Voyagers World February’18 by Editor

Vol XV

Issue IV

Pages 44

February 2018

Rs 60

India’s Corporate Travel story! The surge ahead!

JHARKHAND TRAVEL MART

23 - 25 March 2018 | Ranchi w w w. j h a rk h a n d t r ave l m a r t . c o m

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SOUTH AFRICA’S GOT IT ALL

From Blue Flag beaches to Big Five wildlife safaris, buzzing city life, thrilling adventures, world-class shopping and spectacular surroundings, South Africa is the perfect holiday destination. We invite you, the trade, to be blown away by the variety of experiences and tourism products that our country has to offer at the 2018 South African Tourism Roadshow.

Date

Day

City

Time

Venue

12-Feb

Monday

Mumbai

11:00 – 16:00

Trident Hotel, Nariman Point

14-Feb

Wednesday

Kolkata

10:00 – 14:00

The Oberoi Grand

15-Feb

Thursday

Bangalore

10:00 – 14:00

Taj Vivanta, MG Road

16-Feb

Friday

Delhi

14:00 – 17:00

Le Meridien

19-Feb

Monday

Ahmedabad

10:00 – 15:00

Hyatt Regency

RSVP: Indiaroadshow@southafrica.net

SOUTH AFRICA

Taking the Indian Summer head on... As the Indian Summer takes to wings, the Indian travel industry enters into the holiday season amid closing of GST bound accounting for this financial year. This edition of Voyager's World brings you insights into the world of Corporate travel, various Meeting destination updates, launch of the Jharkhand Travel Mart at Ranchi and many more. The Union budget, promised nothing much to the Indian tourism industry including the people who work in them. Coming close to an election year, one should see more and more budgets being diverted to various vote-bank causes. On a brighter note, the optimism for the Indian Outbound is getting contagious with more destinations seeking to grab a piece of the Indian pie.January did see a few major travel-trade eventssuch as the Outbound Travel Roadshow, IITM Cochin and SATTE to start the marketing action for the year. The competition to get the Indian to be a discerning tourist has only just begun! Happy Reading! Warm Regards

Rohit Hangal

rohit@voyagersworld.in

Managing Editor

Associate Editor

Creative Head

Senior Designer

Rohit Hangal rohit@voyagersworld.in

EDIT

Assistant Editor

Irene Susan Eapen irene@voyagersworld.in

Shyam Vishnot Dinesh Kotian shyam@voyagersworld.in dinesh@spheretravelmedia.com

ORIA

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Advertising & Marketing

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Industry Buzz Incredible India

fro A m Po So st ut ca h rd Af ric a

Kerala Tourism growing Tourism Arrivals

16 20

Surinder Hakhu sanjay@voyagersworld.in & Rohit Hangal rohit@voyagersworld.in

Destination

Thailand - Khao Yai

India Outbound Dubai Tourism announce new alliances for India

MICE Point

India’s Corporate Travel story! The surge ahead!

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SOUTH AFRICAN TOURISM

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Industry Buzz

6>>

Jet Airways launches a second daily to Singapore from Bengaluru

Taurus Sarovar Portico launched in New Delhi

he Taurus Hotel at Mahipalpur, Delhi will now be managed by Sarovar Hotels & Resorts. Rebranded as Taurus Sarovar Portico, New Delhi – IGI Airport; the hotel features 83 guestrooms. The hotel offers business and conferencing facilities, Fitness Center, Alfa 63 - an all-day dining multi-cuisine restaurant. Ajay K. Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels said, “This property will complement the business and transiting travellers”. Sarovar Hotels is targeting to add 100 hotels under its portfolio by 2020. Some of the properties opening in 2018 include hotels in Jaisalmer, Jhansi, Jaipur, Somnath, Dibrugarh, Junagadh, Gorakhpur and Lusaka, Zambia.

ffective March 15, 2018, Jet Airways, will commence a second daily frequency from Bengaluru to Singapore. The introduction of the second frequency forms part of Jet Airways’ focus to strengthen its presence in Bengaluru as the carrier’s upcoming third hub, aside from those in Mumbai and Delhi. The new daily flight - 9W 26, will depart from Bengaluru at 02:05 hrs (IST) and arrive into Singapore at 09:15 hrs (LT).

During its return journey, flight 9W 25 will depart from Singapore at 10:15 hrs (LT), arriving in Bengaluru at 12:10 hrs. Jet Airways has announced special ‘introductory’ return Economy fares from Bengaluru, starting at INR 11,768.

oyal Orchid Hotels launched Regenta Resort Soma Vine Village in Nashik. The Regenta Resort Soma Vine Village classified as a ‘Boutique Hotel’ offers 32 rooms, a restaurant, fitness center, outdoor pool, a business centre and spa services.

Park Plaza Kolkata Ballygunge to rebrand into Radisson Kolkata

ark Plaza Kolkata Ballygunge announced its rebranding to Radisson Kolkata Ballygunge. Located in Ballygunge, the hotel features 92 rooms, 9000 square feet of banqueting space, an all-daydining restaurant, a rooftop dining restaurant and lounge featuring barbecue, grills and kebabs, a stateof-the-art fitness center and spa.

Speaking on occasion of the launch Chander K. Baljee, Managing Director, Royal Orchid Hotels said, “We are looking forward to add more properties to both-explored and unexplored tourist destinations. Some of the new properties we have launched are in Mysore, Ahmedabad, Dehradun, Kanpur, Dwarka, Indore, Pushkar and Nasik that comes up to a number of 49 hotels for this fiscal year. We will continue with our expansion initiatives to create our presence across India.”

Ad Bureau bags advertising rights for Bhopal Airport

C abirchand Nahar

hennai Headquartered Ad Bureau Advertising has secured an exclusive 10 years of advertising and branding rights at the Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal. The airport is named after the 10th centurey Paramara King Raja Bhoj. "We look forward to operating in the city of lakes" says Mr. Abirchand Nahar, Chairman, Ad Bureau. He added "we would be paying close to Rs. 60 Crores to Airport Authority of India in form of license fees and would be investing another Rs. 10 - 12 Crores in developing state of the art advertising and branding collateral's."

SulaFest 2018

he 11th edition of SulaFest 2018 was organized from 3-4 Feb at Sula Vineyards, Nashik. Targetted for ardent travelers, music enthusiasts and foodies, the event showcased with music, food and wine. The event was attended by event celebrities, socialites and industrialists such as Shibani Kashyap, Siddharth of ‘Rang De Basanti’ fame, Sonali Sehgal of ‘Pyaar ka Punchnama’, Prahlad Kakkar, Suchitra Pillai, Kashmira Shah and Mansi Scott. Some of the artists like Gypsy Hill, Crystal Fighters, Parov Stellar, and Amit Trivedi performed during the event. The highlights of the festival included curated experiences and grape stomping sessions. The fest goers got the chance to taste on a range of scrumptious cuisines that included Oriental, Mughlai, Indian and Italian with gourmet food spread and wines like Sula wines and brands such as Beluga, Hardys, Mud House, Kumala, Asahi, Cointreau, Highland Queen and Pitu Cachaca added to global soul of the festival.

Voyager’s World > February 2018

IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Kapil Raina, General Manager, Ramee Strand Inn, Bangalore speaks to Voyager's World on the various aspects of the Bengaluru Hotel scene and the Ramee Group. 2017 and expect an occupancy rate of 80 to 85% for 2018. Expansion Plans In India we have two hotels in Bangalore, three hotels in Mumbai,

one in Tirupati. We are planning to launch a property in Delhi and Bangalore shortly. Market Segment We primarily cater to the corporate

segment up to 80 % and get online 20 % filled by the OTA’s and MICE. The hotel is also popular with Weddings as well. The average stay is 2 Nights.

Makiko Matsuda Healy, Managing Director, Tourism Market Development, NYC & Company says, "New York City welcomed estimated 343,000 visitors from India in 2017, with a growth of 6.5% over the previous year."

Ramee Strand Inn, Bangalore expects occupancy to grow

Royal Orchid opens resort in Nashik

NYC & Company hosts sales mission in India YC & Company organized its first ever sales mission to Mumbai, Ahmedabad and New Delhi from February 19-23 to promote the New York City. The event was attended by Makiko Matsuda Healy, Managing Director, Tourism Market Development, NYC & Company and by senior executives from Empire State Building and One World Observatory.

Property Showcase

7>>

amee Strand Inn Bangalore located at Hosur Main Road, Singasandra has been a host for business events like Residential conferences, Day Conference, Weekend stay & Corporate Gettogethers. The hotel currently offers 72 guest rooms. The hotel offers multiple dining options such as the Multi Cuisine Restaurant 'Oriental Fusion', an allday dining restaurant that also is home to international and regional food promotions. The restaurant is also known for breakfast, business lunch or a lovely dinner. Some of the well-known dishes are Hyderabadi Dum Biryani and Andhra Chilly chicken. The Roof Top Pub R-Adda is popular or those entertaining Friends and those looking for a quite dinner. The pub serves some unique Mocktails and famous for Chakna Platter, Tandoori Lollipop and Chicken Popcorn. The Hotel is also equipped with meeting spaces offering a Board Room with a capacity of 15 Pax and another banquet hall that can accommodate for 70 people banqueting space for 70 to 500 people. Some of the other facilities of the hotel are round the clock room service, Gym, Roof Top Swimming Pool, Entire Hotel Wi-Fi and Free Parking. Growth Ramee Strand Inn has completed one year and the hotel is doing well with an occupancy of 85%. We have noticed a growth of 60% during

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Incredible India

8>>

Tribal belt in North East sees sharp rise in tourism IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Rajiv Verma, Founder, North East Explorers, draws attention to facilitating travel to the rich tribal regions in the North East in a sustainable way. of North East Explorers, informs that Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Assam and Mizoram are some of the places it promotes. "These places are rich in tribal traditions. We are planning to go deeper and open tours in other tribal regions as well. We see this trend continuing in 2018 too and expect to see more people visiting the region because of the numerous tourism festivals that are lined up.”

ourism in the North East part of the country has seen a steady growth in 2017 mainly due to the infrastructure that is being developed at a steady pace and the access to the different parts of the region which was hitherto not possible from the perspective of tourism. Rajiv Verma, Founder

Type of tours “We provide all kinds of tours in the North East starting from family travel, culture and tribal tours through activities like trekking, caving and adventure sports. We put up our guests with local

families so that they can see and learn about new traditions of doing things.” Promotional Plans “A significant number of guests have been coming over through personal recommendations of other guests. Besides that, our social media channels on Facebook and Instagram give us a significant amount of visibility because of the type of content we share regularly.” Age group “We have had a diverse age group of travellers who have travelled with us right from people in early 20s to families in late 50s.” Trends “Many years ago, people in India

in general never thought of the North East as a travel destination except for those in and around West Bengal. We have noticed the trend has been changing as we see more and more people visiting the region and 9% of these people prefer to explore the lifestyle and culture of the people.” “The tourism industry is an ever-increasing one and that is applicable for the tourism industry in the North East as well. With the middle-class people of India now having a significant disposable income, they are ready to spend on travel and hence, we are looking at a significant growth rate,” he concluded.

Promising future for scuba diving in Indian coastline IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Ankit Saboo, Co-Founder , Finkick Adventures, examines the growing trends in scuba diving in India and its prospects as a tourism segment.

inkick Adventures organized the SCUBA Diving festival at Netrani recently to promote Murudeshwara and Netrani as a scuba diving destination in India and globally. “We had a full house with 170 divers and approximately 1300 participants over two days at maximum capacity,” reveals Ankit Saboo, the Co-Founder of Finkick Adventures.

Voyager’s World > February 2018

Scuba diving in India “Diving is a very niche segment in India and there are about 50 million certified divers in the world out of which, in 2004, we had only about 40,000 divers in India. Yet, in the last five years, India has got almost 100 diving centers, 250 certified dive professionals and almost 2 lakh certified divers. Now with almost 6 km of Indian coastline, the government is also showing interest in promoting this sport nationally.” “The industry is developing at a rate of 30% year on year and it is expected to maintain the same rate in 2018. One clear growth indicator is the number of dive centers opening up across the Konkan region and the Andamans. The government is now getting involved in promoting tourism through

diving which is a very encouraging sign and proof that diving is being recognized as an integral part of plans. For scuba diving, we promote Goa, Netrani/ Murudeshwara, Tarkali and Pondicherry on the mainland with spectacular diving on Andaman and Lakshadweep islands. Besides these, we expect Karwar, Udupi, Vishakhapatnam, Ratnagiri, Vizag, Rameshwaram and Mangalore to develop in the next two-three years.”

“We have expertise in aggregating the Indian scuba diving market through the various inland and ocean based festivals that we organize, besides our other events like freedom dive. With new locations emerging and with the support of the Union Tourism Ministry, we believe we can make India a preferred destination for scuba diving in the global tourism market.”

Terms and Condition Apply | Rate are subject to change without prior notice Package is subject to availability | Contact us for customised packages AKQUASUN HOLIDAYS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

AKQUASUN MALAYSIA

Incredible India

Mandu- A Royal legacy of Parmars, Sultans and Mughals

Incredible India

11>>

10>>

Kerala Tourism records growth in tourism arrivals VW BUREAU

Kadakampally Surendran

andu, a city lying 100 km from Indore, is the medieval magic of Madhya Pradesh. Famously associated with the legends of Rani Roopmati and Bazadur, the city is an architectural gem, mainly reflecting Afghan architecture. The royal love legend is documented in the folk songs of Malwa sung by the balladeers. High upon the crest of a hill, Roopmati’s pavilion still gazes down at Bazadur’s Palace.

Darwazas- Mandu is encircled by a 45-km parapet wall with 12 gateways. Delhi Darwaza is the main entrance of the fortress city, for which the approach is through a series of gateways.

Due to its strategic importance of being situated at an altitude of 2000 feet, Mandu, due to its natural defenses, was originally the fort-capital of the Parmar rulers of Malwa. It was re-named ‘Shadiyabad’, meaning ‘City of Joy’ by the Sultans of Malwa in late 13th century. Jahaz Mahal, Hindola Mahal, baths and canals are the reminiscences of this phase of Mandu’s past.

Mandu, which is synonymous with the love stories of Baz Bahadur and Roompati, has many architectural witnesses to the love of this royal pair. One such is the Rewa Kund, which was an aqueduct to provide Roopmati’s palace with water. Over time, this spot gained religious sanctity. Baz Bahadur’s Palace, built in the 16th century, is another such reminiscence of the royal romance and so is Roopmati’s pavilion. The pavilion was originally built as an army observation post. However, it also became the favourite retreat of Queen Roopmati as it offered a view of the Baz Bahadur’s Palace and the River Narmada flowing through the Nimar plains far below.

Each of Mandu’s structures is awe-inspiring. Some are outstanding like the massive Jami Masjid and Hoshang Shah’s tomb, which provided inspiration for the master builders of the Taj Mahal’s centuries later. For Mughals, Mandu was a pleasure resort and its lakes and palaces were the scenes of splendid and extravagant festivities. Mandu is now one of the most sought after destinations of Madhya Pradesh with its mosques and palaces. The fabulous five in Mandu:Hoshang Shah’s tomb-This is India’s first marble structure; its beautifully proportioned dome, intricate lattice work lending it its identity. Shah Jahan sent four of his great architects to study the structure and draw inspiration from it. It is said that one of them, Ustad Hamid, was later associated with the construction of Taj Mahal. Jami Masjid – The hugeness of the structure lends it uniqueness. Its inspiration was drawn from the great mosque of Damascus and was conceived on a grand scale. Its background is dominated by similar imposing domes. The structure of the mosque is surrounded by colonnades. Asharfi Mahal- This structure was conceived as an academic institute by Mahmud Shah Khilji who was Hoshang Shah’s successor. A seven-storey structure in the same premises was also constructed by him to celebrate the victory of Rana Khumba of Mewar. Jahaz Mahal- Built between two artificial lakes, Munj Talab and Kapur Talab, Mandu is famous for this palace known as Jahaz Mahal. This is a grand reflection of a medieval pleasure resort with its open pavallions and balconies over hanging the water. Moonlit nights lend it an out-of-the-world beauty when the silhouette of the building reflects in water. Hindola Mahal- Its sloping side walls have lent it the name ‘Swinging Palace’, which was constructed as an audience hall. Innovative techniques are reflected in the making of its ornamental façade, delicate trellis work in sandstone and its uniquely moulded columns. An elaborately constructed well, Champa Baoli, which is connected with underground vaulted rooms, is also seen by the side of Hindola Mahal. It is known to have arrangements for hot and cold water.

Voyager’s World > February 2018

Other places of interest near these monuments are Dilawar Khan’s mosque, the Nahar Jharoka, Taveli Mahal and Ujali and Andheri Baolis.

A few more monuments in Mandu need mention for their architectural merit, viz, Nilkanth, the Shiva shrine at the very edge of a deep gorge and the Nilkanth Mahal, a palace made for Emperor Akbar’s Hindu wife. The most important feature of this palace is the inscription belonging to the time of Emperor Akbar which points to the futility of material world.

n increase of 11.39 percent has been recorded in domestic tourist arrivals to Kerala in 2017, compared to the figures of previous year. Meanwhile, foreign tourist arrivals increased by 5.15 percent during the period.

crore, a growth of 12.56 percent. The Tourism Department has recorded an increase of Rs 3725.12 crore in total revenue generated from the sector, at Rs 33383.68 crore compared with Rs. 29,658.56 Crore last year.

In terms of tourism revenue, total foreign exchange from the tourism sector increased 8.29 percent to Rs 8392.11 crore compared to the figures of last year. Total direct earnings from the sector grew to Rs 26000.33 crore from Rs 23098.15

“Travellers from across the globe arrived in Kerala in large numbers during 2017, and the growth has been recorded at 5.15 percent compared with the figures of last year. This comes at a time when the tourism industry is suffering

On the domestic front, tourists mainly focused on districts like Alappuzha, Idukki, Wayanad, Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam districts. Guruvayur in Thrissur district witnessed a slight decrease in the number of tourists when compared with the previous year. Domestic travellers to Kerala mainly arrived from Southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra and Telangana. P Balakiran, Director, Kerala Tourism added,“Considering that the increase in domestic tourist arrivals in 2016 was only 5.67% when compared with the 2015 numbers, the rise in 2017 is encouraging. The percentage of increase of domestic tourists for year 2017 is the highest registered in the last 9 years,”

VW BUREAU

The Ministry of External Affairs has declared new rules for applying for a passport. DOCUMENTATION FOR PROOF OF BIRTH: As per old rules, submission of a birth certificate was compulsory for all applicants born on or after 26th January 1989. But the new rules have bought in some relaxation in this regards. Now, any of the following documents containing the Date of Birth (DOB) of the applicant will suffice:

Due to its location, Mandu experiences monsoon at its grandeur. When it rains continuously for a few days, the clouds come down to embrace this beautiful city. This, amidst the lush greenery, is an ethereal experience. A walk in the rains gives an old world charm. Fort of Dhar- On the way to Mandu lies a fort built by the Parmars, one of the earliest rulers of this region. Sheesh Mahal, inside the fort, Kharbuja Mahal, Vishram Bhavan, Madan ki Sarai, Kothari Sarai, Karva Sarai Roza ki Dargah and the other monuments deserve a visit.

Birth Certificate (BC) issued by the Registrar of births and deaths or the Municipal Corporation or any other approved authority to register the birth of a child born in India. Transfer/school leaving/ matriculation certificate issued by the school last attended/recognized educational board.

For all those who like the sweet sour taste, a variety of tamarind, known as Khursani Imli is very commonly found here.

Best time to visit is July - March with the monsoons being the best. Madhya Pradesh Tourism’s Malwa Resort and Malwa Retreat are your home away from home. Contact- 07292-263235/8349994782 (Malwa Resort) 07292-263221/8349994783(Malwa Retreat)

According to Rani George, IAS, Secretary, Department of Tourism, “The new Tourism policy 2017 has set an ambitious target of increasing domestic tourist’s arrivals by 50% by year 2021 and also in doubling the foreign tourists by this period. This would require a growth of around 9% every year for domestic tourists and around 15% for international tourists”. Foreign tourists mainly focused and registered positive growth in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Wayanad districts, while districts like Kasaragod, Kannur, Palakkad,

Malappuram, Kottayam, Kollam, Alapuzha registered negative growth in foreign tourist arrivals.

NEW PASSPORT RULES

Hathi Mahal, Darya Khan’s tomb, Dai Ka mahal, Dai ki chhoti behan ka mahal….. the list is unending at Mandu. Mandu is a treasure for those who like nostalgia. The Echo Point and Sunset Point are the two other points which should not be missed.

Fact FileThe nearest airport is Indore (100km away), connected to Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune and Nagpur, while the nearest railheads are at Ratlam (124km) on the Mumbai - Delhi main line and Indore.

Bala Kiran

from adverse factors like enhanced GST rates and allied hurdles. The growth figures point to the immense popularity Kerala Tourism enjoys beyond the borders, said Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Cooperation and Devaswoms. The total growth rate in terms of tourist arrivals in 2017 is the highest registered in the last 9 years, he added.

PAN card / Aadhar card/E-aadhar The copy of the service record of the applicant’s (of govt. servants) or the pay pension order (of retired govt. employees), duly attested/incharge of the administration of the concerned ministry/certified by the officer/ department of the applicant. Driving license / Election Photo

Identity Card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India.A copy of policy bond issued by the public life insurance companies. DETAILS OF PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN: In a welcome move, the new passport rules has done away with the mandate requiring names of both parents at the time of application. An applicant now only needs to provide the name of either one of the parents or the legal guardian. This makes it easier for children with single parents or orphans to apply for a passport. For spiritually oriented people like Sadhus/Sanyasis, there have provisions made for them to mention the name of their spiritual leader in place of their biological parents. ANNEXES: The total number of annexes has been reduced from 15 to 9. Annexes A, C, D, E, J, and K have been eliminated and some of them have also been merged.

ATTESTATION: While all annexes needed attestation from a Notary/Executive Magistrate/ First Class Judicial Magistrate previously, henceforth all these annexes can now be in the form of a self-declaration from the applicant on plain paper. This means no running around for attestation that one had to do previously. MARRIED/DIVORCED PERSONS: The need for a marriage certificate has been discontinued (along with annexure K). Also, in case of a divorce the applicant will not be required to provide the name of their spouse.

WORK RELATED URGENT PASSPORTS: In case of urgent passports, if a government employee is not able to procure the NOC (no objection certificate) or identity certificate from their employer’s side, they can submit a selfdeclaration stating that they have given a prior intimation letter to their employer informing that they are applying for an ordinary passport to a passport issuing authority. Source: Travel Agents Association of India

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Incredible India

12>>

Jharkhand Travel Mart 2018 scheduled from 23 - 25 March 2018 VW bureau

Travel Trade Update

13>>

Hard Rock Hotel, Goa launches Yoga Program 'Rock Om' VW bureau

'Jharkhand Tourism' announces the inaugural edition of 'Jharkhand Travel Mart', The Eastern India’s biggest B2B travel event in Ranchi from the 23 - 25 March 2018. Highlights • Over 150 Hosted Buyers and media from over 20 different markets in India. Biggest ever Travel Event in the region. • Over 500 travel agents expected to visit the ‘Jharkhand Travel Mart’ • Over 75 Exhibitors from Jharkhand and other parts of the country from over 10 diverse tourism segments • Over 10,000 discerning holidaymakers expected to visit the event. • Sphere Travelmedia & Exhibitors receives the mandate to organize the ‘Jharkhand Travel Mart’.

r. Manish Ranjan, IAS, Secretary – Tourism, Govt. of Jharkhand said "Jharkhand will contribute immensely to the Indian Tourism portfolio with its diverse range of travel and tourism destinations. We are pleased to announce the inaugural edition of the 'Jharkhand Travel Mart' in Ranchi from the 23 – 25 March 2018. The event is an extension of our aggressive

marketing approach to introduce more tourism destinations and attractions and reinforce the Jharkhand Tourism Brand among the media, buyers and stakeholders". Jharkhand Tourism has also scheduled B2B Roadshows in key markets such as Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Asansol, etc to promote the

state and the inaugural edition of ‘Jharkhand Travel Mart’. ‘JHARKHAND TOURISM’ PAVILION: Jharkhand has been one of India’s emerging tourist attractions with its wide arena of attractions. The exclusive pavilion of ‘Jharkhand Tourism’ will consist of segments such as Festivals of Jharkhand, Heritage Trails of Jharkhand,

Heritage Sites, Tribal Tourism, Wildlife Resorts and National Parks, Medical Tourism, Destination Management Companies, Travel Agents and Tour Operators, Religious Tourism, Handicrafts, Cultural Vistas, Destination Management Companies, Travel Agents and Tour Operators, Handicrafts, Cultural Vistas, etc. To Exhibit: sales@ jharkhandravelmart.com

Why Jharkhand? REACH OUT TO INDIA'S FASTEST GROWING TRAVEL MARKET... An Economic Portfolio: Invest in the tourism market of tomorrow • The Economic Survey of the state predicts a high growth rate of 8.83 per cent. • The state has almost 40% of the mineral reserves found in India. • A growing middle-class has made Eastern India being called 'The Retail Market of Tomorrow'

n an opening move, that should change the entertainment dynamics for this Goa hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel, Goa is Encouraging guests to play hard and purify harder. Hard Rock Hotel Goa is participating in the Sound Body wellness program with the brand launch of Rock Om, an in-room yoga experience, for the

Working in collaboration with Manduka, the yoga equipment and apparel brand to utilize during their stay. Rock Om also offers guests a Hard Rock spin on in-room yoga classes, combining original tracks

Excited about the new launch, Vikas Sharma, General Manager, Hard Rock Hotel Goa, said, “Yoga is very much a part of our Indian culture; it is a holistic way of life that integrates the body, mind and soul. Today, healthy living is the need of

the hour as life has become hectic and there is absolutely no time to disconnect, pull the plug, sit down and relax. Rock Om invigorates the soul and energizes the body through a musical journey, combining the energy of dance with the serenity of yoga. It is a unique concept that has been introduced by Hard Rock International and we are confident that it will have a great connect with our guests in India.”

Tours4fun, A CTRIP Subsidiary, Launches RezB2B.com Acquires Stake in Travstarz Global Group VW bureau

• Ranked seventh in the World Bank’s “Ease of Doing Business” in India reporting 2016.

India by acquiring Stake in Travstarz Global Group led by Pankaj Nagpal & Sucheta Nagpal.

• Jharkhand beckons you to reach out to India's fastest growing travel and tourism market! • Excellent connectivity to destinations across India! Enhanced Rail, Road and Air links. • A growing middle-class has made Eastern India being called 'The Retail Market of Tomorrow'

Voyager’s World > February 2018

body and soul through the power of music.

by DJ Drez fused with his wife, yogi Marti Nikko’s, instruction on the easily-accessible Video On-Demand television channel.

Jharkhand at a Glance: While it is on the Chhotanagpur plateau, one of the oldest land formations in the world, Jharkhand the 28th state of India. With nearly one-third of its total area under forest cover, Jharkhand is rightfully called the “land of forests”.

Pankaj Nagpal

The lush green forests, rivers and waterfalls of this primeval land are home to many kinds of spectacular flora and fauna. Age-old tribes are the main inhabit of this wonderful land, the state is also a hub of industry, commerce and education. A treasure-trove of minerals comprises 40 per cent of the mineral wealth of the country ranking first in the production of coal, mica and iron and helps in making Jharkhand one of the richest state of India in natural resources. For more information, log on to www. jharkhandtourism.gov.in

ours4fun, a leading booking portal for Global Tours and Activities and subsidiary of CTRIP, the Chinese Travel Giant and the World’s 2nd Largest Travel Company has ventured into Global Travel B2B business with the Launch of RezB2B Global Limited and its Platform Rezb2b.com, and has started with

Post the investment Travstarz Global Group will merge its platform Travelrezonline.com with Rezb2b. com and will dedicatedly run the group’s B2B business in Indian Sub-Continent and other adjoining Regions. Travstarz Global Group was established in 2009 by Pankaj Nagpal & Sucheta Nagpal, as an Exclusive B2B company and started with selling Hong Kong and Mauritius as a destination. ‘With this alliance, we will expand much faster and will get access to latest technology, wide range of products and global markets. We shall be merging our online platform travelrezonline.com

into Rezb2b.com and all further developments will be jointly done by our India and Global IT Teams to offer an advanced and robust Online B2B system with best worldwide inventory of Flights, Hotels, Packages, Transfers & Sigh Seeing, Visas, Travel Insurance and Forex. It will provide complete IT Solutions for Travel Agents, DMCs and Hoteliers to seamlessly manage their own content online and provide them a platform to sell their own products to a worldwide audience through us’, said Pankaj Nagpal, MD, Travstarz Global Group and Sucheta Nagpal, Director & CEO.

Kevin Du, the CEO of RezB2B Global added ‘In RezB2B we have created a perfect platform with worldwide inventory of Tours, Sight Seeing and Transfers over the last 10 years and have over 10000 global suppliers on the system. With this acquisition we will merge content from Travstarz and RezB2B to offer all services on a single platform and will create a perfect B2B product with capabilities built in to automate the agency processes besides being one of the best booking engines for the trade. We plan to acquire more companies across the Globe to penetrate the Global B2B market after India.’

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Travel Events

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Outbound Travel Roadshow takes Middle East by storm!

In a one-of-a-kind opportunity for the travel trade to network with their global counterparts, this year's Middle East edition of OTR recorded remarkable success in this edition. VW BUREAU

he Third edition of the OTR in Middle East concluded with aplomb as buyers and sellers achieved business through focused networking sessions. This year's OTR Middle East series took place from 11 February to 15 February 2018 in Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman respectively.

Organised by Sphere Travelmedia & Exhibitions P Ltd., the programme consisted of B2B workshop and interactive cocktail dinners in the four destinations and had Exhibitors from Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Luxury hotel chains from Maldives, Mauritius, Portugal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and USA. It served as an interactive platform for B2B travel trade from across the Middle East region to meet face-to-face with international travel trade to share the latest information on their hospitality, travel and tourism products.

THE ONLY TRADE SHOW FOCUSSED ON OUTBOUND TRAVEL A trade-only event connecting buyers & suppliers of outbound travel industry from across the globe, offering unparalleled networking and contracting opportunities · The Middle East edition of OTR – 2016 witnessed a footfall of 500 eminent buyers across Dubai – Doha – Kuwait · Over 1600 buyers attended the India – edition 1 of OTR in January, 2017 across Mumbai – Ahmedabad – Chennai – Kolakata – Delhi · India Edition 2 of OTR held across Bangalore – Delhi – Mumbai witnessed an overwhelming presence of over 1200 buyers An invitation only event

INDIA EDITION 2 19th - 22nd MARCH, 2018 MUMBAI, AHMEDABAD DELHI

Voyager’s World > February 2018

SOUTH EAST ASIA 1st - 5th OCTOBER, 2018

BANGKOK - KUALA LUMPUR - JAKARTA SINGAPORE (OPTIONAL)

INDIA EDITION 1 JANUARY, 2019

MUMBAI, AHMEDABAD, KOLKATA HYDERABAD, DELHI, CHANDIGARH (OPTIONAL)

# 245, Amar Jyothi Layout, Domlur, Bangalore - 560 071, India. Tel: +91-80-4083 4100 | Fax: +91-80-4083 4101 | otrindia@otrindia.com www.outboundtravelroadshow.com

Destination

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Destination

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North East Thailand Khao Yai: Serenity in its flowery beds IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Khao Yai captivated my holiday as I walk around, feel and experience every bit of the destination through its natural beauty.

barrels in black stripes placed at the corner. Some of the dishes we got to taste at the restaurant is Cream of Mushroom Soup, Salmon Steak with Lobster Sauce, Pan Fried Sea Bass with Greek Salad. The restaurant also offers cooking classes to enjoy your own cooked dish during your visit to Khao Yai.

ourism Authority of Thailand organized a mega FAM Trip for 300 travel agents and media across the world in association with Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways and EVA Airways from 13-17 November 2017. The trip highlighted on destinations like Khao Yai and Bangkok. Although Khao Yai is considered to be a small region there is a lot to explore in terms of its marvelous greenery and flowery areas .Bangkok being a bustling city most of the time but there are some hidden treasures that you might miss to discover on each of your visit. You need to travel to KhaoYai at least for a week and more. Khao Yai can also be a destination for weekend getaways or for a long holiday of a month as you will be mesmerized with the culture and variety of Thai dishes in

Voyager’s World > February 2018

the North East region. You can also get to visit Bangkok to experience its nightlife; shopping and of course relishing the street food can be done through a short trip. Our journey started on a drive to Khao Yai from Bangkok which took about two hours. We started our tour with PB Valley Khao Yai Winery located in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima province on the North East of Bangkok as we entered the beautiful Winery we noticed The Great Hornbill Grill Restaurant that is amidst the vineyard, a country styled restaurant that serves Western, Thai Cuisine along with some fusion dishes that blends well with the different wines. While the interiors and exteriors of the restaurant are marvelously

done. The first thing that struck my mind are the two oak barrels in black stripes placed on the sides of the bar counter set up that had the wine glasses hanging in upside down row and right on top you can see the wine tasting menu on the black board. Besides this, you get to see a pile of upside down bottles arranged over the heap of small

wooden logs with a small hornbill bird fixed on top of a small oak barrel this is one of the attractive spots in the restaurant where you should not miss to click a nice photograph .The exterior part of the restaurant was also attractive with its ceiling decorated with hanging artificial red and green grapes along with the tiny leaves and the two oak

We then head on a guided tour into the vineyard I was enthralled with the view of the green and red grapes hanging in the vineyard where people can take photographs with grapes hanging around them, the tour took about 75 minutes and you can always opt for a private tour. On our route to the winery we halted to take some photographs at the flower garden area surrounding yellow flowers, after that we get to see the green plains that had a structure made of iron where you could climb on for an excellent view of the Khao Yai National Park and to capture a perfect photograph of the park .You should not miss

The PB Valley KhaoYai Winery Arch area surrounding the yellow snap dragon flowers that looked amazing it was as though i was walking around in the joy of adoring the whole backdrop of flowers and getting as many clicks for myself. We got to visit the wine processing area, generally wine processing starts with harvesting and crushing of grapes. The wines are stored in stainless steel tanks and large oak vats for 12 to 21 months depending on the type of wines. Followed by the wine tasting session we sampled wines like PB KhaoYai Rose that can be matched with Massaman Beef or the Chicken curry, a Sawasdee Shiraz that goes with a pizza or some pasta, PB KhaoYai Reserve Shiraz can match with steak and PB KhaoYai Reserve Chenin Blanc is good with a pork chop and Phad Thai a famous Thai noodle dish. Some of the other wines that are under development are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Durif.

The vineyard area was very exciting for all of us as you could see the ripening of red and green grapes, the seasonal flower gardens and other fruit orchards like dragon fruit, passion fruit and Japanese Melons as it is the most enticing space for photography. PB Valley KhaoYai Winery is one of the well-known winery in Thailand and South East Asia. Our next expedition was to the Bloom by TVPOOL located in Pak Chong district a magnificent garden set in different shapes and sizes, a great place to unwind your mind in the garden of 30 species of flowers and also offers you with a splendid backdrop for all kinds of photographs.The Bloom is impeccable with the variety of gems here. The Ivy Tunnel in the most dazzling decoration in light violet flowers throughout the tunnel remains as the prime attraction for tourists not only during the day light but also in the night as the experience of walking through the longest tunnel is unforgettable

for me.The Bloom by TVPOOL is also known as the largest flower garden in Khao Yai surrounded by mountains .The Bloom by TVPOOL is an all-time seasonal area meant for people who love nature and for you to try the different backdrops of flowers as your portfolio. The trip gets interesting with our tour to Primo Piazza with the eyecatching scenery that has an array of restaurants and cafes where you can feed the merino, alpacas, and donkeys. As I walked in I was astonished by the green bush passage with a fountain in the middle of the entrance along with the green bushes and a garden area as well, the façade of the building was also covered by greenery along with a number of trees and green bushes. The buildings were all in light shades at the entrance while inside you can get to see the buildings are a mix of terracotta and grey shades. The well inside with colourful flowers hanging there along the line of the terracotta building is a prime attraction for a great click. We then get into the

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Destination

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farm area on a special buggy to the farm which had an arch of the Farm Chokchai it was like a playground for me to walk around and to enjoy the scenery . We then head to watch the cowboy show where the cowboys were dressed in costumes of a Mexican cowboy, American cowboy and Latino cowboy who were performing for few minutes. We stepped into the Chokchai Steak House for a lovely lunch as we get in I observed the ceiling which was so gracefully done that had a number of brown wheels attached to the ceiling while each wheel had the traditional lanterns fixed to it along with the branches of leaves from trees structured in the building. A European restaurant that serves some of the famous delicacies like Chokchai Roast Beef,Chokchai Preminum Tenderloin, Chokchai Premium t- bone Streak.The restaurant is highly recommended for families and children.

Voyager’s World > February 2018

garden area where you could see the green plains and colourful flowers hanging at every corner as you will be tempted to take more photographs. It is quite a splendid view for one to walk around the area that has the sunflowers hanging in glass bottles with light blue leaves fixed on a dark brown wooden plank again for amazing photographs. As we walked further you get to see the sheep and alpacas we ended up feeding the alpacas .I came across another spot with a white cycle and red flowers in a pot placed at each side of the cycle and the white lanterns hanging on the sides for a lovely photograph. Besides the Primo Café, I noticed the tranquility of this place and the amazing Italian architecture, a souvenir area and the ice cream corner. Something that surprised me is the small windmill area that was surrounded with red flowers , this place looked like one of the destinations of Europe specially for a lovely photograph of mini Italy in Khao Yai. The Primo Piazza is a perfect place for a romantic getaway, family escapes and for a pre and post wedding shoots .The Primo Piazzo is a paradise for photographs that every photographer would end up visiting this place again and again. Everything in this place reminded me of my childhood days playing jigsaw puzzle of a beautiful destination. The Tuscany of Khao Yai with its astonishing and stunning views remains as a special memory in my heart.

We were overjoyed with our drive into the Khao Yai National Park into the lush ever green forests that has 300 species of birds, gibbons, bears.The National Park is located at Phenom Dong Pak Mountain Range and also known for butterfly and bird watching. We ventured into our night safaris first on a half open jeep and then on an open jeep to spot wild elephants and some other wild animals. During our second drive our guide had a torch light to spot the wild animals. We sighted slow loris, wild cat, wild fox, porcupine and the deer’s gazing the grass plains. This area is also known for trekking and marathon events .We then checked into the Greenery resort by Scenical World for an overnight. The Greenery Resort offers 256 guest rooms, categorized as greenery rooms, greenery room plus, greenery premier, greenery executive, dewdrops, sunshine suite, green valley suite. The hotel is also known for organizing MICE and wedding events. Our visit to the Farm Chokchai the agricultural innovation in Thailand was a very different experience from all the other attractions as we first move into the cow station to see how the milking of cows are done through machines, we also got to try milking cows and tasting the Ummi Ice creams, you can also get to make your own ice creams here. After a while we then go to the

Destination

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Our voyage transpires into passing through the greenery and the flower beds of Khao Yai to Bangkok. The excitement of the trip goes on with a much awaited experience through a helicopter tour by The Advance Aviation Company Limited across Bangkok for about 39 minutes, a helicopter tour agency in Thailand with network in Phuket and Chiang Mai. The agency also has the option for private jets where people can rent jets for a holiday. During our flight we got an overview of the Rama VIII Bridge, the Chao Phraya River, the Royal Grand Palace, Wat Pra Krew, Wat Arun and the skyscrapers of Bangkok. The vibrant city looked breathtaking with the number of tall buildings like MahaNakhon , Baiyoke Tower II ,The River Tower, State Tower , Centara Grand at CentralWorld and the Empire Tower. After the helicopter tour we entered the Siam Kempinski Hotel a luxury hotel located close to BTS Skytrain, Siam Paragon Shopping Center for a hotel visit. The hotel offers 401 luxurious rooms and suites. The rooms are categorized as Cabana room, Superior Room, Deluxe Room, Premier room, Executive Room. The suites are categorized as Pent House,The Presidential Suite,The Terrace Suite, The Terrace Suite, Three Bedroom Family Suite, Deluxe Suite, Duplex Cabana and Two Bedroom Family Suite. The hotel has a variety of restaurants like Hanuman Bar,Rotunda ,Brasserie Europa , Sra Bua By Kiin Kiin and Niche . The hotel has 10 meeting rooms for MICE, Weddings and the outdoor area facing the garden and the pool are also used for events like

Yoga, Muay Thai, Thai Cooking Class and outdoor wedding ceremony. This hotel is catered to the business and leisure travelers. During the evening, we got to visit Asiatique The Riverfront is one of Bangkok’s popular shopping centers for souvenirs, handicrafts, jewellery. The night life is something relevant in this place with the number of pubs and loud party tracks played throughout the night .It is considered to be quite an active place with a lot of shopping and partying here, you can also relish the Thai cuisine at Baan Khanitha . This spot is also a good place for photographs with the view of the Chao Phraya River and the Ferris Wheel. For our stay in Bangkok, we checked into the Metropolitan Bangkok part of Como Hotels & Resorts located on the South Sathorn Road that offers 160 rooms and 9 suites including 28 city rooms , 7 studio rooms,121 metropolitan rooms ,4 terrace rooms , 4 executive suites , 4 penthouse suites, 1 Como suite , urban escape wellness center, outdoor pool, gym, hydro pools, steam rooms, state of art gym, yoga studio, three meeting rooms ivory and ivory ii with the capacity of 100 people and the boardroom can accommodate 11 people that can be used for MICE and weddings. The interiors are designed elegantly. For dining options the Met Bar, Nahm restaurant specializes in world class Thai cuisine and the restaurant Glow serves organic and healthy juices. Our sojourn ends up interesting with our visit to Rajadamnern Singha Muay Thai Academy that presently has 5 locations in Bangkok where you can learn the basic martial arts. We were trained by Kru Champ along with few other trainers. The most important part of the class is to get your boxing postures perfectly .I would say it is considered to be one of the best experiences that I have ever had I never thought I could get the basics easily and it is something that everyone should try when you are in Thailand. We then head to the most famous authentic Thai restaurant The Blue Elephant Cooking School & Restaurant where we got to taste various dishes like rose spring rolls made of crispy rose shaped spring rolls stuffed with minced free range chicken, glass noodles and shitake mushrooms with sweet sour chili dipping sauce, Tom Yam Kai Soup is made of spicy and sour soup with chicken and straw mushrooms

.Some of the main delicacies we got to taste are three flavored sea bass made of crispy sea bass fillet topped with three flavor sauce and garnished with holy basil, Phuket cashew chicken, Thai green curry, crab curry and dessert pumpkin and butterfly pea flower ice-cream. The Blue Elephant Cooking School & Restaurant is one of the oldest restaurants in Thailand , the restaurant is decorated in Thai handicrafts and art works. The restaurant also has a blue bar serving classics like Emerald Flake and cosmopolitan to lemon grass martini and mango passion. The Blue Elephant cooking school & restaurant can also organize various events like theme parties, wedding parties. One another place for a lovely dinner is the Vertigo Roof Top Restaurant at Banyan Tree Bangkok where you can enjoy a romantic dinner and a drink at the Moon Bar which is a lifetime experience that overlooks the glittering cityscape of Bangkok as you can try the different seafood and streaks. Few of the historical places we got to visit are Jim Thompson House & Museum that houses the rare antiques of Thai art and Thai silk. We got to see a Thai dance

performed by few dancers during our visit to the museum which was incredible I felt as though I already got the few steps of the dancers. The Wat Traimit – Temple of Golden Buddha is an attractive location that attracts tourists and locals for the temple and largest Buddha made of pure gold in 12 feet and 5 inches, we also got to visit the museum on the same building that talks about the past and present of Chinese migrants from South China and the exhibition portion looked wonderful. Besides that the SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World is something that you will love by taking a stroll through the various sea creatures like the Stingray , Jelly fish, Jellyfish Crescent and Lionfish will definitely relax your mind and is also considered to be stress relieving as well. Khao Yai is an attractive destination on its whole for photography, delicious food and of course the hospitable people is something that is beyond words for me and Bangkok has been one of my favorite destinations right from my first visit to this country so visits to this lovely country is ongoing for more unique experiences and in discovering the unseen treasures.

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India Outbound

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Dubai Tourism announce new alliances for India VW BUREAU

Priyanka Nijhawan

ijhawan Group as its new marketing communication and management consultancy firm for India; while Cruise Club to represent Dubai Business Events. Previously represented by Charson Advisory, during which India emerged as the number one source market for Dubai’s inbound tourism – recently seeing over 1.4 million tourists having visited Dubai between January and September 2017.

India Outbound

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India arrivals to Thailand, NOW among toP 5 feeder markets vw bureau

Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) said, “India remains a top priority for us, now consistently being the largest source market for tourists to Dubai. Charson Advisory has played a great role in realizing this feat, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their consistently professional approach, enduring commitment and dependable work.” “We are pleased to continue our journey with the Nijhawan Group and Cruise Club as our destination proposition continues to grow and diversify, attracting first-time visitors as well as driving repeat visitation from India. We look forward to working with both companies to further strengthen Dubai’s position in the global market, and bring us closer to achieving our goal of welcoming 20 million visitors per year by 2020,” Mr. Kazim continued.

Santi Chudintra

Commenting on the appointment, Priyanka Nijhawan, Director Nijhawan Group said, “We are elated to have entered the partnership with Dubai Tourism. With India being the biggest source market into Dubai, we aim to still derive greater growth into the region through strategic sales initiatives, marketing partnerships and working closely with the Travel Trade in India."

Ankush Nijhawan, Managing Director, Nijhawan Group added, "Nijhawan Group is a travel conglomerate with over 45 years of experience in India that has extensive relationships with the travel trade across the country. With our appointment, we hope to capitalize on our extensive network of agents and generate greater growth into Dubai with their support."

hailand welcomed over 35.3 million international visitors in 2017 and earned 1.82 trillion Baht in tourism revenue. The precise number of overseas tourists visiting Thailand in 2017 was 35,381,210; showing an increase of 8.77 percent over 2016. India ranks in top 5 list of highest number of visitors to Thailand after China, Malaysia, Korea and Laos. In 2017, over 1.4 million Indians travelled to Thailand which is over 18% increase from last year.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Mumbai showcased its new campaigns ‘Open to the New Shades of Thailand’ and ‘Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018’ at Mumbai this January. Ms. Soraya Homchuen, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Mumbai said “TAT is initiating many unique activities and projects this year that will focus on promoting women, family and first-time traveller segments for the Indian market. OTM is India’s largest and most international gathering of travel trade buyers and professionals, and most

importantly it is conducted in Mumbai each year which is headquarters to almost all major outbound tour operators". Mr. Santi Chudintra, Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and the South Pacific) said “The new campaign ‘Open to the New Shades of Thailand’ aims to give more attention to unique local experiences and inclusive tourism, reflecting Thainess and the Thai people’s warmth in welcoming visitors. Within this, there is a focus on specific customer segments;

such as, gastronomy tourism, luxury, weddings and honeymoons, families, female travellers and Gen Y. The new campaign ‘Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018’ has been launched to support the government’s national tourism development plan, ensuring that Thailand remains a preferred destination and delivers a quality product; thus, boosting the average length of stay, expenditure and repeat visit.” "The destination presentation showcased various new regions and provinces of Thailand that Indians should visit like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Khao Yai, Rayong, Ko Chang and highlighted various uber luxury experiences available in Thailand. Also, Thailand is gaining popularity for its diving sites and adventure activities. The newly launched Michelin Guidebook highlights Bangkok’s best dining experiences and street food", he added.

Leisure overtakes VFR for Scotland from India... To focus on Highend KIRAN RAJ. K

Kirsten Spence, Senior Market Manager – Emerging Markets, VisitScotland on her visit to India, spoke exclusively for Voyager's World on the side-lines of their Roadshow in Bangalore. Scotland more accessible. We have seen more of the traffic has been from the leisure rather than VFR, which are sure signs of growth. For last year we have seen year on year growth of 8% from the year.

How has the Indian growth story evolved? Over the last three years, the average in terms of growth from the Indian market has been a 37% growth. Now, with enhanced connectivity in form of Etihad Airways flying into Edinburgh in addition to their existing two Flights a day from Glasgow and Turkish Airlines adding flights, it has made getting in to

Voyager’s World > February 2018

The expectation is that the traffic would again increase. I think the work that we have done having visited India in January and December in 2017 we will start to see in the development of different products for next year and the year beyond. How has been the response towards new visitor trends into Scotland? Visit Scotland has been in India over the last five years have seen a progressive difference in the type of travel products that the people have been asking us for, initially it

was all classic Scotland coming into Edinburgh, but now it has been a lot of touring outside of Edinburgh and Glasgow. We will focus on highend and luxury travel. Scotland offers unique experiences such as staying in castles deep-rooted in unparalleled history. Food and drink in Scotland is getting popular with guests looking for niche food trails such as on cheese, Chocolate and Whisky. Marketing Plans for India? In addition to partnering with Etihad Airways for B2B trade activation events, we are also looking at celebrating the 20th anniversary of the film “Kuch Hota Hai” being filmed in Scotland. We have even developed a Trip planner which shows film locations around Scotland. From the B2B perspective,

travel agents can use that to help plan itineraries for those inclined towards films. New Destinations for the Indian market? We found the Indian market now engages very well what we call the Golden Triangle which is Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. Unique products such as the East Coast of Aberdeen, Lakes in St. Andrews and Dundee coastline is getting popular. We would like to focus on the Scottish Borders, East Coast of Scotland and Dumfries and Galloway. Stay Patterns? The Indian travellers on an average tend to stay between three to four nights, mostly in Edinburgh and do day trips to Glasgow and Inverness.

Welcome to Holiday Expo another exciting brand to take your business to a level of growth and establish an opportunity to create a brand new market. Medium sized Indian cities have emerged as one of the fastest growing markets or quality leisure products and 'Holiday Expo' is just the perfect Travel Exhibition reachout to this very market, thus ensuring your product profits to its optimum potential.

VADODARA NAGPUR VISAKHAPATNAM VARANASI COIMBATORE 17, 18, 19 AUG 2018 12, 13, 14 OCT 2018 26, 27, 28 OCT 2018 14, 15, 16 DEC 2018 01, 02, 03 FEB 2019

Holiday Expo Secretariat: Plot No. 15, H. No.: 3-41-374, 2nd Floor, Devi Temple Street, Lakshmi Nagar Colony, Picket Secunderabad - 500 026 Tel: +91-40-4014 9950 | Mob: +91-97018 66695 | Fax: +91-40-4018 9951 | Email: info@holidayexpo.in | www.holidayexpo.in

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Travel Trends

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Cyber audit is key to digital infrastructure in hotel industry PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

Vijay Mhaskar, Chief Operating Officer, Quick Heal Technologies Limited, talks about the relevance of cyber security awareness and measures in the hospitality and travel industry. is the mobile devices in which a lot of data is created – until the server, we have Endpoint Security.

rom the perspective of security, we have a consumer brand and also an enterprise brand which is Seqrite, our IT security solutions brand that aims to simplify and maximize business performance. The horizon of our data security solutions is only expanding with technology evolving in the tourism and hospitality sectors. We have focused our efforts on ensuring that data is secured at every point; starting from the end point – which

In workplaces, where we often have mobile applications, we have introduced a Mobile Device Management (MDM) as a solution as well as server security. There is a lot of concern about loss of data, for which we have Data Loss Prevention (DLP) which prevents the copying of data from the computer. Where data needs to be kept confidential, it is important to have end-to-end encryption for transfer of data even if someone gets of hold of the storage or the network, for which we offer Unified Threat Management (UTM).” As far as threat intelligence is concerned, Vijay says with 8.2 million end points, they receive

threat reports continuously from each of the devices, yet, they aim to be proactive and send software updates to clients even before news of threat breaks out. Data security in travel industry “It is important that the hotel and travel industries take cyber security very seriously. Today, only 3% of organisations report cyber crime incidents in India, while there are many unreported. Attacks normally look for financial gain and ransom. Hence, it is vital to generate awareness on the threats and what preventive measures can be taken. The right thing to do is regular cyber security audits.” “In India, the hospitality industry’s cyber security scenario is vulnerable; the level of software solutions

employed is not up to the mark. There is a lot of digitization happening in the hotel industry and we need to encourage hotels to strengthen their digital infrastructure. The backend server is most susceptible, followed by the Wi-Fi, CCTV cameras, fax machines, telephones, DOS attacks and payment frauds. Likewise, other stakeholders in the industry like the travel agents, taxi networks and others are vulnerable to cyber threats in their systems. Guests and end consumers also need to be more aware about mobile security as there is a huge shift to mobile transactions. Our solution SafePe runs on the mobile first to see if it has been compromised and cautions the user to avoid financial critical transactions and avoid giving access to the routing of the devices.”

STAT CORNER INDIA AIRBOUND

Foreign Exchange Earnings (In Rupee and Us $ Terms) 9.9% Growth in Foreign Exchange Earnings (In Rupee Terms) In January 2018 over January 2017 FEEs during the month of January 2018 were Rs. 17,725 crore as compared to Rs. 16,135 crore in January 2017 and Rs. 13,671 crore in January 2016. The growth rate in FEEs in rupee terms in January 2018 over January 2017 was 9.9%, compared to the growth of 18.0% in January 2017 over January 2016. Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) through Tourism (in US $ terms) FEEs in US$ terms during the month of January 2018 were US$ 2.786 billion as compared to FEEs of US$ 2.370 billion during the month of January 2017 and US$ 2.032 billion in January 2016. The growth rate in FEEs in US$ terms in January 2018 over January 2017 was 17.6% compared to the growth of 16.6% in January 2017 over January 2016. (Source - India Tourism)

Voyager’s World > February 2018

INDIA AIRBOUND

Encouraging Response to Civil Aviation Ministry’s Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) Airports Authority of India (AAI), the implementing agency for the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN) has received 45 initial proposals from 11 bidders covering more than 200 RCS routes as the deadline for submitting initial proposals came to an end on 16th Jan 2017. These initial proposals cover as many as 65 airports, of which there are 52 un-served and 13 under-served airports as per the provisions of the scheme. The scheme, which would be in operation for a period of 10 years, envisages providing connectivity to un-served and under-served regions of the country through revival of existing air-strips and airports. This would be achieved through a financial stimulus in the form of Central and State government concessions, as well as Viability Gap Funding to the interested airlines to kick-off operations from such airports, so that the passenger fares are kept affordable. The fare for a one hour journey of approximately 500 km on a fixed wing aircraft or for a 30 minute journey on a helicopter would be capped at Rs. 2,500 under the scheme, with proportionate pricing for routes of different lengths / duration. Source: Ministry of Civil Aviation, Govt. of India Image Courtesy: EMAAR Group

Incredible India

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MICE Buzz

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Amex Global Business Travel (GBT) forecasts solid economic growth

Percept ICE manages the ZEE 25 Years Grand Party

ercept ICE, the Special Projects, Events and Conventions Domain Company of Percept Limited, bagged the mandate of conceptualizing and producing the ZEE 25 Years Grand Party in Mumbai. The celebration was held in January 2018 at The Mansion, Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai. Percept ICE’s scope of work spanned conceptualizing, designing, planning and producing the entire event along with guest relations, art direction, décor, venue transformation and set up, artist curation and technical direction.

Fares expected to remain stable VW bureau

Vidya Alva, Executive Vice President - Events, Percept ICE said, “It was a privilege to receive the mandate to manage the ZEE 25 Years Grand Party. This was a massive milestone achieved by the ZEE Group and the mega celebrations conceptualized had to skillfully reflect the scale and magnitude of this milestone moment." v

Creative Travel Honored with SITE Crystal Awards

American musical group ‘The Sound of Music’ to perform for the first time in South Asia

Jo Sully

he Global Business Travel Forecast 2018 by AmEX Business Travel in its Annual Forecast Report for the hotel, air and ground across the Americas, EMEA and APAC markets for 2018 has stated "Despite strong increases in demand, fares are expected to remain stable across Asia as airlines continue to chase business and new capacity floods the region. Domestically, demand has been growing at nearly 9%, with China and India seeing double-digit increases in RPKs in 2017. While this will likely slow in 2018, rapidly growing economies in both countries, an expanding middle-class, and favourable government policies should ensure demand remains strong throughout the region, even with relatively flat growth in Japan and Australia." The report further stated "Rising demand from travellers in Asia, notably from India and China, are changing travel dynamics in the region and putting a strain on availability in popular locations like Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Tokyo, and Bangkok. However, the rapid development of new inventory is generally keeping pace with this demand and the region remains favourable to buyers in most locations. Overall, room rates should continue to increase moderately through 2018, although this will vary city by city." The report said that "Demand for business travel started to rebound last year, and is expected to grow over the next 12 months, with some notable gains expected in Europe and Asia. China and India’s highpowered economies once again lead the way. However, prices will see only

Voyager’s World > February 2018

marginal gains, as suppliers rapidly increase capacity to meet demand as they compete for market share." Despite the recent economic progress made in many global marketplaces, an element of caution remains in some quarters. Geopolitical instability combined with moves by some governments towards more protectionist economic policies has generated an undercurrent of uncertainty in the business community. Jo Sully, Vice President & General Manager, American Express Global Business Travel, Australia & New Zealand, said “Modest increases in fares across air travel and hotel are expected across Asia-Pacific as a result of renewed business confidence within the region, driven largely by the influence of China and India. Despite positive economic conditions, companies continue to seek cost savings in travel, and we anticipate continued scrutiny in areas such as trip length, moving bookings online, hotel consolidation, and advanced bookings.” APAC Highlights: Region grows on rising demand in China, India and SE Asia Strong growing economies across much of the Asia-Pacific region and a burgeoning middle-class are causing demand for travel to surge. However, China remains a key driver of this growth and a slowdown of its economy could have a ripple effect throughout the region. Airfares will

remain relatively stable compared to 2017, as political stability and strong demand in China and India, is counterbalanced by widespread overcapacity and flatter demand in Japan and Australia. Domestic carriers in China will also have to compete with the world’s fastdeveloping high-speed rail network, which accounts for more than twothirds of the world’s capacity and is expected to grow another 50

percent by 2020. Hotel rates in the region will generally increase as growing business confidence and a thriving tourism sector drive up demand, although this will vary considerably by country. South Korea is the only nation expected to see rate decreases, largely as a result of China’s tourism ban.

Global highlights Air: While strong demand is expected to drive airfare increases across all regions, overcapacity on certain routes, aggressive expansion by low-cost carriers (LCCs), and low oil prices will keep them in check. Full-service carriers are increasingly unbundling fares and adding premium economy seating options to entice consumers to better compete with LCCs. Hotel: Hotel performance is expected to improve globally, with small to moderate rate increases driven by strengthening regional economies, despite robust investment in new hotel supply. Total costs, however, should increase even further as additional ancillary fees and stricter cancellation policies are applied by many hotels looking to bolster profitability. Ground: After years of flat or negative growth, rental car rates should finally see increases as companies improve their fleet management while operating costs put pressure on pricing. However, competition will remain fierce. In the absence of significant rate increases, car rental companies are once again turning to ancillary services and fees to drive greater profitability.

ew Delhi based Creative Travel Pvt. Ltd., and Amway Europe were recognized by the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) with a Crystal Award for Excellence in Incentive Travel: Asia Pacific at the Crystal Awards Recognition Ceremony held during the SITE + MPI Global Forum in Rome, Italy. This is the Seventh time that Creative Travel has been the recipient of a SITE Crystal Award. The award was received by Rajeev Kohli, Joint Managing Director, Creative Travel and Bob Postins, Head of Special Events, Amway Europe at an award function before over 600 industry members. "The Crystal Award is the most prestigious form of recognition in the global incentive travel industry," said SITE President Annamaria Ruffini, CIS, CMP, president & CEO, Events In & Out S.R.L. "The award not only recognizes the outstanding organizations that win them, but also showcases the innovative ways companies can create extraordinary motivational experiences to maximize human potential and achieve tangible business results for their companies.”

he group will perform in Sri Lanka from February 14 to February 18, 2018. Cinnamon Life in partnership with Broadway Asia is set to present the very popular musical of all time, ‘The Sound of Music’ for the very first time in Sri Lanka at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre in Colombo. Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Ian’s Really Useful Group production of The Sound of Music will be the first of a series of events that will make Colombo a hub for entertainment in the region. To encourage Indian tourists to witness this musical extravaganza, Cinnamon has created exclusive packages starting – at INR 16316.

Emaar, Dubai sets a Guiness World Record for the largest Light and Sound Show

maar’s ‘Light Up 2018’ Downtown Dubai celebration hosted more than a million visitors from across the world and reached an estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide through live television broadcast and social media livestreams. The mesmerising laser, light and musical fountain show not only had a spellbinding effect on spectators, but Emaar’s ‘Light Up 2018’ also clinched the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the ‘largest light and sound show on a single building,’ staged on Burj Khalifa, the global icon. The record beats that set in Hong Kong in 2013 on the ICC Building which was over an area of 46,641.52 sq metres. ‘Light Up 2018’ on Burj Khalifa, by contrast, spanned an impressive surface area of 109,252 sq metres (about 27 acres, the size of about 20 football fields) – more than double that of the earlier record set. Taking five months of constant preparation upto the launch on New Year's Eve, ‘Light Up 2018’ put Dubai and the UAE in the global spotlight through its futuristic approach to New Year’s Eve gala celebrations.

www.voyagersworld.in

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India’s Corporate Travel story! The surge ahead! Rohit Hangal

27>>

Penang Convention AND Exhibition Bureau reaches out to Indian MICE IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

The PCEB’s 2017 business events industry review stated that it had brought about an estimated economy impact of one billion ringgit (US$256 million) in 2017, hosting a total of 2,511 events, with 267,518 participants.

Ashwin Gunashekhran

s the headlines scream, Corporate Travel to go through the roof, we are all set to welcome a lifeline for this segment of growth. What was once considered a fledgling now has grown into a huge ostrich with its head buried in the sands! Well, mere growing pangs I hope!

and will enhance business travel, albeit not a very comfortable ride.

India, not on any global corporate radar until a few years back is now among the top ten global corporate travel markets. This popular travel segment that normally gets more brickbats is sure come of age. As per the KPMG and FCM Travel Solutions Report, "India is already the world’s tenth largest business travel market and is likely to clock the fastest growth in this segment in the next five years. Business travel spending is expected to treble until 2030 from $30 billion in 2015". Though the ‘Centre for Aviation (CAPA) has said in terms of Tourism spends by Indians, could rise to as much as $40 billion by 2027 from about $16.4 billion in 2016, ranking it sixth in the world ahead of Canada, South Korea and Australia.

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Google India reports, ‘Demystifying the Indian Online Traveller’ adds "Hotels will grow at 13 per cent to $13 billion by 2020 while railways will remain $5 billion".

CAPA India and online travel agent Expedia Inc in their report expects Indian budget carriers to fly to soon announce plans to Europe and the United States. The airlines have focused on shorterrange destinations such as SAARC Nations, Middle East and the Far East. If this happens soon enough, it will surely bring fares cheaper

E-Visa has had a tremendous value to inbound business travel segment. Now, with Passport holders from more than 160 countries can now apply for their Indian Electronic Travel Authorization online, better known as the Indian Electronic Visa, it has come as a boon to the business travellers around the world. E-visa facility has been

Voyager’s World > February 2018

The report further added "Only 0.3 percent of Indians currently travel abroad for a holiday every year, a fraction of the estimated 100 million who could potentially afford to do so".

Business Travel has been a neglected part of India's burgeoning travel & tourism industry vehicle. Hardly any tourism board talks about or even has a policy to develop this high value segment. The marketing jargon is still too leisure focussed, it is almost is an anathema to even being seen talking about it. Even though, bulk of 8 million tourists visiting India are here on business, we do not even have a statistical separation to indicate this major growth driver.

extended to 24 airports, up from 16 airports allowing such entries, and three Indian ports i.e. Cochin, Goa and Mangalore to tap the potential of cruise tourism from different countries. Indian passenger travel market is projected to grow at 11-11.5 per cent to $48 Billion by 2020 with the biggest contributor, air travel, expected to grow at 15 per cent to $30 billion. Even if you consider the investments in the tourism sector in India, the states that have a strong corporate culture have stood out. The states of the Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka have received 61% of all tourism investment (Rs 34,800 crore in India's hotels and tourism industry) as noted by ASSOCHAM in 2012. Gujarat with 29%, Maharashtra with 18% and Karnataka with about 14% logged most of the investment. With investments targeted more towards creating city based urban hospitality and tourism infrastructure, the writing is on the wall, 'Business Travel is here to stay!' The Indian Ministry of Tourism should offer figures separating those for business and leisure. It would only help the industry. Marketing budgets still is focussed entirely on leisure, with a miniscule amount given to Corporate Travel and MICE events, almost as an afterthought!

On the outbound front, Amadeus reports around 41% of the 4.5 million Indian travellers to Asia Pacific destinations were business travellers, with an interestingly 23% of all business visitors were women, i.e., about a million women business travellers! Amadeus estimates, 'that over the next 20 years, international business travel by females from India could grow almost ten-fold to more than ten million annual business departures. This huge increase is caused by both enormous growth in overall business travel from India coupled with significantly enhanced representation by women in the mid - senior executive ranks of Indian businesses'. There is all the more reason, you see more women travellers being wooed by hotels and airlines alike with more marketing programs targeted at them. Times sure have changed! Just another male bastion gate-crashed! The Amadeus report also adds that "the most common destinations for business travel are currently Singapore, the UK and North America. However the Middle East is also becoming a commonly visited business destination, visited by 28% of all Indian business travellers". Infrastructure, though has got better in the last few years is still the bane of India's growth vision and ambitions. But, in a country where infrastructure follows development and not the other way around, it is an opportunity nevertheless!

he Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB), conducted their first ever Penang Sales Mission in India covering Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai & Bengaluru. The 17-member Sales Mission highlighted Penang as the destination for corporate and association meetings, incentives and leisure travel. The sales mission included hotels, destination management companies and PCEB’s official Airline Partner, Malaysia Airlines. “India is one of the top five markets for Business Events in Penang, and over the past year, we have received interest from event planners and conference organizers. The youth from India loves to explore Penang especially for street food & heritage architecture.” said Ashwin Gunasekeran, Chief Executive Officer, PCEB. One the sidelines of the event series, Ashwin Gunasekaran, CEO, Penang Convention Exhibition Bureau, Malaysia spoke to Voyager's World on the bureau's efforts to reach out to the Indian Meetings market:

Indian MICE Outbound - Opportunities The growth from the Indian market for the past three years has topped up to number 5 this is largely because The V Conference is a multilevel marketing conference and we have also confirmed the similar group for this year and next year for about 20,000 to 22,000 guests. In 2017 we witnessed 18,000 guests in terms of MICE from India. Marketing Plans We have set a brand campaign,

“Experiences Unfiltered”, which we had launched in 2016 and will continue till 2019. The response has been very good and is all about the liveliness of Penang and how can MICE businesses benefit with Value Additions when an event is conducted in Penang. For E.g., the incentive market engages on a lot of curated activities, where in a performance of the very local 'Lion Dance' are a useful addition to the activities. We are also introducing the certified MICE specialist programme or the ambassador programme, where we will be training the selected individuals to represent Penang. This will help us reach out and translate what Penang has to offer to the market. We will also be launching the online version of this programme by Q2 of this year.We also have a partnership programme for the Industry as well. We are soon launching a Global Partnership Programme by Q2 that will be for everyone outside of Malaysia who will be selling Penang they will be incentivized and will have benefits when they are bringing groups into Penang. We will be focusing a lot more on the Indian market, and hence this series of Roadshows to begin with. New infrastructure: We have a new convention center 'Penang Waterfront Convention Centre' to open in 2020 - 2021, which will support the existing meeting infrastructure such as Setia SPICE Convention Centre and Straits Quay Convention Center. We have over 20,000 rooms available and will add 9 new hotels opening with extra 3000 rooms by 2019.

MICE Trends We have had 1251 events in 2016 and have already lined up 1731 events from January to September 2017. We are anticipating a growth of 30 percent for overall growth in MICE events. We have noticed more

of association related conferences of late.We have had a good mix of families, young travellers and business travellers from the Indian market.

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South East Asia's biggest Amusement Expo opens on 27 February in Mumbai VW bureau

The IAAPI is geared up to unveil the 18th AMUSEMENT EXPO from 27 February to 1 March, 2018 at Hall 2, Bombay Exhibition Centre, NESCO Compound, Goregaon East, Mumbai, INDIA.

Shirish Deshpande

AAPI’s 18th Amusement Expo is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (Incredible India). The exhibition will witness over 120 exhibitors from 18 countries and spreads across 10,000 square metres of exhibition space showcasing latest innovative rides and equipment for Amusement Park, Theme Park, Water Park, Adventure Sport and Family Entertainment Centres. The three-day exhibition will provide a platform to share and learn new ideas. Leading players from the industry will share their learning, innovative ideas, schemes and experience. Many important issues related to the amusement industry will also be discussed in depth. IAAPI Amusement Expo will also bring a comprehensive range of products and services offered by the industry under one roof and provide an international platform to the participants to interact with the end users. The expo aims at creating an ideal business environment to explore new avenues of growth for all involved. Apart from business transactions, the show also provides an exposure to international trends through its many foreign participants. The event provides an excellent networking platform to decision makers from India and overseas which will include: Park operators, Resorts owners, Real Estate Developers, Mall Developers, Architects, Consultants, Ride manufacturers and allied professional connected to the

Voyager’s World > February 2018

amusements and leisure industry. This year IAAPI will organize “FEC Connect” an exclusive session over breakfast for the Indian FEC industry on the side-line of Amusement Expo 2018. The event will help in getting leading FEC operators to meet, interact and network for the benefit of the industry. The session will be address by international speakers sharing their experience on running of Family Entertainment Centres. The event will be visited by decision maker from the Amusement Park, Theme Park, Adventure Park, Family Entertainment Centres (FEC), Resorts, Hotel Chains, Real Estate, Mall Developers, Sports Bar, Cafes, Museums and Science Centres, Government officials from Tourism Development Board, PWD, Town Planning, Municipal and Local Body over the period of three days. The Indian Amusement & Theme Park industry has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 17.5% with annual revenue of approx. INR 17 billion and estimated to grow to at least INR 40 billion by 2020.

Highlights of 18th IAAPI Amusement Expo 2018: The event is hailed as South East Asia’s only focus technology show for Amusement & Theme Park sector spread across 10,000 sqm of exhibition area. Participation from over 120+ exhibitors from India & 18 countries, 58 international exhibitors. Participating nation are - Bulgaria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Philippines, Spain, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA. Over 4000 trade professionals are expected to visit he exhibition over three days.

Amusement Parks in India attract over 30 million (3 crore) visitors annually. Children & Youth visit the park either in school groups or with families and constitutes 50% of park visitors. Adults constitute the remaining 50% as they either visit with their families or in corporate groups. Indian Association of Amusement Parks and Industries (IAAPI), founded in 1999 is an apex

body representing the interests of Amusement Parks, Theme Parks, Water Parks and Family Entertainment Centre in India. IAAPI is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, playing a proactive role in development of this sector. The association has over 355 members from the private sectors including small and medium enterprises consisting of park operators and equipment manufacturers.

itb.travel

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TCEB business forum to strengthen exhibition ties

31>>

Las Vegas reaches out to Indian MICE VW bureau

To offer financial assistance to Indian companies... VW bureau

TCEB, the nodal agency for Thailand to promote the MICE business into its country is taking its ‘Exhibiz’ Market campaign Roadshow in India.

he release accompanying the event said "The Indian market stands to benefit greatly from the Thai government’s Thailand 4.0 policy, which actively promotes industries that have a synergy with India’s economic development plans". According to Thailand's Ministry of Commerce, two-way trade between Thailand and India totalled USD 7.72 billion in 2016, with about 5.15 billion in Thai exports to India and 2.57 billion in Indian exports to Thailand. India is already an active participant in Thailand's trade shows, with the majority exhibiting at events in the Food & Agriculture sector (32.32%), Health & Wellness (20.51%), and Automotive (17.60%). Since 2010, the Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of Indian participants to Thai exhibitions has grown at 58 per cent. Visitors from India accounted for 7.8 per cent of total overseas visitors

who according to a recent TCEB audit, paid greatest interest to the Food & Agriculture sector (37.97%), Automotive (25.26%) and Health & Wellness (12.40%). The top Thai exhibitions for the Indian market, in terms of attendance, are currently VIV Asia, PackPrint International and Wire & Tube Southeast Asia, which account for more than 40 per cent of India's total visitors. The business forum included a panel discussion on participating in Thai exhibitions featuring representatives from the Mohali India Association, the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organization (FICO), Ludhiana, and Mr. Susanta Kumar Mahapatra from Global Trade Linkages (GTL). Mr. Susanta K Mahapatra of GTL said: “Thailand has been a gateway for the Indian companies into the ASEAN market with a clear focus on the vibrant Thailand market, which

Photograph (Left To RIght): Mr. Susanta Mahapatra-Global Trade Linkages, Mr Gurmeet Singh Kular-President FICO,Mr Tharadol Thongruang-Minister Counselor CommercialRoyal Thai Consulate Delhi, Ms Chanida Chengpee-Manager Exhibitions-TCEB, Mr. Kamal Chopra-I.P.P. AIFMP, Mr. Rajeev Jain Secretary FICO.

offers diversified opportunities to the Indian companies. TCEB support scheme has been very well known among Indian participants.” The Exhibiz in Market scheme is a funding initiative conceived to generate pavilions at international tradeshows in Thailand, offering financial assistance between $1,500 and $5,780 for leaders

of commercial pavilions between 36sqm and 250sqm in size. Ms. Kanokporn Damrongkul, Director of TCEB’s Exhibition Department added “We expect to welcome an increasing number of Indian participants to Thai trade shows by 10% from 2017, and to draw the interest of business parties based here in Thailand”

TAAI Convention at Srinagar from 27-30 March 2018 VW bureau

he'Travel Agents Association of India' announced its 64th Annual Convention and Exhibition at Srinagar from 27 – 30 of March, 2018. The convention is organized in association with Ministry of Tourism, Jammu & Kashmir. The convention will focus on Tourism as our major thrust. TAAI announced it with its large member base will actively offer industry leadership in fields of – Aviation; Tourism (inbound; domestic & outbound), MICE, Technology and other industry verticals will offer opportunities to network, join the knowledge sessions.

Voyager’s World > February 2018

Sessions – Discover Srinagar – Gala Dinner •26 March or 30th March: Complimentary House Boat Stay for Limited Registered Delegates. • 25-26 // 30-31 March: 2 Nights Pre-Post Tour to Pahalgam & Gulmarg Program: •27 March: Golf Tournament (proposed) – Press Conference – ITTE B2B - Inaugural & Welcome Dinner •28 March: ITTE B2B – Knowledge Sessions – Discover Srinagar – Namaste India & Dinner •29 March: ITTE B2B – Knowledge

PRE-POST TOURS: 2 Nights attractive Pre-Post Tours at subsidized prices are offered to limited number of registered delegates at two fantastic locations – 2 Nights at Pahalgam or Two nights at Gulmarg. A complimentary onenight stay at Srinagar Houseboat is offered for limited delegates either on 26 - 30 March, 2018.

TAAI GOLF TOURNAMENT at SRINAGAR (Proposed): TAAI presents an opportunity for Golfers in Travel & Tourism on 27th March, 2018, with Tee-off at 1100 Hrs. The tournament will be held at the most famous world-class resort, The Royal Springs Golf Course, Srinagar. This is the most scenic Golf course in a natural environment created against the dramatic backdrop of Zabarvan mountains at Chashme Shahi. Register online on: www.travelagentsofindia.com/ ITC2018/

s a destination, which shouts on top of its marketing microphone, "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!", descends on Indian shores to reach out the Indian Meetings Market, the action sure gets activated. Kala Peterson, Communication Manager, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, was in Delhi last month spoke to Voyager's World and shared some highlights of the destination, that has helped it evolve into one of the top MICE destinations of the world. "The October 1st horrific shooting last year, which resulted in death of 58 people was a setback, but the destination has since bounced back to non-stop activity" Kala Peterson said.

total 42.2 million visitors. Nineteen percent of those visitors came from abroad, and 81 percent came

from within the US. Las Vegas is an exciting family destination as well with excursion opportunities to the

Grand Canyon, amazing shows and unmatched entertainment."

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Kala Peterson

She further added "Las Vegas hosted over 22,000 conferences in 2017 and has been a numero uno Meeting destination in the United States for a record twenty-three years". The Indian market currently contributes over 44,000 guests making about 3.8% of all foreign arrivals. The McCarran Airport at Las Vegas received over 45,300,000 passengers in 2015, a 5.8% increase over the previous year and is the 26th busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic and the 8th busiest by aircraft movements. The airport has nonstop air service to destinations in North America, Europe, and Asia. She further added "the city hosted over 6.6 million delegates came for conferences in 2017, of the

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Conrad Bengaluru now open! Woos city with Mega Meeting Facilities VW BUREAU

he latest luxury brand to make a gateway into the already competitive Bengaluru Hotel market is now 'Conrad Bengaluru', right in the city's primary business district. Conrad Hotels & Resorts further expanded in India with the opening of Conrad Bengaluru. Soaring 24 stories above Bengaluru’s Central Business District, the new luxurious hotel, which is owned by the Real-Estate biggie 'Prestige Group' and will be managed by Hilton. “The Conrad Bengaluru is an outstanding addition to our luxury portfolio in Asia Pacific and we are delighted to be partnering with the Prestige Group on this exciting project", said Daniel Welk, Vice President of operations, luxury and lifestyle, Asia Pacific, Hilton.

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The hotel features 285 luxurious guestrooms including 21 suites. "Amidst the robust tourism outlook, the much-anticipated opening of Conrad Bengaluru will definitely be a game changer in the already dynamic hotel scene here. Moreover, Bangalore has the distinct advantage of being a preferred destination for both conventions and conferences. Hence, I see the hospitality industry thriving here. We look forward to a long and positive partnership with Hilton in further elevating the hotel industry in India," added Irfan Razack – CMD, Prestige Group. The hotel will also have one of largest meetings and events spaces in the city with 17,000 square feet of space including a 7,610-squarefeet Grand Ballroom.

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Ashish Kishore Managing Director - India American Express Global Business Travel (GBT)

merican Express Global Business Travel (GBT) announces the appointment of Ashish Kishore as the new Managing Director for GBT, India. In his new role, Ashish will have overall management responsibility for GBT's business in India. He will be part of the Asia Pacific leadership team. Ashish joins GBT from air services provider, Dnata, where he was Country Head for India.

March 2018

• Real excitement, as you've always desired!

7, 8, 9, 10, 11 ITB Berlin Berlin, Germany 12, 13, 14 Associations World Congress Antwerp, Belgium

April 2018 18, 19, 20 Sports & Events Tourism Exchange Cape Town, South Africa

Deepesh Verma Head - Sales & Relationship Management Thomas Cook

24, 25, 26 ExpoEventos Buenos Aires, Argentina

homas Cook (India) Ltd., has announced the appointment of Deepesh Varma as Head of Sales and Relationship Management for its Foreign Exchange business, based in Mumbai. Deepesh brings with him 15 years of robust experience across multiple lines of businesses and functions. He has been associated with Thomas Cook India for about 5 years, commencing with the E-Business team, where his primary role was to set up call centre opportunities.

Voyager’s World > February 2018

• Discover a great new potential and reap greater profits.

IITM 2018-19 EVENTS CALENDAR BANGALORE: 27, 28, 29 JULY 2018

DELHI: 21, 22, 23 SEPTEMBER 2018

CHENNAI: 03, 04, 05 AUGUST 2018

MUMBAI: 28, 29, 30 SEPTEMBER 2018

HYDERABAD: 23, 24, 25 NOVEMBER 2018

KOCHI: 10, 11, 12 JANUARY 2019

PUNE: 30 NOVEMBER, 01, 02 DECEMBER 2018

KOLKATA: 22, 23, 24 FEBRUARY 2019

May 2018 15, 16, 17 imex Frankfurt Germany 16, 17, 18 ITB China Shanghai

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35>>

Registration open for WTM Latin America 2018 VW bureau

TM Latin America 2018 opens registration for its 6th edition, which will take place in São Paulo between April 3rd and April 5th, at Expo Center Norte. The main global event for Latin America's travel industry inaugurates the sector's agenda and brings 600 exhibitors to the State of São Paulo's capital city, representing 50 countries and roughly 10 thousand travel industry professionals from Latin America and the rest of the world. The event already has a number of foreign exhibitors who have confirmed their presence at this edition, such as the American hotel chains Best Western Hotels & Resorts and AMResorts, the Spanish chain IBEROSTAR Hotel & Resorts as well as the tour operators Iran Doostan and Restel, along with the Brazilian tour operators Newmon and Tourmed. In addition, the car rental companies Avis and Europcar, and the Emirates airline will also have their own stands at the event. Some of the destinations that

Voyager’s World > February 2018

have already been confirmed for this edition, which will be in the spotlight with their private sector partners are the United States, Chile, Argentina, Peru, El Salvador, Panama, Bahamas, Egypt, Palestine and Thailand, among others. At this edition, WTM Latin America will repeat successful activations that were seen at the last edition and presents new developments for exhibitors and visitors. Included among these are the Travel Tech Pavilion, an area that increases the access and inclusion of small and medium-sized companies that apply technology to tourism and the Destination Pavilion, an area that will give private companies from destinations that are not represented at the event a chance to be part of the event. The same goes for the Accommodation Lounge, which gains an exclusive area earmarked for independent hotels. As for some of the successful initiatives at the last edition,

WTM Latin America returns with the Inspire Theatre (the former Conference Theatre) along with a series of presentations and debates about the travel industry, with a diverse agenda that is rich in terms of content and speakers. Industry experts will discuss news, new developments and innovations in the segment, as well as encouraging an in-depth reflection in relation to the industry's current issues. The topic Responsible Tourism will be included in the agenda, along with innovations in the technological field with names that are well-known in the market. WTM Latin America's identity is also reinforced by the Speed Networking Sessions, a successful event that facilitates contact between buyers and exhibitors at the event in a short space of time, and by the WTM Buyers' Club, a business club for senior travel industry executives. Service For those who are interested, registration should be made by

means of the website itself: https://latinamerica.wtm.com/en/ visit/Register/ Open for: Travel and tourism professionals; the press (badges restricted to publishers, journalists, photographers, broadcasters and bloggers/influencers); government authorities and buyers (only buyers who meet the program's criteria will be able to receive a WTM Buyers' Club badge). About World Travel Market World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises six leading B2B events across four continents, generating more than $7bn of industry deals. The events are: WTM Latin America, now in its sixth edition, attracts about 9,000 unique senior executives. The event generates about US$374 million of new business. Taking place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this show attracts a global audience to meet and shape the direction of the travel industry. More than 7,000 unique

visitors attend the event to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry news. http://latinamerica. wtm.com/. Next event: 3-5 April 2018 – Sao Paulo. WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. About 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating about £2.8 billion of travel industry contracts. http:// london.wtm.com/. Next event: 5-7 November 2018 – London. T>F Travel Forward is a new travel technology event co-located with WTM London 2018 and part of the WTM portfolio of events. The inaugural T>F Travel Forward conference, exhibition and buyer programme will take place on 5 – 7 November 2018 at ExCeL London, showcasing next-generation technology for travel and hospitality.

WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. Nearly 5,000 travel industry professionals attend Africa’s leading inbound and outbound travel and tourism market. WTM Africa delivers a proven mix of hosted buyers, media, prescheduled appointments, on-site networking, evening functions and invited travel trade visitors. http:// africa.wtm.com/. Next event: 18-20 April 2018 – Cape Town. Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2017 attracted almost 40,000 industry professionals, agreeing deals worth US$2.5 billion over the four days. The 25th edition of ATM will showcase more than 2,500 exhibiting companies across 12 halls at Dubai World Trade Centre, making it the largest ATM in its 25-year history. http://arabiantravelmarket.wtm. com/ www.wtmworld.com. Next event: 22-25 April 2018 – Dubai.

International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) is the meeting place for the global B2B golf travel community. Taking place annually since 1998, IGTM brings together more than 500 golf tourism suppliers and 400 pre-qualified buyers for four days of unmissable prescheduled appointments and exclusive networking opportunities. Showcasing a different golf destination every year, IGTM brings together 1,400 golf tourism professionals from more than 65 countries. http://igtm.wtm.com/. Next event: 15-18 October 2018 – Slovenia.

offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of the RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.

About Reed Exhibitions Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events business, enhancing the power of face-to-face through data and digital tools at more than 500 events a year, in more than 43 countries, attracting more than seven million participants. Reed’s events are held in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully staffed

Our events are market leaders in their sectors, whether they are global and regional leisure travel trade events, or specialist events for meetings, incentives, conference, events (MICE) industry, business travel, luxury travel, travel technology as well as golf, spa and ski travel. We have more than 35 years’ experience in organising world-leading travel exhibitions.

About Reed Travel Exhibitions Reed Travel Exhibitions is the world’s leading travel and tourism events organiser with a growing portfolio of more than 22 international travel and tourism trade events in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

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FESTIVALS OF THE WORLD 11 March Cape Town Cycle Tour, South Africa

24 February-15 March Volvo Ocean Race Stopover, Auckland

he Cape Town Cycle is taking place on 11 March, which will be the largest timed cycling event in the world. The event attracts excess of 35 000 cyclists from around the globe. The Cycle Tour represents 109 km of some of the most scenic spots, starting in the City Centre the route makes its way down the Blue Route leading into Simons town then turning at Smitswinkel and heading back along the coastline before the steady climb up Chapmans Peak and finally the short, steep hill of Suikerbossie.

he Volvo Ocean Race Stop over is happening from 24 February till 15 March in Auckland, New Zealand, where the Yachts will glide into the Harbour for the sailing race with seven teams competing in a year. You can get to visit the boats docked in the race village at Viaduct Harbour, where you can enjoy the line of events. The iconic Auckland Sky Tower makes for a great backdrop during in-port racing action.

2-11 March Antwerp Chocolate Week, Flanders

16-18 March WOMAD – World of Music and Dance, New Plymouth, New Zealand

he Antwerp Chocolate Week will be taking place from 2 - 11 March in Antwerp, a tasting route for chocolate lovers. One can participate in the festival through the chocolate pass. You can also visit at any of the twenty Antwerp chocolate makers for a sample of their creations. You can also take a stroll around the main attractions of the city and stop over at the best chocolate shops.

he WOMAD is taking place from 16 - 18tMarch in New Plymouth that brings together the artists from across the world through different forms of music, art and dance. The event will have six outdoor stages in the beautiful Pukekura Park. The festival goers can happily walk around between the family friendly venues, past pop up villages that offers arts, crafts, snacks and drinks, wellness therapies, a craft beer garden and workshops. Besides camping and glamping nearby, you also have the options of bedding down in a teepee or Wildernest Village.

11 - 19 March Singapore Festival of Fun, Singapore 2-4 March Cape Town Motor Show, Cape Town, South Africa

he Cape Town Motor Show is happening from 2 - 4 March and will attract the crowds again at Sun GrandWest. The event promises a weekend of joy for all car and bike lovers along with a lot of entertainment. You can explore the automotive industry’s latest creations, featuring classic, luxury and exotic cars. With most of the major vehicle manufacturers represented, the visitors can click photographs with all the newest vehicle models.

Voyager’s World > February 2018

he Singapore Festival of Fun is starting from 11 – 19 March in Clarke Quay. The festival is spread over the three hubs like the Nickelodeon Fiesta that highlights a two-day fiesta of kids and families and engages in competition during the festival. The Street Fest includes a one-manshow involving a giant wearable balloon and a performance by a world champion unicyclist. To add to all this fun, the Magner’s International Comedy Festival will also feature 15 international and regional comedians performing their best stand-up routines.

21-25 March Balloons Over Waikato, Hamilton- New Zealand 1-31 March Peruvian Carnivals - Peru

he Peruvian Carnival is happening from 1 - 31 March and is marked with lots of fun. The yunza ritual is done in the jungle that involves the artificial planting of a tree. Popular all over the country, people end up throwing water at their friends and others. Advised to be prepared. Some of the Carnival cities known for their joy are Cajamarca, Puno, Ayacucho, Huaraz, Apurímac, San Martín and Tacna.

he Balloons over Waikato will be taking place from 21 to 25 March; it is an iconic annual event that attracts the public in both Hamilton and the Waikato Region. The event runs at Innes Common, Hamilton Lake and The University of Waikato.Most Hamiltonians will experience the spectacle of a hot air balloon floating over their home, workplace, or school during the event. You should not miss the Hamilton's Nightglow, where the balloons glow with live music and fireworks finale.

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Happenings

Kerala Tourism B2B meet in USA

erala Tourism with its team of Officials team from the state tourism department and stakeholders concluded a roadshow in New York,

Los Angeles and San Francisco. The delegation was led by Kerala Tourism Director P Balakiran IAS and also included C.G.H Earth, Green Routes Hospitality, Kumarakom Lake Resort, Chalukya Grace Tours, Intersight Tours and Travels, Marvel Tours, Pioneer Personalized Holidays, Spiceland Holidays, Tamarind Global, and The Blue Yonder. As many as 92,951travellers from the US had arrived in Kerala during 2017 that witnessed an increase of 5.83 percent compared to last year. Kerala had

38>>

Singapore Tourism Board conducts roadshow in India

ingapore Tourism Board recently organized a roadshow on 23 January in Mumbai, on 25 January in Jaipur and in Delhi, alongside their participation at SATTE. The event included stakeholders from Singapore representing hotels, airlines, integrated resorts, attractions, Destination Management Companies (DMC) and cruise operators. The delegation was led by G.B Srithar, Regional Director (SAMEA) for Singapore Tourism Board. Adrian Kong, Area Director – South Asia for Singapore Tourism Board and Lynette Ang, Chief Marketing Officer, Sentosa Development Corporation also were present.

Happenings

39>>

Bharat Parv 2018

harat Parv was organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India at the Red Fort, Delhi from 26 – 31 January, 201. The event highlighted the Crafts Mela with 50 stalls with diverse handicrafts of the country and was arranged by participating State Governments and Ministry of Textiles through the office of the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts. The event was attended by Alphons Kannanthanam – Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, Tourism (Independent Charge), Govt. of India, Suman Billa - Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, GoI, Dr. Mahesh Sharma - Union Minister of State for Culture (I/C) and MoS- Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of India. The Crafts Mela with 50 stalls showcased the diverse handicrafts of India done by the State Governments and Ministry of Textiles through the office of the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts.

played host to around 87,834 tourists from the United States in 2016.

Goa Carnival Food & Cultural Festival

CNTO concludes its roadshow in India

7th Annual India Golf Expo in Bangalore

Adventure Sports Expo Asia in Delhi

in Thailand, Maldives, and Dubai. New and upcoming properties across

Bahrain, Bhutan, China, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam were also

- Goa. The streets across Goa were decorated with colourful buntings,

showcased.

banners, masks and themed décor. The 4-day Carnival had float pa-

Sharukh Kotawol from Blue Squares Consultants and Aiyesha Bahadur from ApolloVoyages shared their experience on these destinations.

Wg Cdr Satish Aparajit, President, Indian Golf Union says, “ We at IGU are glad to support this Golf Industry Association initiative. If we all work together, we can take golf to greater heights in the years to come.”

Some of the other dignitaries are Tejbir Singh Anand – Vice President - Adventure Tour Operators Association of India, Ajeet Bajaj - Padma Shree Awardee & MD - Snow Leopard Adventures.

Dusit International India Roadshow usit International hosted the India Roadshow in Bangalore and Mumbai for wedding planners. The event promoted the award-winning properties

he Department of Tourism, Government of Goa presented the Goa Carnival from 10 – 13 February and the Goa Food & Cultural Fes-

tival from 9 - 13 February at D.B. Bandodkar Grounds, Campal, Panaji

rades at major cities of Goa at Panaji, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa. “India is one of the key markets for our international properties and talking on the expansion plans that is a total of 27 properties top 80 worldwide within

Gavin Dias, General Manager - Goa Tourism Development Corporation

the next four-to-five years.” says, Prachoom Tantiprasertsuk, Vice President

said “the Goa Food & Cultural Festival promoted live performances,

Sales, Dusit International. He added “we are exploring the options to open Dusit-branded properties, under hotel management or franchise models, in India within the next three-to-five years”.

Voyager’s World > February 2018

food stalls, music and culture. “ The event also organized Chef de Goa competition that celebrates the rich cuisine of Goa, and contestants had to participate in a series of rounds to win the coveted title.

hina National Tourist Office (CNTO) conducted its roadshow at Bombay exhibition Centre by promoting its three provinces, viz., Shangdong, Jilin and Zhejiang. The event was attended by Tian Xin, Director of CNTO of New Delhi, Chen Shoujun, and Deputy Director General of Jilin Tourism Development Commission, Yan Xiangjun, Director of Marketing, Shandong Tourism Development Commission, Zhang Yin, Director of Zhejiang Tourism Publicity and Promotion Center.

he Golf Industry Association (GIA) announced the 7th Annual India Golf Expo in Bangalore during their curtain raiser event at the Karnataka Golf Association. The 7th Annual India Golf Expo is a twoday India Golf Expo that will be held from April 19-20 at the Lalit Ashok Hotel, Bangalore that shall include discussions on developing India as a golf tourism destination.

he first Adventure Sports Expo Asia was held at Hotel Four Points by Sheraton, New Delhi. The released claimed the event witnessed a participation of over 60 brands and over 15,000 adventure sports enthusiasts. The event was inaugurated by Amitabh Kant, CEO- Niti Aayog. The three-day expo included an exhibition, speaker sessions, adventure activities, workshops and an Award Program.

www.voyagersworld.in

Travel Events

40>>

Holiday Expo woos Coimbatore Travel Market VW BUREAU

Top Appointments

41>> Sherin Mathew

Aditya Shamsher Malla

Director of Sales & Marketing Novotel Hotels & Resorts, Goa

General Manager Doubletree by Hilton Pune - Chinchwad

ccorHotels appoints Sherin Mathew as the Director of Sales & Marketing of Novotel Hotels & Resorts, Goa. He has an experience of over 12 years in the areas of sales, business development. Prior to this, he has worked with various hotels like Hyatt Place Goa, Taj Hotels & Resorts Chennai, Taj Fisherman’s Cove Chennai, Hyatt Hotels in Chennai (Hyatt Regency) and Goa.

ouble Tree by Hilton Pune – Chinchwad has appointed Aditya Shamsher Malla as the General Manager who will be responsible for strategic initiatives. He brings with him an experience of two decades and has been associated with global brands such as Marriott, Hyatt, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Shangri La International and Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces.

Varun Kamra

N Karthik

Director of Sales & Marketing, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bengaluru Racecourse

Regional Head- South SaffronStays

Karthik is appointed as the Regional Head – South of SaffronStays who will be responsible for the leadership and development of the South business. Prior to this, he has worked as Micro Market Head, with OYO Rooms. He has also worked as the Head for innovation with Times Innovative Media Limited where he led the organization into new age digital outdoor advertising businesses.

ollowing the success of Holiday Expo Vadodara, Nagpur and Visakhapatnam, Holiday Expo, a Travel and Tourism Exhibition focussed on Tier - 2 and Tier - 3 markets reached out to travel professionals and holidaymakers alike. The event held from the 26 - 28 January was perfectly timed before the upcoming Puthandu (Puthandu, also known as Puthuvarusham or Tamil New Year, is the first day of year on the Tamil calendar & summer season Holidays.

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The three-day event will showcased products and destinations from the travel, tourism and hospitality industries with a diverse portfolio such as adventure, pilgrimage, beach holidays, hill destinations, honeymoon plans, business trips and medical tourism.

City Pin State Tel. Fax E mail

Voyager’s World > February 2018

arun Kamra joins Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bengaluru Racecourse as the Director of Sales & Marketing. He brings with him an experience of over 14 years. He has worked with various brands like The Park, Hilton and InterContinental Hotels Group. Prior to this, he has worked as the Director of Sales and Corporate Development at Blooms Hotel Group.

Sanjay Keswani

Many State Tourism Departments, hoteliers, travel agents and tour organizers participated in big numbers, making it the biggest travel event in the region. “We understand the need to promote the Tier II & III cities in tourism. There is a unique need of hasslefree travel packages,” he added. Considering the fact that the buying capacity of people has considerably grown, events like these are a must. Holiday Expo-Kovai caters to the needs of everybody in terms of vacations, weekend getaways, family holidays, honeymooners, business trips, MICE, adventure, wildlife, desert safari and pilgrimage tourism", said Dilip Biswas, Director.

Suju Krishnan

General Manager Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Serviced Apartments, Pune

anjay Keswani joins as the General Manager of Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Serviced Apartments, Pune who will be spearheading various specialized functions of the hotel. Prior to this, he worked as the General Manager at Holiday Inn New Delhi Mayur Vihar. He brings with him an experience of over three decades. He has also worked for brands like Taj Hotels, Hyatt, Hilton and IHG.

Payment must accompany order with Enclosed herewith is my Cheque/DD Cheque/Draft No. Drawn on No 245, Amar Jyothi Layout, Domlur, Bangalore - 560071 Phone: 080- 4083 4100 editor@voyagersworld.in www.voyagersworld.in

uju Krishnan is appointed as the General Manager of Vivanta by Taj – Blue Diamond, Pune. He brings with him an experience over 2 decades. He has worked with various hotels like Taj Bengal, Kolkata, The Gateway Hotel Fatehabad Road Agra. Prior to this, he worked as the General Manager at The Gateway Hotel Marine Drive Ernakulam.

Jayanta Das

Director of Sales & Marketing JW Marriott Jaipur Resort & Spa

General Manager The Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi, Pune

W Marriott Jaipur Resort & Spa appoints Sarah Raina as the Director of Sales & Marketing at the JW Marriott Jaipur Resort & Spa. She has over a decade of experience in various roles across the hospitality brands. Prior to this, she has worked with as the Director of Sales at the Grand Hyatt Goa. She started her career as a Management Trainee with Marriott Hotels.

Cheque/DD to be drawn in favour of Sphere Travel Media & Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd.

General Manager Vivanta by Taj – Blue Diamond, Pune

Sarah Raina

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he Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi Pune appoints Jayanta Das as the General Manager. Prior to this, he has worked as the General Manager at the Taj Kumarakom Resort & Spa, Kerala. He has earlier worked with the Taj Bengal, Kolkata. He has also done his Hotel Management from The Indian Institute of Business Management, Patna.

Vikas Sharma

Shipra Sumbly Kaul

General Manager Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel Gachibowli

General Manager, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bengaluru Racecourse

ikas Sharma joins Sheraton Hotel Hyderabad Gachibowli as the General Manager. Prior to this, he has worked as the Director of Operations at The Ritz-Carlton Bangalore. He has worked with various hotels like The Oberoi Cecil, The Trident Udaipur, The Trident Cochin, Trident Hilton, Bhubaneswar, The Oberoi, Bangalore, The Leela Goa.

oliday Inn Express & Suites Bengaluru Racecourse has appointed Shipra Sumbly Kaul as the General Manager. Prior to this, she has worked with the Holiday Inn Chennai OMR IT Expressway as the General Manager. She has also worked with hotels like Crowne Plaza Bengaluru, InterContinental Hotels Group, ITC group.

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JHARKHAND

NETWORKING ISthe THE networKIng Is Ke KEY y

TRAVEL MART

23 - 25 March 2018 | Ranchi w w w. j h a rk h a n d t r ave l m a r t . c o m

February 2018

March 2018

February 2018

April 2018

May 2018

June 2018

20, 21 AIME (Asia-Pacific Incentive Meeting Expo) Melbourne - Australia 21, 22 Business Travel Show London - UK

The Jharkhand Travel & Tourism Exchange Eastern India’s leading Tourism Exhibition

21, 22, 23 PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference & Mart (ATRTCM) Abu Dhabi – UAE 22, 23, 24, 25 International Fair of Tourism (ITTFA) Belgrade – Serbia

March 2018

April 2018

28 February -1, 2 March Jeddah Intl. Travel & Tourism Exhibition Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

3, 4, 5 WTM Latin America Sao Paulo,Brazil

7, 8, 9, 10, 11 ITB Berlin, Germany

5, 6, 7 17th Azerbaijan International Travel and Tourism Fair Baku Expo Center,Azerbaijan

19, 20, 21, 22 Outbound Travel Roadshow Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi

11, 12 Visit Scotland Expo Glasgow

23, 24, 25 Jharkhand Travel Mart Ranchi

20, 21, 22 B-Travel Spain

23 - 25 March 2018

Mega Sports Complex, Hotwar, Khelgaon, Ranchi May 2018

June 2018

6, 7, 8 GTM Germany Travel Mart Germany

14, 15, 16, 17 KOFTA (Korea World Travel Fair) Seoul – Korea

8, 9, 10 Indaba Expo South Africa

14, 15, 16, 17 ITE Hong Kong Hong Kong, China

15, 16, 17 imex Germany

26, 27, 28, 29, 30 Bali & Beyond Travel Fair Indonesia

Invest in the Tourism Market of tomorrow! • • • •

Reach out to the Eastern India’s biggest B2B travel marketplace! A growing middle-class has made Jharkhand called 'The Retail Market of Tomorrow' Excellent connectivity to destinations across India! Enhanced Rail, Road and Air links 150 Hosted Buyers and media from all over India - Online Appointment B2B System

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For more information: ‘Jharkhand Travel Mart’ Secretariat Ews-63, Harmu Housing Colony, Harmu, Ranchi, India | Ph: +91 86031 76713, +91 88097 39793 | Fax: +91 80 4083 4101 info@jharkhandtravelmart.com | www.jharkhandtravelmart.com | www.jharkhandtourism.gov.in