TOURISM INDIA NOVEMBER 2017

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Indian Aviation, quality of service and customer’s satisfaction

I

ndian aviation and tourism industry has witnessed, one of the bad face of degradation of service quality and lack of trained human resource issue at Indira Gandhi International airport on October 15, 2017, when a video allegedly showing security staff of IndiGo, India’s leading airline, manhandling a passenger went viral prompting the Director General of Civil Aviation to launch an investigation into the incident.

In the video, widely shared on social media and television news channels, at least two IndiGo staff members can be seen pinning a passenger down on the ground after an argument on the tarmac at New Delhi airport.

The male passenger shouts and attempts to fight back but is overpowered by the IndiGo staff.

Meanwhile, IndiGo president Mr. Aditya Ghosh said he has called up the passenger and apologised. “My personal apologies as this does not reflect our culture,” he said in a statement. “Treating our customers with respect is core to what we do… An incident happened at the Delhi airport which is… against what we stand for at IndiGo. We immediately suspended employees involved.”

“Under the code of conduct violation, this incident was investigated by the designated committee and stern action was taken against the staff who was the main culprit by immediately terminating his employment.

He was the one found instigating and aggravating the situation. He is the exact opposite of what IndiGo’s customer service aims to be,” Ghosh added. “Treating our customers with respect is core to what we do.

Every day we take tens of thousands of happy customers to where they need to get to. It is for this reason that customers choose IndiGo more number of times than any other airline in the country,” he further said.

IndiGo promoter Mr. Rahul Bhatia met Mr. Ashok Gajapathi Raju , the Minister for Civil Aviation in New Delhi and the meeting comes hours after the youtube video appeared of a passenger being beaten by a IndiGo staffer.

IndiGo, which adorned the number one position in Indian Aviation scenario, world’s third largest aviation market has also flies about one in every two passengers in the country. In less than a decade after its launch in 2006, IndiGo has emerged as the leader in Indian aviation market, riding high on punctuality, reliability, and standout customer service. Indigo airline won the Skytrax world airline award eight consecutive times for being the best low-cost airline in central Asia and India.

Unfortunately, Indigo is flying through some serious turbulence in the last few weeks, as the airline has lurched from one public relations disaster to another. The ace Indian shuttler and Padma awardee Ms.P. V Sindhu took Twitter to express her protest against the ‘rude’ behaviour of an airline ground staff over her kit bag when she was flying to Mumbai in first week of November. “Sorry to say ..I had a very bad experience when I was flying by 6E 608 flight to Bombay on 4th Nov the ground staff by name Mr Ajeetesh.” Sindhu tweeted. According to various media reports, after these two incidents, BSE-listed Interglobe Aviation Ltd, operator of IndiGo airline which controls 38.2% of the market share, fell as much as 5.3 per cent to Rs 1,145.55.

Indian aviation industry is growing like anything and the time has arrived to take stock of our quality standards in human resources and continuous training to cater the customers with smiling faces and folded hands.

Maintaining the service standards and sustain the brand values is very important in this time of digital and smart phone era. If anything happened against the service expectation of the valued customers, due to the negligence of the staff or errors in service quality will finally affect the growth of any business. The learning experience from an incident must be a learning experience to improve our quality of service standard. Hope our industry will move with caution and precision in the coming days to regain and sustain our ever beautiful mantra “Athidhi Devo Bhava”.

Ravisankar K.V. Editor Tourism India | November 2017 | 7

November 2017 Vol. 20 Price: India ` 75 US$ 4.99 GBP 2.99

CONTENTS

Managing Editor Ravisankar.K.V Executive Editor Rajani A Consulting Editor Biju Thomas Art Editor N. Bhattathiri Asst. Art Editor Vijayagopalan G. Photographer Murukesh Iyer Management Executive Divya Business & Editorial Associates T. Haridas – London, UK Thomas Kannenkeril- Berlin- Germany Santhosh Joseph- Australia New Delhi: D Anilkumar, Mob: +91 9868123311 Kolkata: Jayasree Singh, Mob: +91 94330 60333 Pondicherry: Ramasubramanian, Mob: +91 98949 77161 Editorial and Corporate Office: SEKT 52, Tourism House, Thamarakulam Lane, Sasthamangalam P.O Trivandrum, Kerala, India - 695010 Tel: +91 471 2315256

10

Parytan Parv and Adopt a Heritage – 2 model initiative by India Tourism

14 Kumarakom RT & Village Ways among the WTM Responsible Tourism Awards finalists 16 Safety, Skills and Infrastructure Key to Realizing India’s Tourism Potential

Fax: +91 471 2315197 info@tourismindiaonline.com www.tourismindiaonline.com Editorial: editor@tourismindiaonline.com Mob: +91 9847060531 Circulation: circulation@tourismindiaonline.com Mob: +91 99471 60531 Marketing: email: marketing@tourismindiaonline.com Mob: +91 9947260531 No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of Tourism India Publications Pvt. Ltd. All right reserved. Copyright@2017

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Capture the images without losing the sheen of creativity

Edited, Printed and Published by Ravisankar.K.V on behalf of Tourism India Publications Pvt. Ltd, SEKT 52, Tourism House, Thamarakulam Lane, Sasthamangalam P.O., Trivandrum, Kerala, India - 695010 Printed at Chakkala Printers, Trivandrum for Arsha Offset Graphix, Janvilla Lane, Sasthamangalam P.O., Trivandrum 695 010 Editor: Ravisankar.K.V

8 | Tourism India | November 2017

Cover Photo: Munnar Courtsey: Zacharia Ponkunnam

18 KTM 2018 dates announced and Focus will be on Malabar 19 Kerala Tourism launches Continuous Tourist Survey 2017-20 (CTS) 26 What drives travellers to click “buy”

43 24

Bullet Train Project starts

The Evolution of the Adventure Traveler: Study Charts Changes 2006-2016

27 Emirates Annual Environmental Report Released 28 Air Travel Increase 7% in 2016 30 Qatar Airways Opens Fourth New Gageway into Eastern Europe 31 Strategies for Sustaining Aviation’s Financial Health 32 Emirates to put up aviation X-lab in Dubai 34 Gulf Air launches “Gulf Air Holidays” 35 Gulf Air and Turkish Airlines sign a codeshare treaty 36 THAI Smile opens its 5th gateway in India 37 SWISS’s Flying Film Festival

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Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the official partner country of ITB Berlin 2018

Tourism India is proud to be a part

of International Year of Sustainable Tourism 2017 for develoment‍ as an Official Campaign Supporter.

38 Jet Airways Strengthens International Connectivity 39 Ethiopian launches Africa’s first 787-9 operation to Mumbai 40 Lufthansa Group’s flagship store on Fliggy.com 41 KLM returns to Mumbai after a gap of 16 years 42 Oman Air supported the ITP Global Conference.

46 ‘Let’s Go For a Camp’ 50 Chef Marcel Ravin embarks on a new adventure Tourism India | November 2017 | 9

The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley at the Official Closing Ceremony of “Paryatan Parv – Grand Finale’, organised by M/o Tourism in collaboration with other Central Ministries, State Governments and Stakeholders, in New Delhi on October 25, 2017. The Minister of State for Tourism (I/C) and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Alphons Kannanthanam, the Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Smt. Rashmi Verma and other dignitaries are also seen

Parytan Parv

2model initiative by and Adopt a Heritage

India Tourism

T

he ‘Adopt a Heritage Scheme’ of Ministry of Tourism was launched on World Tourism Day by the President of India, Which invited Private Sector Companies, Public Sector Companies and Corporate individuals to adopt the sites and to take up the responsibility for making our heritage and tourism more sustainable through conservation and development.

This scheme is a unique

10 | Tourism India | November 2017

Parv was organized with the objective of drawing focus on the benefits of tourism, showcasing the cultural diversity of the country and reinforcing the principle of ‘Tourism for All’.

endeavor of Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which envisages developing monuments, heritage and tourist sites across India and making them tourist friendly to enhance their tourism potential and cultural importance, in a planned and phased manner.

SBI Foundation, TK International Ltd, Yatra Online Pvt Ltd, Travel Corporation of India

The Minister of State for Tourism (I/C) and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Alphons Kannanthanam addressing at the Official Closing Ceremony of “Paryatan Parv – Grand Finale’, organised by M/o Tourism in collaboration with other Central Ministries, State Governments and Stakeholders, in New Delhi on October 25, 2017.

Ltd, Adventure Tour Operator Association of India, Special Holidays Travel Pvt Ltd with Rotary Club of Delhi, and NBCC were the seven companies shortlisted under the scheme.

Yatra Online Pvt. Limited has shortlisted for the adoption of three most famous UNESCO World Heritage declared

monuments, Hampi in Karnataka, Qutub Minar, Delhi and Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra along with Leh Palace, Jammu & Kashmir, while Travel Corporation of India Ltd. has shortlisted for the adoption of Mattancherry Palace Museum, Kochi and Safdarjung Tomb, Delhi.

TK International Limited, parent company of Toshali Hotels & Resorts in Odisha has shortlisted for the adoption of Sun Temple, Konark, Raja Rani Temple, Bhubaneshwar and Ratnagiri Monuments, Jajpur, Odisha. Adventure Tour Operator Association of India has shortlisted for the adoption of

The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley addressing at the Official Closing Ceremony of “Paryatan Parv – Grand Finale’, organised by M/o Tourism in collaboration with other Central Ministries, State Governments and Stakeholders, in New Delhi on October 25, 2017. The Minister of State for Tourism (I/C) and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Alphons Kannanthanam, the Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Smt. Rashmi Verma and other dignitaries are also seen

Tourism India | November 2017 | 11

The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley addressing at the Official Closing Ceremony of “Paryatan Parv – Grand Finale’, organised by M/o Tourism in collaboration with other Central Ministries, State Governments and Stakeholders, in New Delhi on October 25, 2017.

Gangotri Temple Area and Trail to Gaumukh and Mt. StokKangri, Laddakh, Jammu and Kashmir Special Holidays Travel Pvt. Ltd. (With) Rotary Club of Delhi has shortlisted for the adoption of Agrasen ki Baoli, Delhi. SBI Foundation shortlisted for the adoption of Jantar Mantar, Delhi and NBCC for Purana Quila,

Delhi. Letters of Intent was presented by Mr.Arun Jaitley, Union Finance Minister, to the seven shortlisted companies at the closing ceremony of “Paryatan Parv” (tourism festival) at Rajpath lawns.

At the occasion Mr. Jaitley also presented the Certificates for the ‘Best Participating Central

Government Ministry and Best Participating State Government’ at “Paryatan Parv”. Addressing the same, Mr. Arun Jaitley said that the Paryatan Parv is an event to show India’s tourism potential which is available in our country. He also opined that historical monuments need to be properly maintained and that

The Minister of State for Tourism (I/C) and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Alphons Kannanthanam briefing the media at the end of the deliberations of the Tourism Sector-CEO Forum, as part of the initiative of Paryatan Parv, in New Delhi on October 23, 2017. The Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Smt. Rashmi Verma and the Secretary, DIPP, Shri Ramesh Abhishek are also seen.

12 | Tourism India | November 2017

“Adopt a Heritage scheme” is a very good step in this direction.

He emphasized that we need an atmosphere of hospitality in our country.

Addressing the same, Mr. K.J. Alphons, Minister of State for Tourism said that ‘Paryatan Parv’ is a celebration of art, culture and tradition and incredible performing arts of India and also expressed his concern that there is huge shortage of hotel rooms in our country and called upon foreigners to come to India to see and experience it.

The three week long ‘Paryatan Parv’ was a nation-wide celebration of Tourism that was organized by Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with other Central Ministries, State Governments and Stakeholders from 5 to 25 October 2017. Parv was organized with the objective of drawing focus on the benefits

of tourism, showcasing the cultural diversity of the country and reinforcing the principle of ‘Tourism for All’. A total of more than 5 Lakh people participated in Paryatan Parv event across the country.

Paryatan Parv received a very enthusiastic response from Central Ministries and State Governments, who had come forward in organizing various activities and events. The event which spread to all regions of the country has been received very well and attracted participation in large numbers.

As a grand finale to the 21 day Paryatan Parv, a three day event was organized at the Rajpath Lawns. The event was open to the public and had Cultural Performmes, Crafts Bazaar multicuisine Food Court and other interactive activities to keep

visitors engaged at the event venue.

The Food Court had 50 stalls set up by the States / UTs each showcasing their distinctive cuisine, the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) with street food from different regions as well as by the Institutes of Hotel Management and ITDC. The Crafts Mela with 50 stalls showcased the diverse handicrafts and handlooms of the country, arranged by the State Governments and Ministry of Textiles through the Office of the Development Commissioners of Handicrafts& handlooms.

There were 15 Theme State Pavilions where each State showcased its tourism products and destinations. In addition to the cultural performances by the States/ Union Territories, special cultural events were also staged on these days.

Tourism India | November 2017 | 13

Kumarakom RT & Village Ways among the WTM Responsible Tourism Awards finalists

W

TM has announced the 12 finalists in the 2017 WTM Responsible Tourism Awards to be presented at WTM London on November 8th 2017.

This year, in the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the Awards have focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals reflecting the Awards’ position as the leading scheme for responsible tourism in the world.

Two sustainable tourism ventures from India, Kumarakom Responsible Tourism initiative of Kerala Tourism and Village ways travels, based in Almora in Uttarakhand, have found place in the 12 finalists slots.

On the list of finalists this year is a game lodge in Botswana, a fynbos protected area in South Africa, a social enterprise in Vietnam, a tour operator working to benefit local communities in Limpopo, a European city, a group of guest cottages in Kangaroo Valley in Australia and a company enabling travellers to walk from village to village in rural India. The 12 finalists now need to wait until the Awards ceremony at WTM London to discover who this year’s chosen leaders are.

Six “Leaders in Demonstrating Responsible Tourism Impact” will be announced at WTM London on World Responsible Tourism Day. They will each represent the company, organisation or destination that the judges consider has shown the most significant impact across five categories, each of which is tied

14 | Tourism 14 | Tourism India | November India | November 2017 2017

to one or more of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

For 2017, these categories are: Best for Carbon Reduction, Best for Accommodation, Best Community Initiative, Best for Communication, Best Tour Operator, and Best for Poverty Reduction.

2017 is the first time that the awards have been run by WTM, which takes over from responsibletravel.com after thirteen successful years.

This year, the awards will be presented by Tanya Beckett, who presents Talking Business on the BBC News Channel.

Commenting on the standard of the finalists, Chair of Judges, Emeritus Professor Harold Goodwin said: “This year we have discovered some new and innovative

approaches to demonstrating the contributions which tourism makes to sustainable development. I was chair of the judges for the 13 years of the World Responsible Tourism Awards organised by responsibletravel.com. When they decided to cease running the Awards I was delighted that WTM London stepped up to continue them. This is a major year of change with a new organiser and a focus in the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development on the UN’S Sustainable Development Goals – we shall be publishing some great examples of how businesses have met the new challenge of transparently reporting their impacts and communicating them to stakeholders”.

The winners will be announced on Wednesday 8th November 2017 at a ceremony at WTM London, where over 500 tourism professionals, tourism ministers and media representatives are expected to attend.

WTM London, Senior Exhibition Director, and fellow judge Simon Press said: “Once again the World Responsible Tourism Awards will be a key part of the opening of World Responsible Tourism Day at WTM London.

The stories of the winners and their achievements act as a benchmark and inspiration for what the global travel and tourism industry can achieve in responsible tourism practice.”

The WTM Responsible Tourism Day – Opening and Awards takes place from 11:00-13:00 on 8 November in WTM Global Stage – AS1050

Tourism Tourism India | November India | November 2017 | 2017 15 | 15

Safety, Skills and Infrastructure Key to Realizing India’s Tourism Potential

I

ndia is now one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world, with domestic demand reaching nearly 100 million passengers.

Yet, annual international arrivals have remained relatively low, at 9 million. Against these findings, Indian policy-makers and industry experts have joined forces to

16 | Tourism 16 | Tourism India | November India | November 2017 2017

achieve the objective of welcoming over 15 million foreign tourists annually by 2025 and becoming the world’s largest aviation market by 2030.

According to a new report published by the World Economic Forum, Incredible India 2.0 – India’s $20 Billion Tourism Opportunity, estimates that,

with a growth in international arrivals to 20 million a year in India, the country’s tourism sector could incrementally grow by more than $19 billion and lead to the creation of up to 1 million additional jobs, which was launched at the just concluded India Economic Summit at New Delhi from October 4-6, 2017.

cruise tourism and eco-tourism to 600,000 villages, which have their own cultures and heritage Integrate the “Incredible India” concept into a holistic campaign that includes not only print, but also other channels such as digital, social, placement, review sites and global media, and focuses on the positives of visitor-created content while addressing the challenges these visitors report.

The report proposes the creation of a tourism board and development of a public-private pilot in one Indian state to develop its value proposition and destinations.

“The travel and tourism industry has the potential to make a real difference in people’s lives by driving growth, creating jobs, and fostering development and tolerance,” said Tiffany Misrahi, Community Lead of the Aviation, Travel and Tourism Industries at the World Economic Forum. “India has tremendous untapped potential, and has the opportunity to reach its goals should it prioritize the industry and focus on implementing policies and solutions that build demand and create adequate supply.”

To realize its potential in the sector, according to the report, India needs to Enhance reality and perception of India as a safe destination by improving security protocols, Invest in both physical and digital infrastructure to confront the issue of last-mile connectivity, Invest in its labour force to provide a quality product to tourists by training skilled and unskilled workers in the hospitality industry through both public and private programmes, Address hazardous road travel and lack of affordable hotels, which hamper international travellers’ experience, Highlight unique travel opportunities for

The travel and tourism industry has the potential to make a real difference in people’s lives by driving growth, creating jobs, and fostering development and tolerance.

A tourism board could support India’s travel and tourism industry by enhancing industry coordination, providing joint messaging, building talent, driving forward industry-wide policy recommendations, and enacting change through policies as well as public-private policy initiatives and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises.

A state-level approach to create demand and build adequate supply in states that have traditionally welcomed fewer tourists could complement a more holistic nation-wide approach.

The India Economic Summit is hosted by the World Economic Forum and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) – partners for more than three decades – under the theme Creating Indian Narratives on Global Challenges.

Tourism Tourism India | November India | November 2017 | 2017 17 | 17

KTM 2018 dates announced and Focus will be on Malabar

K

Kochi to host 10th edition of Kerala Travel Mart in Sept. 2018

TM’s CSR initiative ‘Agenda 9’ giving a fresh impetus to the industry, says Minister

Billed as the largest gathering of tourism stakeholders in India, the 10th edition of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) will kick-start in Kochi on September 27, 2018, Mr. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Government of Kerala has announced at Trivandrum.

The three-day conclave, organised

by Kerala Travel Mart Society in partnership with Kerala Tourism, will be held from September 28-30.

Malabar Tourism promotion will be the main theme of this edition.

“The 10th edition of KTM will be inaugurated coinciding the World Tourism Day (September 27) in Kochi. The inauguration will be followed by three-day business-tobusiness meetings,” the minister said at a press conference.

“There is a huge scope for tourism growth in Malabar with the inauguration of the Kannur airport next year. The government is planning to implement many projects in the Malabar region, the main one being the “Nadhithada” tourism project that focuses on nine rivers in Northern Kerala,” Mr. Surendran said.

“The government has already allotted Rs 38.5 corers for this project and the first phase of the project has already started,” he added.

KTM, the minister noted, has contributed significantly to the

18 | Tourism India | November 2017

development of tourism industry in the state. “As the Responsible Tourism campaign is progressing, KTM’s CSR initiative ‘Agenda 9’ is giving it a fresh impetus,” he said.

The Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission has already started activities to spread its objectives to more places and make it a state-wide project instead of concentrating it in a few places.

Dr. Venu V. IAS, Principal Secretary of Kerala Tourism said, KTM has emerged as the most prestigious commercial intervention of Kerala Tourism. “There is more to KTM than trade exchanges.

Being a wonder in the tourism sector in India, Kerala Tourism’s dynamism, energy, cooperative and brotherhood spirit comes under one umbrella in KTM,” he added.

“KTM is growing into a unique brand position,” he noted. The exhibition at KTM will have around 400 stalls featuring a range of products, packages and services offered by businesses and entrepreneurs. Public Private Partnership (PPP) being the main highlight of KTM, it offers a platform for stakeholders, including tour operators, hotels, resorts, home stays, houseboats, Ayurveda resorts and cultural art centres to have fruitful meetings and interactions with buyers from around the world.

Mr. Baby Mathew Somatheeram, President of KTM Society informed that the Society had adopted the comprehensive 9-point charter,

‘Agenda 9’ during KTM 2016, which calls for measures to tackle waste management, promote organic farming, efficient use of energy and extensive use of local produce and products. Other key areas in the checklist are rain-water harvesting, reducing the use of plastics, and improving greenery.

“The latest edition will focus on the Charter’s implementation aiming to make Kerala a sustainable destination. We also aim at exhibiting new Kerala products to the world. Sellers can take part in hundreds of productive business meets,” he said, adding: “KTM is an ideal platform to bring various buyers under one roof.”

‘Agenda 9’ for action calls for measures to tackle waste management, promote organic farming, efficient use of energy and extensive use of local produce and products. Other key areas in the checklist are rain-water harvesting, reducing the use of plastics, and improving greenery.

Mr Bala Kiran IAS, Director of Kerala Tourism said KTM is India’s pride and can be placed in the same league with other international tourism fairs like ITB Berlin and FITUR. “KTM is not only a venue for interaction between the national and international buyers, but also a platform to spread Kerala’s geographical space, expand tourism product bouquet and promote the state as a 365-day tourism destination,” he added.

The pre-registration of buyers will commence in January 2018.

Each pre-registration form will be scrutinized by a committee.

Registration for sellers will begin

by March.

A total of 638 domestic buyers from various parts of India and 238 international buyers from more than 57 countries attended the ninth edition of the mart, which also witnessed a large number of business meetings.

Mr. Jose Pradeep, Secretary KTM, Mr. Jafar Malik IAS, Additional Director Shri of Kerala Tourism, Mr. EM Najeeb, former President of KTM, Mr. Riyas UC, Vice President KTM and Mr. G Gopinath, Treasurer KTM were also present at the meet.

Kerala Tourism launches Continuous Tourist Survey 2017-20 (CTS)

During 2010-13, Kerala Tourism had conducted a similar Continuous Tourist Survey (CTS). One of the key findings of that survey was that a foreign tourist stays an average of 18 days in Kerala, while spending Rs. 81,000 on average. The Tourism Department is regularly collecting monthly statistics of foreign as well as domestic tourists visiting Kerala, through the Statistical Investigators of Economics and Statistics Department in census method from all accommodation units in the state.

In addition to this, the Continuous Tourist Survey (CTS 17-20) is conducted. This is a sample survey intended to study in depth the interest of tourists, their age and demographic details, reasons for visit and

nature of tours undertaken.

A mobile application will be used by the enumerators of M/s Datamation Consultants to collect various details. The survey will cover not only tourist destinations but also hotels, house boats, home stays, ayurveda centers, restaurants, tour operators etc.

The Minister for Tourism Kadakampally Surendran, said, “Through the data obtained from the survey, the Tourism Department will evaluate the growth of tourism. The survey will provide us an accurate picture of tourists, likes and dislikes and help us to plan accordingly.” He added that Kerala has been following a comprehensive tourism development plan to double the number of domestic tourist arrivals and increase foreign tourist arrivals by 50%, by 2021.

Speaking about the growing popularity of Kerala as a tourism destination, Dr. Venu.V, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala stated, “With over 1 million foreign tourists and 13.1 million domestic tourist arrivals, Kerala has been witnessing

tremendous growth in tourist traffic since the last couple of years. Kerala has now become a trendsetter in the Indian tourism industry and we will work to ensure that tourism continues to grow.”The continuous efforts

by Kerala Tourism in highlighting the strength and unique tourism products offered by the state and the simultaneous investment in the infrastructure development has helped in making Kerala a visible global brand in domestic and international markets.

According to Mr. P. Bala Kiran, IAS, Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala: With survey reports generated periodically, Kerala Tourism will plan innovative projects, new policies and marketing strategies.

We request the cooperation of stakeholders from the tourism industry, and also the support of foreign and domestic tourists visiting Kerala for the successful completion of the survey.”

The fact that for the last five years Tourism has been contributing 7-10% of the state’s GDP summarizes the importance of tourism sector in the economy of state and livelihood of the people.

Tourism India | November 2017 | 19

Continuous Tourist Survey 2017-20 is a Comprehensive plan to grow tourism in state

T

o accelerate the growth of tourism in Kerala, the Department of Tourism has launched a three-year long Continuous Tourist Survey 2017-20 (CTS). The survey is conducted in collaboration with M/s Datamation Consultants, selected through a transparent tender process. The Government of India will provide financial assistance of Rs. 25 lakhs, for the survey.

Dr. Anilkumar, Regional Head- Kerala, Mahindra Holidays inaugurating the photography workshop at Munnar in the presence of Mr. Ravisankar K.V., Managing Editor, Tourism India, Mr. Surendran, Programme Head Mathrubhumi News, Mr.A.P. Joy, Managing Editor Photowide Magazine, Renowned photographers Mr. Rajan Paul, Mr. Zacharia Ponkunnam and Mr. Anil Kaniyamala, Camp Director.

Capture the images without losing the sheen of creativity

I

n a unique marketing initiative, Club Mahindra Holidays in association with Fotowide Camera Club organized a

two days workshop on Travel & Nature photography at Club Mahindra Resort Munnar in Kerala.

Dr. Anilkumar, Regional HeadKerala, Mahindra Holidays inaugurated the workshop in the presence of Mr. Ravisankar K.V.,

Photo by Shiju Antony

20 | Tourism India | November 2017

Managing Editor, Tourism India, Mr. Surendran, Programme Head Mathrubhumi News, Mr.A.P. Joy, Managing Editor Photowide Magazine, Renowned photographer Mr. Rajan Paul, Mr. Zacharia Ponkunnam and Mr. Anil Kaniyamala, Camp Director.

Club Mahindra has always been in the forefront of protecting and preserving nature and the aim of the workshop is to train photographers from the conservations and preservation angle while they travel and taking photos, without losing the charm of and beauty of a destination, said Dr. Anilkumar, while delivering his inaugural address.

Photo by Zacharia Ponkunnam

Photo by Suresh Narayan Kulathuumm

Tourism India | November 2017 | 21

Photo by Zacharia Ponkunnam

with the camp members and said, “Photographers have a greater role in the branding and

marketing a destination through their images, that they can document the evolution of

Photo by Zacharia Ponkunnam

Mr. Ravisankar as a pioneer travel photographer in the country shared his experience

22 | Tourism India | November 2017

a destination through their creative and exploring minds“. He also congratulated Club Mahindra and Fotowide camera club for such a creative initiative to train upcoming photographers in a hill station like Munnar and providing all five star facilities to experience the mood and trend of hospitality industry.

Photo by Girish Kumar P J

30 upcoming travel and nature photographers participated in the workshop. Mr. Rajan Paul, Mr. Zacharia Ponkunnam and Mr. Anil Kaniyamala leaded the camp with various topics on Travel and Nature photography. Camp members visited Munnar, Eravikulam, Devikulam, Top slip and other tourist’s attraction nearby and captured 1000s of beautiful images.

Tourism India | November 2017 | 23

The Evolution of the Adventure Traveler:

Study Charts Changes

2006-2016 T

he Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) has recently released a new report, “North American Adventure Travelers: Seeking Personal Growth, New Destinations, and Immersive Culture,” which offers insight into how adventure traveler preferences for activities and destinations have changed in the past decade. The report, sponsored by ATTA in collaboration with Outside magazine, shares the results of original survey research conducted by Paige P. Viren, Ph.D., and Alison K. Murray, Ph.D., of East Carolina University. Fielding a survey first used in 2006, the pair surveyed 8,000 Outside magazine subscribers for the research.

Activities Favored by Adventure Travelers Topping the list of activities popular with adventure travelers today and projected into the near future is hiking with 92 percent of respondents reporting they have participated in this activity and 52 percent indicating they plan to in the future. Hiking is also the activity adventure travelers said they participate in the most frequently.

Following hiking, the activities cited most often by adventure travelers for future trips include

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visiting friends or family, standup paddle boarding, visiting historical sites, getting to know the locals, and cultural activities.

In terms of activity frequency, the activities adventure travelers engage in most often after hiking are visiting friends or family, camping, road cycling, and skiing/ snowboarding.

When asked what activities they feel most belong in the “adventure travel” category, the top 10 activities respondents noted were hiking, backpacking, trekking, kayaking, rafting, climbing, mountain biking, scuba diving, caving, and camping.

This marks a shift from 10 years ago, when the top activity identified with adventure travel was mountain or rock climbing.

Another notable shift is found with respect to canoeing: Though canoeing ranked among the top five activities associated with adventure travel in 2006, in 2016 it ranked number 11.

Adventure Destinations Then and Now North American adventurers’ dreams of where they would like to travel appear to be expanding. Although North America unsurprisingly remains the most visited region for this group of travelers, it also topped their wish lists in 2007.

In 2016, however, the region most respondents said they are planning to visit is New Zealand.

Following New Zealand, the regions adventure travelers said they plan on visiting are Australia, South America, South Pacific, Western Europe, Central America, North America, Central Europe, the Caribbean, and Africa. The appearance of South America near the top of the list marks a shift from 2007: Though it ranked number seven among regions people hoped to visit in 2007, 10 years later it moved up to number three with more than half of respondents — 54 percent — saying they plan to visit.

Similarly, Central Europe is a new region to appear in the top 10 with 44 percent of respondents in 2016 indicating they plan to visit the region. In 2007, Central Europe ranked number 13 on the list with only 31 percent of respondents saying they were planning to visit the area.

The Adventure Personality Respondents were asked to select adjectives to describe how they see themselves in everyday life and to describe their personal interests and feelings about travel. The profile emerging from these results reveals adventure travelers see themselves as

kind, efficient, organized, and imaginative. They enjoy working on new ideas and consider themselves to be intellectual.

Additionally, they are interested in the traditions of indigenous cultural communities. They work hard to keep their bodies healthy. They are moderately altruistic and sometimes give to others, and when they travel, they seek out new experiences and enriching knowledge.

Adventure travelers do not see themselves as keenly interested in competition or shopping; in fact, the phrases “winning is extremely important” and “acquiring valuable products is important to me” ranked the lowest.

The research sample was stratified for gender, and responses were weighted to achieve a balanced response from men and women.

The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), established in 1990 serves over 1000 members in over 100 countries worldwide.

Members predominantly include tour operators, tourism boards, specialty agents and accommodations with a vested interest in the sustainable development of adventure tourism.

Tourism India | November 2017 | 25