TravelScapes MiceInsiders June 2018

JUNE 2018, PAGES 36

VOL. 1, ISSUE. 5

WHAT IS CAUSING A VACANT LOBBY?

UNLIMITED UGANDA

PLAN BEYOND MEETINGS

Publisher’s Note PUBLISHER & CEO Varun Malhotra varun@versatilemedia.in DIRECTOR Pranav Khullar pranav@versatilemedia.in VICE PRESIDENT Shelly Chadha DIRECTOR- PR (MIDDLE EAST & SOUTH EAST ASIA) Sanjiv Chopra ASSOCIATE EDITOR Gagneet Kaur ASST. EDITOR Sayanti Halder AGM SALES & MARKETING (MUMBAI) Aarti Rajkhewa SR. MARKETING MANAGER Nidhi Hinduja CONSULTANT Anindya Malhotra, Jitin Mann ART DIRECTOR Rakesh Kumar ACCOUNTS Chandan Kumar Jha, Swati Jauhari ADMIN HEAD R Prem Lata ASST. MANAGER ADMIN. Dilip Kaur EXECUTIVE-CIRCULATION Hari Puri, Sameer Singh

Dear Readers, Now-a-days, MICE tourism is one of the chief revenue providers to the tourism industry, all around the globe, attracting more business with time.

In order to be a hot spot for MICE, a destination needs to be developed, be it infrastructural facilities, accessibility, accommodation or technological advancements; venues need to be of international standard and quality. The art of organising meetings is fast evolving to meet with the dynamic changes of the business landscape today. Thus, adapting to the changing needs of the MICE industry has become a must for hotels. To attract clients, MICE hotels are coming up with innovative and exciting offerings in terms of approach, design, stay, engagement and more.

For our “Cover Story”, we have spoken to some of the leading MICE/ Business hotels leaders from around India to find out more about the changing face of the MICE industry and how the hotels are facing a hindrance in making India a better “MICE” destination. In our “Special

Focus” section, we spoke to Hannelli Slabber about raising South Africa as leading incentive destination while we discovered the MICE avenues of Turkey in an exclusive interaction with the current Turkish Culture & Tourism Counsellor in New Delhi.

Also, for our “What’s Trending” section, we highlighted Kolkata, one of the leading Indian metro cities, gradually rising in the MICE tourism map while in “Centre Stage”, we have featured the newly appointed General Manager of ibis New Delhi Aerocity speaking about his hotel and surrounding area’s gradual augmentation.

I thank you all again for your kind support. We value your feedback and suggestions so please do write to us at varun@versatilemedia.in.

Happy Reading!

Varun Malhotra Publisher & CEO

Editorial & Marketing Office: Versatile Media: 207, Satya Mansion, Commercial Complex, Ranjeet Nagar, New Delhi-110008 Contact: 011 - 45530380/83 • varun@versatilemedia.in All information in MiceInsiders is derived from sources we consider reliable. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. Opinions/views expressed by third parties in abstract or interviews are not necessarily shared by us. Material appearing in the magazine cannot be reproduced in whole or in part(s) without prior permission. The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw or otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation. All advertisements must comply with the Indian Advertisement Code. The publisher will not be liable for any loss caused by any delay in publication, error or failure of advertisement to appear.

Owned and published by: Varun Malhotra, Editor & Publisher, EB-63, Maya Enclave, Hari Nagar, New Delhi - 110064 and printed on his behalf at Acme Tradex India Pvt. Ltd. ( Unit : Printing press) B - 70, Sector - 80, Noida - 201305

CONTENT Cover Story

WHAT IS CAUSING A VACANT LOBBY?

Page No. 8

Hotels face a crunch in MICE business Recently, the demand for convention centres has been on the rise in India. And with the arrivals of MICE tourist emerges the concern for sufficient capacity. With better infrastructure and connectivity, the MICE segment in the Indian hospitality sector is growing fast in India, but still has a long way to go

IN CONVERSATION

HOTEL FEATURE

12 TURKEY TO UNLEASH AGGRESSIVE PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGNS FOR INDIA MARKET

28 PARK REGIS KRIS KIN

H. Deniz ERSÖZ, Culture & Tourism Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Turkey Culture and Tourism Office, New Delhi shares the mission and vision towards the India market and highlights the way forward

Park Regis Kris Kin, Dubai is a sheer experience beyond just being a hotel

WHAT’S TRENDING 16 THE CITY OF JOY EYEING FOR MORE JOYOUS BUSINESS Kolkata is all set to become the next much-preferred MICE destination in India by blocking its calendar till 2019

HOMEWARD 18 RAJASTHAN: THE ROYAL RECREATION Enter a time twist as you focus on the lesser-known sights of Rajasthan along the way

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BE CERTAIN TO FIND SOMETHING TO SAVOUR

OVERSEAS 30 UNLIMITED UGANDA PLAN BEYOND MEETINGS We hand-picked some of the exhilarating avenues to explore this “Pearl of Africa”

REGULAR NEWS 6......................................................................................................................... Inbound 14...................................................................................................................Outbound 20...........................................................................................................................Trade 23...................................................................................................................... Aviation 24................................................................................................................ Hospitality 34..........................................................................................................Appointments

News

INBOUND

Indians are taking more spiritual trips: Ixigo Spiritually motivated tourism has emerged as one of the most vital components of India’s tourism industry. The country is experiencing a shift from visiting traditional religious pilgrimage to travelling for finding inner peace. According to a study by ixigo, leading Indian travel marketplace, more and more Indians are travelling to connect with their religious roots. With a rise in spiritual tourism, popular pilgrimages, such as Varanasi and Puri are witnessing more hotel bookings than other cities

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this summer.

The study by ixigo reveals that there has been a month-on-month growth of 60 per cent for Puri, 48 per cent for Varanasi, 34 per cent for Tirupati and 19 per cent growth for Shirdi in the hotel bookings.

Travellers plan a short-stay of an average two days during their visit to religious destinations. Talking about accommodation options, Indians prefer to keep a low hotel stay budget. Around 82 per cent tourists prefer budget hotels in Varanasi, followed

by 78 per cent, 68 per cent and 73 per cent in Shirdi, Tirupati and Puri respectively. Only 32 per cent Indians prefer four and five star hotels while visiting Tirupati followed by 27 per cent for Puri. The study also shows that Lucknow tops the list with about 13 per cent outbound train searches to these religious cities followed by Mumbai with seven per cent and Hyderabad with six per cent. Delhi ranks at number four with five per cent train searches to these religious destinations.

Kerala Tourism rolls out ‘ComeOutAndPlay’ monsoon campaign

Arunachal Pradesh to push tourism ahead

With the monsoon season beginning in Kerala, the state tourism department has rolled out ‘ComeOutAndPlay’ monsoon campaign to promote the nearly twomonth long rainy season.

Participants will need to engage in any outdoor activity like hopping on one leg, slow cycling or crossing a log bridge and post the same on social media with #ComeOutandPlay. Winners will be rewarded fabulous ‘ComeOutAndPlay’

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Pema Khandu termed tourism as the only viable and available sector, followed by agriculture and allied sectors that can help the state develop economically.

Addressing the 12th Arunachal Pradesh Tour Operators’ Association Travel Congress at the Legislative Assembly auditorium recently, Khandu said despite being touted as the power house of the country, development of hydropower has many facets that need to be addressed before harnessed. The CM said awareness on hydro-potential and its long-term benefits are yet to percolate down to people and harnessing this potential to the optimum might take time.

Khandu lauded the association, a conglomerate of local tour operators of the state, for their efforts in boosting tourism.

JUNE 2018

merchandise. Highlighting the campaign, A.P. Bala Kiran, Director of Kerala Tourism, said the state offers the vacationers a chance to rediscover nature,

rekindle relationships and reconnect with life by indulging into various activities such as trekking, Ayurvedic massage, river rafting and numerous more.

A token of appreciation to all our

TRAVEL PARTNERS

for making Akquasun Roadshow 2018 a great success

Cover Story

WHAT IS CAUSING A VACANT LOBBY? Hotels face a crunch in MICE business Recently, the demand for convention centres has been on the rise in India. And with the arrivals of MICE tourist emerges the concern for sufficient capacity. With better infrastructure and connectivity, the MICE segment in the Indian hospitality sector is growing fast in India but still has a long way to go

By Sayanti Halder

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Cover Story

Through India promoting itself as a MICE destination, we have witnessed an influx of investment summits along with national and international conferences. Moreover, the rapid growth in business, social and economic development activity in India is also driving a comparable need for events. Irrespective of such a vast growth of business and popularity, the MICE hotels in India are lagging behind in bringing more to the nation’s piggy bank and the major question that arise is ‘what more is required?’

“The Indian MICE market is in its inflexion point and we are poised for a disproportionate growth. With government’s numerous initiatives and spends on infrastructural development, extra focus on an over-all skill development starting from immigration to car rentals and a higher efficiency of portals and e-payments are required. When guests step out of the five-star walls, they experience a disjointed situation because of an imbalance of skills in the tourism industry. Ports and airports are developing, allowing a seamless connectivity with the overseas. Yet, Indian-based airlines are flying overseas making India a hub of connectivity, points out Varun Chhibber, General Manager, Leela Ambience Convention Hotel.

Taxation and airfare is the biggest challenge, today. Flying within India is more expensive as compared to flying abroad which is changing gradually

Varun Chhibber

Sharad Datta

Ravi Rai

Rishi Neoge

after implementation of GST. “Limited infrastructure in major metros, lack of quality exhibition space, overall price point from a travel perspective including airline fares and ground transportation are causing a major increase in the number of MICE groups flying outside India. To support this demand and to be in contention for large international firms, there

needs to be work done on improving the infrastructure,” shares Sharad Datta, General Manager, The Westin Mumbai Garden City.

Investment from foreign countries and employment consistency bringing in more business to India, growth in coming months. Indian hotels are yet to match with international operating standards, as the industry is still under the spell of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ which acts as a struggle to cope up with modern hospitality practices.

According to Ravi Rai, Former General Manager, Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach “With increased international travel, expectations for convention centres have also changed. Lack of integration of technology into convention centres along with poor structures, few efficient and bankable projects, with the inability to meet deadlines are some of the challenges faced in India.”

Within the industry, there are microindustries that provide a cut-throat competition. The industry fraternity JUNE 2018

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Cover Story

catered as an individual guest of the highest strata.

POISED TO GROW OR OVERFLOW?

needs to have a synergetic approach to tap more and repeated guests in India.

From roads, connecting flights, big luxury coach parking space to ticketing and less number of high-standard hotels, the sheer lack of infrastructure make Indian MICE groups fly abroad for their conventions. “We receive between seven to eight million FTAs, every year. We have a larger ambition of representing India as a safe, hygienic, well-equipped and digitally advanced destination and we all have to join hands to be one unit but there is an immediate need of filling up our stomach and that’s when the shortterm measures appear hindering in the growth,” adds Chhibber. He further clarifies citing an example saying that even a few years back, we were tilted to buy foreign brands when we needed proper Greek yoghurt although India is one of the biggest producers of dairy in the world.

MINDING THE MEASURES Meanwhile, local demand continues to drive growth in this sector with thriving market for domestic MICE events. Indian corporates are constantly looking for newer regions

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Indian hotels are yet to match with international standards, as the industry is still under the spell of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ which acts as a hindrance in the country for their annual events.

In such a growing scenario, some contributing factors which may contribute to the enhancement of the business must be looked upon.

Speaking to some of the leaders, it is apparent that location of any hotel plays a pivotal role in drawing more guests and business. Unlike the leisure segment, seeking for far-away places for recreation, the MICE crowd seeks a more accessible hotel amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. Rishi Neoge, General Manager, Howard Johnson Bengaluru Hebbal adds, “We are located perfectly, nor too far from city centre, neither from the airport, like a gateway to South India. Hence, we become the ultimate choice for any kind of business, be it a group, transient or even leisure.” Speaking in sync, Datta adds, “Well positioned

from both a location (on the Western Express Highway) and a product point of view, The Westin Mumbai Garden City offers a high-quality meetings experience to our customers. In addition, our close proximity to the Bombay Exhibition Centre is advantageous for both organisers and attendees.”

The trending idea of ‘conventions with luxury’ is rising as a necessity, now-a-days. Other than the luxury of hospitality, delegates are seeking the luxury of space in hotels. When it comes to merging the aspects of luxury and convention, the parameter of space is of highest priority. The second parameter of luxury is the infrastructure where facilities need to be in a ready-to-use or ‘plug-andplay’ mode. Thirdly, a major factor is personalised service where guests are not just treated as a room number but

Over the years, there has been a shift in demand from government events to a mix of corporate events.

Furthermore, MICE travellers, these days, are looking for more experiences while travelling within and outside the country. Neoge mentions that the travelling window has come down from over 30 days to a range of seven to 15 days across all segments of travellers, be it leisure, corporate or transient.

“MICE is one of the most innovative and demanding forms of business tourism. We are already seeing cities such as Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, Delhi, Agra, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Goa developed and equipped to supplement MICE travel with tourist experiences. With the growing demand and the logistical expectations to explore new venues and cities, the travellers’ inflow is increasing bit by bit. Air connectivity into Visakhapatnam has always been a major issue for the MICE travellers.

However, given the rising demand in the past few years, the government has introduced more flights, which has improved logistics into the city. At Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach, we receive approximate queries of 40,000 room nights (RNS) per year for all kinds of MICE activities,” shares Rai with sheer optimism.

“MICE tourism in India is expected to be a key focus segment for the industry for the coming years. A major driver stemming from business meetings, domestic and international exhibitions, MICE continues to be a revenue-generating segment in major markets and contributes between 15 to 30 per cent of business mix depending on the size of the hotel and available infrastructure. We receive close to around 100 to 120 number of MICE groups of corporate and exhibitors,” informs Datta. Adding to this, Chibber feels that it is “work in progress and the growth is gradually coming to the travel industry.”

Taiwan Quality Family time Guaranteed!

THINK STRAWBERRIES, Taiwan Tourism Bureau India Office: C-41, Gulmohar Park, New Delhi 110049 Tel: +91 11 2653 1733 l Fax: + 91 11 2653 1735 l Email: noel@ttbrep.in Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Singapore Office: 30 Raffles Place, Cheveron House #10-01, Singapore 048622

In Conversation

Turkey to unleash aggressive promotional campaigns for India market A country with a rich beauty and wealth of sights, bustling cities and lyrical landscapes, Turkey, indeed, is a melting pot of art with an ancient history. Since the time the country’s tourism has taken a positive hit, the MICE segment has climbed the ladder of popularity, with Turkey being ranked among the world’s top 10 meeting and congress destinations. In an exclusive conversation, H. Deniz ERSÖZ, Culture & Tourism Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Turkey Culture and Tourism Office, New Delhi shares his mission and vision towards the India market and highlights the way forward

By Gagneet Kaur How do you think the new-found association between Turkey and India will evolve further, in terms of tourism?

Keeping the political manipulations of the past aside, we, as the culture and tourism office, currently observe and can say that political situation is okay between India and Turkey. As a part of tourism board of Turkey in New Delhi, India, my main goal would be to get more travellers from India to Turkey but meanwhile, also urge Turkish people to visit India. We would like to establish a common relation with India’s Ministry of Tourism and make tourism beneficial for both the countries.

How have the tourism numbers grown over the past few years?

If we look at the Turkish tourism’s official numbers for this year, we can say that the tourism in Turkey has recovered from last year and this year, the numbers have increased and are still in the process of increasing.

We have the statistics of the first three months of 2018. Last year, we observed 20 per cent increase when compared to the Q3 of last year’s. If we look only at the India market, the increase is of around 85 per cent compared to last year’s Q3. 2015 was a peak year for Turkey tourism not only from India but from all over the world. The figures of this year’s first three months are seemingly better than that of 2015 and thus, we are hopeful that this year will be a record and bring in more business to Turkey tourism. We hope to receive around 40 million tourists to Turkey from all over the world

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and from India, we expect around 2,00,000 tourists this year which will be about 30 per cent more than 2015’s influx from the country.

How is Turkey positioning itself as a potential MICE destination?

We, as a tourism board, focus the most towards promoting Turkey as a MICE destination in India.

Istanbul can be counted as one of the best destinations for MICE tourism. Two months ago, we organised a huge tourism fair in Istanbul specifically dedicated to MICE. Followed by this, Antalya can be counted as a second best spot as the city is filled with numerous luxury five-star hotels with huge convention centers in them. Furthermore, Izmir and Muğla can also be exhibited as potential MICE tourism destinations in Turkey.

By 2023, the authority is expecting to host two million Indian tourists. What are the initiatives taken under this campaign?

The most important factor for growing the tourist flow to a country is its air connectivity. Considering that there is only one direct flight from Delhi and another from Mumbai, we have to expand air traffic between the two countries. People like to go to Turkey and thus, a better air connectivity is definitely required, which will also benefit India’s tourism as more travellers from Turkey would also be able to visit India. Also, Indians spend the most when

travelling especially for weddings, which is a big factor in driving tourism numbers from India. With time, we expect to increase the air connectivity between the two countries.

There is a notion about security issues in Turkey. How are you planning to eliminate that from traveller’s mind?

We, as a tourism board, should work more on eliminating any misunderstandings surrounding the security scenario in Turkey. It has been noticed earlier too that any major crisis or attacks occurring in any of the European countries, affect the other big European countries too but if we closely look at the figures that we received this year, be in terms of influx or our expectations, it is apparent that we don’t have much to worry or be concerned about. The figures are growing rapidly with time. Last year, we hosted about 30 million tourists and this year, we aim to receive about 40 million. Provided that situation, we still intend to make campaigns in making the market understand the safety of our country although figures show the reality.

What are your promotional agendas for the year ahead?

This year, we will focus more on the aspects of MICE, wedding and cultural tourism in Turkey. We aim to collaborate with an Indian PR Agency and initiate more aggressive promotional campaigns for the India market.

News

OUTBOUND

Bahrain eyes the India MICE market; organises FAM trips In line with its strategy to promote the kingdom’s touristic offerings, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) hosted a delegation from India Infoline Limited comprising of 260 delegates. The visit, organised by BTEA’s representative office in India, was conducted in collaboration with tour operator Cox & Kings with an aim to promote the kingdom’s MICE sector by attracting foreign investment and highlighting key differentiators. Organising this trip for both delegations comes as part of BTEA’s long-term strategy to further develop the kingdom’s tourism sector on a regional and international level under the slogan of ‘Ours.Yours.’, which contributes towards the kingdom’s economy and the 2030 Economic Vision.

“Hosting the delegation from India comes in line with the BTEA’s strategy to promote the kingdom’s MICE sector by collaborating with its representative offices in order to increase

incoming to Bahrain. This will further contribute to the developing tourism sector to become a sustainable economic resource,” says Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, CEO, BTEA.

Taiwan focuses on ‘Sustainable Tourism’ The Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of Taiwan is promoting the “Tourism 2020 Taiwanese Sustainable Tourism Development Program” and designating main themes for each year from 2017 to 2020. Among them,

the year of 2018 has been designated as the ‘Year of Bay Tourism’. Six cities and counties and 10 islands with island resources have been designated as pilot sites. Among those designated are three islands in Taiwan’s Penghu archipelago: Qimei, Yuweng and Jibe. The goal of the program is to encourage tourists to explore Taiwan’s 10 major islands, develop island eco-tourism and spread appreciation and awareness among locals and tourists about protecting marine ecology.

Going ahead, there will be an increasing emphasis on the sustainable development of tourism resources, that the bay tourism image will grow and that the market will mature.

Korea Tourism Organisation launches India website Korea Tourism Organisation New Delhi Office launched its India website www. visitkorea.in as a part of its marketing plan for the year 2018. The website has been so designed to mainly cater to the travel industry and individuals seeking tourism related information specific to the Indian outbound travelling requirements, including visa information, currently available South Korea packages, incentive program details, Indian food available in South Korea, main destination and attractions for Indians to enjoy. The website was launched to

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provide a quick access of everything an Indian traveller would like to see and do in South Korea. Regular updates on offers and announcements will be followed to keep the visitors updated.

FEEs spike by 10.2 per cent in April 2018 The Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) through tourism in India (in INR) grew by 10.2 per cent at INR 15,713 crore in April 2018 as compared to INR 14,260 crore in April 2017. However, FEEs during the period of January to April 2018 were INR 68,629 crore with a growth of 14.2 per cent as compared to the FEE of INR 60,079 crore in January to April, 2017.

In USD terms, FEEs during the month of April 2018 were USD2.393 billion as compared to FEEs of USD2.211 billion during the month of April 2017. The growth rate in FEEs in USD terms in April 2018 over April 2017 was 8.2 per cent. FEEs during January to April 2018 were USD10.621 billion with a growth of 17.4 per cent as compared to the FEE of USD9.044 billion in January to April 2017 with a growth of 17.5 per cent over January to April 2016.

Special Focus

SAT eyes Indian airlines for direct connectivity South Africa, the first name that strikes our minds when we say ‘The Rainbow Nation’, has increasingly developed as one of the favourite African destinations for all segments of India market. During the recent INDABA 2018, Hannelli Slabber, Regional Manager-Asia, Australia & Middle East, South African Tourism (SAT) explains her plans to increase avenues for MICE business from SA

By Sayanti Halder

How has South African Airways’ cease of operations in India affected SAT’s objectives?

We lost direct airlifts of South African Airways almost three years ago and it is one issue that we examine quite consistently as limiting connectivity has affected our direct hauls, especially our MICE business. Today, we have Emirates that connects with Johannesburg four times a day, Cape Town three times a day and Durban once a day, with a total of 187 flights flying out of India, each day.

For further expansion and more tourist influx into South Africa (SA), bilateral has been signed between both India and SA and slots are available for airlines to increase connectivity between the two countries. Consequently, we are tapping Indian-based airlines and keeping a close eye on who is ordering new aircrafts specifically, wide bodies keeping distance in mind.

How do you plan to increase air connectivity from India?

With time, we are getting flexible in our approach for adding direct connectivity to SA. Instead of all 12 months of the year, we are agreeing if the supporting airline is willing to travel only during its market’s seasons. The prime season for Indian travellers is March to September although that is a lean season in SA. Nevertheless, I believe that this would benefit both the countries in terms of commercials through tourism. With reduction on airport taxes and landing fees, we are providing a commercially beneficial offer to increase air connectivity. For the first time, SAT would be

attending World Routes in September 2018, an international aviation show to pitch for slots and offer ample of support and incentive on the ground with a promise of full capacity.

How do you plan to merge adventure and MICE tourism for a richer experience?

There are over 3,400 different adventure activities in SA. SAT with Southern Africa Tourism Association (SATSA) scrutinises the adventure suppliers to offer a safe and wholesome experience.

From MICE point of view, we are always learning how we can shrink yet expand adventure activities to this segment of travellers. We offer sidecars activity to a group of up to 300 people and shark cage diving to around 150 people, at one time. We plan to blend the very aspects of adventure and MICE tourism for the India market.

In my notice, all our incentive packages in India are executed by its leisure tour operators while the MICE tour operators mostly focus only on conferences and exhibitions. This segmentation has allowed us to connect with both end of travel experts and expand our network to tap more MICE travellers and large incentive groups from India.

The incentive market from India grew up to 79 per cent from last year and this is majorly driven by the leisure operators.

What challenges are you facing in incurring more MICE business?

India is a great market in terms of activities and travellers engage in as many experiences in a day, as possible. The challenge is that we have around

60,000 products to offer to the India market but their length of stays is never aligned with the amount of activities they plan to do in SA. Speaking of MICE, the challenge was how we can go big on both numbers of travellers and activities, at the same time.

Simultaneously, promoting wedding segment is difficult as because SA is a private destination when it comes to weddings. We mainly receive small groups preferring a private wedding affair along with spa, golf and game activities, at times followed by safari weddings. Promoting wedding in SA is challenging as the majority of wedding groups that we receive choose to be personal about their moments, hindering us from promoting them to the world.

How do you plan to engage with the tour operators in India?

Speaking of engaging more MICE tour operators from India, we aim to have a big turnaround in short time. We have a national convention bureau in SAT for tapping and engaging more MICE tour operators. The bureau has launched a new incentive program for them for more learning and engagement. We aim to tap more tour operators and tailor-make their packages specific to their groups’ preference and interest.

The market is dependant on personal reviews instead of tour operators’ selling, thus, SAT aims to introduce newer places and activities to the India market. We aim to involve more operators in our exisiting ‘Learn SA’ initiative. Instead of big number support from India, we seek a longer stays’ support.

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What’s Trending

“THE CITY OF JOY” Eyeing for more joyous business

With the launch of Biswa Bangla Convention Centre (BBCC) on the soil of the heritage city, Kolkata is set to become the next much-preferred MICE destination in India by blocking its calendar till 2019. Reassuring their mighty slogan of ‘Bengal means Business’, Kolkata is boasting an aggressive marketing strategy that the city will follow to tap more corporate travellers

By Sayanti Halder Located in the eastern-most part of the country, Kolkata is the thirdlargest urban agglomeration and the fourth-largest city in India.

With numerous world heritage monuments, sightseeing spots, vast cuisine, immeasurable entertainment and night life plus headquarters of several large Indian corporate houses, Kolkata provides an exciting backdrop to many corporate meetings and conferences especially by adding its matchless and gratifying hospitality that bears the essence of Bengal.

Recently, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamta Banerjee inaugurated the 3, 200-seater BBCC and bookings for the MICE gatherings to this centre have already begun by signing and blocking several domestic and international conferences till 2019.

The Apeejay Group, owners of the Park Hotel Kolkata will manage the convention centre with an aim to render plenty occupancy for more influx.

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According to Banerjee, with the launch one of the largest convention centers in South Asia, BBCC is ready to welcome over 3,000 delegates from the overseas, namely the US, France, Japan, Germany, China, Italy, Russia, UK and Poland, to Kolkata.

Recently, the centre played host to the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) in January, 2018 where France was the partner country, this year.

Consequently, around 10 leading French companies have confirmed their participation at the upcoming international business summits, to be hosted in Kolkata. Investment proposals worth INR 2, 35, 290.03 cr were received in 2017 for the same.

BBCC has a height equivalent to an eight-storied building (95 feet) making it one of the tallest convention centres in this part of the globe. Besides its main convention hall, the centre has six break-away rooms and a 25,000-sq.ft. exhibition hall for gatherings of a bigger size. A

soon-to-be-announced 100-key hotel, managed by Apeejay Group, will be the star highlight of the property, attracting further corporates from all corners of the country, as well as abroad. Further announcements are yet to made.

Based on a recent report, corporates such as the Herbalife, Tata Medical Centre, Apollo and International Trade Facilitation Centre have committed business to the centre in the following months.

It is primarily the industry and Indian corporates that have expressed complete faith in the centre and plans to bring their upcoming conferences to the city rather than organising them in Mumbai, Goa or Delhi, as was the case previously.

Right around the corner of the metropolis, the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) is developing stretched land of New Town also called the ‘Singapore of Kolkata’, as a leading MICE destination

of South Asia. The satellite city of New Town has an area of about 7,000 acres, which is designed for a population of over 10 lakh.

Five minutes from the airport, the township is being connected with metro rail. The authorities have introduced bike taxis, WiFi system on the Biswa Bangla Sarani and have recently introduced GPS enabled smart bicycle riding system to enable smoother experience for the visitors.

There is already a number of IT offices and complexes operating in New Town and many more and coming up along with the financial and the Fintech hub.

Furthermore, NKDA officials said that the 480-acre Eco Park has been established as one of the largest urban park in India, which is expected to lure more of both FTAs as well as corporate travellers to choose their visit as well as extend their stays in the cultural and tourism-affluent ‘City of Joy’.

What’s Trending

Bhagwan Ramnani, Managing Director, Vensimal Leisure Holidays “Kolkata is fast emerging as an all-weather tourist destination welcoming travellers, social and leisure trips, executives for business, conferences and conventions, throughout the year. Kolkata is a gateway to the North-East for business as well as tourism. In the coming years, I see several other reputed hotel chains entering the metro city to raise its bar of reputation and prospects to the business travellers, visiting the city. With a constant and fierce development of infrastructure and increase in global connectivity, increase in convention facilities in fivestar hotels and launch of new convention centers like BBCC, Kolkata is definitely poised to be the next big MICE destination in India. In order for Kolkata to realise its true potential, it needs to create islands of excellence and evolve them from world-class products for world-class experience.”

Mohit Sharad, General Manager- Sales & Marketing (North & East), Fern Hotels and Resorts “Kolkata is surely growing as one of the most attractive MICE destinations.

It has some of the best brands operating under the hospitality segment.

With an overall growth in infrastructure, excellent and continuous connectivity and a constant push by the hospitality industry by opening luxurious business-cum-leisure hotels in the city, Kolkata is surely foreseen as one of the top emerging destination for MICE tourism in India. The destination fulfills all requirements that can attract MICE travellers and is going one step ahead of others by offering its rich hospitality to the travellers’ end.”

Sourav Ghosal, General Manager, The Gateway Hotel, EM Bypass Debjit Datta, Director & CEO, Impression Tourism Services By virtue of geographical location, Kolkata has a better prospect of being a MICE destination and the inventory, with regards to five stars and above hotels in Kolkata are plenty. We can proudly boast about BBCC, the biggest convention centres in India adding Kolkata to the higher rank. Alongside that, is the Westin, which is one of Asia’s finest in terms of convention centres. Strategically located, Kolkata has a geographical advantage which may boost more influx of business travellers plus, it acts as a gateway to the north-east as well as Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

The infrastructure, surrounding the growth of more hotel chains and convention areas, can be expected to take place in the coming few days.

Kolkata will gradually become one of the prime destinations to provide niche tourism products to the MICE segments of travellers.”

“The combination of Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions, in short MICE, is now an integral part of the global hospitality industry. It acquired around USD 752 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at 7.5 per cent in the next five years. Also, the segment accounts for about 20 percent of our hotels revenues and we, at Gateway Hotels, always strive to serve our guests with the best.”

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Homeward

A Royal Recreation

RAJASTHAN Once called Rajputana meaning “the land of the Rajputs”, today’s Rajasthan constantly remains on the top ranks in our lists of “must-experience”. With lavish wedding venues and idyllic convention centres sprawling over the state, create your own triangle anchored by Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur – and enter a time twist as you focus on the lesser-known sights of Rajasthan along the way

By Team MI

Bundi Perfectly located between Jaipur and Udaipur, Bundi is an unspoiled gem with a manmade lake and fairytale Maharajah palace, cascading down the mountainside.

This small city was the capital of a major princely state during the glory days of the Rajputs. Bundi is famous for miniature paintings and the enchantingly decayed Bundi Palace that boasts a remarkably well-preserved collection. The palace building is an excellent example of Rajput architecture with a magnificent Elephant Gate entranceway built in 1607. Tourist friendly and hassle-free, Bundi rightfully holds an alluring reputation for a short excursion away from the prime cities of Rajasthan.

Kumbhalgarh Just over 50 miles north of Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh Fort is considered the most impregnable in Rajasthan with 25 miles of walls, reputedly the second longest continuous wall in the world (after the Great Wall of China). The fort may also have the best location in Rajasthan: the isolated spot is surrounded by nothing other than the grand range of the ancient Aravalli Hills. Kumbhalgarh is a huge complex with around 360 temples, 700 canon bunkers, a palace and a village where people go about their normal business in spite of living in a tourist site. The mighty walls feature seven gates and distinctive, bulbous towers.

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Homeward

TRADE

Bhainsrorgarh A short ride on the west of Baroli, the Bhainsrorgarh Fort offers one of Rajasthan’s most atmospheric accommodations in an authentic fortified outpost perched at the end of a promontory, standing 200 ft. above the crocodile-infested Chambal River. Today, Bhainsrorgarh Fort is a family home turned into a small hotel. A short, steep hike leads to the river’s edge where local boatmen offer rides in rickety wooden boats. The river is nearly 500 yards wide and 40 ft. deep with a surface so placid that it looks like a mirror, which so perfectly reflects the mighty and magnificent fort, above.

Narlai Situated between Udaipur and Jodhpur, Narlai is a small village in Desuri tehsil of Pali district, which lies 36 km to Ranakpur and is at base of a hillock crowned by a colossal statue of an elephant. The temples of Adinath and Lord Shiva are most prominent landmarks of this region.

Narlai is a convenient base for visiting both Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur. If you can afford one hotel splurge, the heritage property of Rawla Narlai should be it. Seated at the foot of a massive 350 ft. high domed rock in the middle of a sweet country village, this luxurious 17thcentury hunting lodge is a little bit of Rajasthani heaven.

The property is decorated in an authentic style with an array of old Maharajah photographs hanging on the walls.

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News

TRADE Avis India launches International Chauffeur Drive service for Indians “Since its inception in 1946, Avis has been committed to one vision: to provide the best, most relevant car rental solutions to customers around the world. The launch of our latest service offering furthers this brand proposition by providing our Indian customers with the international ground transportation solutions most suited to their specific requirements. We are confident that our emphasis on blending global systems with an understanding of local needs will enable us to further consolidate our market leadership position in India,” says Sunil Gupta, Managing Director and CEO, Avis India.

Avis India has announced the launch of its International Chauffeur Drive service in the Indian market. Aimed at business, corporate and leisure travellers, the newly-launched service enables on-demand chauffeur-driven car hire solutions in over 110 countries for its Indian customers. As part of the introductory offer, Avis will also provide a 30 per cent discount on every International Chauffeur Drive booking for the first 30 days. The company will provide chauffeur-driven car rental solutions across multiple categories such as economy, first class, business, economy vans, and luxury vans for airport transfers and point-to-point travel.

Verteil launches platform for live direct connect bookings

TCEB certifies 114 additional MICE venues Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) announced the certification of 114 MICE venues with a combined total of 349 meeting rooms in Bangkok, MICE cities and other high potential cities across the Kingdom of Thailand. The venues were certified in line with the Thailand MICE Venue Standard (TMVS), which MICE operators believe plays a vital role in helping raise

confidence and attracting international MICE organisers to choose Thailand as their business events destination. TCEB has this year built on the success of the nationwide MICE venue standardisation programme by introducing a new TMVS-Special Event Venue Category in response to the growing business demand for new and exciting venues for business events.

Verteil Technologies has facilitated an IATA-accredited travel agency to carry out their first “live direct connect booking” through IATA’s NDC specification on the British Airways flight via Verteil Direct Connect, a newly developed platform. The company also achieves a significant milestone in the Indian travel market by enabling the Lufthansa Group’s NDC content on its VDC platform. This will catapult the adoption of the direct connect channel among their agency partners in India.

The fact that VDC application provides 100 per cent NDC compliant user experience means its customers can now avail Lufthansa’s NDC content in the same way they get content from other airlines.

“After our successful launch of NDC in India with British Airways last year and our recent launch of American Airlines, we are delighted to launch the NDC direct connect channel of the Lufthansa group on our direct connect platform. We are looking forward to working closely with American Airlines in opening up AA’s content directly to all our travel service provider partners in India and Asia Pacific region,” said Jerrin Jos, Founder & CEO, Verteil Technologies.

Travstarz conducts three city roadshow with Seychelles Tourism Travstarz Global Group, B2B Venture by CTRIP, the leading DMC for Seychelles concluded a three-city road show along with Seychelles Tourism covering Ludhiana, Indore and Baroda. The well attended show created much interest and enthusiasm for Seychelles in these tier II cities. Seychelles Tourism was represented by Aswini Krishna and Shakambri Soni while Travstarz was represented by Hema Manghnani, Ramanpreet Singh and Vani Singh.

“Seychelles remains one of our preferred destinations and we are increasingly signing new properties at Seychelles to offer the best experience across all categories of hotels. All the three cities were very well attended and it gave us an opportunity to re-connect with our agent partners who have been supporting us for our various destinations and who have assured us support for Seychelles as

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well. We have been closely working with Seychelles Tourism in the past and will look forward to future collaborations as well to boost the numbers to Seychelles,” comments Hema Manghnani, Executive Director, Travstarz Global Group.

Centre Stage

“Role of a modern leader is to nurture and support new talent” Having an experience of over 16 years in the hospitality industry, newly appointed Bijoy Sengupta, General Manager, ibis New Delhi Aerocity shares his fresh ideologies in accelerating both the hotel as well as the industry towards triumph, working in tandem with his energetic team

By Sayanti Halder

How has the experience been, till now?

At ibis New Delhi Aerocity, I have been playing my role for almost two months, now and the experience has been fantastic. New Delhi rewards you with a highly exciting work environment and keeps you on your toes 24x7. However, it is the energetic and high performing team that makes all the difference at ibis New Delhi Aerocity.

As a newly appointed General Manager, what fresh ideas have you brought in to strengthen the overall operations of the property?

With this team, we are exploring a multi-skilled approach to operations, aiming to provide a holistic learning experience to every associate but the approach is ultimately targeted to achieve higher roistering flexibility and efficiency. The process of laying the foundation to such an approach is underway and I am sure, it will go a long way towards engaging the team and strengthening the internal bonding across other teams. I am also delighted to share the success of our newly implemented identity change, ‘ibism’. It is a work culture without formalities; driven by a very vibrant and young team and must be experienced by simply visiting your nearest ibis hotel.

Overall, ibism is a culture that puts our guests and team at the centre of everything that we do.

What new segment of guests you are looking at?

The expectation and potential of online platforms for business is immense. Online business forms a significant part of our overall business too; and the team puts in all efforts to ensure that our guests are well taken care of.

We understand the importance of repeat guests and treat all guests with due importance. Our aim is to ensure every guest who stays with us the first time, returns to stay with us – again and again.

What all changes do you intend to bring in to the property?

Due to a very low attrition level, this is the same team that contributed majorly towards the success of the hotel, last year. I am playing the role of a facilitator to ensure the wheels keep moving smoothly and pick up speed at the right time. Team engagement and satisfaction remain my top priority. Moreover, there are multiple trials and pilot projects in the pipeline that will be undertaken at the hotel. These initiatives will be a great learning experience for the team and enable us to bring in more efficiency in our processes.

What survival strategies have you penned down for a dynamic future of the hotel?

One must understand the market and the changing needs of the customers. With a clear business and service strategy in place, our team is confident of staying ahead of the game at all times. We do take our long-range projection discussions very seriously and use all intelligence tools that are available to us to formulate clear strategies in advance. Our extremely strong support system comprises of the corporate team and senior country leadership and is always available to discuss ideas and provide timely guidance. Anticipating the need, we have concrete plans to negotiate the tough summer months and then to enter the highly rewarding winter months to optimise our performance.

What is your success mantra?

Talent development has always brought me accolades and is something that is one of my leading focus areas. One important role of a modern leader is to nurture and support new talent for the company, which from my personal experience is always appreciated and therefore, success is inevitable. It is a great feeling when you see your protégés grow in their professional and personal lives to take up responsible positions across the globe.

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Report

International Tourism results

the highest in seven years International tourist arrivals grew by a remarkable seven per cent in 2017 to reach a total of 1,322 million, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. This strong momentum is expected to continue in 2018 at a rate of four per cent to five per cent Based on data reported by destinations around the world, it is estimated that international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) worldwide increased seven per cent in 2017. This is well above the sustained and consistent trend of four per cent or higher growth since 2010 and represents the strongest results in seven years.

Led by Mediterranean destinations, Europe recorded extraordinary results for such a large and rather a mature region, with eight per cent more international arrivals than in 2016. Africa consolidated its 2016 rebound with an eight per cent increase. Asia and the Pacific recorded six per cent growth, the Middle East five per cent and the Americas three per cent.

2017 was characterised by sustained growth in many destinations and a firm recovery in those that

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suffered decreases in previous years. Results were partly shaped by the global economic upswing and the robust outbound demand from many traditional and emerging source markets, particularly a rebound in tourism spending from Brazil and the Russian Federation after a few years of declines. “International travel continues to grow strongly, consolidating the tourism sector as a key driver in economic development. As the third export sector in the world, tourism is essential for job creation and the prosperity of communities around the world. Yet as we continue to grow, we must work closely together to ensure this growth benefits every member of every host community and work in line with the Sustainable Development Goals,� said UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili.

Growth expected to continue in 2018 The current strong momentum is expected to continue in 2018, though at a more sustainable pace after eight years of steady expansion following the 2009 economic and financial crisis. Based on current trends, economic prospects and the outlook by the UNWTO Panel of Experts, UNWTO projects international tourist arrivals worldwide to grow at a rate of four to five per cent in 2018. This is somewhat above the 3.8 per cent average increase projected for the period 2010 to 2020 by UNWTO in its Tourism Towards 2030 long-term forecast.

Europe and the Americas are both expected to grow by 3.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent, Asia and the Pacific by five to six per cent, Africa by five to seven per cent and the Middle East by four to six per cent.

News

AVIATION

Air India to launch Mumbai to Frankfurt flight from June Air India is likely to start a direct flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt from June as it seeks to expand its operations to Europe.

According to a report, the airline would operate thrice a week from the metropolis and depart for Frankfurt in the morning hours. The airline currently operates a regular flight on the Delhi to Frankfurt route. “The new service from Mumbai has been in demand for long and hopefully we can start it by mid-June or towards the end of the month,” report adds. With new aircraft being added to its fleet, report also says that the airline is focusing on its network to increase market share.

IndiGo launches Hubli as its 52nd destination Reinforcing its commitment to the south India market, IndiGo has announced the launch of Hubli as its 52nd destination.

IndiGo, with its ninth ATR aircraft, will operate daily direct flights connecting Hubli to Goa and Kochi from June 28, 2018. The LCC will also operate additional flights between Hubli and Chennai, Hubli and Bengaluru and Hubli and Ahmedabad with Airbus A320, starting July 1, 2018. The new flights are designed to cater to business and leisure travellers who are constantly on the lookout for new and affordable flying options. The introduction of these flights will further strengthen airline’s ATR operations, and will provide enhanced connectivity between Hubli and other key cities.

Lufthansa Group and MakeMyTrip enhance their partnership MakeMyTrip and Lufthansa Group have entered into a Direct Connect Cooperation that gives customers access to innovative and even more competitive flight products. Wolfgang Will, Senior Director Sales- South Asia, Lufthansa Group Airlines and Rajesh Magow, Co-founder & CEO India, MakeMyTrip jointly signed the cooperation. Direct Connect is a distribution functionality that enables partners to use the Lufthansa Group’s API (application programming interface) for a direct access to the airlines’ inventories and rich content. The API software facilitates the travel partner to provide an

enhanced customised offer for third parties.

The new agreement allows MakeMyTrip to offer Lufthansa Group Airlines’ differentiated travel content to consumers with personalised flight products.

Direct Connect is a distribution functionality that enables partners to use the Lufthansa Group’s API (Application Programming Interface) for a direct access to the airlines’ inventories and rich content. The API software facilitates the travel partner to provide an enhanced customised offer for third parties.

Turkish Airlines with touristanbul to create more unique experiences Turkish Airlines, flying to more countries and international destinations than any other airline, offers a free layover service to all international transit Turkish Airlines passengers who fly through Istanbul with a six to 24-hour layover. Since its launch in 2009, touristanbul has already benefitted almost a quarter of a million passengers who were able to enejoy a taste of Istanbul. With its customary Turkish hospitality,Turkish Airlines takes pride in curating a delightfully different experience for its passengers and going beyond expectations with its array of unique products and services.The national flagcarrier offers the complementary touristanbul service including transfers, access to historical sights of interest as well as a sampling of Turkey’s

famed cuisine. Passengers can catch a glimpse of the varied historical and cultural fusion which has made Istanbul such a vibrant and charming city.

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Special Focus

HOSPITALITY

Scatter Some Stardust on You at Planet Hollywood Beach Resort, Goa

By Gagneet Kaur

Anand Chatterjee Imagine getting a treatment replicated just like a celebrity! Well, Planet Hollywood Beach Resort, Goa bears a testimony to its name where the sprawling suites are designed with Hollywood memorabilia and the glitzy interiors giving you a warm yet cool welcome. Synonymous with providing the right blend of service, luxury and efficiency, the hotel goes a step further to give you unparalleled levels of service with a little more pampering.

Highlighting the customer segmentation of the hotel, General Manager, Anand Chatterjee says, “With beautiful gardens and being designed in an architecturally different manner, Planet Hollywood claims to be the youngest looking property in Goa. We are new hotel in the state, covering most of the visible segments and catering to all sorts of travellers including leisure as well as a large base of

MICE travellers. We position ourselves in almost all the spectrums quite well.”

Talking further about the differential factors, Chatterjee underlines, “What makes a hotel, are purely the employees. I, personally focus on maintaining the best guest relationship. Our team is known for their individual caliber of dealing with the guests and creating special stay moments that they can cherish for lifetime. Planet Hollywood also prides itself on culinary creativity and offers an extensive array of menus including the best Japanese food to choose from.”

Apart from the well-appointed rooms, the hotel does have the decadently designed meeting and outdoor spaces with its elaborate yet thoughtfully designed halls and rooms. “Planet Hollywood has theme ball room which is one of the prime attractions. It boasts of an impressive area of 3182 sq. ft. It is fitted with high end AV system designed for optimal acoustic efficiency along with two conference halls and outdoor event areas. The outdoor event spaces have been a big hit at our property as close to 1200 people can be easily accommodated,” Chatterjee continues while explaining about hotel’s MICE capabilities of the hotel.

While Goa is extremely appealing all-round the year, monsoon, however, channels the inner poet in

you. And if you are looking for a do-nothing holiday, a place to enjoy the cool breeze or just a dancing in the rain, Planet Hollywood brings to you various seasonal packages that give the added benefits and a reason to enjoy a little more. “We have a lot of packages for the on-going monsoon season.

Since Goa is now a 365-day destination and the state looks breathtaking during the monsoon, we, therefore, do not see any fall in terms of occupancy.

The advantage that we have during this season is that the rates are little cheaper which gives an advantage for the guests to book us for stays,” informs Chatterjee.

Asked upon the promotional agendas and the developments in the pipeline, he further shares that the hotel being quite active on social media will continue to engage more with the people to facilitate more repeat guests. Apart from that, inviting bloggers, journalists, and travel agents to expose the property for better promotions and marketing will be on the priority list. “We may add a few more rooms in the near future. We are also planning to open the chalets in the beach lawn area and are expecting the completion of these developments before the season. Along with this, we also have a plan of introducing a restaurant in the near future,” he concludes.

HRAO to promote Odisha as 21- night destination As the Biju Patnaik International Airport has become a number one passage point in terms of passenger growth in the country after addition of international routes to it, the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO) in association with tour operators have started promoting the Odisha as a 21nights’ destination against earlier destination for two nights /three days.

With the addition of Jharsuguda, Rourkela and Jeypore airports, Odisha will now open up all tourism potential places of Western Odisha. The government’s pro-active tourism policy promoting eco-tourism aggressively is another reason why Odisha can easily become a 21 Night destination. To give a boost to this mission, the travel trade has recommended nine circuits to be developed which could focus on the 21 night destination.

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“So far we were not able achieve the goal because of lack of international airport but now having the advantage of Biju Patnaik International Airport and opening up of three more airports and flights operating in UDAN scheme, Odisha which is as big as United Kingdom will now focus in all parts of the state. Earlier our focus has been restricted to Konark-Puri-Bhubaneswar, but with better connectivity now we can focus on lesser known destinations, where visitors can stay

for longer period and enjoy as per their taste,” says J K Mohanty, Chairman – HRAO & IATO, Eastern Region He adds, “With the benefits of the new tourism policy, the HRAO is now willing to spread out with additional 5000 room in all beautiful tourist locations of the state specially the Western Odisha. Presently we have the lowest number of star hotels (10 hotels) and classified rooms (670 rooms) in Odisha. In view of this, the HRAO is organising a full day state level workshop with all stakeholders, hoteliers, travel agents, tour operators at hotel The Grand Siba, Sambalpur on June 20. Important decision makers, government officials, media, political leaders have also been invited to give their input for giving a boost to the tourism growth of Western Odisha.”

News

TRADE HOSPITALITY Minor International acquires 8.6 per cent stake in NH Hotel Group Minor International (MINT) recently announced that it has reached agreement to acquire 30,000,000 shares in NH Hotel Group in a transaction valued at EUR 192 million, which together with its existing shareholding will increase MINT’s stake in NH Hotel Group to 8.6 per cent on a fully diluted basis. NH Hotel Group is the sixth largest hotel chain in Europe and this investment offers important strategic benefits to MINT which, with its deep hospitality and F&B experience, also brings strategic value to the NH Hotel Group.

The investment demonstrates MINT’s strategy of pursuing financially attractive investments which are accretive to MINT, with estimated EV/2018EBITDA of 10.6 times. NH Hotel Group is on a strong growth trajectory as it has successfully enhanced operational efficiencies across its group in

recent years and is also now benefitting from the improving European macroeconomic outlook, both of which have been reflected in its strengthening financial results and rising ADRs. The investment in NH Hotel Group also marks a strategic progression given MINT’s current presence in Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Europe.

Accor launches Novotel Chennai Chamiers Road Chennai welcomes its seventh AccorHotels property with the opening of Novotel Chennai Chamiers Road.

The chic Novotel Chennai Chamiers Road is ideally and conveniently situated in the heart of the city within walking distance of many clubs like Madras Club and elite neighbourhoods like Boat Club.

The hotel is well located for the local and international traveller as it is less than a 30-minute drive from both the Chennai International Airport and the Chennai Central Railway Station The hotel is owned and promoted by Dr S.K. Gupta, Chairman, Gupta Group of Companies and Ashish Gupta, Managing Director, AG Hospitalities Pvt Ltd.

VITS Mango Blosson Gurugram launched The 37-room VITS Mango Blossom, Gurugram, a luxury corporate hotel has opened near Udyog Vihar Industrial Hub. The hotel offers an array of facilities that include multi-cuisine restaurants, bar, travel desk, business centre, 24-hour room service, conference room and banquet hall, a fitness center and spa. All air-conditioned guest rooms have contemporary elements, Wi-Fi connectivity, LED TV, wardrobes, tea and coffee maker, mini fridge and safety lockers. Guests can enjoy meals at Dalchini, a multi-cuisine restaurant and a vegetarian restaurant called Kamats.

“Gurugram has seen steady growth in inflow of business travellers in the last two decades but there is still acute shortage of upscale mid-market hotel rooms. We believe VITS Mango Blossom with its strategic location, imposing décor, banqueting and host of hospitality will appeal to both leisure and business tourists,” says Chandrakant Shetty, CEO¸ VITS Luxury Business Hotels.

The Courtyard By Marriott Siem Reap Resort opens its doors Marriott International announces the opening of its first Courtyard by Marriott in Cambodia with the debut of Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap. This represents Marriott International’s first hotel in Cambodia, with a second hotel to follow when Courtyard Phnom Penh opens in the capital city later this year. The brand’s flagship in Cambodia will feature modern Khmer

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architectural design, an innovative lobby space and contemporary room design, enabling guests to pursue both their personal and professional passions whilst visiting the seat of the ancient Khmer kingdom. The resort’s 233 contemporary guestrooms and suites are thoughtfully designed for good nights and good days, combining stylish comfort with functionality.

News

HOSPITALITY

IHG sees major resort portfolio expansion of more than 2,000 rooms in Thailand IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), in partnership with Ratanakorn Asset, has announced the momentous signing of eight new properties in Thailand’s key resort destinations of Pattaya, Rayong, Phuket, Khao Lak and Koh Samui. The multi-brand signing, consisting of new-builds and a conversion across the Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites brands, will add more than 2,000 rooms and ramp up IHG’s presence in the country, which already boasts the group’s largest system size in the region. The hotels are set to open from this year to 2027.

“As a top travel destination for business and leisure alike, Thailand has always been an important market for us, serving as the

regional launch pad for some of our key brands including Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo and Staybridge Suites. Together with our partner, Ratanakorn Asset, we are excited to strengthen our presence here with three of our most recognised and well-loved brands. Following the inaugural signing of Staybridge Suites in Bangkok last December, these latest additions will build on our growth momentum in the country and in our resort portfolio-a testament to our steadfast commitment to provide our guests with world-class accommodation, in some of the world’s best resort locations,” exclaims Clarence Tan, Managing Director South East Asia and Korea, IHG.

Sands Resorts Macao Hotels honoured at MICE China Forum & Awards Ceremony The Venetian Macao, Conrad Macao, Cotai Central and Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central have received awards at the inaugural MICE China Forum & Awards Ceremony, which took place in Macao on May 4, 2018.

The three Sands Resorts Macao hotels were named as recipients of organiser and leading meetings and events publisher MICE China’s prestigious BEST 100 Award 2017.

Independently audited and evaluated by MICE China, the BEST 100 Award are bestowed on hotels and venues recognised throughout the industry as offering excellent and comprehensive MICE facilities.

“We are deeply honoured to have been recognised for the strength of our meetings and conferences offering throughout our group. With more than 150,000 square metres of versatile meetings and event space, all under one roof, Sands Resorts Macao is the most comprehensive MICE destination in Asia-Pacific, offering an array of exclusive, value-added benefits and entertainment and leisure activities. Our dedicated team is committed to

creating unforgettable experiences for all attendees,” says Evelyn Kang, Assistant Vice President of Sales, Sands China Ltd., who received the award on behalf of Sands China Ltd.

Ginger Hotels forays into Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh Ginger has announced the signing of its first hotel in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi was selected among 98 cities for the smart city initiative by Government of India. The Ginger portfolio has 45 operating hotels and eight hotels in the pipeline.

Ginger Jhansi will have 76 rooms, an all-day diner and a meeting room. Located exactly opposite the railway station, the proposed hotel is a convenient option for travellers visiting the historic city of Jhansi for business or leisure. The hotel is a greenfield development and is slated to open by late 2020. “We are delighted to partner with Khard Hotels Pvt Ltd for the new Ginger hotel and set foot in the historic city of Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh.

This will be the first branded hotel in the city,” says Deepika Rao, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Ginger.

Kempinski Corvinus Budapest announces redesigning of rooms Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest has announced a complete redesign of their 27 rooms and 10 suites. The spacious Premium Grand Deluxe Rooms and Premium Junior Suites have been rebuilt from top to bottom based on plans by noted British designer Alex Kravetz. The new unites invite our guests to stay and enjoy the interior vibe with a comfortable seating area, abundant sunshine, and a light-enhanced separation of functions within the room. Featuring a soft colour palette of elegant gold, reserved platinum and muted grey, as well as warm, dark brown wood, the redesigned spaces represent more than just rooms: they reflect contemporary aesthetics and the design-savvy sensibility of the modern traveller who expects a sensory experience and a place of comfort within the hotel.

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Hotel Feature

PARK REGIS KRIS KIN

Be certain to find something to savour

By Sayanti Halder

Imagine a plush hotel room with an evermore luxurious view. Amid its convenient location, prosperous facilities and warm service – all aimed at making the guests’ stay worth remembering, Park Regis Kris Kin, Dubai is a sheer experience beyond just being a hotel

The Living Spaces for All Location In the heart of vibrant yet historical district of Bur Dubai, Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel offers tourists the perfect base to shop and explore the rich culture and heritage. Located only 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport and in walking distance to two of major Dubai metro stations, the property perfectly offers leisure travellers the ideal point of departure for excursions and business travellers the perfect spot to relax after a busy day.

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The hotel offers 384 guest rooms ranging in size and style, with a choice of flawlessly appointed Superior and Deluxe Rooms, luxurious Burj Executive Suites and two extremely spacious Bedroom Suites. All guest rooms feature a comprehensive mini bar, fully functioning work desk, complementary Wi-Fi access, in-room safe and bedside room management control system operating the in-room lighting, air conditioning, wake-up alarm and do-not-disturb indicators. The hotel has four specially designed rooms for guests with special needs.

Hotel Feature

“Indian travellers continue to be the biggest source market” In conversation with Colin Baker, Regional Director, Park Regis Kris Kin What do you see as the most noteworthy strength of the property?

BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE

The hotel offers the best of business facilities for guests providing private workstations, computers with high-speed WiFi access, projectors, screens, sound systems, video/CDs, podium and microphones, to name a few. Boasting comprehensive meeting, banquet and conference facilities, the function rooms can accommodate a wide range of events ranging from boardroom style meetings to cocktail parties for up to 220 guests. Equipped with the latest conferencing facilities, the flexible meeting spaces are designed to meet the needs of corporate world.

Location is the key to our target market and a major reason for guests selecting our hotel. Strategically located in Dubai’s booming business cum leisure hub in the vibrant historic district of Bur Dubai and also in close proximity to major attractions and shopping districts, Park Regis Kris Kin offers the perfect base for travellers. Bur Dubai, as a destination itself, has been witnessing an increase in inbound tourist numbers for many years now. In 2017, the number of overnight international guests increased to 6.2 per cent from the previous year. Our hotel’s location is the perfect destination, which preserves the culture of Dubai yet caters to the many requirements of today’s local and international travellers.

Please tell us about the customer segmentation of the property.

Indian travellers continue to be the biggest source market for our hotel, much like for several hotels in the vicinity. Followed by India, is Europe and the Middle East market together with Russia that we thoroughly priorities. We have been very strong to not put all our focus into one market, which made us a truly cosmopolitan hotel. Further, we are continuously working on attracting new and wider markets from Europe, UK, India, Russia, China and the GCC.

What is the major revenue focus for the property?

Thoroughly focused on F&B, Park Regis Kris Kin intents to deliver amazing guest experiences. Our renowned Kris Kin restaurant and Kris Bar, that covers the entire 19th floor, offers private dining areas boasting a 360-degree view of Dubai with a capacity of up to 220 guests. It is the ideal setting for groups to relax and enjoy the hospitality of the Park Regis and enjoy the lights of Dubai. The hotel also boasts an amazing rooftop pool area, which is perfect for small incentive groups to enjoy receptions overlooking downtown Dubai, the newly opened Dubai Frame as well as the world famous Burj Khalifa.

How is your property ensuring to retain its brand value in Dubai’s competitive market?

Revitalise Your Senses One won’t be able to skip a dip in the rooftop pool while enjoying Dubai’s warm weather and the uninterrupted views of Dubai’s skyline. If one needs fitness fix, Park Regis Kris Kin provides its guests with a comprehensive fitness center complemented with modern workout equipment, sauna and steam room. Hydro therapy in their Jacuzzi can promote relaxation, pain relief and improve sleep habits while the Peter’s Hair and Beauty Salon offers unadulterated indulgence.

While hotels are meeting basic lodging needs, today’s consumers want—and expect—much more from each of their stays. At Park Regis Kris Kin, our aim is to delight our guests by tailored, personalised offers to enhance their experience and tune into their needs to drive loyalty and increase repeat business. It’s about knowing our guests and knowing their reason for travel, offering a personalised experience and not just offering the same package to every other guest. This helps us meet new customer need and differentiate our brand in this everchanging marketplace.

How do you plan to foresee the future of Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel?

Our focus will remain on providing personalised offers to enhance guest’s experience and maintaining our geographical mix by continuously working on attracting new and wider markets from Europe, UK, India and the Middle East. Dubai is still a favourite destination for European tourists as it is fairly close by and offers 350 days of sunshine: the most important demand generator.

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Overseas

UNLIMITED UGANDA Plan beyond meetings

A landlocked country in East Africa whose diverse landscape encompasses the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains and immense Lake Victoria, Uganda is popular for its abundant wildlife and natural bounties. With the recent launch of one of the biggest convention centres in Africa, we hand-picked some of the exhilarating avenues to explore this “Pearl of Africa”

By Sayanti Halder

Murchison Falls The 50m wide Victoria Nile is squeezed here through a six-meter gap in the rock and crashed through a narrow gorge over a massive drop. The Murchison Falls National Park sits on the shore of Lake Albert, in northwest Uganda and is known for the mighty 45m Murchison Falls. The waterfall Murchison cut a second channel creating the smaller Uhuru Falls, 200m to the north. There is a beautiful walking trail from the top down to the river and the upper stretch of this path offers views of Uhuru Falls too. The Lake Albert Delta is home to rare shoebill storks and game of fish in the cascades. Murchison Falls receives notable visitors to the riverbanks including elephants, giraffes and buffaloes; while hippos, Nile crocodiles and aquatic birds are permanent residents. An early morning safari around the park is a must.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Uganda is mostly known for gorilla trekking and the remote Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a renowned mountain gorilla sanctuary. Home to almost half the world’s surviving mountain gorillas; the World Heritage–listed Bwindi Park lies in south-western Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley.

Its mist-covered hillsides are blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests of over 331 sq km, which dates back over 25,000 years and contains almost 400 species of plants along with being the home to an estimated 340 gorillas-undoubtedly Uganda’s biggest tourist drawcard. In addition to the gorilla trekking, you can get up close and personal to chimpanzees too.

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Igongo Cultural Centre Located 12km from Mbarara, along with the scenic Mbarara Masaka highway to Kampala, this cultural village features the best museum displays in Uganda. Igongo Cultural Centre is a leading recreational complex and the ultimate destination for lovers of history, art, culture and comfort. A melting pot of cultures, both local and international, Igongo merges comfort, relaxation and recreation in an environment offering gorgeous scenery and beautiful, acting as a staple of ultimate African luxury. Set on the grounds of a former palace of the Ankole king, this museum explores the peoples of southwestern Uganda, particularly the Ankole, through artefacts, a cultural village replica and a heap of information.

Lake Bunyonyi Believed to be the second deepest lake in Africa, Lake Bunyonyi is in southwestern Uganda near the Rwandan border, and one of the country’s top natural treasures. At 1,962m above sea level, the lake enjoys moderate temperatures year round.

Most visitors make a stop after gorilla trekking in nearby Bwindi Impenetrable Park. Lake Bunyonyi is framed by lush, green-terraced hills that reach a height of 2,200 to 2,478m, but it is the 29 islands of various shapes and sizes scattered across the water that make it almost magical. This place deserves to be on the African travel radar because, with beauty like this, shouldn’t it be?

Rwenzori Mountains National Park The fabled “Mountains of the Moon” in Rwenzori Mountains National Park, one of Uganda’s UNESCO heritage sites lie in Western Uganda along the Congolese border where the snow-covered equatorial peaks rise to a height of 5,109m and the lower slopes are blanketed in rich montane forest. Most of the park is accessible only to hikers although the magnificent scenery and 19 Albertine Rift endemics would be ample reward for Birders.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park protects the eastern slopes and glacial peaks of the 120kmlong Rwenzori Mountains, a world-class hiking and mountaineering destination. Mount Rwenzori stands as the third tallest mountain range in Africa after Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya.

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Looking for humorous moments? Settle in! You are in the right place. We have gathered some hilarious incidents that the wellknown faces of the industry have encountered while dealing with their clients in their work front. These moments guarantee to bring on serious laughs

Subhash Verma Chairman, Travel Plus

Vijay Prabhat Kamalakara Managing Director, Storytrails India Private Limited

I was once flying from Delhi to Frankfurt. Unfortunately, one of the cabin crew, mistakenly, spilt juice on me. Seeing this, I pointed it out to her politely only to realise that she was in complete denial, claiming that it wasn’t her fault. Receiving her impolite and unfriendly arguments, I was forced to connect with the captain of the plane for a settlement. The cabin crew started endlessly complaining about me to him, speaking in German.

She continued convincing the captain in German thinking that she may complain anything that she wants to.

After good five minutes I intervened, speaking in German, saying that no matter what she tells the captain, it is still won’t be my fault. Realising that I too can speak the language, the lady (with a pale face by now) immediately started to apologise.

We host people from all walks of life on our trails but one couple caught our attention. They joined us on the Bazaar trail - a walk through a crowded, chaotic vegetable market. The trail was going well and we were into the veggie section. That is when the wife started picking up the veggies we were talking about and handing them over to her husband, who would gently touch and return them to her. It took us some time to realise he was totally blind. No stick, no dark glasses, just complete faith in his wife and our storyteller.

To say that, we were moved is an understatement.

Anjum Lokhandwala Founder & Director, Outbound Konnections

Sujith Herbert General Manager, Hilton Garden Inn New Delhi/Saket

My partner and I had an early morning flight and to our horror, we missed the alarm and woke up an hour before the departure time. The airport was a 25-minute drive from our hotel.

We jumped out of bed, packed our bags and ran down to the reception to clear the bills. Upon reaching the airport, we rushed to the check-in counter, which was already closed.

She cried and howled requesting the manager to let us board the flight. The manager was very cooperative and accommodated her request. We were waiting at the gates when I thought everyone, staring at us must have got to know of our episode. Once we were settled down, sipping our coffee, we both looked at each other and realised that we were still in our pyjamas and bedroom slippers.

It was when I was the General Manager of The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa. We were scheduled to host a large corporate offsite and two days prior to the event, Kashmir witnessed a heavy snowfall leading to the blockade of the Delhi to Srinagar highway. On this occasion, we were awaiting delivery of fresh mutton from Jaipur, which was stuck in transit due to the inclement weather. As the quantity required was huge, we were forced to take our four wheelers and go into different local markets asking the traders to sell their mutton to us. We had a busy hotel to run and at the same time, my team was out in various locations sourcing out meat for the event helping to deliver the guest experience we promised.

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News

APPOINTMENTS

JACK STAEHLER

BHAVANA MENON

CHRIS KEMPIS

AJAY SAMPIGE

RoomIt by CWT, the hotel distribution division of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, has appointed Jack Staehler as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Jack will be based in RoomIt’s Chicago headquarters and join both CWT’s Product & Technology and RoomIt leadership teams. In the past, he has held a number of VP technology roles with Cendant Travel, Orbitz and Sears Holdings and most recently with RR Donnelly.

Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal has appointed Bhavana Menon as the Director of Sales. In her role at the hotel, she will lead the management staff in planning sales objectives and directing sales force activities to maximise profit and achieve targets. Through her career, Bhavana has observed the hospitality market, identified trends and monitored competitors which helped her hone her sales strategising skills.

Cathay Pacific Airways has announced the appointment of Chris Kempis, currently General Manager Flying, as the Director Flight Operations with effect from mid-2018. He will oversee all aspects of the airline’s flight operations. Chris takes up the position after 25 years of service at Cathay Pacific; his last two years as General Manager Flying, where he was responsible for managing the airline’s flying standards, including check and training activities.

Pullman & Novotel New Delhi Aerocity has appointed Ajay Sampige as the General Manager of Novotel New Delhi Aerocity and Deputy General Manager of Pullman New Delhi Aerocity, respectively. His focus is to increase the revenue, customer experience, guest satisfaction, F&B and will be in command for accomplishing corporate objectives, developing procedures, service standards, operational policies and overseeing the property.

MARC HEDIGER

MANISH SODHI

CARLO STRAGIOTTO

VISHAL KHOSLA

Dusit International has appointed Marc Hediger as the Senior Vice President of Development, responsible for overseeing the development team’s global operations except China. Marc brings to his role more than 30 years of development and operational experience. Prior to joining Dusit, he was CEO of Lanson Place Hospitality Management, Hong Kong, where he successfully doubled its number of luxury hotels from six to 12 properties.

Hotel Sahara Star announced the appointment of Manish Sodhi as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). A seasoned hospitality professional, Sodhi will be responsible for the hotel’s international expansion and will continue to elevate the brand and its growing portfolio. Manish brings with him an experience of over 20 years in hospitality sector working with leading international and Indian hotel brands.

Four Seasons Hotel Amman announced the appointment of Carlo Stragiotto as the General Manager of the 192-room property in Amman.

Carlo’s career in hospitality began with the major Italian hotel group Ciga Hotels and his journey with Four Seasons began in 1993 at Four Seasons Hotel Milano as a restaurant manager. He was then transferred to Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet followed by Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris.

Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort has appointed Vishal Khosla as the General Manager who brings over two decades of hospitality and management experience to his role. Vishal will be responsible for spearheading operations at the beach resort and ensuring growth with innovative strategies. His approach towards business development and a resilient background in hospitality provide strategic and tactical depth to the hotel.

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WHO ARE WE?

IRIS Reps is a Tourism Marketing Representation, Destination Branding and Public Relations Company which acts as the Indian representative for several prestigious Hotel Groups and Destinations. We are duly committed to personalise the client’s requirements and develop creative PR and marketing campaigns ensuring that the returns on investment are higher than the expectations.

WHAT DO WE OFFER? TOURISM REPRESENTATION Devoted to delivering sales, increasing revenue and market share for our Tourism Partners, we showcase an outstanding network of travel agents and travel/tour operators which ensure the development of Tourism Representation. We offer a wide coverage to our partners through Trade Shows and Events, Tour Operator Familiarization tours, Travel Trade relationship management and more to enhance the visibility.

BRAND MANAGEMENT & ADVERTISING SUPPORT IRIS Reps adopts a long-term focus to attract and retain a loyal customer base for your brand. Our dedicated team of Marketing and PR professionals takes care of all your advertising needs including Press Releases, Press Packs, Newsletters, Press Events, Press/Blogger Trips, Film Shoots, organizing Press Receptions and events on behalf of our clients, Social Media & Online Marketing.

CONTACT DETAILS: Unit NBR 604, 6th Floor, Balaji Business Park, Andheri Kurla Road Marol, Andheri East Mumbai : 400059

PUBLIC RELATIONS & COMMUNICATION When it comes to your brand, we don’t just become an ‘outsourced agency’ but your ‘Communication Partner’ and a ‘Brand Custodian’. We take care of your brand’s overall perception and image in the market by floating broadcast campaigns – editorial and promotional, Crisis & Reputation management and Media events from conception to delivery.

Email: alefiya@irisreps.in Email. info@irisreps.in Website. www.irisreps.in Call. 022 62602300 - 399

Tourism Authority of Thailand New Delhi: (91 11) 4674 1111, tatdel@tat.or.th www.facebook.com/TAT.newdelhi

Websites: www.tourismthailand.org | www.tourismthailand.in