TravelScapes Mice Insiders_august 2018

AUGUST 2018, PAGES 40

VOL. 1, ISSUE. 7

DOING BIZ WITH EASE MICE and leisure tourism running parallely for profit

KOREA

Breaking the popular myth

Publisher’s Note PUBLISHER & CEO Varun Malhotra varun@versatilemedia.in DIRECTOR Pranav Khullar pranav@versatilemedia.in VICE PRESIDENT Shelly Chadha ASSOCIATE EDITOR Gagneet Kaur ASST. EDITOR Sayanti Halder REPOTER Shubhangi Bhatia 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, Estimated to reach 48 million by 2020, the Indian outbound travel is forecasted to cross the 10 million mark. Though Indians are expanding their travel maps and travelling beyond the conventional countries, the business travellers’ segment continues to seek new destinations with better facilities and avenues of incentivising their trips.

With regards to the same, we spoke with some of the leading National Tourist Ofiice (NTOs) delivering the best of MICE facilities to India and aiming on a constant endeavor for “Bleisure” market. Keeping the respective destinations’ strengths in mind, we asked the NTOs about their further developments in this segment of tourism to decode the outbound MICE segment of travellers of the burgeoning travel market.

With its rich and regal history, Hyderabad is quite remarkable as a bonus for business and corporate travellers. Thus in our ‘Spotlight’ section, we spoke to some of the leading names of the industry in this city. For ‘Guest Column’, Mahendra Vakharia, Managing Director, Pathfinders Holidays and President of Outbound Tour

Operators Association of India (OTOAI) shared his viewpoints about the upward shift in the market of international MICE travelling from India.

As an ‘overseas’ destination, South Korea is easily accessible from the major international cities. It meets the business needs and leisure experiences along with a strategic advantage to MICE planners in search of a compatible location. MICEInsiders also takes you along to view unparalleled sceneries of its homeward destination, Jharkhand to travel beyond meetings and conferences.

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 WHAT’S TRENDING Page No. 10

DOING BIZ WITH EASE

MICE and leisure tourism running parallely for profit The rise of a new entrant of idea where travellers mix their business trips with leisure time is allowing workers to save money and transform what can be an inconvenient trip away into a pleasurable stay. Trending the drift, the overseas destinations are not retarding in tapping this very appeal to draw more corporates from India. We speak to some of the leading names of outbound tourism for India market, as they bring out the best of both the worlds of ‘Bleisure’

GUEST COLUMN 22 THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF OUTBOUND MICE Mahendra Vakharia, Managing Director, Pathfinders Holidays and President of Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) shares his viewpoint about the upward shifting of outbound travelling

SPOLTLIGHT 26 CITY OF PEARLS OUTSHINING OTHER MICE DESTINATIONS The meaning of business meetings in India has evolved immensely during the past few years with the advent of business tourism in Hyderabad. With the finest infrastructure, matchless connectivity and vast capacity for organisation gatherings of any size, the ‘City of Nawabs’ advances to rule the country as its new MICE capital

HOMEWARD 30 JHARKHAND: A Joyful Journey Jharkhand, famously known as ‘The Land of Forests’ is an ultimate destination for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. This East Indian nature-rich state is blessed with unparalleled sceneries and a vast nature’s bounty, making an ideal holiday destination for people looking for a rendezvous with nature

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OVERSEAS 20 KOREA: Breaking the popular myth Easily accessible from the major international cities, Korea is a destination designed to meet the business needs and leisure experiences along with a strategic advantage to MICE planners in search of a compatible location

HOTEL FEATURE 34 CLARKS EXOTICA CONVENTION RESORT AND SPA EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENT YET THE BEST

REGULAR NEWS 6......................................................................................................................... Inbound 8..............................................................................................................................Trade 32...................................................................................................................Outbound 33................................................................................................................ Hospitality 24...................................................................................................................... Aviation 38..........................................................................................................Appointments

News

INBOUND Ministry to develop Marine Drive as a water-sports hub In order to attract tourists, water sports activities are being planned around the Marine Drive area. Events like Ferrari Formula 1 and Grand Prix are also on the anvil. Mandwa is to be developed as a wellness destination with facilities for activities such as Yoga and Meditation. Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation recently chaired an interactive session of various stakeholders of the travel and tourism trade in Mumbai, to formulate an action plan for realising the full potential of cruise tourism in the country. Union Minister of State for Tourism, KJ Alphons was also present at the session. Officials of Mumbai Port Trust, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MDTC) and Tourism Department of Maharashtra Government

held detailed deliberations with representatives from the tourism and travel industry. The action plan that has emerged from these deliberations focuses on developing identified sites as attractive tourist destinations and generating awareness about them both within the country and abroad; ensuring cleanliness and operational efficiency.

India aiming at five mn cruise tourists by 2040 Speaking after laying the foundation for the construction of the second international cruise terminal at Kochi Wharf, KJ Alphons, Minister of State for Tourism (I/C), Government of India said that India has got vast potential to emerge as a preferred cruise tourism destination if right infrastructure is put in place. He added that the government is committed to strengthen the port infrastructure to attract targeted five million cruise tourists by 2040. The Tourism Ministry has already sanctioned projects worth INR 53 cr for the Cochin Port, the Minister informed. Each year, over 10,000 high-end guests, mostly from developed countries, arrive in Kochi in over 40 cruise ships.

Uttarakhand to organise two Mini Investors’ Conclaves for tourism Uttarakhand government in the run-up to the mega Destination Uttarakhand: Investors Summit 2018 scheduled in Dehradun on October 4 and 5, 2018 will organise sector-specific Mini Investors Conclaves in different parts of the state in August. Out of the four Mini Conclaves, two conclaves specific to tourism sector will be held in Tehri and Nainital on August 7 and August 10 respectively.

While the Tehri conclave will discuss tourism and wellness, the Nainital Conclave will deliberate on investment opportunities in film shooting and tourism. The intention is to create infrastructure

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for adventure tourism activities like skiing and heli-skiing in the Himalayas and to develop the destination into a hub for winter sports activities. The government will ask the French government support to extend the ropeway at Auli to Gorson so that the visitors can get the panoramic view of the Himalayas. Uttarakhand Tourism has also finalised the schedule for domestic roadshows to promote the state in the domestic market.

These roadshows will be held in Bengaluru (August 22), Hyderabad (August 23), Ahmedabad (August 24), Mumbai (August 29) and Delhi (August 30).

The first Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart witnessed over five thousand meetings A total of 4,982 meetings were fixed in advance and more were conducted at the recently-concluded Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart in Jaipur. The chief guest of the ceremony was Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Tourism, Government of India. Also present at the inauguration were Lalit Panwar, former Secretary Tourism; Bhim Singh, President, FHTR; Kuldeep Ranka, Principal Secretary, Department of Tourism, Forest & Environment, Art & Culture, Government of Rajasthan as well as Gyan Prakash, Secretary General, FHTR. Speaking at the ceremony, Billa said, “The mart is a very important step forward because the international end of the business has its way of organising itself. Domestic market and marts like this have the saluted effect of bringing buyers and sellers towards the domestic market. So, I think it is a very good move and that is where most of the meat is going to come from.

We have supported this mart because we think that the initiative should come from the states.�

News

TRADE TIRUN announces India-specific sailings on Celebrity Constellation for December 2018 TIRUN Travel Marketing, the India representative of the cruise line Celebrity Cruises has announced India-specific sailings aboard its recently revitalised ship, Celebrity Constellation in December 2018.

The six and eight-night itineraries to/from Cochin and Mumbai have been especially designed keeping Indian guests in mind, giving an opportunity to them to embark on a luxury cruise from their own country and sail through various ports in the UAE and in India.

“As the market for cruise tourism widens and matures in India, sailings such as these are a natural progression to better capture this bourgeoning customer base. With the option of sailing to destinations such as Abu Dhabi,

Goa, Dubai and Sir Bani Yas right from a port in their own country, Indian guests are more likely to embrace the idea of a cruise holiday this winter. Making the sailings more attractive are the finer touches that have

been added to the offerings catering especially to Indian guests. We are certain that these itineraries will be a big hit in India and will attract more first-time cruise guests to come aboard and enjoy a holiday of a lifetime,” comments Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN Travel Marketing.

The added incentive of the exclusive India sailings is the option of enjoying New Year and Christmas celebrations on-board with exclusive firework shows in Dubai on New Year’s Eve. Further, the sailing includes double overnight stay in Dubai and the overnight stay options in Abu Dhabi and Mumbai, respectively.

Government approved Tour Operators of NE India forms an association–NEITO Ministry of Tourism, Government of India approved tour operators from North Eastern part of India that came together and formed an association named North East India Tour Operator Association (NEITO). Vishal Jain of Shivani Aviates, Guwahati, has been named the Founder President of the new association.

Arijit Purkayastha of Koyeli Tours & Travels, Guwahati is the Chief Advisor of the association. NEITO will work closely with the public and private sector stakeholders in the region to promote North East India as a tourism destination and also ensure that standards are maintained in terms of quality of service to travellers and guests visiting the region. Other office

Indian passport holders exempted from ATV in France bearers of the NEITO are Hemanta Das of Network Travels, Guwahati as Vice President; Madhusmita Khound of Avani Travel Services, Dibrugarh as the Founder Secretary and Sazid Subhan of Fastrack Travels, Guwahati as Treasurer.

France has recently announced that Indian passport holders will no longer require an Airport Transit Visa (ATV) while transiting through the country. “I’m pleased to announce that, with effect from July 23, 2018, holders of Indian passports will no longer require an Airport Transit Visa while transiting through the international zone of any airport in France,” shared France’s Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler on Twitter.

Record number of buyers set to attend ITB Asia 2018 ITB Asia 2018 has seen a record number of buyers registering for this year’s show with nearly 1,000 approved buyers set to attend 323a 12 per cent increase from last year. Hosted at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands, the conference will take place from October 17 to 19.

This year, the top ten source markets for buyers from the Asia Pacific region include China, Oceania, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, South Korea,

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Indonesia and Thailand.

This year sees the launch of new initiatives for the MICE and corporate segments due to increased focus on the MICE and corporate hub areas and a brand-new concept, the MICE & corporate speed networking. Dedicated content tailored for the MICE and corporate segment will be featured at the MICE & Corporate Hub and this allows for the MICE and corporate buyers and exhibitors to meet and network.

WHAT’S TRENDING

DOING BIZ WITH EASE

MICE and leisure tourism running parallely for profit

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WHAT’S TRENDING

The rise of a new entrant of idea where travellers mix their business trips with leisure time, is allowing workers to save money and transform what can be an inconvenient trip away into a pleasurable stay. Trending the drift, the overseas destinations are not retarding in tapping this very appeal to draw more corporates from India. We speak to some of the leading names of outbound tourism for India market, as they bring out the best of both the worlds of ‘Bleisure’

By Gagneet Kaur and Sayanti Halder

We have heard of a ‘staycation’ but as far as portmanteau words go, the newly coined ‘bleisure’ travel is becoming a much-talkedabout trend in India that has garnered quite a bit of attention in just a few short years. A linguistic blend of business and leisure, bleisure refers to a trip that blurs the line between work and a holiday where a traveller opts to extend their business trip to enjoy some downtime at the end.

‘Bleisure’ is when an employee tacks days onto a business trip and turns it into a vacation. However, research suggests that bleisure travel is more than just an opportunist add-on. Many of the corporate clients are also realising that all of the top destinations for business travel harbour rich cultural experiences that are worth devoting some vacation time to explore.

It makes little sense for the passenger to spend almost 24 hours or more round-trip on an aeroplane for a meeting/business trip for which they are on the ground for less than 36 hours. Bleisure travel tends to lean towards ‘new’ business or resortkind destinations that provide more of an opportunity to enjoy a few extra days to enjoy the cities or beaches as they are attending business.

On the other hand, MICE tourism is becoming the largest growing sector in outbound tourism. Corporates are ever-

willing to organise their conferences and exhibitions at international and exotic, tobe-precise, destinations. Today, Indians are expanding their travel maps and travelling beyond the conventional countries. By 2020, it is said that the Indian outbound travel is estimated to reach 48 million and foreign tourist arrival (FTAs) is forecasted to cross the 10 million mark. The MICE slice of travellers is not lagging behind.

Today, the business travellers’ segment is seeking new destinations with better facilities and avenues of incentivising their trips. The trend has given a major boost to travel solution providers and the national tourist offices (NTOs) who are now crafting intelligent campaigns and packages to attract bleisure seekers from India. For them, bleisure segment of travellers offers a clear opportunity to increase revenues from business travellers extending stays.

Identifying ideal clients to build bleisure revenue is crucial for profit-minded travel suppliers. Therefore, some of the finest destinations, overseas, that are popularly embedded in the minds of all sorts of Indian travellers, are paving a new avenue for drawing more visitors.

THE BLEISURE DEMOGRAPHIC

Research that showed that two-thirds of business travellers want to have the ability to extend their trip for leisure. It also showed the possibility of bleisure trips are a major factor in whether someone takes a job or not. 15 per cent of those seeking bleisure are the younger travellers, aged between 20 to 25, who are most likely to mix their business and leisure trips. These travellers tend to take one or two bleisure trips each year, regardless of demographic segment or travel frequency. Usually, longer the flight, the higher the likelihood for bleisure.

There has been about 40 to 45 per cent increase in the bleisure tourism since last seven to eight months as India has witnessed a rapid increase in the number of bleisure trips being taken by Indians to foreign destinations. Recent statistics indicate that more people than ever are blending business and leisure travel.

According to a report, the percentage of leisure trips that have a business component jumped to 17 per cent, up from 11 per cent in 2012 and 14 per cent in 2015.

As travellers and their employers’ choice of travelling continues to evolve, so does the NTOs’ offerings that predict a bright future for this category of travel.

In April 2018, travel booking website Expedia published a study with Luth

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WHAT’S TRENDING

STRIKING A BALANCE FOR HAPPINESS Deniz Ersoz, Culture & Tourism Counsellor, Turkish Culture & Tourism Office (India) enlightens the newer avenues of exploring the destination in the perspective of unwinding after a business meeting

Turkey offers different and various activities for MICE tourists. When we talk about Istanbul as a destination, people can go visit historical places such as Hagia Sofia, Sultanahmet, Topkapi Palace.

As İstanbul is on the crossroads of Europe and Asia, travellers can enjoy varieties of shopping, dining, nightlife experiences and cultural activities. In addition to these, one can easily go for a Bosphorus tour and enjoy the beauty of modern and ancient Istanbul.

Antalya is also among the cities where MICE

groups can enjoy their vacation the most. As known Antalya is considered as one of the worlds’ best stocks of accommodation. Most of the hotels in Antalya offer the facility of the all-inclusive system, which means people can eat and drink unlimited during their course of stay in the hotel. People can enjoy the water parks, visit historical places such as the Ancient city of Perge and Myra, Aspendos Theatre and St. Nicholas Church. One can even catch a daily trip to Pamukkale. Izmir, Ankara and Kusadasi are also counted amongst the MICE destination in Turkey, one can go shopping, visit historical places and enjoying the different variety of dining and nightlife in Turkey.

“We, as a Turkish Tourism Board in India, will be in a close cooperation with the Indian tour operators and travel agents. We aim to have direct relations with the cooperates to plan, execute and facilitate

their events in Turkey. We also plan to organise FAM trips to Turkey, specifically for MICE tour operators and media, in the near future. We will broadly focus on showcasing and promoting more destinations in Turkey, such as Canakkale, Izmir, Mugla, Bodrum, Kusadasi, Cappadocia, to the India market. Also, we aim to conduct some joint advertisement campaigns with Indian tour operators and DMCs,” informs Ersoz. He further shares that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey has been supportive for Indian MICE groups provided the group is above 500 travellers, the Ministry may offer MICE groups with some gala dinners, cultural events and free entrance to some of the museums as well. Turkey is already popular in the India market and amongst the travel agents. By the end of 2018, the Turkish Tourism Board is expecting to host 200 lakhs of Indian visitors in their country.

DELIVERING VALUE-FOR-MONEY DELIGHTS Romit Theophilus, Director- Marketing and Sales, German National Tourist Office (GNTO) India shares how their trade partners act as one of the sturdiest supports for spreading the word of MICE in Destination Germany

Germany has always been a leading MICE destination for Indians and with German partners providing newer and more unique offers, venues and attractions to their existing products, the country has become an even more lucrative choice for decision makers in choosing a MICE venue. According to Theophilus, with the growing popularity of the online medium, several German partners are choosing to promote their state-of-theart facilities and products on social media and other online platforms.

He further informs that to ensure the smooth

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execution of the events, GNTO supports the trade by keeping them abreast of the latest innovations and products available for various MICE activities, which includes assistance in itinerary planning, destination training and familiarisation tours and recces.

Furthermore, ensuring that the Indian operator is in touch with the right DMC partners in the destination goes a long way in ensuring the smooth execution of any event. “At GNTO India, we firmly believe that our trade partners are our strongest allies in helping spread the word of Destination Germany. With regular destination training, extensive sales call to not only tier I but tier II and III cities, we hope to keep our trade partners up-to-date on the latest in Destination Germany. In addition to this, through our annual roadshow that helps us keep in touch with all our partners, we hope to engage with a larger partner base across the county along with the aid of

our online German specialist training module www. germanyspecialist.com that has shown positive acceptance, till date,” shares Theophilus.

Germany has always been known as the land of innovation and engineering and with MICE event organisers who are always on the hunt for newer and unique experiences for their groups, culminates in their search in Germany. “From holding conventions and conferences atop the highest peak on the German Alps in Zugspitze, to offering the groups with the opportunity to drive a World War tank, from tailoring their own fragrances in Cologne to executing fun team-building activities at High Rope Gardens in Bavaria, Destination Germany offers it all and that too at value-for-money,” points Theophilus. Further, the diverse landscapes allow for extensions and pre or post-convention tours, making for the ideal mix of business and leisure.

WHAT’S TRENDING

BEFRIENDING NUPTIAL WITH NATURE Seema Kadam, Country Manager, Tourism Fiji-India, lays out the board’s plan in engaging with more MICE tour operators from India to endorse Fiji as an exotic spot for weddings The South Pacific archipelago of more than 300 islands is becoming a larger blip on the radar of MICE planners. Over the past few years, Fiji saw the huge surge in tourism and, currently, is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance with tourism and the MICE sector coming out on top. Fiji will develop itself in South Pacific tourism and aims to compete with other countries that are offering beach tourism. As the largest industry in the country and the biggest employer of Fijians, tourism is a serious sector for the wellbeing and lifestyle of Fiji population. Observing such an evolution in tourists that this destination receives, Tourism Fiji is offering a seamless scene to build the foundation of any love story, stronger.

“Fiji has the resources and lovely resort management facilities, a popular wedding destination, offering an abundance of spectacular venues. If travellers are looking for something traditional, resorts on tropical islands offer gorgeous

wedding chapels or exotic gardens. Considering our vast and updated facilities, we will be looking at the weddings segments, this year, as well as incentive segment of travellers,” shares Kadam. Fiji is famous for its beachside ceremonies, providing the ultimate backdrop of white sand, blue ocean and stunning green islands. If the interested group has got a lot of people attending, tying the knot on the main island, Viti Levu, is the best option, as suggested by her.

When enquired about the tourism board’s plans in engaging more MICE tourists as well as incentivepreferring corporates from India, Kadam informs, “With regards to India, we are trying to create awareness about MICE venues and facilities to the Indian travel trade considering the challenges with the distance. To make that happen in a smoother manner, we need to partner with resorts and hotels in Fiji who can participate in MICE forums and conduct joint sales calls with Indian MICE operators to educate

them about the MICE capabilities that Fiji has to offer.

With this, the suppliers would offer value-additions and encourage MICE recces for potential clients and familarisation trips for tour operators. We wish to educate them via our trade seminars and roadshows and organise MICE-focused FAM trips to properties and resorts as well as the surroundings in Fiji who wish to showcase their resources to the potential and growing India market. We wish to target both the leisure as well as corporate clients, flying to Australia and New Zealand for business and MICE activities or would want to visit Fiji for sheer relaxation.”

CREATING AWARENESS FOR ACCESSIBILITY Hassan Madah, Director, Israel Ministry of Tourism – India & Philippines elaborates how Israel is gradually becoming more accessible for the Indian corporate and MICE travellers Israel has quickly become Middle East’s newest business tourism destination, gaining popularity with the Indian corporate segment. Also known as the vegan capital of the Middle East, Israel makes an attractive destination for MICE groups from India. Last year, Israel announced several simplified visa application processes for Indian citizens for both individual and group travel. Besides decreasing the documentation for Indians who have completed their travel to Schengen countries, US, Canada, Australia or Israel, Israel has also recently announced a reduction in visa fee from INR 1,700 to 1,100. Additionally, with the new express visa facility, it takes only two business days to obtain an Israel visa.

“Additionally, we are promoting the resort city of Eilat in the south that is gaining popularity among MICE travellers with hotel-openings and a new international airport scheduled to open later this year,” informs Madah. According to him, business

travel to Israel is booming at a steady pace and the ministry has seen rising MICE movements in the recent years. To attract more of MICE travellers, they are focusing on efforts in creating awareness about the destination in smaller cities of India alongside continuous corporate engagement and marketing agreements with trade partners to maintain the growth of MICE tourism from India to Israel. Recently, Israel witnessed members from the Mumbai and Pune chapter of Young Presidents’ Organisation (YPO) visit Israel.

“We will continue to work closely with MICE specialists from the travel trade fraternity to host familiarisation trips, conduct roadshows and travel fairs to introduce them to the multiple opportunities available in Israel. We have also been conducting familiarisation tours for corporate decision-makers, in order to offer a first-hand experience of the destination and its amenities.

Additionally, we have been actively involved in joint

marketing agreements with some of the leading outbound MICE agents, resulting in increased travel from this segment.” Madah continues saying, “We have planned roadshows throughout this year across 11 cities, including new cities such as Lucknow and Guwahati. The response has been encouraging and we are working towards more MICE movement from India to Israel. We actively work towards engaging MICE groups with leisure experiences that include a visit to the Dead Sea, outdoor trails and wine tours, adventure activities and water sports.”

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WHAT’S TRENDING

STRENGTHENING TO BUILD REPUTATION Jong Sool Kwon, Director, Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) talks about the gradual re-modelling of Korea as an exceptional MICE destination, serving the best of all

Walking in tandem with the latest era of digitalisation, KTO recently updated exclusive MICE website (www.koreaconvention.org) which is promoted on all platforms. On this website, a MICE planner can select his destination and even check all hotels, venue and convention centres with their inventory and capacity charts. That becomes very handy while trying to ascertain whether the city will be able to handle your requirement or not. “South Korea is still fairly unexplored by the Indian market especially the MICE sector. Hence, big groups require full support from KTO right from itinerary

planning, deciding the best flight connections and support for the visa application to expedite the process. Also, additional support which can help push Indian MICE numbers significantly would be more direct flight connections from major Indian cities and more competitive hotel accommodation rates,” opines Kwon.

“Exclusively for MICE, we have a very lucrative incentive support program that is available to even the smallest group of 10 travellers visiting Korea for minimum two nights. Thus, no matter how small (or big) the group size is, one can always contact KTO and get some freebies/support for their groups, something that the travel agents have been appreciating,” he adds. He further adds saying that KTO is also promoting a lot of team-building programs, which adds an extra flavour to the MICE travel. Some of the popular activities quite unique to Korea include Hanbok (Korean traditional dress)

wearing experience, Korean food-making and Taekwondo experience.

Kwon observes that a lot of time, MICE groups especially doctors’ groups tend to travel with their spouses and family. While the participant of the MICE group is busy with their official programs such as a conference or industry visits, the family utilises the time to visit the famous attractions and monuments in South Korea. Hence, while pitching for any big MICE groups during the presentation with the corporate, KTO includes spouse programs in their presentation. According to Kwon, another way MICE and leisure merge is when travellers on a business trip to Korea have a memorable experience that they would like to come back and share the same with their family. He also mentions that the three main destinations for India market, namely Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island, are promoted both for MICE and leisure by KTO.

RISING A HUB OF RELAXATION Arzan Khambatta, Head of Macao Government Tourism Office – India, explicates the true potential one of the newest exotic, Asian destinations ideal for incentive trips

Having successfully positioned itself as a world tourism and leisure centre, Macao has always been at the forefront as a leading MICE destination in Asia. Macao, with its unprecedented infrastructure development, is home to Asia’s largest fully integrated first-class convention and exhibition centres that are well equipped with facilities to meet the needs of various events. Apart from the diverse entertainment offerings, more hotel room inventory and increase of more airline accessibility is drawing more MICE travellers to Macao who extend their stay for a relaxing holiday after the business gets done. “To merge the very aspect of

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leisure in MICE tourism, Macao offers a diversified range of offerings to business tourists and incentive travellers are its luxury hotels, resorts, shopping, nightlife as well as a fantastic gastronomic experiences reflecting an ideal representation of Macao’s rich Portuguese and Chinese culture. We have launched the ‘Incentive Travel Stimulation Program’ to continue support in boosting the development of business tourism. It is an excellent program that is offered to companies looking for MICE movement to Macao, which features various benefits such as a free city-tour, supply of local souvenirs of Macao and many more exciting and engaging incentives to avail the offerings of the program,” enlightens Khambatta.

To attract more MICE travellers from India, in his opinion, significant factors such as the introduction of more direct flights from tier II and III cities and travel trade agents’ advocacy is a requisite in order to gain more popularity in the Indian MICE market.

“We plan to work closely with Indian travel agents and corporates to popularise Macao as an incentive travel destination. We will be conducting FAM trips for top corporations and MICE agents next year to help them understand the potential of Macao that can hold several MICE events year round. We will also participate in MICE-centric trade fairs and exhibitions in India,” Khambatta adds when asked about the tourism office’s further plans.

Acting as a meeting point for both eastern and western business, Macao is delivering a platform for lasting business travelling. In addition to this, the Venetian on the Cotai Strip has been developed with the convention model in mind, while other Macao casino operators, at present, have limited meeting facilities with a strong focus on gaming tourism.

With the growing influx of MICE travellers into the destination, Macao is no longer only a gambling paradise but an ideal spot to conduct business meets with all the required amenities.

WHAT’S TRENDING

UNLEASHING OPPORTUNITIES OF CONVENTIONS Steven Dixon, Regional Manager-South and South-East Asia, Tourism New Zealand shares the destination’s latest developments which would open bigger gates for the MICE travellers from India New Zealand is famous for both its diverse and spectacular landscapes and for its range of unique experiences that attracts both leisure and MICE travellers. MICE planners who choose New Zealand as the destination for their group frequently incorporate leisure elements for their delegates such as the inclusion of tourism experiences into their main itineraries. Because New Zealand is such a desirable destination, it is also common for MICE delegates to extend their stay for leisure purposes after their MICE programme concludes.

“There are a number of exciting developments in the MICE sector in New Zealand which will further increase opportunities including the construction of two new city-centre developments, namely the New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland, with convention capacity for 3,150 and the Christchurch Convention Centre, hosting up to 2,000 people, which are expected to open in 2019

and 2020 respectively. This is poised to boost the country’s conference capacity especially for bigger groups from India. New Zealand also offers a variety of activities which will inspire and excite MICE delegates, whether it is learning the Māori haka, watching whales, sailing an America’s Cup yacht, bungee jumping, whitewater rafting or wine tasting,” shares Dixon.

Speaking of Tourism New Zealand’s engagement with the Indian travel trade, Dixon says that their partnerships with the travel agents in India are vital to their destination’s success in the MICE sector.

“We are focused on providing the travel agents with the constant knowledge and tools to effectively promote and sell New Zealand to MICE planners.

Also, we have a comprehensive joint venture partnership with travel agents and partners in India which cover marketing, collateral, online and inperson training events and familiarisations,” he adds

when asked about his further plans of engaging the travel trade industry more.

Recently, Tourism New Zealand’s annual travel trade event, Kiwi Link India 2018 witnessed participation by almost 200 delegates from 118 Indian companies across three cities namely Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi, thereby recording an increase of 16 per cent in registrations compared to last year. Alongside, Tourism New Zealand conducted a four-day intensive training programme across the three cities which was attended by travel trade experts and representatives from both the nations.

PROMISING A PORTUGUESE PRESENCE Miguel Moraes, Director of Trade Marketing, Turisimo de Portugal highlights the true potential of Portugal and introduces the new entrant’s diversity for tourism Portugal, as a tourism destination, presents a great mix of business and leisure options for MICE travellers, only a few kilometers apart. Along with some of the best music festivals in the world and world-class surf spots, Portugal is an ideal destination to comprehend the idea of ‘Bleisure’.

“The diversity of landscapes, beautiful beaches, the strengthening of air accessibility, the ease of travelling within the country and the friendliness and welcoming spirit of the Portuguese people towards the visitors makes Portugal a perfect MICE destination. We believe in delivering unique and memorable experience to our travellers,” shares Moraes. He continues sharing, “Portugal offers a Mediterranean influenced cuisine and is recognised

by UNESCO under the representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The food here is rich in flavours and aroma; a diversity available across the country and spanning 21

Michelin-starred restaurants. All said, there are over 250 indigenous varieties of wine and a few imports that have adapted well to the Portuguese landscapes.”

According to Moraes, being a fresh competitor in the India market, Turisimo de Portugal is currently promoting its seven unique tourism regions namely Porto E Norte, Centro de Portugal, Lisboa Region, Alentejo and Algarve in mainland the Europe and two island archipelagos, Azores and Madeira. In addition to this, the major festivals that Portugal has to offer to its bleisure segment of MICE travellers, this year, are NOS Alive Music Festival in Lisbon, Portugal Masters, PGA European Tour in Vilamoura, the Lisbon Marathon, WSL Tour Rip Curl Pro Portugal in Peniche and the Web Summit in Lisbon.

When asked about Turisimo de Portugal’s future plans in attracting more travellers from India,

Moraes says, “Our main objective is to increase the number of Indian visitors to Portugal. To achieve this, we will look to increase the destination’s visibility and awareness, as well assimilate sales through the travel trade. Our mission is to promote Portugal as an aspiring destination, with our rich culture and heritage and voted the ‘World’s Leading Destination 2017’, according to the World Travel Awards, for the discerning Indian travellers. This year, we will be working closely with the travel trade to develop new products and increase presence of Portugal in the India market.”

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WHAT’S TRENDING

SPILLING THE ‘BLEISURE’ ESSENCE G.B Srithar, Regional Director, South Asia, Middle East & Africa, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) explicates how Singapore continually refreshes various scehmes to be on the top

Singapore is a leading, world-class business city and a luring MICE destination, complemented by iconic infrastructure, multicultural experiences and world-class entertainment that enable new possibilities. The World Bank has recognised Singapore as one of the convenient places in the world for doing business (Doing Business 2018 Report). It was also recently named the best BTMICE city. Speaking of bleisure, Srithar informs that the city offers an array of unconventional jaunts and picturesque meeting locales for teambuilding exercises and leisure outings. There are

various programmes and experiences such as the BEiS (Business Events in Singapore), INSPIRE (In Singapore Incentives & Rewards) and SMAP (Singapore MICE Advantage Programme) that offer grants and customised experiences to the MICE travellers.

“Over the years, Singapore has seen a rise in the growth of ‘bleisure’ travel in the country. The reason for the growth has been the spurt in corporate travellers opting for experiential activities based on their passion. For instance, corporate travellers are going for food trails/cultural tours during or after their official stay in the city. Singapore also offers distinctive experiences through its lively entertainment and retail offerings, against a kaleidoscope of cultures, acclaimed museums and theatre productions. Singapore also offers unique venues which ensure that business travel isn’t just productive but also an enthralling experience,”

highlights Srithar.

The refreshed INSPIRE programme for India was launched last year and offers incentive groups unique experiences, including team-building activities such as dragon-boat racing around the waters of Singapore, cocktails in an elevated sky capsule as well as witnessing a ‘night race’ of horses while enjoying a sumptuous dinner spread.

It is designed to showcase the variety of leisure activities in Singapore for smaller groups (50 to 200 individuals). The experiences offered to allow participants to have a memorable time and indulge in their passions. Some of the MICE friendly venues in Singapore are Marina Bay Sands, Suntec Singapore, Huone Singapore, to name a few. Further, Wildlife Reserves Singapore is preparing to launch a world-class walking trail called ‘Lumina’ that will offer MICE groups an experiential journey for visitors, combining sound, lights and nature.

FOLLOWING FOOTSTEPS OF EXPANSION Noel Saxena, Country Head, Taiwan Tourism Board (TTB)India reveals how the destination’s recent developments are acting as a catalyst in building a beneficial culmination of bleisure for corporates

The strategic location of Taiwan as a hub in the East Asian region with its easy airline accessibility to major cities in the Asia-Pacific area, makes it an excellent MICE destination. The launch of the Taiwan High-Speed Rail in 2007 has made inter-city travel to all cities between the northern capital of Taipei and the southern city of Kaohsiung more comfortable and fast.

The MICE industry in Taiwan has been put on the fast track by TAITRA, TEMA, Chan Chao Exhibition Hall and New Era International Inc., which specialise in organising professional international exhibitions.

ACE Forum, Wes Expo Co. and Kaigo are active international exhibition agents there. Chan Chao

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also conducts digital exhibitions via the Internet.

TAITRA is equipped to hold 20-plus international exhibitions, annually. MICE is based on a service model which also helps develop other associated industries. Taiwan’s location, the availability of high-grade human resources, its well-developed information and communications industries and electronic component production, semiconductor, conventional machinery, textile industries and local tourism resources serve as favourable conditions for foreign investment to enhance the international MICE industry in Taiwan.

“Due to increasing demand, Taiwan has gradually been increasing MICE venues that meet international standards to add to the already existing TWTC Hall 1, Taipei Nankang Exhibition Hall 1 and TICC in the north, with the southern Kaohsiung Exhibition Center that was officially opened recently. Taiwan is globally renowned for its

highly-developed 3C industry. Needless to say, the integration of social media and technologies such as APPs, QR-Codes, Facebook, RFID, and free-ofcharge Wi-Fi have been applied to MICE activities, offering advanced, convenient, and real-time services to MICE visitors. Aside from those hardware advantages, international business travellers to Taiwan will also be highly impressed by Taiwanese people’s hospitality, superior efficiency and professional services,” shares Saxena.

He also informs that MICE tourism from India has increased largely due to consistent efforts in building awareness and perception about the destination. Indian passport holders can enjoy visa exempt entry into Taiwan for 30 days via an online system. For group visas also, an exemption is applicable to Indian passport holders for groups of minimum five or more people travelling to Taiwan via the online process, for 30 days.

WHAT’S TRENDING

LURING TO STAY LONGER Soraya Homchuen, Director- Mumbai, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), re-instates the destination’s reputation for ensuring a fulfilling exhibitions with exciting offerings With a diversity of destinations for business events, each offering its own unique experience, Thailand’s MICE industry continues to show positive signs of growth, year-on-year. A wide variety of lively cities, namely Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiangmai and Khonkaen, is served on a platter to choose from.

All these destinations present some of the most exciting recreation facilities for business, MICE travellers such as rock climbing, water sports, spa, canoeing, underwater swimming and sea diving.

“Most globetrotters and business travellers are aware of the rich cultural diversity that the country offers. Thailand has a lot to present be it the hotels that the groups choose to stay at or the cities they are at. By educating the travel trade fraternity on various recreational options available for the group, we plan to increase tourist traffic within Thailand.

We try and add new destinations for MICE segment keeping in mind the nature of the event. We intend

to offer new experiences in Thailand and ensure that the groups stay longer for leisure time in Thailand either pre or post the business trip,” shares Soraya.

Based on Soraya’s opinion, it is very important to keep on adding new aspects to the additional MICE destination within Thailand. Be it attractive product offerings or just new property launches, it is imperative to understand the nature of the group and suggest various adventure sports, shopping or nightlife alternatives available within the destination. “Every year Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) hosts roadshows dedicated to the MICE segment of travellers, wherein, they identify the new trends and Indian partners to offer customised packages, targeted towards the MICE segment. This exercise has proven to be very successful and TAT intends to follow the format for the coming years,” she highlights.

Pattaya, popularly known as “City of MICE”, due to its variety of accommodations to fit all budgets, has a diverse assortment of locations for creative meetings and incentive events and three convenient plus flexible exhibition centres designed with Thailand’s distinctive culture in mind.

Also, Phuket has become one of Thailand’s most celebrated ‘MICE cities’ plus one of the country’s economic hubs, the island has everything necessary for outstanding business events including over 500 hotels in all budget ranges and an efficient international airport.

STRIKING A BALANCE FOR HAPPINESS Bejan Dinshaw, Country Manager, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, India, addresses how the destination is fast evolving into a MICE-centric destination with supplementary perks In the advent of a new era of Indian business travellers who are looking out for ‘newly discovered’ or ‘rarely visited’ destinations, Abu Dhabi is fast emerging as a destination that would add all the perquisites of travelling for pleasure amidst business. “We try to incorporate leisure activities with MICE tourism by offering the groups an alternative of incorporating various attractions and events in their itinerary, after or during their business errands,” informs Dinshaw.

One of the prime reasons for the rapid growth of MICE tourism in Abu Dhabi is the country’s booming infrastructure and economy. Earlier, such events were restricted to business but nowadays, the trend of amalgamating of MICE or business tourism with leisure is thriving in a place like Abu Dhabi that offers the best of both MICE and leisure tourism. On that thought, Dinshaw adds, “Apart

from the MICE activities, we are incorporating visits to our key attractions, free entry to any event that can be a relevant networking opportunity.

We are basically permitting the groups to find their own balance between work fulfilment and personal enjoyment—a balance that makes them happy. Additionally, incentives are also offered as assistance having the group choose Abu Dhabi as the venue.”

When asked about how this exotic destination would attract more of such travellers in the future, who are keen to link the essential aspects of both business and pleasure, Dinshaw shares that the authority is formulating more standalone events with several corporates to provide them with an in-depth knowledge of the destination and for networking purpose. He further says, “We keep organising destination training workshops with

travel agents across the country in collaboration with multiple travel associations. We educate them about the destinations and its offerings so that they bring more MICE tourism to the Emirate. In addition to this, we arrange roadshows in various cities, updating the knowledge of our industry partners and travel agents.” Abu Dhabi Tourism with a panoply of new products, including the much-touted Warner Bros. Theme Park and the CLYMB (both on Yas Island), the world’s largest flight chamber and highest indoor climbing wall, is on a roll and the emirate is set to go the whole hog to tap this potential market.

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WHAT’S TRENDING

ONTO THE SUREFOOTED PATH Kenichi Takano, Executive Director, Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) in India, believes how the surge in MICE tourist numbers to Japan can further help in enhancing the possibilities of bleisure segment

As Japan’s attractions are propelling the country up the international charts, the people around the world find this island country quite appealing in terms of both business travel and post-business pleasure. While in the past, tourism efforts solely focused on promoting Japan as a place of culture and leisure, there is a new surge to highlight its economic importance through MICE, blended with relaxation.

“With the trend of bleisure travel catching up among the corporate world, organisations, therefore, are increasingly arranging trips where professionals mix the very aspect of leisure with business. This has further given a major boost to travel solution providers who are now crafting intelligent campaigns and creating packages to attract bleisure seekers. Keeping our agenda in the mind for the year ahead, we are introducing a lot of attractive packages so that once the business segment of travellers visits Japan, they start choosing it as a bleisure destination too. We will be

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actively promoting Fukuoka as a MICE destination through effective incentive programs,” Takano highlights.

Additionally, aiming to be the leading MICE destination in Asia by 2030, the safest country par excellence, has a world-class record of hosting successful international conferences.

Comprehending the growing importance of MICE tourism, Takano shares that the segment is of utmost importance for Japan. However, JNTO is putting in efforts to further encourage more travellers for bleisure travelling to make sure they make the most out their time, even when they are traveling for business. “We keep offering giveaways, guided books and e-learning programs to help them get a better clarity on Japan. Because of this, we are engaging more with the Indian travel agents in creating special family packages for the corporate travellers. According to the figures released, 70 per cent of travellers to Japan are from the business segment. We are now focusing on increasing the number of bleisure tourists coming to the country.”

Between January to May 2018, Japan received a good number of 68,000 tourists from India with an increased rate of 15.5 per cent. However, the numbers for MICE tourists are still grappling to match the other figures. But with the increase

in queries from Indian travel agents and recently being awarded as the ‘Best Incentive Destination’, Takano feels there is a huge potential in the segment that still needs the right focus and proper strategies. Takano confidently says, “With an expectation of more than 20 per cent for this year, JNTO is planning on tapping more of the Indian MICE delegations through various incentive programs for understanding the potential of Japan as a resourceful destination for conference and convention. With this, we are assertive that Japan will yet again bag the same award this year as well.”

As Japan is abundantly gifted with diverse natural scenery and is deep-rooted in culture, the country makes for an ideal wedding destination.

Also, as more Indian couples are boarding the trend of a destination wedding, JNTO, therefore is leveraging the opportunity. Takano shares that JNTO is increasingly interacting with Indian wedding planners and destination wedding companies and inviting them to Japan for a two-way interaction with the Japanese travel agents. “I believe that once the travellers come to Japan for leisure purposes, they perhaps may want to have a next business trip in Japan. This will not just help us increase the MICE numbers but will also act as a key facilitator for promoting bleisure segment,” says Takano.

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Overseas

KOREA

BREAKING THE POPULAR MYTH In the short time following its dramatic and impressive development, Korea has managed to maintain the delicate balance between preserving its impressive history whilst embracing all the technology of the modern world. It is truly a destination designed to meet the business needs and leisure experiences

By Shubhangi Bhatia

HISTORY AND CULTURE Dazzling experiences beyond meetings Korea delegates a spectacle of world heritage sites, picturesque nature and urban landscapes. A city of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, Gyeongju offers hotels, theme park, leisure sports facilities and performance venues. Other than this, Gwangju too is a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts. It has long established itself as the Hub City of Asia Culture, especially after the completion of the Asia Culture Complex (ACC). Yet another city is Jeonju which has best maintained the Korean traditions and culture through hanok (Korean traditional houses), hansik (Korean traditional cuisine) and hanji (Korean traditional paper) as well as pansori (Korean traditional genre of musical storytelling performance).

CONVENTIONS AND CONFERENCES Work in an appealing urban ideal As a top convention destination, Korea offers a world-class MICE infrastructure, safe and sustainable meeting locations and a variety of unique sights and experiences. Functionally the heart of innovation, Daejeon is the city of science with Asia’s largest R&D cluster which leads technological advancements and innovations. Through close collaborations with industry and the academic community, it also brings the full strengths of Korean working skills to create a dynamic IT hub for foreign and domestic investors. Daegu too focuses on attracting related global conventions such as World Water Forum, the World Energy Congress and the World Biomaterials Congress.

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Overseas

SEOUL: The economic powerhouse Fashion and technology forward but also deeply traditional, the capital city Seoul is complete with world-class accommodations, restaurants and services. Business visitors are delighted to experience this beautiful blend of Korean history, culture and modern landscape whilst enjoying its cutting-edge design and strong meeting infrastructure. Seoul regularly hosts diverse events such as high-level meetings such as the G20 Summit and largescale conventions like the Rotary International Convention which had over 46,000 delegates.

One of Seoul’s biggest strength as a MICE city is also a newly launched brand of event support and the multi-faceted support package available for both event organisers and participants alike. Some of its convention centers include COEX, aT centre and DDP. One may also consider visiting Incheon and Gyeonggi-do in Seoul’s vicinity which play a pivotal role in logistics, business and leisure sports for MICE travellers.

MEETINGS & EXHIBITIONS Outdoor lodges in the Korean peninsula Providing an exciting backdrop to corporate meetings and exhibitions, Jeju is a world-class resort island and provides free visa to 180 countries.

Busan too, is popular for being the largest logistics port city in Korea. With that, having welcomed a lot of employees from Infinitus and Amway China respectively and its close proximity to Suncheon Bay, Yeosu is yet another Korean city with thriving centers for MICE exhibitions. Also, living up to its reputation for international MICE groups, Gangwon is set to establish new accommodations and possible meeting venues along with a new high-speed train.

Thus, through its strategic location and vibrant economy, Korea is home to a wide-range of MICE centers for exhibitions such as Alpensia convention center, Phoenix PyeongChang, BEXCO, Cinema Busan, Expo Convention Center, Hidden Bay Hotel, MVL, ICC, Lotte Hotel and The Seaes Hotel & Resort.

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Guest Column

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF OUTBOUND MICE International travel for MICE from India has been growing well for the past couple of years and is driven largely by incentive travel. Mahendra Vakharia, Managing Director, Pathfinders Holidays and President of Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) shares his viewpoint about this upward shifting market of travelling

Today, corporates are willing to travel to host an event in a destination that offers state-of-the-art facilities, new experiences and that added value of travelling. The Meeting Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry has shown a growth trajectory from India. MICE tourism is an integral part of outbound tourism in any corner of the globe and is one of the fastest growing vertical of tourism, at the moment. The scope of this section is huge and very sturdy. Corporates, with different size and budget, make it a part of their sales and marketing strategy to factor incentive trips for their dealers or executives based on target achievement. Corporates are planning their annual or board meetings in very exclusive and exotic locales, around the world. India is estimated to generate 6.5 million outbound luxury and MICE tourists annually by 2020, reinforcing the country’s influence as a key source market for MICE and luxury travel, according to figures published ahead of the 5th Annual MICE India and Luxury Travel Congress (MILT) 2018.

According to another recent report, travel and tourism businesses around the world are looking to capitalise on India’s double-digit annual growth in the outbound MICE and luxury travel

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India is estimated to generate 6.5 million outbound luxury and MICE tourists annually by 2020, reinforcing the country’s influence as a key source market for MICE and luxury travel segment, with the value of India’s business travel market expected to reach USD 93 billion by 2030.

Gradually, more businessmen are increasingly travelling out of India for business meetings, technical tie-ups and technology exchange in addition to updating their knowledge by attending various trade shows and exhibitions, worldwide.

Attending international conferences in their respective field of business is also driving a number of visitors in this segment.

The country’s tourism and economic growth can be raised exponentially by participating in huge congregations, seminars, exhibitions and other marketing events. Noting that Indian corporates remain largely unaffected by the global slowdown and continue to spend big on corporate travel, the National Tourist Offices (NTOs) are meticulously moulding and re-moulding their convention

facilities as well as marketing strategies in addition to easing the visa application process.

The talk of the town? “Bleisure” is a recent trend of almost every businessman who is going on business tours, primarily and extending their trip for a leisure holiday. So, it is a great combination of mixing business with pleasure and it is becoming highly popular especially with the young businessmen, owners and entrepreneurs emerging at a steady growth in India. This trend, apparently, is driving more business travellers to travel overseas in search of that one, unfamiliar destination, ideal for both business and pleasure to unwind oneself after a serious meeting. All in all, the scope and possibility of MICE tourism is very big and contribution to the growth of outbound tourism is very positive with a sheer promise of nothing but progress.

News

AVIATION

Bhubaneswar likely to get a second airport To reduce the congestion at the existing Bhubaneswar airport, the city will get a second airport, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry. “Identification of a suitable land to build a second airport near Khurda on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar has been initiated. The set-up process will be fast-tracked. The new airport will prevent traffic congestion while improving passenger convenience,” the ministry stated. The airport registered a growth of 39.4 per cent in 2017 to 2018 fiscal, making it one of the fastest growing airports in the country.

“The airport, which was started in 1962, is near saturation and faces severe space and runway-related constraints.

There is, thus, an urgent need to set up a new airport at Bhubaneswar given the tremendous growth potential of this smart city,” said Dharmendra Pradhan, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister.

Boeing and Vistara agrees to upto ten 787-9 Dreamliners Boeing and Vistara, together, confirmed that the joint venture between Singapore Airlines and Tata Group has agreed to order six 787-9 Dreamliners, with options for four more jets at the 2018 Farnborough International Airshow.

The agreement, valued at USD 2.8 billion at current list prices, will enable Vistara to become the first operator of the 787-9 in India.

In addition, the new Dreamliners will mark the first widebody aeroplanes for the Indian carrier and will help launch long-haul operations.

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Airbus partners with three Indian startups to power GenNext aviation solutions NAVBLUE and Aerial, subsidiaries of the leader in aviation and air cargo sector Airbus, have signed contracts with three Indian startups, accelerated at Airbus Bizlab India, to power cutting-edge technologies that will help usher in new industry benchmarks in aeronautical data services, flight operations and imagery services.

NAVBLUE signed up Bengaluru-based Stelae Technologies to enhance aeronautical data services quality and consistency while enabling a faster introduction to the market of the next generation fully data-driven and connected EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) solution. NAVBLUE also extended its agreement with EFLIGHT with the aim of providing a comprehensive service solution to the Indian business aviation market.

The third agreement was signed between Airbus

Aerial and Navi Mumbai-based Airpix for a joint go-to-market in India to provide geo-analytic solutions and imagery services in the country.

The agreements mark the successful culmination of Season three of Airbus BizLab’s start-up acceleration programme TAKE OFF 2018, which seeks to bolster the Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Startup India’ initiatives. The latest partnerships are in addition to those that Airbus signed with Bengaluru based start-ups – Neewee and EFLIGHT in February 2018. “For the last couple of years, I have been convinced with the potential and the quality of entrepreneurs in India. I am pleased to see that all these partnerships between Airbus and Indian startups are proving me right,” said Bruno Gutierres, Global Head, Airbus BizLab.

Emirates’ third service to Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport for business travellers Emirates will start a third daily service between Moscow’s Domodedovo (DME) Airport and Dubai, from October 25, 2018. Emirates has been serving the Russian market since 2003. Demand for travel has grown significantly over recent years, leading to the airline’s launch of third flight to Moscow. The new service will be operated by an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER in a three-class cabin configuration, with eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 310 spacious seats in Economy. This service will cater for leisure and business passengers, providing

daily links for international tourism and trade opportunities both inbound and outbound.

The new flight allows for seamless connectivity to Moscow from several popular destinations in Emirates’ and flydubai’s combined route network, including Bali, Bangkok, Colombo, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Kathmandu, Kuala Lumpur, Maldives, Mauritius and Singapore. The new Emirates flight from Domodedovo airport is also timed to connect conveniently with a wide network of domestic flights operated by Emirates codeshare partner in Russia – S7 Airlines.

News

AVIATION

Boeing, SparkCognition to shape the future of travel Boeing recently announced that it is collaborating with artificial intelligence (AI) technology leader, SparkCognition, to deliver unmanned aircraft system traffic management (UTM) solutions. Boeing and SparkCognition will use artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies to track unmanned air vehicles in flight and allocate traffic corridors and routes to ensure safe, secure transportation. Through the collaboration, they will also provide a standardised programming interface to support package delivery, industrial inspection and other commercial applications. Boeing HorizonX Ventures previously invested in SparkCognition to support its development of a cognitive, datadriven analytics platform for the safety, security and reliability of data technology.

“Estimated by some analysts at USD three trillion, the urban aerial mobility opportunity will lead to the creation of the largest new market in our lifetimes,” said Amir Husain, Founder and CEO of SparkCognition. “The world’s number one aviation leader partnering with the world’s most innovative industrial AI company

means that unparalleled experience in safety, innovation, scale and reliability will be brought to bear to address this monumental opportunity.

We are at a point in history where technological advances and societal trends are converging to demand bold solutions and a different way to travel,” said Greg Hyslop, Boeing Chief Technology Officer. “Boeing has the experience and expertise to safely and efficiently shape this emerging world of travel and transport. Through Boeing NeXt, we intend to build on our legacy of opening up new frontiers to move people and goods with proven technologies.”

To help advance UTM and next-generation

CISF plans to stop the stamping of boarding passes of domestic flyers at Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi Very soon, domestic passengers flying out of Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi won’t need to get their boarding passes stamped “security checked”. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has written to these three airports to conduct a pilot project at the earliest.

Hyderabad airport already has this system in place. M A Ganapathy, Head of Airport Security, CISF, wrote to the CEOs of Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore airports (DIAL, MIAL and BIAL, respectively) to stop stamping of boarding cards of domestic flyers. A senior

CISF official said that MIAL “is very keen to do a pilot”. The Mumbai airport management is learnt to have approached both CISF and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security for the same. The system proposed by CSIA will deny access if a boarding card’s unique barcode is used by someone else to enter the PESC again. Once inside, CISF personnel will frisk and clear passengers without stamping their boarding pass, which will be scanned at each stage — entering, clearing and at the boarding gate.

travel and evolve the transportation ecosystem, Boeing is standing up a new organisation, Boeing NeXt. It will leverage Boeing’s research and development activities and investments in areas such as autonomous flight and advanced propulsion, as well as focus on modelling smart cities and exploring new market opportunities to solve for the transportation challenges of the future.

To reimagine how products and people move around the world, Boeing is pursuing technology development in emerging fields, including AI and hybrid and fully electric propulsion that will help ensure safe, efficient flight.

“By taking a holistic approach that combines Boeing’s strength in technological innovation with new business models and non-traditional partnerships, we are laying the foundation for the future commercial mobility ecosystem,” said Steve Nordlund, who will lead Boeing NeXt in addition to his role as Vice President of Boeing HorizonX. “We are shaping the physical and connectivity infrastructure to ensure new air vehicles safely operate in the global airspace.”

Jet Airways commences services from Indore to Hyderabad and Chandigarh Jet Airways will be introducing new flights on the Indore to Chandigarh, Indore to Hyderabad and Bengaluru to Guwahati routes. It will commence services from Indore to Hyderabad and Chandigarh.

Jet Airways flight 9W 955 will be operated by on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Similarly, the airline is set to offer enhanced connectivity to the North East from Bengaluru with daily direct services to Guwahati. Guests arriving at Guwahati can avail of connectivity to beyond points to include Aizwal, Bagdogra, Jorhat, Imphal and Silchar. The flight will be a daily direct service between the cities of Bengaluru and Guwahati.

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Spotlight

CITY OF PEARLS

Outshining other MICE destinations The meaning of business meetings in India has evolved immensely during the past few years with the advent of business tourism in Hyderabad. With the finest infrastructure, matchless connectivity and vast capacity for organisation gatherings of any size, the ‘City of Nawabs’ advances to rule the country as its new MICE capital

By Sayanti Halder

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Spotlight

When it comes to business travelling, Hyderabad ticks all the right boxes. It has the required hospitality infrastructure, access by air, rail and road, is steeped in history and has an abundance of experiences for the culinary to the traditional arts. In a nutshell, it is the ideal place for a convention or a corporate conference. A major catalyst for Hyderabad’s growth is its unique location and interesting benefits for both MICE and leisure travellers who can enjoy the world-class infrastructure and experience warm hospitality and culture.

Being one of the most accessible cities in India, the infrastructure inside Hyderabad is also quite developed with numerous five-star deluxe hotels that are quite close to the convention centres and well laid out road network. In business, time is a major factor and good facilities like these help save a lot of it. Being the first ever city in the country which started operations with a 30 km section, the city can now boast of connectivity from one end

Ramoji Rao Chairman, Ramoji Group

to another in the next few months. International Congress and Convention Association’s annual statistics on the number of rotating international association meetings hosted by countries and cities were released to indicate overall stability in the MICE business. Hyderabad has emerged as one of the leading metros in India for MICE tourism, ranking only behind Delhi and is on the fast track to becoming India’s convention capital, in the near future.

The MICE industry in India is one of the fastestgrowing sectors within the hospitality industry, and it has been largely supported by government and industry efforts. Succeeding in tandem, Hyderabad is emerging as a globally-preferred destination for large-scale conferences and has managed to carve out a sustainable calendar of MICE events to be hosted in major areas. The state government has been centring on the traditional strength of the city and supporting marketing and infrastructure initiatives for Hyderabad. This is also important

“Hyderabad is a comprehensive and unique MICE destination, ideal for corporate conferences, sales meets, exhibitions, product launches and other corporate activities. Hyderabad’s finest blend of business and pleasure is its core offering. It makes sure that business meets in cinematic avenues and exotic arenas not only become engaging and motivating but highly memorable for everyone.

On top of that, Ramoji Film City brings unique advantages with conferencing facilities in pollution free environs away from the hustle and bustle of a city and just 40 minutes’ drive from international airport. Ramoji Film City has been a host of multifarious corporate events of many MNCs, major Indian corporate organisations, business associations and umbrella bodies, across the sectors. Some of the major events of several national and multinational corporations inlcude Microsoft, Dell

as there is competition from international venues for global events, and these events, if hosted in Hyderabad, will enhance the city’s image as a premier MICE destination.

The recent Global Entrepreneur Summit led by Ivanka Trump underscored the importance of this southern city as a booming tech hub, a key centre for entrepreneurship and the top ranking city in terms of quality of life, adding a further boost to the brand, ‘Hyderabad’. Further, the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) will be making its 2018 debut in India, choosing Hyderabad as its destination. About 5,000 delegates are likely to take part in the event as said by C P Gurnani, CEO and MD, Tech Mahindra. He further added saying, “2018 marks not only the debut of WCIT in India but the first time we are holding an event of NILF’s (Nasscom India Leadership Forum) global scale in Hyderabad, which would act as a major reagent for promoting tourism in Hyderabad.”

EMC, Cognizant, Wells Fargo, Axis Bank, SBI Life, Max Life, HDFC, ICICI, Chola MS, ICICI Lombard, ACC Cement, Ultra Tech, Kesoram Cement, JK cement, Asian Paints, Jotun Paints, Airtel, Vodafone, Maurti, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra Tractors, Du-pont, Bayer Corp. Ramoji Film City curates theme-based incentive events that attracts more corporates looking for a relaxing vacation after meeting or team-building outings. In addition to this, it is the creatively designed spousal programs at Ramoji Film City which have been favourites of the corporates. The open-air convention facility at Ramoji Film City can accommodate large participants. It has expansive outdoor venues and specially designed indoor conferencing facilities to house giantsized gatherings. All these and more attributes of Ramoji Film City make Hyderabad a one-stop destination for the business meets.”

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Spotlight

KV Nagendra Prasad COO – HITEX, President, IEIA and President – IAEE (India Chapter)

“Hyderabad is the new buzzword in the MICE travel industry. The 2014 report of International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) stated Hyderabad as the second best MICE destination in India, which is set to become the convention capital of India while National Geographic ranked Hyderabad as the second best place in the world that one should see in 2015. Hyderabad has an ecosystem that fulfills all the requirements that a city needs to excel as a MICE destination including good connectivity, large venues, modern infrastructure, excellent hotels and travel attractions. The success of recent high profile events such as IEIA Open Seminar, Poultry Show, Lab Expo, Pharmalytica, The World Stroke Congress, MICE International Conclave, Geospatial World Forum, World Congress of GI Endoscopy, International Congress on Infectious Diseases, International Union of Crystallography, World Congress on Neuro Rehabilitation and Association

Shrikant Wakharkar General Manager Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre

Bharathi Shetty Managing Director, Frontier Holidays “Hyderabad, which has emerged as a significant IT hub of India and is all set to grow further with it also being India’s fastest growing start-up engine and India’s largest start-up incubator.

The rise in the number of MICE in the city has led to an impressive growth spurt in footfall, with foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) to Hyderabad recording a 76 per cent jump in 2017.

The domestic tourist arrivals (DTAs) too shot up by 16 per cent, last year.

Hyderabad’s global connectivity, favourable weather conditions and infrastructure to host thousands of delegates for various meetings and conference gives it an edge over other cities. Apart from meetings and conferences, the rise in medical tourism is also a major reason for the increase in tourist arrivals to the city.

The state government has declared the tourism and hotel-related

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of Physicians resonated Hyderabad’s status as the premier MICE destination in India.

The future of Hyderabad as a MICE destination is promising. The Telangana government is progressive in building Hyderabad as the best MICE city in India. The government aims to attract over one million foreign tourists to Telangana by 2025, bulk of which will be MICE visitors coming to Hyderabad. The city will gain a huge momentum with the addition of Hyderabad metro rail operations, expansion of venues, hotels and other infrastructure. Hyderabad has excellent venues with topnotch facilities that can cater to events of various sizes.

HITEX Exhibition Center’s upcoming 8100 sqm. (87,000 sqft.) pillar-less event facility, which is going to be India’s largest multipurpose venue, will be a new feather in Hyderabad’s cap.”

industries as a high priority sector for investment as travel and tourism holds the key for rapid economic development and employment generation and this has seen a rise in hotel inventories. With the state government aiming to attract a million plus foreign tourist footfall count by 2025, the country’s biggest exhibition and convention centre, with a capacity to hold up to 8,000 people, is also expected to come up in HITEX by end 2018. International hotel chains are increasing their presence in the country, as it will account for around 47 per cent share in India’s tourism and hospitality sector. Both room inventory and conferencing capacity are keys to a MICE destination and if Hyderabad has both, I see no reason why it is not going to grow as a prime MICE destination in India.”

“Hyderabad has enjoyed being a premier MICE destination owing to the infrastructure to host huge conferences. The Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre houses one of the biggest convention centres in the city. With a strong focus on the MICE segment, the hotel has constantly understood and met with the expectations of domestic and international MICE travellers through new and innovative packages, which are both efficient and superlative.

With the growing pace of pharma and healthcare sectors in the city, Hyderabad should remain a preferred city for most organisers. Five most valued companies in the world have their largest presence outside the US, in Hyderabad. No other city in the world enjoys this distinction.

Hyderabad, which emerged on the global IT map in the late 90s,

is now home to more than 100 American companies. Hyderabad is also considered the bulk drug capital of India, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of the production in the country. Home to a large number of defence research laboratories, the city is also emerging as the aerospace and defence industry hub. Making a substantial investment in this sector, Boeing launched its first equity joint venture along with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. in Hyderabad. Swedish furniture major IKEA is also set to foray in India by opening its first store at Hyderabad in the month of August. Hyderabad will soon have a new feather in its cap with the launch of India’s biggest exhibition cum convention centre by the end of 2018. The exhibition industry is fast turning into a significant player in Indian growth story and with this new convention centre a lot more will be added to the Telangana exchequer.”

Homeward

JHARKHAND A Joyful Journey Situated on the Chhotanagpur Plateau, the newly formed Jharkhand is famously known as ‘The Land of Forests’. An ultimate destination for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts, this East Indian nature-rich state is blessed with unparalleled sceneries and a vast nature’s bounty, making an ideal holiday destination for people looking for a rendezvous with nature

By Team MI

Go into the Wild This natural habitat is a treat for wildlife enthusiasts, delving inside a world of exotic botanical exhibits and thriving biodiversity. Ranked as one of the most beautiful zoos in the country, the Birsa Zoological Park is a part of the ex-situ conservation practices adopted by the Jharkhand Wildlife Association. Also referred to as the Birsa Jaivik Udyan, it shelters a comprehensive line of wild animals.

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Homeward

TRADE Trek into Greenery One of the most exclusive nature trails in Jharkhand is the one leading to the Panchghagh Falls, formed from five cascades in a row in the marvellous backdrop of a rocky terrain. Nestled on the RanchiChakradharpur road, about six kilometres from Khunti lays Panch Gagh, a tribute to the Banai River. Offering a vivid expanse of green and luscious foliage, the forest patch present downstream is ideal for trekking.

Witness the Uncultivated The untapped, picturesque destination of Palamu boasts the Palamu Wildlife Sanctuary and Betla National Park, which offers a great opportunity to the nature lovers, trekkers and wildlife lovers, helping them explore the luxuriant surroundings of the city. Palamu also has a rich cultural background that leads to the popularity of the city amid historians and admirers of Indian culture. Other attractions include the River Koel, Palamu Fort, Upper Ghaghri Waterfalls, Lower Ghaghri Water Falls and Lodh Falls.

Ascend to Serenity Located at an altitude of 1,128 meters above sea level, is the beautiful hill station named Netarhat.

With tranquil surroundings and scenic landscapes, Netarhat is called ‘The Queen of Chotanagpur.’ This exquisite destination can steal hearts and blow minds and whoever is planning for leisure holidays in Jharkhand, away from the hustle and bustle of big metropolitan cities, Netarhat is just the right place. The cool and comfortable weather of this hill station is another reason for visiting it.

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News

OUTBOUND Egypt Tourism conducts four-city roadshow in India Egypt Tourism, led by Ismail Amer, Egyptian Tourism Counsellor, Egyptian Tourism Office in Mumbai, recently conducted a four-city roadshow that included the cities of Mumbai (July 23), Ahmedabad (July 24), Bengaluru (July 26) and Cochin (July 27). The Mumbai leg witnessed a huge response from the travel trade who attended to meet their counterparts from Egypt and explore the opportunities of co-operation and extend their

Ismail Amer knowledge about the uniqueness and variety Egypt offers to visitors.

The Mumbai roadshow included two separate segments on the side lines of the main show, namely an Experts Meet, which was the corporate MICE workshop followed by another Experts Meet on film workshop, which invited key individuals from the film and entertainment industry.

Speaking at the event, Amer said, “In 2017, we received 1, 03, 000 visitors from India, which was a 30 per cent increase in numbers

as compared to the previous year.

In 2016, we received about 79,000 tourists from India. It is a very good growth and I believe it is the largest growth we have achieved since 2014, when we had received only about 60,000 tourists from India.” He added that according to the latest figures, Indians are the second-highest spenders in terms of the international market, preceded only by Japanese tourists.

Bahrain Tourism launches mangrove tours in Tubli Bay

Delhi to connect with Ho Chi Minh City via direct flights

In collaboration with the Supreme Council for Environment, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) has announced the launch of mangrove tours in Tubli Bay. Tours will depart from Sitra Park between 8 am and 4 pm.

“It gives us great pleasure to announce the launch of mangrove tours in Tubli Bay in collaboration with the Supreme Council for Environment. We aim to provide all visitors with unique experiences through the various attractions and activities offered in the Kingdom. This comes as

The first direct air service between Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and New Delhi is likely to commence by the last quarter of this financial year.

This was announced by Nguyen Le Thanh, Deputy Chief of Mission at Vietnam Embassy. Stating that out of 20 million Indians travelling overseas every year, only 90,000 visit Vietnam. “India has a very important place in our foreign policy and we have a comprehensive strategic partnership. The bonding will strengthen further with more people-to-people contact and this can be boosted through tourism,” Thanh said. She said Vietnam has seen a rapid rise in tourist inflow

part of the BTEA’s long-term strategy to further develop the Kingdom’s tourism sector under the slogan ‘Ours.Yours.’, which contributes towards the Kingdom’s economy and the Economic Vision 2030,” said Chief Executive Officer of BTEA, Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa.

from the other parts of the world with an average 25 to 30 per cent increase in numbers every year compared to the previous year.

“From just 2.5 lakh overseas tourists in 1990, Vietnam has registered 13 million tourist arrivals in 2017,” she informed.

Dubai registers 29 per cent increase in business event, bid wins in H1 2018 Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city’s official convention bureau, has reported strong results for the first half of 2018 with 125 successful bids to host business events, reflecting a 29 per cent increase from the same period last year. Conferences, meetings and incentive programmes secured in the first six months of the year, including from bids submitted in previous years, are poised to attract over 65,000 delegates from around the world, resulting in an expected economic impact of approximately AED 500 million. Key business event wins in

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H1 included Pro-Health China Incentive (2019), World Chamber Congress (2021), International Congress for the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (2021), World Congress of Gastroenterology (2021) as well as Asia Pacific Congress of Cardiology (2023).

During the first half of 2018, DBE representatives attended over 70 trade events where it showcased Dubai’s business events offering and services to more than 9,000 international meetings, events and incentives industry professionals.

News

HOSPITALITY

Ginger Hotels signs third property in Noida

Choice Hotels plans to add 11 Indian properties by the end of 2020 Choice Hotels India plans to add 11 more properties under the franchise model by the end of 2020 in India. The company, which is a subsidiary of the US-based hospitality major Choice Hotels International, currently has 29 hotels in India. The new hotels will be present in locations, including Port Blair, Gorakhpur, Ooty, Lucknow, Lakhimpur and Kochi.

The company operates in India under five brands namely Sleep Inn, Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Clarion and Ascend Collection.

“We will be opening 11 hotels in India by the

end of 2020 under the franchise model. The upcoming hotels are under various stages of development,” informed Choice Hotels India CEO, Vilas Pawar.

On the investments that the company plans to make for the expansion, Pawar said, “As we follow the franchise model, we don’t invest in the property. We invest in our distribution platforms and in our systems that deliver values and in training. The investments primarily go into making our brand visible and on brand promotion.’’

AccorHotels introduces MyRoom across five hotels

Jean-Michel Cassé Guests can check into select AccorHotels properties in Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Goa to enjoy MyRoom by AccorHotels – a concept that offers customised rooms that are curated to reflect various themes and passions. Going beyond standardised rooms, MyRoom by AccorHotels offers 15 vibrant and

creatively inspired rooms for both adults and children livening their stay.

To bridge the gap between the hotel staff and guests, the MyRoom themes have been designed by the hotel staff itself.

Jean-Michel Cassé, COO - India and South Asia, AccorHotels said, “Our brand values include strengthening the bond between guests and employees based on shared interested. The MyRoom concept personifies this, by offering ‘one room, one story, one guest’ focusing on ‘selling stories rather than rooms’. With much success during our pilot project, we have expanded the concept now to five hotels and hope to continue to offer these unique rooms across India.”

Ginger has announced the signing of a new hotel in Noida, New Delhi’s satellite city. It will be the third Ginger in Noida. Deepika Rao, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ginger said, “Noida is a commercial hub with presence of some of the world’s largest international companies. We are delighted to partner with Admired Height Projects and expand our presence in Noida.”

The new Ginger hotel is a Greenfield project slated to open in 2021. With 119 rooms, an all-day diner, a meeting room and a fitness centre, the hotel will be housed in Paras One 33, a one-stop mixed-use destination on Noida Expressway in Sector 133. It is located a short drive from Greater Noida, Akshardham Temple and with close proximity to major IT hubs.

Mövenpick Hotel & Convention Centre KLIA opens in Malaysia Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has made its debut in Malaysia, unveiling a strikingly modern hotel and conference centre close to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The hotel features 333 rooms and suites with the latest in-room technology.

Directly accessible from the hotel, the convention centre will comprise a 1,287 sqm open exhibition space, a 777 sqm circular hall, seven discussion rooms, 10 seminar rooms and the vast main hall, which covers 2,386 sqm. and can be divided into four separate spaces.

“We are delighted to enter the Malaysian market with such a spectacular property, which will benefit from its proximity to one of south-east Asia’s busiest international air hubs,”

said Mark Willis, President- Asia, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. “With its distinctive design, prime location and impressive facilities, the hotel is set to become one of the region’s leading venues for meetings and events and will further cement Mövenpick’s presence in Asia, where we are rapidly expanding our portfolio.”

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Hotel Feature

CLARKS EXOTICA CONVENTION RESORT & SPA

Experience the different yet the best Located amidst the posh “Garden City” of Bengaluru and spread over 70 acres of greenery, the Clarks Exotica Convention Resort and Spa includes an award-winning spa, over two lakh square feet of banquet space, an extensive pool, restaurant, coffee shop and poolside bar

By Sayanti Halder

Location

The Living Spaces for All

Situated right around the Bangalore International Airport, on the Swiss Town of Hollywood Junction, is the Clarks Exotica Convention Resort & Spa, Bangalore that acts as a beacon of MICE facilities in the metro city of Bengaluru. The property overlooks the mighty Nandi Hills and celebrates the elegant spirit of the city. Also regarded as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’, Bengaluru fascinates a good amount of professionals and tourists, making it a one-stop destination for all perceptive business travellers. The extensive range of its facilities makes the resort a popular destination for MICE events as well as weddings.

Their luxurious exotic rooms serve all our guests with an illustrious Clarks Exotica experience. Ensuring that the guests are indulged thoroughly, embracing the pastoral and harmonious atmosphere, the Clarks Exotica Convention Resort & Spa, Bangalore offers a vast range of around 141 tastefully designed rooms that cater to the purpose of every guest. It offers broad categories such as Exotica Rooms, Club Exotica Rooms, Exotica 1BHK and 2BHK Rooms, respectively along with Exotica, perfect for a family getaway and Club Exotica Suites, ideal for both leisure and work. The Exotica Executive Suite has a spacious living room, a private bar and a walk-in closet.

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Hotel Feature

“We are redefining how corporate events are conducted” In conversation with M. Balaji, CEO, Clarks Exotica Convention Resort & Spa How are you positioning the hotel for the MICE and the corporate segment of travellers?

BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE

Equipped with over two lakh sq.ft. of banqueting space, spread across 11 halls, the meeting rooms here are equipped with the latest presentation facilities and state-of-the-art communication systems. The Ocean Convention Center is one of the biggest, pillar-less banquet space in Bengaluru spread over 50,000 sqft.

It is 25,000 sqft. in the main area with an additional 25,000 sqft. banquet area. The convention halls of varied sizes, namely the Galaxy of 10,000 sqft., Senate (4,000 sqft.), Summit (2,370 sqft.), Chambers (2,163 sqft.), Cosmo (1,340 sqft.), Embassy of approximately 745 sqft., Imperium of 649 sqft. and the Chancellor of around 547 sqft., allows its guests with several alternatives to plan and organise their business meeting and conference on a larger scale.

With more than two lakh sqft. of banquet and meeting spaces, five-star services, lush greenery combined with the bestin-class infrastructure and a variety of activities to offer, we are redefining how corporate events are conducted. When guests visit Clarks Exotica for a corporate or MICE event, they always have more to experience considering the options we have such as swimming, spa, gym, cycling, table tennis, basketball, board games and more. Most importantly, all of it gives a certain edge to the pattern of how corporate events are carried out. We try to provide the best and finest of our services to make your events memorable.

Tell us about the customer segmentation of the property. What do you think is the contributing factor to the success of the hotel?

Clarks Exotica Convention Resort and Spa is a huge space. We provide our guests with all kind of amenities. The beauty of our property is that we cater to all segments of guests which include MICE, corporate clients, free individual travellers as well as weddings and other social events. From business conferences to gatherings, exhibitions to wedding receptions, we provide every kind of facility to our customers. It is a ‘go-to’ place for all kind of activities. “Experience the different” is the statement we live by at Clarks Exotica Convention Resort and Spa. Our team constitutes of experienced individuals. A great team is what contributes to the success of the hotel. Our staffs are well trained and they leave no stone unturned to ensure that the guest is happy when they leave our property.

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

Revitalise Your Senses The services offered at the Seventh Heaven Wellness Spa here are inspired by the healing traditions of indigenous cultures.

The signature therapies offered at the spa are classical Swedish Massage, Balinese/Sports Massage, Thai Massage or Aromatherapy, Hot Stone Therapy/Ayurvedic Massages and Chinese Reflexology.

One may also get a good pampering done at the resort’s salon, Persona. Additionally, the resort offers a range of indoor and outdoor activities including table and lawn tennis, squash court, indoor badminton court, cricket ground, cycling and swimming pool with slides.

If we want our guests to keep coming back to us, there is only one way and that is by providing excellent services. We continuously strive to improvise our services; we do not compromise on quality and always put guests first. Apart from this, the services and amenities we have to offer are very unique. We are the only five-star resort in the city that can offer 70 acres of lush green space, one of south India’s largest convention centre, one of city’s largest spa – Seventh Heaven and close proximity to the airport.

How do you foresee 2018 for Clarks Exotica Convention Resort & Spa, Bangalore?

While we continue to grow our business across all our services and guest segments, the focus for us this year is more towards increasing our client base for MICE. We already have a couple of large conventions lined up at our property and are working towards bringing on board a few more. We would make sure to provide and maintain our quality of service. This factor has brought us where we are today and definitely we can hope to proceed forward with keeping the same in mind.

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REPORT

INTERNATIONAL TOURISM LEAPS IN THE FIRST MONTHS OF 2018: UNWTO Each month, the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer and the accompanying Statistical Annex presents an analysis of outbound tourism based on international tourism expenditure and departures data for source markets for 2017 as well as 2018.

Additionally, it updates the preliminary results for international tourist arrivals and receipts in 2017 reported by destinations around the world included in the January 2018 Advance Release. Furthermore, we share one of the recent analyses of this global organisation.

As per the report, international tourist arrivals grew by six per cent in the first four months of 2018, compared to the same period last year, not only continuing the strong 2017 trend but exceeding UNWTO’s forecast for 2018. Growth was led by Asia and the Pacific (over eight per cent) and Europe (over seven per cent). Africa (above seven per cent), the Middle East (above four per cent) and the Americas (over three) also recorded sound results. Earlier this year, UNWTO’s forecast for 2018 was between four to five per cent.

“International tourism continues to show significant growth worldwide and this translates into job creation in many economies. This growth reminds us of the need to increase our capacity to develop and manage tourism in a sustainable way, building smart destinations and making the most of technology and innovation”, said UNWTO SecretaryGeneral, Zurab Pololikashvili.

ASIA AND EUROPE LED GROWTH AT THE START OF 2018 From January to April 2018, international arrivals increased in all regions, led by Asia and the Pacific

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(over eight per cent), with South-East Asia (+10 per cent) and South Asia (over nine per cent) driving results.

The world’s largest tourism region, Europe also performed strongly during this four-month period (above seven per cent), pulled ahead by the destinations of Southern and Mediterranean Europe and Western Europe (both over eight per cent).

Growth in the Americas is estimated at three per cent with the strongest results in South America

(above eight per cent). The Caribbean (minus nine per cent) is the only sub-region to experience a decrease in arrivals during this period, weighed down by some destinations still struggling with the aftermath of the hurricanes of August and September 2017. The limited information coming from Africa and the Middle East, tourism points to six per cent and four per cent growth, respectively, confirming the rebound of Middle East destinations and the consolidation of the growth in Africa.

Confidence in global tourism remains strong according to the latest UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts survey. The Panel’s outlook for the period of May to August is one the most optimistic in a decade, led by the particularly upbeat sentiment in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Experts’ evaluation of tourism performance in the first four months of 2018 was also robust, in line with the strong results recorded in many destinations around the world.

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The ultimate theme park for families with kids aged 2-12. With over 40 LEGO® themed rides, shows, attractions and building experiences.

Splash your way through 20 water slides and attractions in the region’s only water park designed for families with kids aged 2-12.

Check in to this Polynesian themed hotel, dedicated to families and friends who want to stay close to all the fun.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW

© 2018 DreamWorks Animation LLC All Rights Reserved. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and Knob configurations, DUPLO and LEGOLAND are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2018 The LEGO Group. LEGOLAND is a Merlin Entertainments brand.

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News

APPOINTMENTS

MARC GUSSING

NIKLAS ANDREEN

MICHAEL K. PLATT

CHRISTIAN METZNER

JW Marriott Maldives appointed Marc Gussing as their new General Manager.

With over 20 years of illustrious industry exposure, he is a pro-active and dynamic personality coupled with excellent communication skills who leads a well-structured organisation par excellence. In his new role, Gussing is responsible for achieving targets by developing and implementing strategic sales, marketing plans and initiatives in the hotel’s continuing effort to deliver outstanding guest service and financial profitability.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel has appointed Niklas Andréen as their new Executive Vice President and Chief Traveler Experience Officer. He will oversee worldwide Traveler Services (rebranded as Traveler Experience) and holistic approach to customer experience across all channels. Prior to this, Andréen was the Senior Vice President & Managing Director at Travelport. He also founded two businesses and held consulting positions with Accenture, Connecta and Monitor Company earlier in his career.

El Conquistador, Tucson named Michael K. Platt as the new General Manager. He brings more than 25 years of experience to the team. Born in Zimbabwe and fluent in three languages, Platt’s passion for travel and education led him to a variety of luxury brands with general manager positions at Arista Hotel, Viceroy Hotel, Santa Monica and Hilton Long Beach and El San Juan Hotel & Casino in Puerto Rico.

W, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia appointed Christian Metzner as their General Manager. Prior to this, Metzner was at The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort, Langkawi, where he had been the General Manager since 2014.

Since then, he has held numerous positions within the company across two continents, including leadership roles in Beijing, Tianjin and Langkawi. Having been part of Marriott International for the past 15 years, he brings with him a wealth of experience.

JEAN-NOEL RAULT

DANIELLE CURTIS

SUHAS DIWASE

SHANNON SCHWIER

Air France-KLM, a global leader in air-transport and member of the SkyTeam Alliance, announces the appointment of Jean-Noel Rault as the new General Manager – Indian Sub-Continent. Taking office on August 1, 2018, Rault 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.

Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) has appointed Danielle Curtis as the regional Exhibition Director for the Middle East. Curtis takes on the overall responsibility for ATM, IBTM Arabia and all associated travel projects throughout the region.

Originally from Australia, she has over 15 years’ experience within the events industry, including extensive knowledge of Reed Travel Exhibitions’ portfolio of events. In her new role, Curtis will report to Divisional Director, Nick Pilbeam.

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation appointed Suhas Diwase as its new Managing Director. Diwase IAS batch 2009 took charge of office on July 16, 2018. Currently, he is also working as the Chairman and Managing Director of Maharashtra State Warehousing Corporation.

Prior to this appointment, he has worked in various districts at several positions. He was Director of Disaster Management, CEO of PimpriChinchwad New Town Development Authority and Collector of Bhandara district.

Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown announced the appointment of Shannon Schwier as the new Hotel Manager at their property. Schwier’s journey with the hotel group began in 2013 when she joined Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles Beverly Hills as Director of Housekeeping. She has also spent two years in the epicenter of America’s entertainment industry where she managed to demonstrate her incredible talent and knowledge of Rooms Division operations.

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