that is both relevant and dynamic. IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific is organised by TTG Events, a business group of TTG Asia Media.

KTM Kerala Travel Mart September 27-30, 2018 Location: Kochi, Kerala

KTM Kerala Travel Mart is a trade fair for the promotion of tourism in Kerala and will be held in Kochi. Exhibitors are owners and operators of hotels, resorts, houseboats, Ayurveda centers, specialty hospitals, as well as host families and tour operators. Visitors also come from the region, India and around the world.

This exhibition is communication and information platform in the industry and offers the exhibiting companies the opportunity to present themselves to a professional audience.

The KTM Kerala Travel Mart will take place from 27-30 September 2018 in Kochi.

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DIPLOMAT’S CORNER

'India will soon become a key source market for Tourism in Serbia' Serbia sees huge potential in tourism markets like India and China. H.E. Mr. Vladimir Maric, Ambassador of Serbia to India said that Serbia will appoint tourism representative office in India in 2019.

H.E. Vladimir Maric Ambassador of Serbia to India

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DIPLOMAT’S CORNER v B PREM KUMAR Y

India-Serbia ties Serbia and India have had longstanding relations. Our ties go back to the days of the commencement of Non-Alignment Movement (NAM). In early 1990s we had our own share of troubles arising out of the disintegration of Yugoslavia. As result, our relations with India suffered.

Political relations have been good, but not enough was happening in other areas. But now we are taking steps to deepen our cooperation in various areas of mutual interest. Now we can see some concrete progress happening in certain areas including tourism. Increasing number of India businessmen are making investment in Serbia. Last year we abolished visa requirement for Indians visiting Serbia. This proves our commitment to strengthening ties with India. We are probably

the only country in Europe to abolish visa requirement for Indians.

“

Tourism Potential We are a small country in size and population. Belgrade is the capital and the largest city in Serbia. We have plenty of beautiful

Today majority of our visitors come from Europe , but now we have started focusing on the Asian markets like China and India. I am sure that India will soon emerge as a key source market for us.

“

A

small country with rich history and vast natural beauty, Serbia is increasing its promotional activities in India. In an interaction with the media in New Delhi, Mr. Vladimir Maric recently spoke about the tourism potential of Serbia and steps to promote the destination in India.

natural sights across the country that are our USP. Serbia is also popular for its nightlife. Our capital is a top nightlife destination in Europe. The city has umpteen number of nightclubs and restaurants that offer services at prices lower than many other destinations in Europe. The capital hosts many exhibitions, theaters, music shows and art galleries. Serbia also offers great shopping options. We also have excellent spa facilities. Serbia is also endowed with exotic countryside. In Serbia, travelers can enjoy wildlife, adventure activities such as hiking , river -rafting, etc. We have pleasant weather throughout the

year. I think Indians should visit Serbia to get new experience and to do something different in a very friendly environment.

Promoting Serbia in India We need to keep generating awareness in the Indian market about our tourism potential. Next year we will appoint a representative office in India to help us promote our destination in India. As almost every country is luring Indian travelers, there is a lot of competition in the India market. I know that the Indian travelers are very price-sensitive, therefore, Serbia can be a preferred choice for them, as we are reasonablypriced destination.

Focus on Asian markets Tourism is an important sector for our economy. Its contribution to our economy has been growing significantly in the last couple of years. Traditionally we have been focusing on our neighboring countries and western Europe.

Today majority of our visitors come from Europe, but now we have started focusing on the Asian markets like China and India. I am sure that India will soon emerge as a key source market for us.

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Odisha’s Tourism Industry seeks solutions of unresolved issues

NEWS

Hotels & Restaurants Association of Odisha organized 3rd Odisha Tourism Conclave in Bhubaneswar to discuss issues being faced by the state’s tourism industry.

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Addressing 3rd Odisha Tourism Conclave in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, J K Mohanty, Chairman, Hotels & Restaurants Association of Odisha (HRAO), said that while the Government of Odisha has incorporated many of HRAO’s previous recommendations in the state new Tourism Policy 2016, some of the key issues are yet to be resolved. Such unresolved issues include changes in the guidelines for approval of the hotels under Puri Konark Development Authority (PKDA) and the Amnesty Scheme, making fire safety rules implementable through alternate modern technologies, cleanliness of the beaches at Gopalpur, Puri and Chandipur, cleanliness around the temples and other cultural heritage sites, providing adequate hygienic toilet facilities near the cultural sites and amendments in the guidelines of the tourism policy.

Lamenting the withdrawal of Air India’s flights between Bhubaneswar and Bangkok, Mohanty said that withdrawal of Air India flights from Bhubaneswar to Bangkok has badly affected tourism in Odisha. He sought the reintroduction of Air India flights on this route. Underlining the need for an aggressive marketing to increase the inflow of foreign

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tourists to the state, Mohanty said that it is high time for Odisha to get its due prominence in the tourism map of India, adding, “With an aggressive marketing and promotional activities the inflow of foreign tourists to Odisha can definitely take a leap forward.”

Addressing 3rd Odisha Tourism Conclave, Governor of Odisha, Prof. Ganeshi Lalji, said that tourism is a bridge between the earth, nature and society. He emphasized the need of having strong ties between the government of Odisha and the HRAO to promote tourism in the state.

Besides the Governor and the President of HRAO, Ashok Panda, the state's Tourism Minister, Odisha Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, Member of Parliament from the

State, Asit Ku. Tripathy, Additional Chief Secretary of Home Department, Government of Odisha, Vishal Dev, Commissioner-cumSecretary (Tourism & Sports), Dr Nitin B Jawale, Tourism Director, Odisha and many experts of the hotel industry participated in the conclave.

Panel discussions were held on different key issues in the day-long conclave. The issues debated included branding and positioning Odisha as a premier tourist destination, developing the tourism Ecosystem of Odisha, ease of doing hospitality business and connecting eastern India with Odisha.

Addressing the valedictory session, Ashok Panda assured all kinds of supports to the tourism industry.

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NEWS

Divine Clarks Inn Suite Kurukshetra opens door Clarks Inn Group of Hotels, one of the fastest growing hotel companies in India, announces the opening of Divine Clarks Inn Suites in the holy city of Kurukshetra renowned for its religious significance in Hinduism as the site of the epic war of Mahabharata and the land where Holy Gita was revealed. With the latest addition Clarks Inn now boasts of a portfolio of four hotels in the state of Haryana located at Gurugram, Ambala, Punchkula and now Kurukshetra. And with this addition Clarks Inn’s national footprint spans a total of 87 hotel properties, including 50 in operation, spread across 19 states in India and one in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Speaking on the same, Rahul Deb Banerjee, Associ-

Rahul Deb Banerjee Associate Vice President – Operations, Clarks Inn Group of Hotels

ate Vice President – Operations, Clarks Inn Group of Hotels, said, “The latest addition underlines Clarks Inn’s growing commitment to the growth and development of new and upcoming destinations and firmly establish them on the hospitality map of India and

by TNH DESK overseas.”

IndiGo announces Kuwait and Abu Dhabi as new destinations Adds 24 new flights to its network IndiGo, India’s favourite on-time performer is further enhancing its customer experience with the launch of Kuwait and Abu Dhabias its new destinations. As part of the international expansion, Kuwait will be the 57thand Abu Dhabi will be the 58th destinationon its network.Both new services will commence from October 2018.

To provide more enhanced connectivity across India, IndiGo has added 24 new flights to its network. IndiGo will become the first domestic airline to introduce services connecting Port Blair with Hyderabad and Vadodara.These flights will commence from September 2018.

by TNH DESK

MakeMyTrip inks pact with Indonesian tourism ministry The Ministry of Tourism of Republic of Indonesia (MoTRI) signed a strategic agreement with MakeMyTrip to promote Indonesian Tourism in India.

Under this strategic partnership, MakeMyTrip and MoTRI will actively run campaigns across MakeMyTrip platforms to endorse

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tourism to Bali, Jakarta & other regions in Indonesia. With an aim to promote Indonesia as a preferred destination for families, couples and working professionals, MakeMyTrip will launch a 360-degree online campaign on its platforms, external websites and social media to promote tourism to Indonesia.

Through this association MakeMyTrip will aim to tap additional footfall of Indian tourists in Indonesia, this year. India continues to be one of the important source markets for Indonesia and over the last few years, travel to Indonesia has seen a significant rise in the numby TNH DESK ber of Indian travelers.

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AROUND THE WORLD

Popular festivals around

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta October 6-14, 2018 Location: New Mexico, US

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a yearly festival of hot air balloons that takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA during early October. It is a nine-day event, and feature 500 balloons each year.

The event is the largest hot air balloon festival in the world. The Balloon Fiesta began in 1972 as the highlight of a 50th birthday celebration for 770 KOB Radio. For nine days during the first full week of October, hundreds of colorful balloons float above the city each morning as dawn breaks over the Sandia Mountains. It's no wonder this visual feast is said to be the world's most photographed event.

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PHUKET VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL October 9-17, 2018 Location: Phuket, Thailand

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a colourful event celebrates the Chinese community's belief that abstinence from meat and various stimulants during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar will help them obtain good health and peace of mind. They decided to adhere to a strict vegetarian diet and pray to the Nine Emperor Gods to ensure purification of the mind and body. Subsequently, the festival has grown and developed into a spectacular yearly event that is attended by thousands with participants flying in from China and other Asian destinations. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a nine day commitment to abstinence and purity.

SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2018 October 10-14, 2018 Location: San Diego, California

As a movie buff, you crave something original – something made with undeniable passion. That is why you should mix up your usual routine at the local movie theater and visit the San Diego International Film Festival (SDiFF). From extraordinary independent film screenings to world premieres and glamorous parties, SDiFF offers a unique film-going experience that will make you fall in love with movies again.

The Festival also hosts awards banquets, panel discussions, retrospectives and parties during the festival.

t

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AROUND THE WORLD

the world in October New York City Wine & Food Festival October 11-14, 2018 Location: New York, US

New Orleans Film Festival 2018 October 17-25, 2018 Location: New Orleans, Los Angeles

NYCWFF was born back in 2007 as a one-night event called SWEET. The following year, the festival’s founder and director, Lee Brian Schrager, decided to take the event to the next level, launching what is now the ‘New York City Wine and Food Festival’. NYCWFF is considered the largest food and wine festival in NYC! With more than 100 events, we are widely recognized for tastings in celebration of America’s favorite foods, intimate dinners with world-renowned chefs, late night parties, hands-on classes, educational seminars, coveted wine tastings and more.

AMSTERDAM DANCE EVENT October 17 - 21, 2018 Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) is the leading electronic music platform and the biggest club festival in the world for the whole spectrum of electronic subgenres. Amsterdam Dance event is a five-day industry and entertainment extravaganza scattered across 115 reputable venues throughout the iconic Netherlands' capital city.

The New Orleans Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the nonprofit organization New Orleans Film Society, a film society founded in 1989. The festival has been held since the society's inception. The festival takes place in midOctober. The festival, nicknamed "Cannes on the Mississippi", features national and international feature films and short films.

TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY | SEPTEMBER 2018

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EVENT WATCH

S KAL D ELHI M EET Skal Delhi organised an evening meet for its members on 14th August 2018 at iconic hotel ITC Maurya, New Delhi, where Ajeet Bajaj and his daughter Deeya Bajaj were facilitated for becoming India's first-ever father-daughter duo to climb the peak of the Mount Everest, in May this year. Union Tourism Secretary Rashmi Verma was the chief guest on the occasion. The evening started with the 63rd AGM of Skal Delhi and concluded with a delectable dinner hosted

by ITC Maurya. Overall it was a grand evening in a fabulous ambience.

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NEWS

I NDIA-I NDONESIA H ERITAGE C OLLABORATION The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in New Delhi recently organized an event for the signing of collaboration agreement of World Twin Heritage between Candi Prambanan, Indonesia and Taj Mahal, India. The agreement was signed by the officials of PT Taman Wisata Candi (TWC), the entity responsible for the care of Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko world heritage sites, and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the presence of the Indonesian Ambassador to India H.E. Mr Sidharto R. Suryodipuro.

Indonesia aims 700,000 Indian arrivals in 2018 The number of Indian visitors to Indonesia is increasing year-onyear. More than 340,000 Indians visited Indonesia in 2018 from January to July 2018. The country aims 700,000 Indian visitors in 2018.

The Ministry of Tourism of Republic of Indonesia (MoTRI) is actively promoting Indonesia in the Indian tourism market. Tourism Indonesia's sales mission was recently in India and conducted roadshow in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, with an aim to increase more transaction of tour packages between

the Indonesian and Indian tourism Industry through B2B meetings.

The Indian outbound travel market for Indonesia has been exponentially growing in the last couple of years.

The number of Indian visits to Indonesia are increasing rapidly. From January to July 2018, there were more than 340,000 Indian visitors to Indonesia. Tourism Indonesia sees huge growth potential in the Indian market. “We are not satisfied by merely good organic growth, we need to challenge ourself and raise the bar,” said Nia Niscaya, Deputy Minister of Tourism Marketing, the

Republic of Indonesia. “For 2018, the Minister has set 700,000 visits as the target for the Indian market and that’s a huge 40% increase in our target as compared to 2017,” added Ms. Niscaya.

Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism is taking additional steps to ensure the target can be achieved by the end of 2018. The MoTRI has planned joint promotion with big names in the Indian tourism industry. The Ministry recently signed a strategic agreement with MakeMyTrip, India’s leading online travel company to promote Indonesian Tourism in India.

TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY | SEPTEMBER 2018

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MOVING ON

Vipula Gunatilleka Group Chief Operating & Finance Officer, SriLankan Airlines Vipula Gunatilleka has been appointed as the Group Chief Operating and Finance Officer of SriLankan Airlines effective from August 1, 2018. Gunatilleka in his capacity as the GCO & FO will report to the Chairman and the Board of Directors and will be responsible for the overall management of the airline. Prior to joining SriLankan, Gunatilleka has been a board member and the CFO of TAAG Angola Airlines. He was initially nominated to the board of directors of TAAG by Emirates Airline when Emirates took over the management of TAAG. He was reappointed to the board by the Government of Angola when the partnership with Emirates ended in July 2017.

Jean-Noel Rault General Manager - Indian Subcontinent, Air France-KLM Air France-KLM has appointed Jean-Noel Rault as the new General Manager – Indian Sub-Continent. Taking office on August 1, 2018, Jean-Noel will be responsible for accelerating the growth and strengthening the presence of Air France-KLM in the Indian Sub- Continent. He will also drive the consolidation and extension of the company’s partnerships in the same geography. Prior to being appointed the GM – Indian Sub-Continent, Jean-Noel was heading Air France-KLM’s business in Canada as the Vice President and General Manager. A Masters of Science in International Business, Jean-Noel holds Executive Education certificates from HEC Paris and Mc Gill Montreal.

Christine Sandner Director of Sales & Marketing, The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali and The Bali International Convention Centre (BICC) has appointed Christine Sandner as Director of Sales & Marketing. She has come to the resort fresh from her stint as Associate Partner/Director Sales & Marketing, Hotels with Mark Norris Partnership International based in Dubai, and before that she was heading up the Sales and Marketing for Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts. With a hospitality career spanning over two decades, Christine brings a wealth of invaluable experience to her new role at The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali. Having worked in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, for luxury hotel brands, she has a sound understanding of the industry in its entire entirety.

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MOVING ON

Rahul Malik General Manager - Operations, Clarks Inn Rahul Malik has been appointed as the General Manager - Operations at Clarks Inn Group of Hotels at the Corporate Office. A hospitality professional and a visionary with expertise in business, strategic maximization of revenues and overall profitability with the utilization of available resources, Malik’s experience spanning over 18 years, encompasses Sales & Marketing, Rooms Division, Guest Relationship Management and Pre-Opening assignments. He has worked as Head Sales & Marketing at Golden Tulip Hotels as well as other prominent brand like Pride Hotels, ITC Fortune Hotel, Radisson Hotel Group with Park Plaza, Park Inn and Country Inn & Suites Gurugram.

Amitabh Rai General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore has appointed Amitabh Rai as its new General Manager. Rai will be leading an engaged team of refined ladies and gentlemen in further strengthening the positioning of the brand’s first and only hotel in India. He is a graduate from St Joseph’s College for Arts & Sciences, Bangalore University and also holds a Diploma from Oberoi School of Hotel Management. Rai is passionate about travelling and discovering unfamiliar places and is an avid golfer. With over 25 years of experience in business and hospitality, Amitabh is a seasoned professional, having worked in multiple hotel properties in India.

Kajal Chandan Corporate Marketing Manager, Lords Hotels and Resorts Kajal Chandan has been appointed as the Corporate Marketing Manager at the Lords Hotels and Resorts. She has done her Graduation from Mumbai University.

She spent her initial days with Makhija Advertising as an executive. She is experienced across various hospitality brands such as Ginger hotels and Pride group of hotels. Her previous experience was with Pride Group of Hotels in the capacity of Assistant Manager – Marketing & Communication. Her basic specialty lies in Marketing, Promotions, tie-ups and Corporate Communications for the brand. We a vast experience in her field she will be an asset to the organization.

TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY | SEPTEMBER 2018

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TECH CORNER

Cheval Residences overhauls online presence with new website and app

Alipay rolls out tax refund service to South Korea travellers

Cheval Residences has announced the launch of its new website with the integration of an artificial intelligence powered booking engine, Allora.

Cheval has also become the first serviced apartment brand to adopt the new multiple property functionality built by Criton, the UK’s first app

by TNH DESK builder for the hospitality industry.

Alipay Group has announced that it has partnered with Global Tax Free, a tax refund agency, to launch the world’s first paperless mobile tax refund function in South Korea.

Alipay has consistently been at the forefront of innovation that supports mobile tax refund solutions

by TNH DESK globally.

Airbnb partners with Wego in Middle East Airbnb has signed a partnership with Wego to include properties listed on Airbnb in Wego search results. With the addition of listings on Airbnb, travellers using the Wego metasearch apps and websites will have easier access to a wide range of local homes and other unique types of accommodation in destinations worldwide.

MELIÁ PARTNERS WITH ORACLE FOR NEW RESORT WRISTBANDS

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Travelport partners with FCM Travel Solutions in Africa Travelport and FCM Travel Solutions have announced an expanded long-term technology partnership. Under the new agreement, FCM will extend its relationship with Travelport to include the provision of the company’s Universal API technology.

Mohammed Wanyoike Owner, chief executive at FCM Travel Solutions, Kenya, and Guido Verweij, regional managing director, Africa, at Travelport signed the partnership earlier. FCM Travel Solutions is one of the world’s leading corporate travel

by TNH DESK management providers.

Meliá Hotels and Oracle have developed a new bracelet, designed to serve guests as a room key and wallet during their stay. The bracelet uses Bluetooth and short-range connection capabilities to allow guests to unlock the door.

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DL (ND)-11/6167/2017-18-19 | DATE OF POSTING: 5-6 OF MONTH | RNI NO.: DELENG/2010/33723 | DATE OF PUBLISHING: 4 th OF THE MONTH