Voyager's World September 2016

Vol XIII

Issue XI

Pages 48

September 2016

MUMBAI GURGAON

23, 24, 25 SEPTEMBER 2016 30 SEP 1, 2 OCTOBER 2016

PUNE HYDERABAD

25, 26, 27 NOVEMBER 2016 02, 03, 04 DECEMBER 2016

KOCHI KOLKATA

19, 20, 21 JANUARY 2017 24, 25, 26 FEBRUARY 2017

Rs 60

interest in self-drive tours accelerates growth in car rentals!

Indian Association of Tour Operators

mice

Shopping

Myraid experiences, warm hospitality

Night market bargains to designer labels at a fraction of the cost

nature landscapes

Zipline into new horizons, experiences, that will leave you exhilarated

nightlife

Buzzing nightclubs, scintillating shows par excellence

Taiwan:

Asia’s Best

Taipei

kept Secret!

Asia’s beating heart, close to home, is waiting to be discovered...

India

5.5

hou

Taiwan

r-4 387 km

Foodie haven

Soups, noodles & dimsums; Taiwan has it all

Adventure

The new wave of adrenaline pumping action

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

Investments in tourism...Grist for the mill!!

The Incredible India Tourism Investment Summit (IITIS) 2016 that is being organised this month in Delhi, elucidates the need for Hear from and meet with executives at the top life sciences growth companies. Such events bear promising opportunities to evaluate fresh investment opportunities with compatible and complementary organizations in the realm of tourism. With such a labor intensive industry that is crucial to the economic wealth of a country, investments must be wisely made for the development of existing and future tourism projects, national and historically important sites and resource-efficient infrastructure development. While money must be made to work by spending on achieving concrete results in projects, it must, in the end, ensure the project works and generates more money.

In this issue, we are exploring trends of self drive car rentals in the country as a new traveller preference, while also featuring stories on Macau’s MICE offerings and glimpses of Durban, besides looking into new entrants in the Indian hospitality scenario.

Happy Reading...

Warm Regards

PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

priyamvadha@voyagersworld.in

Managing Editor

Associate Editor

Rohit Hangal rohit@voyagersworld.in

Priyamvadha Balaram priyamvadha@voyagersworld.in

Chief Designer EDIT

Web Developer

Shyam Vishnot shyam@voyagersworld.in

ORIA

L

Advertising & Marketing

Assistant Editor

Irene Susan Eapen irene@voyagersworld.in

Rohith Pinto info@voyagersworld.in

Published By

Operations Executive

Mobile +91-9844092150 advertising@voyagersworld.in

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

Selvaraj Ramaswamy operations@voyagersworld.in

ADVERTISING & CIRCU LATIO N

06 09

Industry Buzz

14

Hospitality New properties, hotel apps, culinary trends

Incredible India

28 45

Glimpses of Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Kashmir tourism

18

Cover Story

India Outbound Philippines, Mauritius, South Australia

Top Appointments

Self-drive car rental trends and growth in India

Printed by Pentaplus Printers Pvt. Ltd. #20/1, 5th Cross, 4th Main Raod, Industrial Town, Rajajinagar, Bangalore - 560044. Ph: +91 98440 87068

Editorial & Advertising office # 245, Amar Jyothi Layout, Domlur, Bangalore - 560 071, India Ph: +91 - 80 - 4083 4103, Fax: + 91 - 80 - 4083 4101 | info@spheretravelmedia.com, www.spheretravelmedia.com All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2014. No part of this magazine may be reproducted without the prior written permission from Voyagers’s World

Industry Buzz

6>>

STB appoints GB Srithar as Regional Director for South Asia, Middle East & Africa

New Director at Tourism Malaysia, New Delhi

T

ourism Malaysia appoints Sulaiman Suip as the Director, North & East India operations. He will be responsible for Tourism Malaysia’s marketing and publicity efforts from the New Delhi office continue focus on bringing innovative products and promoting unique experiences to the Indian travel community. Prior to this, he has worked in similar positions in Thailand and as deputy director at TM Japan office. He was instrumental in setting up the Tourism Malaysia offices in New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. Sulaiman Suip, Director, Tourism Malaysia, “India is an important market for us as it contributes to the 6th largest arrivals to Malaysia. This year we have a target of welcoming one million Indian tourists. The face of Indian travel is changing a lot and now it’s not just about status symbols or checking places off a list. Experiential holidays like spa holidays, art and culture trips, culinary vacations are catching the fancy of the Indian traveller. So there will be a conscious effort to promote this sector to the discerning traveller.”

S

ingapore Tourism Board (STB) recently announced the appointment of GB Srithar as Regional Director for South Asia, Middle East & Africa (SAMEA) to be based in Mumbai. Prior to this, he headed the Brand Campaigns team at STB’s HQ’s Marketing Group.He has worked with the Indian market between April 2010 and December 2013 as the Area Director, South Asia.

His responsibilities will be to oversee the STB’s leisure and BT MICE travel promotions, marketing and developmental efforts in the SAMEA region and to work closely with travel trade and non-trade partners to promote Singapore as the destination of choice among Indian travellers and increase the total number of visitors to the country every year through active efforts.

British Airways launches Trade Graduate Programme

B

ritish Airways conducted the Trade Graduate Programme that will educate trade partners with the product knowledge and network information. The trade partners enrolled under the programme will be encouraged to complete nine incentivised training modules as part of the programme.

Indian Tourist Arrivals to South Korea increase by 47.9% in 2016

S IndiGo adds new flights in India

I

ndiGo has announced the launch of many new flights which will be effective from September

12, 2016, the additional flights will be connecting Delhi with major cities - Bhubaneswar, Vadodara, Chandigarh and Jammu. IndiGo will also introduce additional frequencies between Delhi & Kolkata, Delhi & Ranchi and Kolkata & Bhubaneswar sectors effective September 15, 2016.

outh Korea witnessed 88,917 visitors from India by the end of July 2016, an increase of 47.9% relative to the same period of the previous year.

The Asiana Airline has increased its operations from three to five times a week from Delhi and plans to operate daily in the near future. The Korean Air will be launching its Delhi operations in December with five times a week frequency. Byungsun Lee, Director Korea Tourism Organization, “Over 1,50,000 Indians visited South Korea last year and we have almost 90,000 within seven months. So we are confident of surpassing the last year’s numbers by the end of 2016.”

Roseate House New Delhi at Aerocity

R

oseate Hotels & Resorts, the luxury hotel brand of Bird Hospitality announced the opening of Roseate House at Aerocity, New Delhi which is designed to cater to the next generation of savvy business and leisure travelers. The hotel highlights a young perspective on global hospitality. The Roseate House New Delhi offers 216 spacious well-appointed rooms with 15 suites and 3 elite private suites that can be combined to a Villa.The dining options include DEL, the world cuisine bistro located offering an indoor and alfresco dining option and Kheer the Indian speciality restaurant and Chidya Ghar Bar.

Great Girly Getaway contest for women travelers

T

hailand offers an all-inclusive paid trip for Thailandloving Indian women travelers through the #greatgirlygetaway contest on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and on Radio. All the women need to tag and share Thailand’s destination video featuring Anusha Dandekar, titled The Great Girly Getaway.

The winners will get to travel on a 4-day-long trip to Thailand with the destination’s brand ambassador Anusha Dandekar. The video offers a fresh outlook on destination Thailand, on an exciting journey with Anusha Dandekar and two girls all across Thailand’s white-sand-kissed emerald beaches, its rich temples, its amazing shopping, adventure attractions etc.

Voyager’s World > September 2016

Industry Buzz

8>> Munich Travel Guru

SWISS Holidays travel portal

S

M

WISS Holidays established a new travel portal that enables customers

to compile their own individual vacation packages including flights and hotels.

The new portal features a wide range of travel products at highly attractive prices for appealing tourist destinations all over the world. SWISS now gives customers the opportunity to book not only flights but entire vacation packages online. This travel portal offers scheduled flights from Switzerland on SWISS and further partner carriers with a selection of over 10,000 hotels and 140 vacation destinations.

Representation World LLP to represent Reunion Island in India

T

he Reunion Island Tourism Board announced the appointment of Representation World LLP

as its representative office in India. The Representation World LLP will be responsible to implement the ongoing public relations and travel trade programs, to educate potential travellers. The Reunion Island aims to receive more Indian Tourist, with this Partnership.

Oman to organize four-city roadshow in India

T

he Sultanate of Oman, in association with Oman Air, will conduct a multi-city roadshow for the travel trade in India in September with representatives from Ministry of Tourism, Oman along with a 15 member delegation representing hotels, DMCs and attractions in Oman. The roadshow starts on 19 September at Park Hyatt, Hyderabad; 21 September at the Oberoi, Kolkata; 23 September at Courtyard

by Marriott, Ahmedabad; and concludes on 26 September at JW Marriott, Pune.

TIRUN introduces ‘Partner Search’

Abu Dhabi to host TAAI Convention 2016

T

T

IRUN has introducedits Partner Search page with a click of a button offering simplified travel bookings to travel agents all across the country.

The newly-added Partner Search feature on TIRUN provides travel partners and agencies greater ease while searching for cruise vacations, checking for itineraries, and to get multiple quotations and make multiple bookings with different dates.

Voyager’s World > September 2016

he Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) will organize its 63rd annual convention and exhibition in Abu Dhabi from 14 - 16 October 2016. TAAI is associating with Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority to hold this event in Abu Dhabi. TAAI will promote the theme ‘Inbound into India’ at the convention to attract the Middle-East Region. The pre and post tours will be organized for the delegates to experience other attractions during the convention.The Convention will also focus on an exhibition that will offer exhibitors and vendors from the region, the valuable opportunity to connect with the Indian outbound Industry.

unich Travel Guru, a specialisttraining program was started

by Munich Tourist Office, India, for trade partners selling Munich. The programme focuses on the theme ‘Simply Munich’ and through 10 online informative modules. The participants will have to score a minimum of 90% in each module to proceed to the next level. Once the participant clears all modules and becomes a Munich Travel Guru a certificate will be issued online.

As per the latest statistics, Munich has recorded a year-on-year growth of 21 per cent during January–June 2016 in Indian visitor arrivals and 14 per cent growth in Indian overnights.

Jet Airways introduces inflight entertainment with wireless streaming service

J

et Airways has announced the launch of an innovative and first of its kind inflight entertainment (IFE) service in the Indian skies.Using the wireless streaming technology, Jet Airways guests can now stream a wide variety of video and audio content directly on their own devices such mobile phones, tablets and laptops, redefining the way entertainment has been experienced on board. The JetScreen in-flight entertainment service will be available on domestic flights. Over 220 hours of video and audio content such as leading Hollywood and Indian movies, TV shorts, music from multiple genres, interactive games, as well as special children’s programmes can be enjoyed by guests directly on their mobile phones, tablets and laptops. The introduction of streaming is the first step in Jet Airways’ to transform its inflight entertainment.

Air Arabia introduces Equated Monthly Installment payment options for Indian travelers

A

ir Arabia is offering a comprehensive Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) payment options for Indian travelers this facility offers passengers an easy, straightforward and seamless booking experience.

The option allows travellers to budget their expenses while allowing them to travel to places connected by Air Arabia network. It is available for credit card holders of ICICI, Axis, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank, HSBC, SBI, HDFC and Central Bank of India.

Hospitality

9>>

61% business travellers have app of at least one major hotel chain COURTESY: Tnooz.com

Global Business Travel Association surveyed corporates on hotel technology they use when travelling.

G

BTA Foundation has quizzed US corporate travellers on the hotel technology they use when staying away for business. As well as the usual findings on Wi-Fi, travellers were also asked whether they have hotel chain apps on their phones and what they use them for.

interested in power and USB outlets (35%), streaming services (34%) and in-room chargers (32%).

27% expressed interest in mobile

room entry, 22% in online or mobile check-in and check-out and 18% in hotels building guest profiles for a more personalised stay.

Many major hotel groups are quite far down the road in terms of keyless entry and others have been working on personalisation.

The findings reveal 61% business travellers have had an app of one of the seven major hotel chains on their mobile phone in the past year and 54% have had at least two apps from major chains. The majority of business travellers say they mostly use the apps to check the status of a reservation (43%) or manage loyalty points (43%) while almost 40% use them to book a stay.

The apps are less likely to be used to discover restaurants or attractions with only 25% of travellers using them for that purpose and only 10% use them for room service and less to contact hotel employees.

The findings might surprise the startups that have emerged in the hotel app space in recent months to help drive guest engagement as well as some of the bigger players such as Booking.com which recently launched a chat service. Through the chat service, customers will be able to start a chat with hotels where they have a reservation. A hotel will see the message and be able to respond to it via Booking.com’s Pulse for Accommodation Partners app.

Despite investment from hotels in initiatives such as mobile checkin, kiosks and keyless entry, business travellers say they’re more

As a travel agent, it is important for you to know the status of your suppliers. Vendors that are profitable are a safe bet to work with. They are more likely to assure efficient services and deliver as promised.

When it comes to accommodation, you can safely trust roomsXML.com.

16 009/quiksel.com

The Best Western-sponsored study, carried out in conjunction with GBTA, also looks at reasons why business travellers have not installed hotel apps on their phones in the past year. More than a third of respondents say they can find the same services online or in person while 28% say they don’t see the benefit of the apps and 21% say it is not worthwhile downloading the app as they don’t stay at the same property enough.

Pro table.

Therefore dependable.

We work on fair profits... just enough to pay our people well and be able to invest in product development and after sales support. And because of the huge volumes that we generate, you will find our offers quite competitive. We urge you to try us out - doesn't cost you anything to do so. roomsXML - truly reliable.

Register on roomsXML.com. It's free!

Email: sales@roomsxml.com | Phone: +91 20 6500 4942

www.voyagersworld.in

Hospitality

10>>

LOBBYFRIEND SEEKS TO ENHANCE GUEST - HOTEL RELATIONSHIP IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Mohit Kumar, Co-Founder, LobbyFriend says, this concept helps the guests to connect with the hotel at any time and to create a better relationship with the guests.

L

obbyFriend has a web version as well as an app version which has many features that is being connected to your hotel and city, basically connecting with the hotel to share promotions and offers last minute messages or deals, any amenities that the hotel modifies.

All the guests will be able to read

the messages at the lobby TV and in room TV which is live throughout whole day, Anything Now where the guests can make any request at anytime from anywhere through the app. The hotel can easily allocate the task among the staffs of the hotel. The social layer of the platform we have integrated includes social media tools where all the staffs can connect with the guests. It is like a Whatsapp group or you could create a group for networking. We have a social stream in social style for sharing individual trips and updates connecting for business, travel, connecting with the hotels. It is a phone system that the guest can connect with the hotel at any time during the stay. The new version of

LobbyFriend includes all the tools that are useful for a traveller and an hotelier.

We are now available globally in Europe, US and Cyprus. The main benefit of our platform is that many hotel travellers don’t like to download a new app or any app.

India is a booming market in the hospitality sector India is likely to be a major destination for the hospitality industry as we expect more hotels to be launched over the years. We will be launching LobbyFriend in the key cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Kolkata in few months.

Benefits to the hospitality segment This platform helps the guests to connect with the hotel at any time and to create a better relationship with the guests. The guests will have a meaningful stay and will come back to the hotel. We are planning to target South America, Asia, UAE especially the main metropolitan cities like Taiwan and Shanghai. We are expecting a positive growth and are planning to expand at various locations across the world by the end of 2017.

The hospitality industry will continue to innovate and have better relationship and provide them tools the guests need and want to use during their travel.

Ruby Holiday Homes to add two new properties by 2017 IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

J.K.Marattukalam, Managing Director, Ruby Holiday Homes says, the idea of travelling has changed a lot

W

e presently have 4 properties like Marmalade Springs a Boutique Plantation resort in Wayanad for leisure travellers, Teak Town a traditional ancestral house with Kerala style architecture in Nilambur for adventurers and leisure, Whispering Willows resort is surrounded by the Tiger Reserve in Mudumalai for the wildlife segment and Camp Ruby is situated in the midst of a mango farm in Gundelpet for adventurers.

Voyager’s World > September 2016

Wayanad as a destination is doing tremendously well.Nelampur is an upcoming destination that has a teak museum, teak plantation and famous for pottery. Mudumalai is picking up in terms of growth. All our resorts are in 4 star category and we have witnessed 60% occupancy on an average .The expected growth rate is above 75% by 2017. The hospitality industry in a span of 5 years the growth should be double compared to the present with the flow of tourists coming into India. It is a massive market as the hospitality industry is going to boom the main income earners.

Expansion Plans We are planning to launch a property in Wayanad known for its serenity in 2years and Nilambur as an adventure sports location in 6 months. Our marketing is generally done through

Marmalade Springs

and people are ready to explore every weekend.

participation in trade fairs like Kerala Travel Mart, India International Travel Mart, wet marketing, social media and advertising with Google apps.

We are planning to be part of all the international fairs. We are planning to develop only in South India in North Kerala anything above Calicut and below Kasaragod. We have noticed young crowd from the IT, female solo

travellers, bikers and couples from Hyderabad, Chennai, Coimbatore and Mumbai. We have seen travellers visiting Wayanad from the European countries, and Middle East.

Some of the segments we have mainly focused are leisure, adventure, wildlife, weddings in our Nilambur property.

Hospitality

12>>

GRAND MERCURE MYSURU AIMS AT DOUBLE DIGIT OCCUPANCY GROWTH IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Sachin Malhotra, General Manager, Grand Mercure Mysuru says, the hotel expects a multifold growth in occupancy and will position itself as a benchmark in service and hospitality.

M

ysuru has a lot of potential for both business and leisure tourism.The occupancy rates of the hotel have been very positive since the launch of the property. Mysuru is a developing metropolitan city and a highly accepted weekend getaway destination for leisure travelers from all across the country.

The statistics are projecting a positive growth trend in Mysuru.

The city is developing a strong infrastructure along with a good amount of contribution from the government sector and World Bank aided activities. With the approval of the work starting of the 8 lane highway from Mysuru to Bengaluru and the upgrading of Mysuru Airport we are expecting a multi-fold growth in the years to follow. The demand for weekday business in the city is also growing consistently along with a rise in the demand for a weekend business of an upscale, hi-end product. We are also noticing a gradual increase in MICE travel over the last few months of our operations. A progressive

growth trend on occupancy has been registered after analyzing the data and trends month on month.

The hotel is suitably built to target local business as well as leisure markets and hence we look forward to see continuous improvement in occupancy and average rate.

Expected growth for 2017 Mysuru has seen a consistent double digit Revpar growth in last few years and the same trend of growth in occupancy is envisioned for the next fiscal as well. This growth trend is owing to the city tourism and increasing business potential that has been on a rise. We are expecting a multifold growth to capture our fair share in occupancy and position the

hotel as a benchmark in service and hospitality, suitable for business and leisure travelers in the city.

We have hosted a mix of international as well as domestic travellers for both leisure and business. Our Domestic travellers from Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Kochi travelling for business, leisure and upscale MICE are our Primary Target Audience.

Our major footfall is from Britain, France Germany and Asia. In the future we are considering Australia and Japan to be the key emerging target markets. Now we have 8020 share of clientele between India and international visitors, which is due to change once the main tourist season starts from October.

Dubai Parks and Resorts to BE A prime entertainment hub IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Vinit Danesh Shah, Chief Destination Management Officer, Dubai Parks & Resorts, says, the hub will be a family destination and the proximity from India will definitely increase the number of visitors.

W

e have three theme parks and one water park we are focusing on East and West for leisure and entertainment. We have the park opening officially in October this year.

The7th LEGOLAND in the world and the first LEGOLAND in Middle East.

Dubai Parks and Resorts will become the Middle East’s largest multithemed leisure and entertainment destination will be officially opened on 31st October 2016.We are expecting

Voyager’s World > September 2016

6.7 million ticketed visits in 2017 during our first full year.

family hotel part of the Autograph® Collection by Marriott.

Dubai Parks and Resorts is going to be the largest integrated theme park destination comprising three theme parks: MOTIONGATE™ Dubai, a movie inspired theme park showcasing some of Hollywood’s most beloved characters from DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Studios and Lionsgate; Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, the first theme park based on the sights and sounds of Bollywood; as well as LEGOLAND® Dubai, a unique, interactive theme park for families and LEGOLAND® Water Park, the first water park catering to families with children 2-12.The property will also be connected by Riverland™ Dubai, a themed retail and dining destination and the guests can stay at the Lapita™ Hotel, a Polynesian themed

Growth The biggest equation of our visitors profile will be from GCC. India becomes a big market for us. Dubai Parks and Resorts will be a family destination and the proximity from India will increase the number of visitors. Dubai has received 10 million visitors in 2010 and is expecting 20 million visitors in 2020.India becomes the outbound tourism market with a 3% growth for 2016 in second quarter.

We will be co-marketing with tour operators, social media, radio and mall promotions. Dubai witnessed 1.6 million tourists in 2015, the outbound market was 18.33 a huge segment.

During the first 6 months Dubai noticed 900,000 visitors from India for Dubai.

Expected Growth We have high expectation from India as it is the key source market. Travel agents play a very big role. We will be participating in WHO Convention and IITE next year. Dubai Parks and Resorts is meant to be for frequent individual travellers, MICE travellers and group travellers. We have Rajmahal theatre for a capacity of about 850 people which is a set up for 1000 seats. The Lapita™ Hotel offers 504 rooms a 4 star and family oriented hotel. We hope this turns into a movie venue especially for film tourism for preview and premier of movies. This can be used also for weddings, family events and adventure. The growth expected in 2017 is 5 1/2 unique guests from India equating to 7 million visits to more than one theme park. We are also hoping to get more people by Expo 2020 Dubai.

Hospitality

13>>

Indian style cafe would be next big culinary trend PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

Chef Kunal Kapur, who travels places for his TV shows, talks about the latest culinary trends, just after a trip to the Swiss. then experiment with few others, that way one can increase one’s repertoire. There is so much variety, more global ingredients available in India now and lot of online channels offering new recipes. Kunal keeps

himself updated on the new culinary trends through his travel, which is one of his biggest knowledge resources. Apart from that, he interacts with other chefs, friends and browses the internet to learn

new cooking. Kunal expects the next big thing on the Indian culinary front to be the Indian style cafe. “Cafe food is very easy and approachable and that is likely to be the next big trend,” he concluded.

N

oted Chef Kunal Kapur, spoke to Voyager’s World recently after shooting for the show ‘Swiss made’ for NDTV Good Times. “The idea behind my recent show ‘Swiss made’ was to explore Switzerland through its food.”

Present culinary trends Kunal notes that presently, people are laying a top priority for health, while adding that health is not a distant concern but a real one.

“People have already realized that they have an unhealthy lifestyle and also unhealthy eating habits, with lesser control over eating what is offered to them. They already know it and are not in a phase of discovering.” The chef suggests that one must discipline oneself by learning where the produce comes from. “The practices followed in the West is not India; the overseas markets are flooded with pesticides and genetically modified foods and organic items are very difficult to taste. There is a certain part we can play in terms of awareness, but I am not sure how we can control it when it comes to mass production; but, surely we can take steps to encourage people to move towards healthier food.”

Trends “I think we have come a long way since Italian cooking made its entry into Indian kitchens, so is Chinese.

Pasta was unheard of earlier, but now, even my mother can make pasta. The dish has become Indian in a way.” He says that the shift is great and harmless; it is after all, nice to get experimental with food.

One normally sticks to one diet and

www.voyagersworld.in

Incredible India

14>>

WEST BENGAL: GLIMPSES OF ITS MULTI-FACETED TOURISM APPEAL VW BUREAU

Listed below are some of Bengal’s tourist attractions that go beyond a shared colonial heritage, natural

Eden Gardens

sunderbans-royal-tiger

wonders and the world of cricket.

B.B.D Bagh B.B.D. Bagh, earlier known as the Dalhousie Square, was named after three young independence activists - Benoy, Badal, Dinesh. It is the seat of power of the state government, as well as the central business district in Kolkata. The three activists, on 8 December 1930, shot dead the Inspector General of Prisons, N.S. Simpson, in the balconies of the Writers’ Building of the then Dalhousie Square.

Declared a World Heritage Site, Dalhousie is replete with beautiful and majestic exemplars of Colonial Architecture and it always reminds one that the city of Calcutta was built on the lines of London. The Dalhousie Square Area is essentially one of the finest examples of colonial heritage city centres worldwide. British colonial heritage worldwide probably is present in largest numbers in this location. The Writers’ Buildings, the administrative power house of West Bengal is situated here. Other famous buildings here are The General Post Office, Reserve Bank of India, Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, Telephone Bhavan, Stephen House etc. Many government and non-government offices are situated here.

Occupying an area of over two square kilometers, the plaza is ringed by historic architecture and contains the Lal Dighi, or “Red Tank,” a body of water that reflects the buildings above. The space was originally named for James, Marquess of Dalhousie, who served

Voyager’s World > September 2016

as the Governor-General of India from 1847 to 1856.

Sundarbans Mangroves The Sunderbans are a part of the world’s largest delta, formed by the mighty rivers Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna. Situated on the lower end of Gangetic West Bengal, the Sunderbans is criss-crossed by hundreds of creeks and tributaries.

It is one of the most attractive and alluring places remaining on earth, a truly undiscovered paradise. The Sunderbans is the largest single block of tidal, halophytic mangrove forests in the world. The name can be literally translated as beautiful jungle. The name may have been derived from the Sundari trees that are found in the Sunderbans. The Sunderbans is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is spans a vast area covering 4.264 sq. km in India alone. It is the largest Tiger Reserve and National Park in India.

The Sunderbans forest is home to more than 250 tigers. The Royal Bengal Tigers have adapted themselves very well to the saline and aqua environs and are extremely good swimmers. As you enter the adventurous wild land of the Sunderbans, you will be thrilled to see the chital deer and rhesus monkey. The aqua fauna of Sunderbans include a variety of fish, red fiddler crabs, and hermit crabs. There are crocodiles, which can be often seen along the mud banks. Sunderbans National Park is also noted for its conservation of the Ridley Sea Turtle. An incredible

variety of reptiles is also found in Sunderbans – these include king cobra, the rock python and the water monitor. The endangered river terrapin, Batagur baska, is found on the Mechua Beach, while barking deer are found only on Haliday Island in the Sunderbans.

Eden Gardens The Eden Gardens and the stadium adjacent to it is the largest cricket ground in Kolkata and is the largest stadium in Asia. It is situated in the heart of Kolkata near Maidan.

The Gardens came into being when the Governor General; Lord Auckland desired to create a circus and a garden. A pleasure ground with an oblong tank in center was laid out on this site generally resorted to for riding an recreation.

The site was initially named ‘Auckland Circus Gardens’. The adjacent Eden Gardens Stadium is the largest cricket stadium in India and the second largest in the world by its seating capacity. The historic and iconic cricket stadium has a seating capacity of more than one lakh spectators. It was one of the first cricket stadiums in India where floodlights were installed and Day & Night cricket was played. The gigantic electronic scoreboard is also one of its kinds in the country. The stadium has had the privilege of hosting the most important cricket matches like World Cup Finals of 1987, World Cup Semi Finals of 1996, Hero Cup and many other tournaments both national and international.

Bishnupur Terracotta Temples Bishnupur is a town located in the Bankura district of West Bengal. The town is famous for the terracotta temples made from the locally available laterite stones. The Malla rulers were Vaishnavites and built the famous terracotta temples during the 17th and 18th century at this place.

Bishnupur (Vishnupur) in Bankura district of West Bengal, gets its name from Lord Vishnu, the deity of the Vaishnavite Malla Kings who ruled it. Bishnupur’s glorious past is emulated in its traditional architecture and handicrafts such as pottery and weaving. The town prospered in the 17th and 18th centuries and was the capital of the Malla kingdom. Under the Malla kings, Bishnupur developed a unique form of architecture involving the most brilliant and detailed terracotta work. Facing a shortage of stones to build temples, the Malla kings built grand terracotta shrines to celebrate their love for Lord Krishna. The distinctive architecture incorporated various styles from the neighboring regions. Bricks and terracotta along with features like the curved Bangla roof were blended with the Muslim domes and multi-lobed arches. Crafted from local laterite and brick, the temples were covered with terracotta tiles depicting scenes from the epic Mahabharata and Ramayana. The temples like the Shyam Ray Temple, the twin shrines of Jor Bangla and the Rasmancha are a must visit.

Incredible India

15>>

Kashmir focuses on adventure activities for solo travellers IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Mahmood Ahmad Shah, Director Tourism , Kashmir says, travellers to the state, especially solo bikers, female travellers and groups, are keen on the destination’s adventure activities.

Campaigns The state has had campaigns for the domestic market as well as the international market that include the autumn and winter campaigns.

The state’s tourism department will be targeting the Durga Puja holidays for markets like West Bengal, Surat and Ahmedabad. It will also be participating in travel trade events like MATA (Malaysia), WTM London, ITBBerlin and ITM.

I

n a recent interview, Mahmood Ahmad Shah, Director Tourism, Kashmir, observed, “For the last many years there has been an upswing in terms of growth. This year, we have witnessed the best figures has been from January to June 2016.”

“Ours is a seasonal destination as the summer, autumn and winter seasons are very promising. July and August are peak seasons for us. Within the last four years, we have increased 10,000 beds and 37 flights to Srinagar. We have private hoteliers along with the national chains like RadisonBlu Hotels and Sarovar Hotels.”

Segments An important segment for Kashmir’s tourism development is undoubtedly films, Bollywood to be particular.

Many recent Bollywood movies such as Fitoor, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Rockstar, Bajrangi Bhaijaan were shot there; it even had a Malaysian film being shot recently. “We have many films lined up to be shot in our beautiful destination. This apart, the adventure segment is well known as we have different destinations for trekking, paragliding and rafting. We have 1000 odd houseboats as the USP for Kashmir tours. We plan to organise many food festivals in the future. Golf is widely being promoted in places like Gulmarg, Srinagar and Pahalgam as we have golf courses. We are also focusing on the MICE segment.”

A new destination that Kashmir Tourism has been promoting this year is the Tosa Maidan which was opened two years ago; it was developed along eco-friendly lines.

We have three circuits temple in Jammu, Sufi in Kashmir and the Buddhist circuit in Leh and Kargil.

Marketing plans The tourism department is keen on focusing more on South India as it has witnessed a lot of adventure travellers from Chennai, Kerala and Bangalore. “We are also planning to organize a few roadshows around the end of this year. We also have in-house terrains for a true adventurer in Leh and Srinagar. We have noticed a lot of bikers mainly solo travellers, female travellers and groups,” he concluded.

www.voyagersworld.in

Incredible India

16>>

Chhattisgarh’s temple architecture stand the test of time VW BUREAU

In ancient times, Chhattisgarh was the region known as Dakshin Koshal, which finds mention in both the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The many temples in the state portray exemplary architecture style that has made them stand the ravages of time.

Dongargarh Dongargarh is the main tourist as well as pilgrimage of the district.

The famous temple of MAA BAMBLESHWARI is on a hilltop of 1600 feet in the town of Dongargarh.

This temple is referred as BADI BAMBLESHWARI. Another temple at ground level is situated about 1/2 kms. from the main temple complex.

This temple is referred as CHOTTI BAMBLESHWARI. Lakhs of people from in and around Chhattisgarh flock the shrine during the Navratris of Kavar (during Dusshera) and Chaitra (during Ramnavmi). During these Navratris melas (fair) are organized in the premises of the temple, which run 24 hours. Many companies and organizations display their product during this mela. The added tourist attraction is the ropeway. It is the only passenger ropeway in the state of Chhattisgarh.

Ratanpur Mahamaya Devi. Situated at 25 km away from the city of Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) on the BilaspurAmbikapur state highway, the Mandir and the relics of scores of

Voyager’s World > September 2016

Bhoramdeo_Temple,_Kawardha

Danteshwari Temple This ancient temple is at the confluence of the Dankini and Shankini rivers, about one and a half hours from Jagdalpur. It was built by the Chalukya kings of Bastar in honor of their family Goddess, Devi Danteshwari, who is venerated by both Hindus and tribal’s in the entire Bastar region. The temple is divided into four parts – Garbh Griha, Maha Mandap, Mukhya Mandap and Sabha Mandap. The first two are constructed using stone. The temple itself has been constructed at various times, but the sanctum sanctorum is believed to be more than 800 years old. A Garud Pillar has been erected in front of the temple entrance. The Danteshwari Temple really comes to life during the Bastar Dusshera festival season. Men have to wear a lungi to enter the temple.

ancillary temples, domes, palaces and forts, now rundown by the time and natural forces – seem to tell a story. Once the capital of the Kalchuri kings, Ratanpur has almost a millennium of history.

Bhoramdeo Temple Bhoramdeo Temple, or the ‘Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh’, carved on the rocky stones in the Nagar style is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Situated in the Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh, This temple was built in the period of 7th to 11th century A.D and is beautifully located amidst mountain ranges. The temples are said to be built by King Ramchandra of the Nag Dynasty. The Shiva Linga in the temple is wonderfully carved and the artistic appeal beckons the visitors. The Bhoramdeo temple has a resemblance with the Sun temple of Konark and The Khajuraho temple.

Barsur Twin Ganesha Temple Located on the banks of the Indrāvati

River, about 75 km (a one and a half to two hour drive) to the south west of Jagdalpur, Barsur was once an epicenter of Hindu civilization.

It is believed that there were once 147 temples and an equal number of ponds here. The ruins of these temples, dating back to the 10 th and 11 th centuries (i.e. over 1,000 years old) can be seen even today.

Some beautiful images of Lord Vishnu can also be seen. One Shiva temple, with 12 carved stone pillars, has nude figures on the outside.

Another Shiva temple has 32 carved stone pillars, a black granite Nandi (Shiva’s carrier) bull, and two sanctum sanctorum with a common court. A 50 foot high temple, known locally as Mama-bhanja-ka-mandir (temple of the maternal uncle and nephew), is in good condition, but lacks an idol.

It is not clear to which deity the temple was consecrated, or even if it was ever consecrated. The biggest attraction though, is the Ganesha Temple. While the temple itself is

in ruins, two sandstone images of Ganesh, both in the aspect of MahaGanapati, are amazingly intact.

The larger of these, and the more impressive, is about 8 feet high and over 17 feet wide.

Shivarinarayan This 11 th century Vaishnava temple was built by the kings of the Hayhay dynasty on the banks of the Mahanadi river, at Shivarinarayan Nagar. It is believed that Shabri Ashram, mentioned in the epic Ramayana, was located here. During Magh Purnima a fair is organized here.

Shabari Shabri Temple is situated in the south entrance of Kharod in Chhattisgarh. It is believed that this is the site where Ramji and Lakshmanji reached while searching for Maa Sita and visited Shabri’s Ashram and ate Berries. Which is why this site is known as Shabri Dham, and Shabri’s temple was later established here.

Self Drive

18>>

interest in self-drive tours accelerates growth in car rentals!

IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Self-driving in Car Rentals targets the young, middle class and leisure travellers in showcasing various destinations of India

Sunil Gupta, CEO, Avis India

Revv

Mylescars.com

Self-drive is a potential market for growth in India and popular in the top metro cities over the years the demand will emerge from other Tier I cities. The biggest USP of self-drive is that individuals get their privacy and independence during their journey.

S

elf-driving in the Car Rental segment is a popular concept especially in the metros of India for weekend gateways. People prefer to rent a car nowadays for a number of days to explore any destination through Self-drive tours. Self-driving in car rentals also becomes a bonus for domestic and international travellers in India through adventure trips, road trips and solo trips.

According to Ken Research, the Indian car rental market revenues will grow at a considerable CAGR rate and is expected to touch Rs 800 billion by 2019.

The concept of self-driving tours is widely being promoted in destinations like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Leh & Ladakh, Lahaul and Spiti Valley. The overall the growth in the car rental segment has been good in India and are expecting an optimistic growth over the years.

Growth in self-driving car rental segment Sunil Gupta, CEO, Avis India

Voyager’s World > September 2016

states,“The Indian car rental industry is entering an exciting phase and has witnessed a remarkable growth in the organized car rental segment.

The drastic change in the economic scenario of the country, growth of the tourism and aviation industries, the improvement in infrastructure in terms of roads and highways and fast technological development in recent years has fueled the growth of the car rental industry.”

Soham Shah, Founder & Director Pinewoods Service CorporationSelfdrive.in said, “ The Selfdrive. in is India’s first ever company to offer cars on a self-drive rental model. We introduced it in 2011 due to increasing demand from our corporate customers especially expats who preferred to drive the car on their own. It also meant reduced rents for the customer as the cars were not chauffeured. However the retail market opened up a bit later when it witnessed other entrants who came in and educated the masses with huge spends towards marketing. We have witnessed CAGR of 25% over the past 5 years of operations.”

In the opinion of Sunil, “Many diverse business models have emerged in the car rental space lately, ranging from app-based aggregation, car-sharing, car-pooling and one-way inter-city taxi aggregation, adding to the existing chauffeur drive and self-drive car rental markets. It remains to be seen which of the new models become financially viable but all of them are similar in that they leverage technology to deliver customer convenience. The self-drive option has been available to Indian consumers for a couple of years now and it is popular in top metro cities for leisure trips on long week-ends.”

emerge from other Tier I cities. Selfdrive may not see a dramatic shift in 2016 over 2015 but over the next 7-10 years self-drive should grow to around 5% of the total car rental market from the current negligible share.”

According to Ken Research, the Indian car rental market revenues will grow at a considerable CAGR rate and is expected to touch Rs 800 billion by 2019.

Sunil explains”On a relatively small base, the growth in self-drive has been substantial but some barriers to faster growth remain i.e. traffic congestion, lack of organized parking and lack of driving discipline. These barriers do not exist in developed markets like N America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand and so we see a tremendous growth in Indians taking advantage of self-drive abroad. While we continue to grow our self-drive fleet in the major cities in India, we are also focusing a

Sunil says,”Self-drive holds a lot of potential for growth in India in the coming years. The self-drive option is currently popular in the top metro cities but over the next couple of years, in line with improvements in road infrastructure, the demand will

Soham said,“We are a publically funded company and have robust operations in Pune, Mumbai and Goa. Over the next one year we are planning on introducing our services to the cities of Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi. We are also in the process of acquiring funding to fructify these plans. We are expecting a growth of over 30% this year.”

Self Drive

20>> Sakshi Vij, Founder & CEO, Mylescars.com

Self-drive industry witnessed phenomenal growth in the last couple of years we are recording 30-40% growth month on month measuring to a growth of over 1100% in the last 12 months. Myles cars in the last few months noticed a surge in demand from the tier-2 cities. lot of resources and energy in offering Avis self-drive services to Indians traveling abroad through travel agents, travel management companies and tour operators – online and offline.”

Karan Jain, Co-founder & COO, Revv, says, “India has a very low penetration of car ownership, which is getting accentuated with people starting to rethink car purchases due to availability of taxi-haling apps. This essentially creates an opportunity to delink car usage from car ownership, by allowing non-owners to access and use cars, and by allowing people to defer/cancel their car purchases and subsist on an ecosystem of car-sharing, self-drive rentals, taxihailing and ride-sharing.The growth in the overall car rental market has been sharp, especially in self-drive segment.We have seen rapid uptake by the customers despite minimal spend on marketing 70%+ utilisation with multiple sold-out situations every month. Revv is already seeing repeat usage and positive customer feedback on its innovations. Revv is the pioneer of 100% doorstep delivery and unlimited kms pricing plans for hourly self-drive rentals.

With the vision to eliminate the need to own a car.

Aditya Loomba, Director, ECOS (India) Mobility & Hospitality-explains, “SelfDrive Car Rentals has been growing at 40-50% year on year for the past 4 years and the expected growth rate for 2016 is 30-40%.”

Self-driving a new form of promoting destinations in India “There is a big potential in promoting Self-Drive Road Tourism for Inbound and Domestic travelers, Tourism Ministry will be required to play a vital

role in tapping this potential.” says Aditya .

Sakshi explains, “Self driving has established weekend gateways, short trips and vacations are increasingly getting popular. A young professional drives to work in his sedan, but may want a 4-wheel drive for his adventure holiday.”

Soham explains,“Though the selfdrive car rental industry is just about taking shape in India, the concept is not that recent. Goa was the first state in India to offer self-drive options to its tourists. One can rent cars, bikes, scooters and even bicycles in Goa to explore the scenic beauty, beaches in various parts of Goa, the famous temples in south Goa etc. This trend has definitely caught up over the past few years and many other states have been promoting self-drive tours to give tourists more flexibility and freedom to explore.”

companies. Some of the destinations that promote self-drive tours include Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Leh & Ladakh.

Lahaul and Spiti Valley etc.”

Sunil states, “The biggest USP of selfdrive as against chauffer drive is that it gives individuals the privacy and independence during their journey.

With the growing individualism and my space phenomena, self-drive will gain growing popularity in India.”

Aditya said,“Self-Drive car rentals are primarily targeted towards young to middle aged leisure travelers, the demand is mostly on weekends and holidays.”

Karan says, “Self-drive rentals, being much more reliable and 30-40% cheaper than chauffeured options, brings a wider set of customers into the gamut of frequent leisure travellers. The range of destinations that customers can visit widens compared to similarly-priced public transport options such as railways.”

Soham explains, “The weekend travellers have increased manifold over the past few years. Most metro towns have seen a spike in DINKs or Couples with Double Income and No Kids over the past decade and an increase in disposable income which has resulted in weekend getaways as a lifestyle.”

Soham states,“Today’s tourists domestic or international do not want to take to the beaten path by availing packages that restrict their travel to pre-defined destinations by the tour

“Most of the couples want independence to explore the destinations they visit and prefer selfdriven cars over taxis or chauffeured rental cars. This trend has seen

Revv

Mylescars.com

In the opinion of Sakshi Vij , Founder & CEO , Mylescars.com, “Self-drive industry has witnessed phenomenal

growth in the last couple of years.

We are recording 30-40% growth month on month, measuring to a growth of over 1100% in the last 12 months. Myles cars have driven over a million “myles” already in the last few months. We have seen a surge in demand from the tier-2 cities as well.”

“Myles has seen a steady growth in the last few months. We started with 14 cars and 3 locations has grown to over 1200+ cars and 250+ locations with a presence in 21 Indian cities.

We are ramping up our fleet to 5,000 Myles cars over the next 1 year. In the next 4 years we would like to bring together a fleet of 50000 cars in 50 cities spread across over 5000 locations. We want to provide a Myles car every 400 meters in a city. We are currently a community of more than 150,000 Mylers. We hope to get around 5 million members in the next five years.” She added.

Voyager’s World > September 2016

Self Drive

Revv

Mylescars.com

21>>

Karan Jain, Co-founder & COO, Revv

Self-drive rentals are more reliable and 30-40% cheaper than chauffeured options that brings in a wider set of customers into the gamut of frequent leisure travellers. A customer can visit a range of destinations compared to similarly-priced public transport options. a surge of car bookings over the weekend compared to weekdays.

While we are sold out perpetually every weekend i.e. 100% on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the weekdays have seen a rise in bookings and are at 60% to 75% of capacity. “He says.

Sunil says, “Self-drive market has started to take a shape in India over the last couple of years. There are a few reasons for the growing popularity of self-drive in India. With the changing travel trends there has been a remarkable shift in the way people pursue holidays these days with adventure trips, road trips, and solo excursions etc taking precedence over regular holiday travel and we believe this will contribute to the selfdrive business at large. “ “The Improvement in Infrastructure the pace at which the surface infrastructure (roads and highways) has progressed in India in last few years is creditable. We believe that technology plays an important role in mobility and we will offer latest technology making our services even more convenient for our customers like introduction of nagivation, GPS, keyless entry to cars, etc. In the case of self-drive the discerning Indian consumer is beginning to take notice of the financial benefits car-sharing

delivers over car-ownership as there is no cost of EMIs, insurance, ownership, maintenance costs, etc in the short and long term.”He added.

Sakshi explains, “There is an evident shift in the usage pattern where our weekly and monthly bookings have shot up by 80% and 100% respectively.

It is an established trend that weekend getaways have been getting popular, however the significant increase in the number of days a car is rented. Over the period of time since our inception we have seen a surge in the demand from customers who are tourists, NRIs, young urban professionals, and single female travelers. We have seen exponential rise in the metros to manage this growing demand.”

“Today, searches on our website have grown to over 8 lakh a month from 95,000 a year ago. The concept started in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru has attracted interest in Tier-2 cities like Jaipur, Coimbature, Udaipur, Pune, Mysore and more. The positive response has encouraged us to expand the operations to smaller cities and new markets.”She added.

Karan says, “Revv has seen that outstation travel is the largest segment and it has been heartening to see it cut across leisure and work-related

use cases, as well as weekdays across weekends. Over a period of time, we are noticing a larger share in workrelated self-drive segment. This can go-on to approximately 40-50% share in the long term. The long-duration local use eg, someone landing up in a city and hiring a car to drive around for 3 days is the other major use case.

We believe this could be USD 3-5 Bn revenue market by 2020.”

Trends In the opinion of Soham,“An interesting trend we have witnessed lately is an increase in SUV/Sports/ Luxury car rentals. There are many driving enthusiasts out there who want to experience big/fast cars for the thrill and adventure of driving.” He added.

Cities using your service Aditya says, “The Chauffeur Drive service is in 65 cities across India.

The Self-Drive service is in 5 Cities Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Mumbai and Bangalore.”

Benefits to the travel industry Aditya says,“Tourism Industry of Countries like New Zealand, South Africa, USA and Europe thrive on SelfDrive tourism, as the Car product can be clubbed with various other components like accommodation,

sightseeing tickets, food vouchers and GPS device rentals etc. We will be happy to partner with various stake holders of the Tourism fraternity to make Road Toursim packages for the states in North India, South India and West India.”

Soham explains,“Self-drive car rental offerings have been a boon to domestic as well as foreign travellers to and in India. While it has been a long drawn offering in the developed nations its advent in India as completely changed the face of travel in India.To take it a step further lets categorize the travellers especially ex-pats into two buckets namely, the business traveller and the leisure traveller.”

“A self-driven car gives the business traveller the option of hiring a car right from the airport for the length of his/ her stay to avail the convenience of being independent as compared to the traditional chauffeured cab that is far more expensive, rigid in their tariffs and inherent dependence on the drivers. The self-drive option gives them greater flexibility, choice of cars, seamless and transparent customer centric experience. For the leisure traveller, the self-drive option provides a completely independent and leisurely experience of discovering

www.voyagersworld.in

Self Drive

ECOS (India) Mobility & Hospitality

22>>

Aditya Loomba, Director, ECOS (India) Mobility & Hospitality

Self-Drive car rentals are targeting young to middle aged leisure travelers and the demand is mostly on weekends and holidays. India is a potential destination for Self-Drive Road Tourism for Inbound and Domestic travelers. The Self-Drive Car Rentals is growing at 40-50% year on year.

Soham Shah, Founder & Director, Pinewoods Service Corporation

Many states are promoting self-drive tours to give tourists more flexibility and freedom to explore. A self-drive car rental offering is a benefit to domestic as well as foreign travellers to and in India.

India like they would otherwise never have. All in all it is great news for the travel industry as a whole.” He added.

Sunil explains, “Surface transport is an integral part of the travel industry as it contributes to the value chain by enabling the last mile travel.Selfdrive is a recognized and matured industry abroad. The Indian Inbound travel industry is witnessing a growth of 8.9% year-on-year.”

“The number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) has grown at a CAGR of 3.7 per cent to 5.29 lakh year-on-year in May 2016. As most of the travelers from developed source markets are pre disposed to the concept of selfdrive, it gives an opportunity for selfdrive operators in India to capitalize on this growing demand. At the same time, selling self-drive services to Indians travelling abroad will emerge as a new revenue stream for travel agents in India, who are struggling in the face of declining commissions from airlines.”He added.

Sakshi says, “It’s a win-win situation for the industry and travellers. The aim is to connect the traveller to a car, offer commuters an alternative method of transportation which is cost-effective, time-saving and based on the need.”

Karan explains, “Inter-city travel is a BIG white space, with severe paucity of

Voyager’s World > September 2016

reliable and affordable travel options especially when a group of 3-5 people is travelling. Self-drive is opening up the hitherto untapped intercity segment, and that is a significant contribution to travel industry.”

Longest self-drive route “Our longest self-drive route is from Leh to Goa that we have done in SelfDrive tourism. The 4x4 SUV vehicles were dropped off in Leh and picked up from Goa after 5 weeks.” Aditya added.

Promotional plans Aditya says, “We upgrade our regular clients to higher category cars. We also have special promotions running on our Chrysler Stretched Limousines.”

Soham said, “Our latest product offerings are ‘City Drive and ‘Micro Lease’. Under the ‘City Drive’ initiative, one can avail the scheme at a minimum booking of an hour at Rs. 60 per hour. The ‘CITY DRIVE’ also has an ultra-low deposit of only Rs. 999 only. The cost includes Maintenance, Insurance and 24x7 Road Side Assist and free fuel of up to INR 500.

This unique initiative from SelfDrive. in comes with unlimited kilometres package and offers over 50 car models to choose from, covering

small, medium, large and fun cars to drive.”

“The initiative launched is for rental within city limits and can be availed for a minimum of one hour to maximum of 24 hours. To increase convenience to customers, we are also offering them an option of pickup from any location and drop off at any location. The initiative has been rolled out in the locations of Pune, Mumbai and Goa to start with and will be rolled out PAN India next couple of months.The Micro Lease program was designed after consistent feedback from our corporate clients for the need to provide more flexible lease tenures.”He says.

“Our program enables Corporates to lease a car starting from a minimum period of one month instead of three years. Over and above a wide range of cars to choose from, the program offers Car lease on a monthly subscription/ monthly payment options starting at INR 12, 499 which is comparable to (and in some cases lower than) EMIs for the car, 24x7 road side assistance, complete maintenance of the car and replacement and/or upgradation of the type of car, as and when required with no penalties for returning the car after three months.” He added.

Sunil explains, “Internationally, Avis is the world’s leading car rental company with self-drive as its main stay in 168 countries. We have aggressive plans to capitalize on the growing demand for self-drive domestically and internationally. In India, we plan to expand our current fleet with the introduction of new cars in various segments such as compacts, sedans, SUVs, MUVs and Luxury along with product innovations such as car upgrade, home delivery and pick up of vehicle, etc. In the area of customer experience we will introduce the use of modern technology such as Mobile APP for reservations.”

Karan concludes, “We are currently focused on providing an outstanding experience to every single customer who comes to us. This solves multiple problems at once: the strong word-ofmouth publicity eliminates need for expensive marketing,customers start sticking to the product which in turn starts the process of this becoming a truly mainstream mobility option, and our brand becomes stronger with every positive reference.We are planning rapid addition to the fleet during next few months, which will entail referrals, partnerships and cross-promotions with other companies who serve the same customer segments, and innovative contests that induce the customers.”

The Venetian, Macao

23>>

Incredible India

24>>

Incredible India

SRI LANKA IMPROVES INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOTEL INVENTORY FOR M.I.C.E PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

Sri Lanka has opened the doors of its East Coast to tourists and has virtually doubled its hotel inventory in Colombo for the next two years.

T

he Sri Lankan Convention Bureau, in association with Sri Lankan Airways, organised ‘Meet in Sri Lanka’ in August in Bangalore.

The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau is a statutory wing under the Ministry of Sri Lanka Tourism. It visited the travel trade in Bangalore with their travel trade representatives.

The discussion was individually on corporate travel. The delegation was led by This would be led by Prema Cooray, the Chairman of Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, and a group of prominent travel agents specialising in Corporate Tourism who were part of this interactive session.

The event started with a presentation on what Sri Lanka offered, followed by a discussion

on the prospects of the country for holding corporate meetings, incentives, conferences and expos.

Prema Cooray said, “We started focusing on the Indian market 10 years ago and today, you are the no.

1. We are very glad because you are very friendly neighbour and works so closely. Sri Lanka is also a green and sustainable destination. We have kept our forest cover at 30% in the last 10 years. Development has not taken away the conservation.

The important things is today, there is a lot of talk about planet, people, profit. We don’t look at only earning money. but we have to care about the environment. Currently the planet is being taxed 1.5 times than it can afford.” He further stated that tourism was community driven.

“Wherever we develop tourism, we have to work with communities. Our message is ‘ Planet, People and Profit’.”

Sri Lanka has opened the doors of its East coast now for tourists with some of the most beautiful beaches, some of them suited for surfing.

The whole of the east coast, which was not open during the times of conflict, is now open. “In Colombo, we have doubled the capacity of accommodation within the next two years with famous names like ITC Hotels, Hyatt, Shangri-La. Even in the deep down south, we have opened Shangri-La and we have Anantara and the Marriott is coming up. Sri Lanka is getting dressed up with all the hotel brands. Our expressways

and roadways, especially in the rural side, have improved significantly.

The connectivity is excellent. What makes Sri Lanka as Marco Polo says, the finest island of its size in all the world, it is compact but is diverse.

Virtually all the tourist attractions a traveller would want to see is in Sri Lanka - we have mountains, forests, rainforests, ancient civilizations, islands. Sri Lanka has some world class products like the Sigiriya rock fortress and whale watching. We have the probability of 90-95% to see 200-300 elephants at a time in our forests.”

The event was followed by a SriLanka cultural show and lunch. There was also a one-on-one interaction with the travel trade in the evening.

Delegates experience Wonderful Indonesia at PATA Travel Mart 2016 VW BUREAU

The Mart, generously hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia, attracted 1,358 delegates from 63 destinations around the world.

P

ATA Travel Mart 2016 (PTM2016) officially opened in BSD-Serpong, Indonesia on the evening of September 7, 2016, with the official PTM2016 Welcome Reception hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia and graciously presided over by the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Jusuf Kalla. The Mart, generously hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia, attracted 1,358 delegates from 63 destinations around the world.

The total number of delegates for PTM2016 includes 683 sellers from 272 organisations and 36 destinations, along with 258 buyers from 247 organisations and 52 source markets. The Mart this

Voyager’s World > September 2016

year saw first-time sellers from the State of Palestine, the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Russian Federation, and Zimbabwe.

The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on the morning of Thursday,

September 8 and was conducted by Dr. Arief Yahya, Minister of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia; Mr I Gde Pitana, Deputy Minister for International Tourism Marketing, and Mr Setyono Djuandi Darmono, Chairman of the PATA Indonesia Chapter in the

presence of PATA Chairman Mr Andrew Jones, PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy, members of the PATA Executive Board and many distinguished guests from Indonesia and overseas, including YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Tourism, Malaysia and

25>> Y.Bhg Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, Director General of Tourism Malaysia.

Addressing a media briefing at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) later that morning, Mr Jones stated that the Association had previously organised four successful events in Indonesia, in Jakarta (1991) and in Bali (1985, 1989 and 2007).

He noted that, “It is one of the reasons why PATA is committed to providing opportunities and activities to help support and nurture the growth and development of travel and tourism in this country. It is also the reason why we are excited to facilitate engagement between Indonesia and the rest of the world through the Mart.

It is a relationship that best highlights the activities of PATA and the unlimited potential for growth of Indonesia.”

Mr Jones also wished all delegates every success with their networking and contracting activities. He stressed the remarkable value of conducting business at PATA Travel Mart, noting that the annual event remains one of Asia Pacific’s most value adding and cost effective networking and contracting event.

PATA CEO Dr Mario Hardy used the opportunity during the morning media briefing session to thank President University for hosting the PATA Youth Symposium to be held later that day. The event, organised by the Association’s Human Capital Development team with the theme ‘Young Entrepreneurs Role in Tourism’s Future’, attracted over 190 young professionals.

Chapter, commenced on the first day of PATA Travel Mart 2016 under the theme ‘Young Entrepreneurs’ Role in Tourism’s Future’. The programme commenced with an address by Dr. Mario Hardy, PATA CEO. He said, “Today’s youth are critical in addressing problems of the future.

That solution starts today and we invite all students in attendance to share their views and opinions.”

He also noted that the Association would have a primary focus on youth in 2017 and will begin to organise activities centred upon education,

entrepreneurship and other skills.

“President University was founded 15 year ago to prepare students to be self-employed in case there were not enough jobs in the future. With classes taught in English the university also supported students to do internships and create student networks,” said Mr. S.D. Darmono, Founder of President University. “Trust, friendship and communications skills are important factors in creating networks and platforms to do business as young entrepreneurs.”

Dr. Jony Oktavian Haryanto, Rector of

President University added, “Tourism plays an important role in other industries such as food, agriculture and handicraft. The University curriculum support students to be young entrepreneurs in real life.

We would like to thank PATA for this tremendous opportunity.”

The programme was moderated by Stewart Moore, Chairman of the PATA Sustainability Committee and CEO at EarthCheck, Australia. He said, “The PATA Symposium promised to give us some insights into the entrepreneurs of the future.

Your Exhibition Design Partner!

Plan your next Exhibition display with us!

Exclusive Designs and Cost-effective Executions International designs now in India!

Dr Hardy also praised Phocuswright, a PATA Preferred Partner, for coorganising the PATA Travel Innovation Forum along with Connecting Travel as well as the Professional Travel Bloggers Association for co-organising the Blogger Marketing Forum, which both took place on Wednesday, September 7. Both forums allowed delegates to gain the latest trends and insights into the travel and tourism industry.

The PATA Youth Symposium held on Thursday, September 8, 2016 in BSD-Serpong, Indonesia welcomed 193 students, alumni, lecturers and industry professionals from President University and other academic institutions in Indonesia to discuss the role of youth in the future of tourism.

The event, hosted generously by President University with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia and the PATA Indonesia

More than 100 happy customers from India and abroad

Get in touch now

DESIGNS SPHERE

Email: vinay@designssphere.com info@designssphere.com Mobile: +91 99993 93061

C-57, U/G/Floor, Back Side, Chatter Pur Enclave New Delhi - 110 074, Tel.: 011 6466 4100 www.designssphere.com

www.voyagersworld.in

26>>

Incredible India

Macao Lives it up..

Heritage, Gaming, MICE and more Rohit Hangal

Macao can fascinate charm, wow and glitz the discerning eye more than any other region of the world.

Macao International Travel Exhibition

This crazy amalgamation of experiences that Macao offers is as varied as you choose it to be.

W

hen Josef Alvares, the much acclaimed Portuguese explorer discovered this tiny hamlet of land on behalf of his king, little did he gamble on, some four hundred and fifty years ahead, this will become the biggest gaming destinations in the world. The former Portuguese colony, now officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

and over 300 professional buyers from major visitor source markets including the Greater China market (Hong Kong, Mainland and Taiwan), Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and India”.

Macau also spelled ‘Macao’, can fascinate charm, wow and glitz the discerning eye more than any other region of the world. This crazy amalgamation of experiences that Macao offers is as varied as

you chose it to be. The portfolio of hospitality products are unique and downright ‘king size’ in every aspect. Average Hotel Inventory range anywhere in the region of 1000 - 3000 rooms and a luxurious 400 room Four Seasons Hotel is designated as ‘Boutique’! It is not just the gambling crazy fortune seekers, Macao is after. It has evolved into a destination for families and holidaymakers alike with new attractions in form of museums,

Macao International Travel Exhibition

Macao International Travel Exhibition

In its effort to create a sustained

marketing activity, Macao Tourism has now taken over the organizing the ‘Macao International Travel Exhibition’ (MITE). The event held from the 2 - 4 September, occupied 6,800 square meters, with 370 booths attracting over 200 organizations from 28 countries and regions, with over 70 China Mainland municipalities participating in the Exported organizers said that “Exhibition attracted around 32,000 visitors, a rise of 6.7% over last year,

Voyager’s World > September 2016

Macao International Travel Exhibition

27>>

shopping, musical concerts and over-the-top jaw-inspiring live shows such as the ‘House of Dancing Water’.

The cobble-stoned pathways along the downtown market area are a delightful infusion into your trip to discover Macao’s past. The ‘piece de resistance’ is the Ruins of St. Paul’s. Originally a 16th-century complex housed the St. Paul’s College and the Church of St. Paul.

Today, the ruins are one of Macau’s best known landmarks. In 2005, they were officially listed as part of the Historic Centre of Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Other interesting region of Macao

is the quaint Taipa Village. Once a fishing hamlet and home to the original Macanese culture today is a buzzing haven for restaurants and bars serving cuisine from around the world.

Its unique Heritage offerings and it’s mega gambling addas (if you wish to use a native Indian / desi lingo); What sets apart Macau as a successful tourist product, is the opportunity it has provided to the world to unleash it’s fantastic event portfolio! Its array of events include as sporty to the Macao International Marathon or the Annual Macao F1 Grand Prix in November 2016 to glittering Macao International

Fireworks Display Contest and the Macao Light Festival. The effort in making the tourist spend another night in Macao is commendable and note-worth. Macao offers more king size rooms than any other destination I have come across with mega convention facilities and peerless infrastructure to hold incentives and conventions. The size it can take in is quite irrelevant mostly! You give in the number, the destination shall merely give it a big Yes! Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the ‘Macao International Travel Exhibition’ Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, Macao

M.I.C.E SCAN

CALENDAR 2016

Atlantis, The Palm introduces MICE bookers’ incentive

A

tlantis, The Palm extends an amazing booking incentive programme for all MICE bookings and stay until 31 March 2017. Bookers can now avail of exclusive experiences at Atlantis ranging from complimentary tickets to Aquaventure Waterpark or Lost Chambers Aquarium or dinner for two for 100 room nights and above to a lavish 3 nights stay for 4 guests and complimentary dinner and spa vouchers for confirmation of over 700 room nights.

Taiwan Visas get more liberalised, online and free for Indians

I

ndian Nationals are now entitled to free Taiwan visa which can be applied online, so it is now even easier to plan a MICE event in Taiwan. The visas do not include work permits.

Online applications can only be made by persons holding valid regular passports. One must possess at least one of the following documents issued by the countries of Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, any of the Schengen countries, UK or the USA.

Vietnam: An Ideal Destination For Corporate Meet

V

ietnam is becoming quite a popular destination for MICE activities, as it’s quite a costeffective destination, compared to other South East Asian countries, with the advantage of it being a more exotic and relatively unexplored location. Corporates are starting to gravitate towards Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and central Vietnam, with the infrastructure and services to handle MICE events.

ATPI ANNOUNCES KEY MANAGEMENT CHANGES

A

TPI Group announced organisational changes expanding the role of senior leaders within its India operation. The new management structure follows the group’s recent acquisitions across key markets, including Griffin Marine Travel, Business World Travel in New Zealand and Plan B Travel in Australia. With the legal merger of ATPI and Griffin Travel now complete in India, ATPI Griffinstone will be led by Nitin Hardispecialist division.

Government Tourism Office said “Events in Macau will form a big part of the marketing activity to promote the region, and events such as these will enhance our marketing efforts”. She also added “Weddings are a new segment for the Indian market and Macao has already hosted three mega Indian weddings this year”. The scale of operations to turn Macao into a mega sized International destination is aweinspiring. With a ‘No hold barred’ approach being made to further propel this destination, which has got something for everyone, it is just a matter of time, the region will be on every holidaymaker and eventplanner’s must do list alike!

October 13, 14, 15 MICE Industry, St. Petersburg, Russia

24, 25, 26, 27 Sports & Events Tourism Exchange, Pretoria, South Africa

November 13, 14, 15, 16 ICCA Congress 2016, Kuching, Malaysia 16, 17 Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) 2016, Mumbai

December 1, 2, 3 Chengdu International Tourism Expo (CITE) China 5, 6, 7, 8 International Luxury Travel Market Cannes, France

www.voyagersworld.in

India Outbound

28>>

Mauritius Tourism targets 100,000 tourists from India in 2017 IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Kevin Ramkaloan, Director,Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, says the place is very cosmopolitan and Indians can feel at home with many experiential packages.

I

ndia is a key market for us last year we have had a growth of 10 to 11% growth in total tourist arrivals which will continue this year. We witnessed double digit growth 20years ago for the first time we have noticed a double digit growth this year. Asia represented 6% of our tourist arrivals from 2000 to 2005.

We have seen 18% of tourist arrivals from China and India in 2015. India has done a significant growth of 12% from January to June in 2016.

This July we have seen 41% growth compared to last year. Mauritius is one of the 10 countries which do not have any conflict according to Global Peace Travel Survey. The Indian tourists are looking for experiential holidays. We are targeting to get 100,000 tourists from India in 2017.

In a span of five years we can expect to have 250,000 Indian tourists.

Marketing plans We have advertising campaigns, thematic FAM trips on gastronomy, adventure for families and adrenaline junkies for 2016. We

are planning to organize roadshows for tier 2 and tier 3 cities, seminars for learning B2B and frontlines workshop, trade appreciation event for next year. We had organized FIFA World Conference three years back and Wedding Planners Congress last year. We have conducted weddings from India around 500 pacs and ICCA Congress in June 2016 .We also participate in international trade fairs like Top Resa- France, WTM, ITB, ATM and WTM Africa.

Segments Some of our segments are weddings,honeymoons, family segment, leisure, FIT’s, Golf ,Cruise, MICE, Sports for cycling, marathon, tennis. One of our key events are

Porlwi by light a festival for visual mapping ,street art, street food and street performances from 2-4 December for this year and International Kreol Festival is a celebration of the island culture, traditional Mauritius food, handicraft during the last week of November.

MTPA is also positioning Mauritius as the best golf destination in the Indian Ocean. Mauritius is one of the top golfing destinations in the world as it offers world class championship courses as the island has nine 18hole golf courses and five nine-hole golf courses. Air Mauritius will add direct flights from Bangalore and Chennai in September 2016. We are going to have 10 flights for this year and will have 11 flights for next year.

Philippines unleashes new destinations for IndiaN market IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Raymund Glen A. Agustin, Chief Tourism Operations Officer, Market Development Group-Russia, India, & the Middle East, DoT, Philippines, hopes to bring back Indians in 2016 following campaign successes.

T

he Department of Tourism (DoT), Philippines, had organised a series of roadshows from 8 - 11 August in Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai. The delegation was led

by DoT Philippines’ Director Verna C Buensuceso, Officer in Charge, Market development Group and Raymund Glen A. Agustin, Chief Tourism Operations Officer, Market Development Group-Russia, India & the Middle East.

Voyager’s World > September 2016

Speaking at the Bangalore edition, Raymund stated that he is looking forward to welcoming 100,000 Indian tourists by 2017, given the optimistic growth from India. “The growth from the Indian market was 22.36% in 2015. We have seen 20% growth from January to June compared to last year and are expecting a growth of 25% by the year end. India is the 13th biggest market for Philippines in terms of incentives, leisure, families, students, weddings and FITs. With the AJACSS UK visa relaxation at all international airports, Philippines hopes to attract more Indians by the end of 2016.”

Segments The main segments that DoT, Philippines is focusing on are leisure, family travels, honey moons, incentive travels. It is also looking at film tourism for the next year and have more

weddings in the future. “We want to sustain our presence in India in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Nagpur, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. “

2016 for more fun and adventure and garner fabulous memories to cherish.

“We will have Tier 1 and 2 cities campaigns and social media monologues. We also have joint promotions with travel agents like Akqua Sun Holidays, Kuoni Group; airlines like Singapore Airlines, THAI Airways and Cathay Pacific.”

New Destinations Some of the main destinations, DoT has been promoting are Palavan and Davao. Davao is a soft adventure destination suited more for trekking, health and wellness, beaches, island hopping, the Samal Island a luxury island; Cagara is known for whitewater rafting, zip lining and Caminguin a diving destination.

Trends and promotional plans While the country has seen MICE and incentive groups bringing in numbers, the tourism board bets big on its campaigns such as the ‘It is more fun in Philippines’, ‘Visit Philippines Year’ and ‘Visit Philippines Again ‘16’ to drive excitement among travellers so that they revisit the country in

“Other different destinations are Iloilo, Bicol, Cagayande Oro. Philippines is known for soft adventure, volcano treks, spicy cuisine, handicrafts, countryside towns, swimming with the whale and sharks, World Heritage Site Michelangelo’s Church close to Boracay and the Boracay Convention Centre for MICE.”

India Outbound

29>>

India among top 15 source markets for South Australia IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

The South Australia Tourism Commission (SATC) will engage in marketing activities to entice Indians and increase visitation by 10%, says Dana Urmonas, Regional Director - South East Asia & India, SATC. hope that India will be in South Australia’s top 10 countries in the years to come,” she signed off.

process of collaborating with tour operators and are also working closely with Singapore Airlines. We

India primarily to collaborate with travel agents, airlines and consumer branding programs. “We are in the

I

ndia is presently among the top 15 source markets for South Australia.

The outlook on travelling for Indians has changed drastically over the recent years. “With an increase in disposable income of the average Indian consumer, we expect the number of international trips to rise.

India is one of the world’s fastest growing outbound travel markets.”

Segments and stay patterns While the average stay for holiday makers is 3-4 days, the average spend per visitor is AUD 1,799 based on all purpose travel year ended June 2016. The SATC targets people in the age group of 25-55 years, who are global travellers. “Our primary markets are Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.”

The SATC recently launched the South Australia Global Tourism Campaign with an advertisement celebrating the best of South Australia’s nature, premium food and drink and unique experiences.

SATC has committed to spend AUD 2 million during 2015-2017 towards marketing initiatives in

YOUR GATEWAY TO THE OUTBOUND TRAVEL MARKET

Expected growth for 2016-2017 South Australia witnessed an amazing turnout in 2015 owing to the ICC India-Pakistan World Cup tie. With the ongoing and proposed marketing and communication activities, SATC aims to increase visitation by 10% in the coming year.

Dana says the visitor demographics comprised predominantly family travellers, honeymooners, wedding groups, relatives of Indians residing in South Australia and Indian students in Australia in the last three years.

THE

ON

LY M

U LT

ID

EST

INA

TIO

NM

U LT

IC

ITY

EUROPE EDITION 16 - 24 January 2017

RO

AD

SH

OW

Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi

MIDDLE EAST EDITION 27 February - 1 March 2017 Dubai, Kuwait, Doha

GLOBAL EDITION 20 - 25 March 2017 Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai

www.voyagersworld.in

Destination

30>>

COLONIAL AND SAFARI TRAILS IN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA!

Gandhiji’s House in Durban

Handicraft shop on the street

PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

n a recent trip to Durban, South Africa, when I had gone to attend INDABA 2016 in May, a short city tour and a quick getaway to a nearby game reserve threw me a macro, yet, unique view of what one can expect to experience in the land of the Big Five. We had a few hours free on one of the days in the afternoon and a group of Indian journalists decided to take a short tour of the city. It being a Saturday, the streets of Durban were not as packed and clouds loomed large as we drove first to the famous Victoria Market. The Victoria Market provides a colourful window to South Africa’s shopping attractions. Rich and multi-hued handicraft shops, jewellery and souvenir shops, spice sellers adorn Victorial Market. Unfortunately for us, business had almost closed when we reached there and had to be content with buying just a few things.

Not wishing to let this dampen our spirits, we immediately set forth to visit the house of Mahatma Gandhi, who had lived in South Africa, when he practiced law during his youth. On our way, the chauffeur stopped the car to point at the railway station where the infamous incident of ousting Gandhi from a train took place.

The house is located at about an hour’s drive from the centre of Durban.

Vast stretches of dry grasslands, interspersed with many automobile stores, dotted Durban’s landscapes.

Durban is, interestingly a hub for several automobile establishments, the chauffeur tells us, as we whizz our way past the roads. Very close to Gandhiji’s residence, is the school started by his wife Kasturba and the institution is still functional. The

Voyager’s World > September 2016

pathway leading up to his house is flanked by several trees and is completely soaked in serenity. The Mahatma’s house is as compact, humble and simple as the legend himself. Today, it houses exhibits of several of his letters, artifacts, etc. and is maintained as a key attraction.

No visit to South Africa is complete without mentioning Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid revolutionary. While we could not see any important places in his relevance, nonetheless, the conversations that I had with many of the locals still reflect the indelible impact his work has left on their lives; nobody wants to venture a word or two about the tarnished segregation practice that had once haunted the nation.

On our last day, we went to the Hluhluwe Game Reserve, a three hour drive from Durban to meet the Big Five game animals of Africa Rhinos, Elephants, Lions, Leopards and Buffaloes. However, we were not so lucky and managed to meet only three of them. It was close to two in the afternoon when we reached the national park. We changed to safari jeeps and went into the reserve, which led to sprawling stretches of grasslands and mountains as far as our eyes could take us. Several giraffes and zebras greeted us as we entered the reserve; they seemed absolutely at ease with visitors as we got down to click photographs at a distance of 10 feet. The giraffes generally go with their zebra buddies to protect them from predators. While we sighted only a couple of buffalos from a distance, we soon spotted a few jeeps huddled at one corner. As we went nearer, we

Hluhluwe Game Reserve

O

realized that not very far from us was the king of the jungle, majestically mounting his paw on a buffalo that he seemed to have killed a short while ago. While the lion was watching us straight in the eye, he let out a roar as if to tell us to let him have his food in private. As we moved away, our chauffeur pointed at two rhinos far down the valley. As we were returning, two huge rhinos came just beside our jeep for grazing. We promptly became quiet and awestruck at the exquisitely

black skinned horned bulky wonders as they warily moved across.

We left the game reserve feeling smug though we could not spot the leopards and elephants, but the sights of several giraffes and zebras darting across in a playful, carefree manner, made our day, although the chauffeur tried to underplay our excitement, saying that the giraffes and zebras were as common in Africa as KFC and McDonald outlets!

Flight Talk

31>>

100% FDI NOW ALLOWED IN BROWNFIELD AIRPORT PROJECTS PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU

The Ministry of Civil Aviation have, recently formulated a National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016 which provides for promoting regional connectivity and lend a boost to existing airports.

W

ith a view to aid in modernization of the existing airports to establish a high standard and help ease the pressure on the existing airports, 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under automatic route has now been allowed in Brownfield Airport projects. This move would also serve in further developing the domestic aviation infrastructure.

Further, FDI limit for Scheduled Air Transport Service, Domestic Scheduled Passenger Airline and regional Air Transport Service has been raised from 49% to 100%, with FDI up to 49% permitted under automatic route and FDI beyond 49% through Government approval.

For Non-Resident Indians (NRI’s), 100% FDI will continue to be allowed under automatic route. However, foreign airlines would continue to be allowed to invest in capital of Indian companies operating scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services up to the limit of 49% of their paid up capital and subject to the laid down conditions in the existing policy. Increasing the FDI limit for these aviation services shall not only encourage competition by lowering prices but shall also accord choice to consumers.

Moreover, FDI policy as contained in the ‘Consolidated FDI Policy Circular of 2016’, as amended from time to time, is subject to the conditions of the extant policy on specified sectors and applicable laws/ regulations security and other conditionalities.

Accordingly FDI policy on Civil Aviation sector is also subject to sectoral and security conditions.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation have, recently formulated a National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016 which provides for promoting regional connectivity by way of revival of un-served and under-served airports and airstrips.

Revival of 50 such airports in the next three years is to be “demand driven”, depending on firm commitment from airline operators and where the State Government concerned agrees to provide various concessions envisaged in the Policy.

The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) in the new civil aviation policy will inter-alia be implemented by way of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for operators under RCS. VGF will be shared between Ministry of Civil Aviation and the State Government in the ratio of 80:20 and for the

North-Eastern States the ratio will be 90:10. The payment of the full amount of the VGF will be made to the airline operator from the Regional Connectivity Fund (RCF) and the State Governments will be subsequently asked reimbursement. The RCF will be funded by a levy from a date to be notified by the Government under Section 5(2) (ab) of the Aircraft Act 1935.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation, State Government of Maharashtra and Airports Authority of India also on 23 August signed a tri-partite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), thereby kicking off the collaborative process of the three agencies coming together for successful launch of the Regional Connectivity Scheme. The MOU was signed at Mumbai in the presence of Minister of Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju and the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis. The State Government of Maharashtra has formally agreed to provide the concessions required from the State Governments in the Regional Connectivity Scheme, thereby becoming the first state in the country to do so. The agreement

was signed by Chairman, Airports Authority of India, Principal Secretary Civil Aviation (Maharashtra) and Joint Secretary (Ministry of Civil Aviation).

Earlier during the day, Sh. Raju and Sh. Fadnavis discussed various other aviation related issues in the State of Maharashtra at length. The meeting was attended by Sh. R. N. Choubey, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Sh Swadheen Kshatriya, Chief Secretary of the State and other officials. Amongst others, the subject of rehabilitation of slums (that have come up right next to the Mumbai International Airport) was deliberated upon in details. Early operationlization of several available airports and airstrips in the State (like Shirdi, Kolhapur, Nasik, Sholapur etc) also figured prominently in the discussions.

Later, Sh. Raju undertook an aerial survey of the proposed airport site for Navi Mumbai and took a status briefing from the officers concerned.

He laid emphasis on timely completion of the project and conveyed that this can be achieved only if timelines for all sub-activities are adhered to.

www.voyagersworld.in

Spice Trails

32>>

CULINARY FESTIVAL TO BE HIGHLIGHT OF Kerala travel mart 2016 PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

Abraham George, President, Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) Society shares his views on the various preparations undertaken towards this year’s event.

New opportunities for the travel trade in this year’s edition This edition of KTM will host 57 countries with 10 new entrants.

Counting representation from the new entrants: China, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Georgia, Chile, Greece, Iran and Botswana, as also 20 Indian states are now scheduled to explore tourism opportunities in Kerala.

560 international and 1304 domestic buyers have registered.

The ninth edition will also witness increased participation from 10 conventional markets including US, Canada and Australia. The KTM has always placed as much emphasis on the identification of quality buyers from new countries as on retaining participation levels from conventional markets. With 10 new nations confirmed to participate this year, our efforts have borne fruit. Moreover, the increase in registrations from the traditional markets - one of our stated goals going into this edition – is further proof of the KTM’s growing profile.

As we have extended the prefixed appointment system for domestic buyers, the B2B sessions will be more effective for both buyers and sellers. KTM will witness 25,000 business meetings apart from other non-scheduled meetings.

The mart is designed to facilitate B2B networking and interactions among travel industry professionals and entrepreneurs from Kerala and across the world.

Culinary Fest With the participation of 31 countries and media persons in the culinary festival, it will give a big boost to the brand Kerala. Local culinary competition will also popularise on the Kerala cuisine. In a unique attempt to promote the ‘Muziris and Spice Route’ theme, UNESCO, together with Kerala Tourism and the Union Tourism Ministry, will host a ‘Spice Route Culinary Festival’ from 23-26 September, in which leading chefs from the 31 countries on the historic Spice Route will participate. The event is organised as a prelude to the Mart. The dishes – an entrée (main course

NAGPUR VIZAG AMRITSAR COIMBATORE

Voyager’s World > September 2016

: : : :

of a meal) and dessert each – will be based on made-to-order recipes inspired by Kerala spices and using locally sourced ingredients, with the winning creations to be featured in the city menus. The festival will culminate in a public tasting event.

New challenges undertaken Since the inception of new committee in 2015, for the smooth and effective functioning, various sub committees have been formed.

Each committee is putting their efforts to make the Mart more effective and successful. The marketing committee and buyers committee identify new buyers and new countries and invite them for attending the meet. This year during the meet from September 27 to 30, there will be networking dinner for three days apart from the business meet on these days.

14, 15, 16 October 2016 4, 5, 6 November 2016 16, 17, 18 December 2016 27, 28, 29 January 2017

association

33>>

CHENNAI REVS UP TO HOST IATO CONVENTION 2016 VW BUREAU

This is the first time that the IATO Convention is held at Chennai. Tamil Nadu will be the main sponsor state for the event which will also have many other states participating.

T

he 32nd IATO Annual Convention would be held from 18 to 21 September at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai. Rajeev Kohli, Senior Vice President, IATO is be the Convention Chairman while Rajiv Mehra, Vice President, IATO will be the Cochairman for the convention.

Pronab Sarkar, President, IATO said “This will be first IATO Convention in Chennai. The association was planning to have its annual convention in Chennai for last couple of years.

This year, from the very beginning this year, we were focused on having our convention in Chennai only and this year it is going to be dream come true.

However, the stupendous success of the pervious convention has raised the expectations of the members and sponsors. More than 1200 delegates are expected for the three day event.”

The IATO Convention comprises the panel discussions and exhibition space for suppliers to showcase diverse range of destinations, conference and incentive venues.

This will facilitate discerning buyers from the travel trade and corporate world to reinforce their choice for business travel and incentives. Kohli mentioned that the inbound travel segment is going through a bad phase and thus their main focus would be to have deliberations as to how we can change this scenario and bring back tourism on track for which interesting business sessions are being planned.

Mehra highlighted that Tamil Nadu offers varied tourism offerings such as beaches, pilgrimage, hill station, wildlife, shopping, Ayurveda and medical tourism. These are our main considerations to have our convention in Tamil Nadu and get updated on the products. Even as per our policy we always try to have convention in different states and aim to boost tourism to the state, he added.

The theme is most apt, said Rajeev Kohli, Senior VP, IATO and Chairman, IATO Convention 2016, adding, “Remarkable figures are covered in the press on how inbound travel numbers have recorded a growth trajectory, though, the ground reality is way

different. There is a major disconnect in what the publicity spin shows and the actual figures. IATO members and nonmembers alike are struggling on various fronts. It needs to be explored that why do official numbers say one story, yet the actual occupancy figure of tourists and actual business done by our members just don’t add up.

How can the government claim so many successes when our industry is on the brink of financial disaster?

Taking cue from what conversations have been going on, we think that this is the most appropriate theme for this year’s convention.”

There would be a host of activities like Travel Mart, Post Tours, Spouse Tours, IATO Run for Responsible Tourism, Cultural Evenings etc. Post-convention familiarisation tours will be conducted to Mamallapuram, Kanchipuram, Puducherry and Tirupati Balaji Temple. Mehra added that Tamil Nadu offers varied tourism offerings such as beaches, pilgrimage, hill station, wildlife, shopping, Ayurveda and medical tourism. “These were our main considerations to host the convention in Tamil Nadu and get updated on the products. Even as per our policy we always try to organise the convention in different states and aim to boost tourism to the state,” he said.

This year the main sponsor state is Tamil Nadu while confirmations have been received from Odisha, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.” They are expecting to partner with Karnataka, Bengal, Punjab, Jharkhand, Manipur and Uttarakhand.

From the Ministry’s end, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism, Government of India, will be travelling at the time of IATO Convention. However, Vinod Zutshi, Secretary Tourism, Suman Billa, Joint Secretary Tourism and Meenakshi Sharma, Additional Director General Tourism have confirmed their presence at the convention along with Tourism Ministers from all participating states, revealed Sarkar.

Kohli who has also assisted in curating the content of the past four conventions of IATO outlines that the organising team this year has focussed on creating content that is meaningful and relevant to the businesses of all IATO members. “We have brought in some expert speakers on very select topics such as renowned Management Guru and Marketing Theorist, Professor Anand Kurian from Singapore who will talk on business growth. I hope the delegates will walk away satisfied with the quality efforts

put in this year. IATO also aims to play a bigger role in bringing back leisure tourism to the capital city of Chennai for increase in volume of arrivals and long-term growth,” he said.

Besides, this year IATO is experimenting with some changes to the format of its annual convention. All IATO active members are automatically registered for these sessions and allied members will also be eligible as well.

The discussion on changing clients will deliberate on incidences of payment defaults by foreign tour operators, sudden changing of handling agents and other issues. The love-hate relationship between tour operators and guides is a never ending saga and thus the Guides - Improving the Partnership session will reiterate on the need to work collectively towards the same goal and portray destination India in the best possible manner.

Kohli added, “Each segment will be moderated by experienced members to help guide the discussion. This will be an interactive discussion format for members to address issues affecting the business and will assist us in designing future road map for IATO. Being a closed door session, we expect the discussions to be fair and frank.”

www.voyagersworld.in

Travel Events

34>>

WTM LONDON 2016 OPENS REGISTRATION FOR THREE-DAY FORMAT VW BUREAU

The new-look three-day format has been universally well received from all participant groups and delegates are expected to conduct more business than last year. .

W

orld Travel Market London, the leading global event for the travel industry, has opened registration to the new-look threeday WTM London 2016.

WTM London 2016, which takes place between Monday 7 – Wednesday 9 November, is poised to be the most successful yet. The new-look three-day format has been universally well received from all participant groups. Delegates will be able to conduct even more business than last year’s record £2.5 billion and save on the ancillary cost with WTM London being one day shorter.

Opening hours have been extended from 10am to 7pm on all three days of the event, to increase the business opportunities available.

The WTM Inspire Theatre, a new 300-seater amphitheatre, will be added to the exhibition floor in the North Hall of ExCeL – London, while the WTM International Press Centre

Voyager’s World > September 2016

has been moved on to the exhibition floor for the first time (in the South Hall). More than 80 conference seminars will take place throughout the three days covering all the key sectors including aviation, hotels, sports tourism, responsible tourism, blogging, social media and travel technology.

Wednesday 9 November is the new day for the UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit, which is this year celebrating its tenth edition. WTM London 2016 will conclude with the WTM Festivals, which will see a number of exhibitors hosting parties showcasing their culture, music and cuisine.

Monday 7 November will remain an exhibitor invite-only day, allowing exhibitors to conduct business meetings with key suppliers. The event will kick off with the WTM Speed Networking in the WTM Global Stage at 9am – before the exhibition floor opens at 10am.

A taste of ILTM at WTM returns for the fifth year across the Monday and Tuesday.

WTM London 2015 saw almost 50,000 participants, including 9,100 buyers conducting business worth more than £2.5 billion with almost 5,000 exhibitors from 182 countries and regions.

Tuesday 8 November is the new day for World Responsible Tourism Day, keeping sustainability at the heart of the event.

World Travel Market London, Senior Director, Simon Press said: “World Travel Market London continues to improve every year, with 2016 poised to be the most successful yet.

“We are really excited by the new-look three-day WTM London. Feedback

has been universally positive from all participant groups. There are a number of new initiatives including the Inspire Theatre and the press centre being on the exhibition floor for the first time.”

The event will host a session of senior executives to discuss the implications of Brexit on the UK inbound and outbound travel in a high-profile panel session at this year’s event. The World Travel Leaders session “Brexit – How Will It Change UK Travel – Inbound and Outbound?” takes place in the WTM Inspire Theatre on Monday 7 November.

The session will also include market analysis and predictions from Euromonitor International. The research group will look at visitor numbers for arrivals in to and out of UK before and after Brexit and present their forecasts for the future.

Discover the world ÂŁ2.5

Billion

of new business

Travel partners

5,000 exhibitors

49,273

from across the world

Official Media Partner

attendees

from 182 countries

Official Premier Partner

Register now wtmlondon.com World Travel Market, WTM, RELX Group and the RE symbol are trademarks of Reed Elsevier Properties SA, used under license.

Travel Events

36>>

MICE Asia Pacific Exhibition 2016 A Show One Should Not Miss VW BUREAU

The highlight of this year is the Meet the Buyers session, which is an invitation-only event and the VIPs will be meeting with the exhibitors to discuss business opportunities

M

ICE Asia Pacific Exhibition 2016 is returning to Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre on 21st - 22nd this month!

Over 20 high-level speakers from the MICE industry are confirmed to be presenting at the conference sessions and workshops at MICE Asia Expo, such as Robert Campbell, the Vice President of Uniplan Taiwan; Christopher Lilley, Managing Director of Sales APAC of etouches; Oscar Cerezales, COO Asia-Pacific of MCI Group; Dr. Jin Hong Seok, Chairman of Korea MICE Convergence Leaders Forum; Ben Veechai, Regional Director International Marketing of UBM Asia and many more.

The Asia Pacific MICE Awards 2016 will be held after day one of the exhibition and will feature live

entertainment acts and networking.

The Awards will be judged upon impartially by 10 leading event professionals from throughout the Asia Pacific region - Loy Joon How, General Manager of IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Centre; Richard Tan, Executive Director of InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd; Kim Waddoup, CEO of Moscow MICE International Forum; Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC, to name but a few.

Another highlight of this year is the Meet the Buyers session, which is an invitation-only event and the VIPs will be meeting with the exhibitors to discuss business opportunities.

This programme – Meet the Buyers sessions – is launched this year. The Meet the Buyers session is an invitation-only event

and the VIPs will be meeting with the exhibitors at MICE Asia Pacific Exhibition 2016 to discuss business opportunities. The sessions will be attended by leading conference organizers, exhibition organizers, event marketers, meeting planners, incentive house agency, party/ networking planners, meetings and event associations and tour, travel and destination agencies and many more from across Asia Pacific region. Catering will be available and fine food, wine and beverages will be provided in hopes of creating a pleasure, positive and opportunistic environment for the VIPs to network and to do business.

The sessions will take place on both day from 12 pm to 2 pm at the VIP Area. Companies confirmed attending as VIPs: UBM Exhibition Singapore Pte Ltd., Reed Exhibitions Ltd., MP International, Informa ME, George P.Johnson (Singapore) Pte Ltd, IQPC Worldwide Pte Ltd, amcasia!, Exhibition at Conference & Exhibition Management Services Pte Ltd, ITMA Services Pte Ltd, Informa ME, BCD Meetings and Events Singapore, Red Events Singapore, Rebel and Soul, and many more. The official networking app is also available now. The mobile app allows the attendees to view schedule, explore sessions and find networking events; to interact with a real-time feed of

Voyager’s World > September 2016

all event activities; to curate their own personal schedule for easy conference attendance.

The exclusive VIP Luncheon & Networking Sessions provide a great opportunity for exhibitors and buyers to discuss business opportunities and the latest trends in event projects and learn from the high-level speakers in the industry.

MICE Asia Pacific Exhibition 2016 has recently confirmed the following companies as attending VIPs: Reed Exhibitions Ltd., MP International, amcasia!, Exhibition at Conference & Exhibition Management Services Pte Ltd, ITMA Services Pte Ltd, BCD Meetings and Events Singapore and many more. Types of people representing the companies are: CEOs, Managing Directors, Managers, Professional Conference Organisers, Buying Managers, Marketing Managers, Planning Directors and many more key decision makers. More companies and organizations will be joining the exhibition for the third year in the coming months and the agenda for the VIP sessions will be announced shortly.

The VIP lounge is open to all VIPs, exhibitors and speakers from 12 pm – 2 pm on both days. Buyers and sellers can make use of this area for setting up meetings and to take a break from the busy expo hall.

Travel Events

37>>

Hotel Solutions Provider with Return to Ctw Asia-Pacific 2016 VW BUREAU

HRS will also represent as a forum panellist discussing game-changing accommodation trends in the corporate space and the impact of sharing economies on business travellers.

H

RS Global Hotel Solutions, the largest hotel content provider in the world, will be hosting a networking coffee break as part of their sponsorship at this year’s Corporate Travel World (CTW) AsiaPacific 2016. HRS will also represent as a forum panellist discussing gamechanging accommodation trends in the corporate space and the impact of sharing economies on business travellers.

ourfirst office in India in Q1 of 2016.”

Returning for their second year, HRS is all set to further strengthen their position in business travel markets as an expert in hotel solutions for the corporate segment. Their panel discussion will touch on the pros and cons of sharing economies and managed versus unmanaged travel; a highlight at the forum with the recent consolidation of major hotel brands that made for a busy 2015.

(Ms) Kimi Jiang, Vice President of Asia Pacific for HRS, “Our continued participation stems largely from being able to reach the right target audience.

CTW Asia-Pacific has allowed us to connect with key decision-makers and thought leaders from fast emerging markets, facilitating the opening of

One might argue that managed travel is all the more so valid in helping corporations budget their controllable expenses. More than ever, the relationships and networks that HRS possessesin the business travel ecosystem will be vital in helping businesses leverage on preferred

vendors, maintain quality control, and negotiate upfront savings.

Added Jiang, “Sharing economies may provide an alternative in accommodation choices especially for leisure. This may be good for families on tour where they do not require booking of too many hotel rooms. In the corporate space, however, sharing economies still pose challenges.

Corporate travellers have their own corporate travel programmes that may require some form of managed travel or interface, as well as compliance with company policies and duty of care obligations.”

With more than four decades of experience behind them, HRS adds more milestones to their already impressive resume of offerings. They

have officially launched their sourcing services in the region and will be rolling out their MICE solutions next.

Through the program’s Intelligent Sourcing, a company’s hotel programme is analysed in detail, allowing HRS to bundle, renegotiate, and even propose alternative hotels/ solutions so that clients get the best value and up to 9% in savings.

Moreover, the service is free-of-charge for corporate clients. HRS is confident that their expertise as a hotel solutions provider for the corporate segment will continue to help corporate clients find the right end-to-end solutions to meet their demands and cater to their needs; as evident from their footprint in all of the top business travel markets and their continued sponsorship at this year’s event.

Airbnb Confirmed As Panellist And Luncheon Host At 2016 ctw VW BUREAU

The community-driven hospitality company will provide insights on the region’s corporate travel trends and Airbnb for Business, the company’s business-focused offering.

C

orporate Travel World (CTW) AsiaPacific announced today Airbnb’s debut at the 2016 Corporate Travel World (CTW) Asia Pacific, held from 27-29 September 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand. The community-driven hospitality company will provide insights on the region’s corporate travel trends and Airbnb for Business, the company’s business-focused offering.

Airbnb for Business tripled its growth in 2016; to date, more than 50,000 companies use Airbnb for Business to make a booking. This momentum is fuelled by a new experience-led economy where there is heightened demand to customise travel opportunities on both the leisure and business travel front.

“Business travel is becoming less about being a road warrior and more about mixing business with leisure.

Asia-Pacific currently accounts for the largest spend in business travel, and a big driver of this growth is the shift in mindset towards the notion of ‘business trips’,” states Julian Persaud, Regional Director of Airbnb, Asia Pacific.

“Around 60% of business trips at Airbnb in the last year included a Saturday or Sunday night because business travellers are looking for opportunities to mix work travel with the chance want to explore a city and create unique experiences even while on the road for work.”

Airbnb’s participation at CTW AsiaPacific comes amid an exciting

time where accommodation developments are trending towards a better corporate travel experience.

As a panellist on “Game­Changing Accommodation Trends”, Airbnb will weigh in on the concept of the sharing economy in this corporate travel sphere and a product deep-dive on how a platform can meet the needs of corporate travellers. Airbnb will also address questions that participants may have.

As a Platinum Sponsor of the CTW Asia-Pacific 2016, Airbnb will also host a luncheon and present case studies of corporate clients to shed light on how companies can tailor their offerings to suit their business needs.

Airbnb is among the list of high profile brands staging a prominent presence

at this year’s CTW Asia-Pacific. As the only corporate travel event of its kind within the region, CTW Asia-Pacific offers an unparalleled platform to grow networks and business prospects through a host of networking, education, and sourcing opportunities with like-minded industry professionals.

The show’s curated panel of 30 international and regional speakers will lend their expertise, experience and voice to a plethora of hot topics that address current issues and create in-depth discussions among delegates.

CTW Asia-Pacific also features exclusive sponsorship platforms such as captive networking coffee breaks and hosted luncheons.

www.voyagersworld.in

Luxury Travel

38>>

FULL HOUSE.. A ‘DREAM’ COME TRUE FOR GENTING’S NEW LUXURY LINER! PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

Thatcher Brown, President of Dream Cruises, talks about what would set the luxury liner apart from her peers, during the lineup activities towards the fully-booked Mumbai-Colombo sailing in October 2016. sailing, talks about what one can expect from the new liner.

G

enting’s maiden luxury liner, the ‘Dream Cruises’ will sail from Mumbai to Colombo this October and interestingly, the sector has been fully booked from guests across India. Thatcher Brown, President of Dream Cruises, who was in Bangalore recently as part of the lineup activities before the

USP of Dream Cruise I think when we look at the position of the Dream Cruises, it is unique and a luxury line for the market. We are very excited to launch ‘Genting Dream’ as our first luxury ship as you can see our re-positioning.

Our bookings from Mumbai to Colombo are full. We are not only in the luxury space, but a new brand. With an experience in the industry with 20 plus years, we have observed and understood the Indian guests in terms of food, comfort, entertainment, etc. We can take the greatest hits of our sister brand - Star Cruises, Crystal Cruises. Star

gives a confidence in understanding the Indian market and Crystal gives a great confidence of luxury market and Dream combines the best of both to give a luxury line for Asia.

We will be the first to have the ‘largest hotel within a hotel ship concept’. We have 142 suites in the Dream Mansion. a dedicated area that includes high-priced cabins, a restaurant and butlers blending with the Asian sensibility.

Competition Thatcher says, “It is getting more and more competitive and we believe competition makes us stronger and we salute our peers as we all have an obligation to show the benefits of cruising to travellers. Having said

that we want to win through our positioning as a luxury cruise line, our attention to food, our Dream Mansion, entertainment for the Indian guests, etc. “The awareness of cruise line as a vacation option is very low and I need to work with partners to educate people. We are listening very closely to our partners on what the guests look for. With Diwali and holiday time coinciding with the sail dates, the MumbaiColombo sector was sold through the cruise’s PSA network.” Thatcher revealed that the group would launch its second luxury ship, the ‘World Dream’ in November 2017, before summing up that ‘Dream Cruises’ is Asian at heart and international in spirit.

tutc leverages on repeat guests IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Rajnish Sabharwal, COO, TUTC-The Ultimate Travelling Camp, says India’s luxury travel segment is growing at an annual rate of 12% and expects it to continue in the future.

ndia’s luxury market is growing rapidly with approximate annual growth rate of 12% and the growth is expected to remain steady in near future too. TUTC- The Ultimate Travelling Camp has pioneered the concept of ‘Glamping’ in India with its mobile and super luxury camps thatconsist of 14 luxury tents in Thiksey, eight luxury tents in Diskit and 17 luxury tents in Kohima.

Rajnish Sabharwal, the COO of TUTC observes that travellers’ priorities are changing through

Voyager’s World > September 2016

TUTC’s customers are basically welltravelled people in the age-group of 35-45 years and include people from different backgrounds, from Bollywood actors to entrepreneurs and from bankers to professors from the West who visit India for geological study. Approximately 60% of its clients are international travellers.

But as it gets a lot of repeat and referral customers from India alone,

The Ultimate Travelling Camp-TUTC

I

various factors like comfort level, security, great cuisines, expert tour guides, local culture experience during a vacation. Some of the activities on camps includearchery, nature walks, birding, village walks, cycling on village trails. “We also focus on experiential travel along with sustainable and responsible tourism. A world adventure tourism report talks about how adventure and camping travel has grown by 65%.”

the ratio seems to be changing to 50- 50 for international and domestic customers respectively.

A few of its market segmentation includes domestic travellers – FITs and groups, weddings, incentives, etc, charter groups, foreign FITS and GITS, NRIs, PIOç and OCIs and DINK – Double Income, no Kids. “Through our marketing campaigns, we aim

at luring the international travellers and high net-worth individuals (HNI) segment in India. The booming middle class also presents great potential for luxury travel investment in the coming decade. “We are highlighting on the upcoming modes of experiential travel that involves camping in inaccessible places in luxury.”

40>>

FESTIVALS OF 17 September-3 October, 2016

T

he Oktoberfest is the largest beer fest that happens from 17th September to 3rd October in Munich with about six million people attending this jamboree every year and an important part of the Bavarian culture. You can drink beer by the liter and relish traditional Bavarian foods such as 15-inch wide pretzels, listen to live brass bands playing traditional Bavarian music with people from all over the world. The Munich Beer Fest is attended by the local community.

Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

25-30 September, 2016

T

he Anihan Festival will take place from 25-30 September in the town of Alimodian, Philippines mainly in celebrating a bountiful harvest a special day of thanksgiving to express their gratitude for God’s blessings with the towns’ patronal fiesta, the festival features their long-observed customs and traditions.The festival is a religious occasion for the people in the community. Some of the activities include Agro-Industrial Fair, Garden Show and Food Festival. The exhibition also includes the cultural performance and competitions.

Anihan Festival, Philippines

12-24 October, 2016

29 September - 3 October, 2016

T

he Gimje Horizon Festival is a celebration of autumn harvest season with family and friends in the beautiful landscape of South Korea in the Byeokgolje area of Gimje City, Jeollabuk-do from September 29 to October 3. Some of the programs include Korean Spirit Farmer’s Music Performance and Korea Makgeolli Festival.

The Korea Makgeolli Festival consists of various events such as making D-100 day rice wine, experiencing promotional center for the Nation’s Makgeolli and Makgeolli Contest by using horizon rice.

Gimje Horizon Festival , Korea Voyager’s World > September 2016

T

he Nelson Arts Festival begins from 12-24 October in Nelson a creative home for many artists and performers. Every year artists from all over the country and world converging on Nelson celebrates creativity with an array of local and international acts. The event presents stunning theatre, music, comedy, dance, cabaret, writer’s talks, family shows and visual arts. The festival will include The Page & Blackmore Readers and Writers programme that will add lots to entertainment and real stories.

Nelson Arts Festival , New Zealand

THE WORLD 19 October, 2016

T

he Masskara Festival starts from the 19th October which is one of the biggest annual celebrations in the city of Bacolod in Negros Island in the Philippines. The festival features distinct characteristic with dancers wearing smiling masks adorned with beads and other ornaments along with carnivals, fairs and a Mardi-Gras style celebration by costumed and masked street dancers. Other events in the festival include a dance-off contest, a beauty pageant and food frenzies as well as live music.

Masskara Festival, Philippines

27-30 October, 2016

T

he Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival is organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and title-sponsored by China Construction Bank Asia will take place from 27 to 30 October 2016. This year the festival will have over 400 wines and showcase the best wineries.

The festival features Country Pavilion, The Michelin Hong Kong Guide street food section, Hong Kong Bar , Whisky Corner, Cheese Parade .All the visitors will experience the epicurean culture of Hong Kong .

Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, Hong Kong

13-17 October, 2016 28 October-6 November, 2016

T

he Taranaki Garden Spectacular is an annual 10-day festival with 45 gardens, 40 are private gardens open exclusively for the duration of the festival. that takes place from 28 October to 6 November on the North Island’s western tip. The towering Mt Taranaki is the backdrop for the spring garden festival which also combines food, fashion, architecture. The festival features 45 diverse and inspiring gardens, 12 gardens of significance, 10 new gardens and more than a dozen exciting events.

Taranaki Garden Spectacular, New Zealand

T

he Jodhpur RIFF happens from October 13 to17 in Jodhpur with over two-hundred fifty Rajasthani musicians and a hundred others participate in the festival. This festival is one of the most interesting music festivals in the world highlighting an experience of rustic Rajasthani music in amalgamation with global roots music. It is an international platform for the folk musicians of Rajasthan to showcase their generations-old repertoire. The festival offers a mesmerizing treat for music aficionados from all over the world.

Jodhpur RIFF, Rajasthan

Happenings

42>>

Mauritius Tourism conducts five-city roadshow

Regional culinary competition by Kerala Tourism

M

K

auritius Tourism Promotion Authority recently organized a five city roadshow to promote Mauritius as leisure, MICE and wedding destination under the theme “Discover Mauritius”in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai. The roadshow, with 30 suppliers from Mauritius, including hotels, DMCs and activity companies attended by nearly 1000 participants from the Indian travel trade. Kevin Ramkaloan, Director MTPA, said, “We are following the Government’s policy to move from a hotel based to an attraction based destination. The Indian tourists are now looking for more and more sophisticated experiential holidays and are going for a lot of activities. The Indian market, which had a slow growth earlier, grew by a fantastic 18% last year.”

erala Tourism organized a press conference to release the logo for the Spice Route Culinary Festival. The regional culinary competition invites the local chefs to showcase the state cuisine at Spice Route Culinary Festival. Entries are open to both professional chefs and amateur enthusiasts.The finalists will compete at Bolgatty Palace and Resorts in Kochi on the last day of the Spice Route Culinary Festival, which runs from September 23-26. The festival will feature chefs from 31 Spice Route nations. Each contestant needs to prepare five individual portion of the same dish one each for the judges and another for presentation. The winning entrant and two runners-up will be felicitated during the culinary festival’s valedictory session.

John Abraham is ambassador of Arunachal Pradesh

Threeland Travel hosts travel trade in Vietnam

T

T

he Department of Tourism, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh partners with Be Viacom18 to appoint the hero and Bollywood superstar John Abraham as the brand ambassador for Arunachal Pradesh.

Joram Beda, Tourism Secretary, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh said, “Our focus this year is in boosting the tourism sector and making Arunachal Pradesh a ‘Must See, Must Experience’ state. For this vision’s success, we need likeminded partners that see and understand our vision and can help us chart this path.”

Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18, said, “Arunachal Pradesh is a traveler’s paradise and a land of untold tales. In John we have a celebrity who shares our enthusiasm of weaving the stories of the mystical land into a single narrative of ‘Must See, Must Experience’ Arunachal Pradesh tourism.”

hreeland Travel, an inbound operator for Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar represented by Global Destinations in India organized an eight day familiarization trip for Indian travel trade agents in Vietnam. The travel operators that participated are Uniglobe Odessey, Harmony Tours and Travels, Voyagers Club, Luxury Roots, Varun Worldwide, Pathfinders, Holidays & More, Round The World, Viceregal Travels. The trip highlighted attractions like the Temple of Literature, boat ride to the three caves of Tam Coc, My Son – to discover the hidden treasure of the Cham culture, discovering Cu Chi tunnels. The journey included activities from the South to North of Vietnam including a trip to two remaining sanctuaries in Hoa Lu, witnessing show of water puppetry, cruising through the rock formations of Halong Bay, visiting the glamour town of Hoian, boat cruising in the canals of Ben Tre, exploring Ho Chi Minh City and Indochina Junk Cruise.

43>>

Tourism Ireland hosts Emerald Ireland Specialist FAM for Indian tour operators

T

ourism Ireland hosted the second annual Emerald Ireland Specialists Mega FAM trip to educate the international travel trade about Ireland for 12 top performing agents from six markets, Australia, China, India, GCC, South Africa and New Zealand from India Thomas Cook and Vacations Exotica participated in this FAM. The agents must study six modules and complete quizzes to obtain a perfect score and the gold Ireland Specialists certificate.This certificate symbolizes an expert knowledge on holidays on the island of Ireland. The challenges included are photo challenges, food challenges and sporting challenges as well as a competitive, high-tech treasure hunt around Dublin City. The agents experienced many of the attractions in Northern Ireland the rich history of the city of Belfast, the mystery of the Giant’s Causeway and the heart-racing experience of walking on water at The Gobbins Cliff Path, Moving onto the Republic of Ireland, they explored Ireland’s newest tourist trail,Ireland’s Ancient East and the world’s longest defined coastal route, the Wild Atlantic Way and finally they got to experience Dublin’s delicious food and vibrant city life to the historic and iconic walls of Trinity College and the Guinness Storehouse.

AirAsia adds new routes in India

Dubai Parks and Resorts organises first multi-city roadshow in India

Glenn McGrath and Sula Selections launch two new wines

A

D

S

The roadshow in Mumbai was attended by the Maharashtra Tourism Minister Jaykumar Jitendrasinh Rawal. It targeted the top Indian trade agents in New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, and focused on asserting Dubai Parks and Resorts’ position in the Indian tourist market as the next family entertainment destination.

Glenn hosted the sundowner at ITC Maurya alongside Subhash Arora, Founder and President of Delhi Wine Club, wherein he spoke about the legacy of Hardys Wines and some great tips on wine pairing.

The sundowner was attended by Prarrthona Pal Chowdhury - Head of Marketing, Sula Selections.

irAsia India announced their expansion plans of their new route Hyderabad along with Bengaluru and Goa on a daily basis and also will be launching its fleet 7th A320, 180 seater one class aircraft that to be operational from the 22nd of September 2016. The Government’s vision of improving regional connectivity and increasing the airlines footprint in the North East region, AirAsia India will also connect Bengaluru to Guwahati with a daily service. Amar Abrol, CEO, AirAsia India, said, “The AirAsia family is happy to announce the addition of another A320 to our existing fleet that makes it a total of 7 aircraft for our domestic operations.”

ubai Parks and Resorts organized their first multi-city roadshow in New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai showcasing the theme park destination that is scheduled to open on October 31st 2016. The event witnessed an attendance of over 200 travel and trade partners.

ula Selections launched two wines from Australia’s legendary wine clan Hardys along with the Australian cricketer and brand ambassador of Hardys, Glenn McGrath in association with ITC Hotels. The two wines from the William Hardys range - William Hardy Limestone Coast Chardonnay and William Hardy Langhorne Creek Shiraz.

www.voyagersworld.in

Trends

44>>

INDIA MUST DEVELOP TOURISM BASED ON PLANET, PEOPLE, PROSPERITY VW BUREAU

Responsible Tourism minimizes negative impacts, says Prof. Dipra Jha, professor of practice in Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA.

P

rof. Dipra Jha, professor of practice in Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA, delivered a keynote presentation at the International Conference on Tourism, Hospitality and Aviation hosted by Amity University, Noida recently.

The presentation covered responsible tourism - the Triple Bottom Line Model - with topics on stay-cation, glamping, man-cation, girlfriend travel, locavore/farm to table, authentic and bespoke experiences and experiences based on psychographics.

Subscription Form

Citing references from findings by the United Nations World

Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Responsible Tourism pointers in the Cape Town Declaration (2002), Dipra spoke about how responsible tourism minimizes negative social, economic and environmental impacts, while generating greater economic benefits for the local people and enhancing the wellbeing of host communities.

When asked what India should do to create a qualitative program to create benchmarks to promote sustainable tourism, she said, “India should develop a Responsible Tourism Strategy based on the Triple Bottom Line model. Such strategy should include clearly articulated benchmarks which could measure how and to what extent tourism is

improving livelihood in communities, impacting the natural environment and affecting local customs and traditions. Festivals and events based on the Responsible Tourism framework adds tremendous value to efforts by DMOs (destination marketing organizations) in promoting their communities. It is a win-win where all stakeholders in the tourism value chain benefits from such events and festivals.”

Prof. Dipra also drew attention to the Triple Bottom Line Model - Prosperity (inclusive), People and the Planet. The approach talks about how sustainability can be achieved through people’s social performance, the planet

(environmental performance) and Profit (Economic performance).

He gave examples of the Taj Khazana, Clean the World, Nilufer Misi Village Women’s cultural and Beneficial Association Turkey.

The professor also highlighted Oman’s tourism products focusing on Nature, Nurture, Heritage and People and Culture.

To summarize, he said that Responsible Tourism is a mindset that is inclusive, seeks to nurture, not destroy or takeover and one that requires a clearly articulated strategy and plan of action, with education-based marketing and 360 degree feedback.

1 Year, 12 Issues Rs. 800 (Inclusive of Rs. 200 for postage) 2 Year, 24 Issues Rs. 1,600 (Inclusive of Rs. 400 for postage) 3 Year, 36 Issues Rs. 2,400 (Inclusive of Rs. 600 for postage) Name Designation Company Name Address City Pin State Tel. Fax E mail

Voyager’s World > September 2016

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

Top Appointments

45>> Rishi Chopra

Prem Upadhyay

General Manager Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort and Spa

Director of Sales & Marketing - Delhi Ananta Hotels

L

e Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort and Spa appoints Rishi Chopra as the General Manager. He has twenty years of experience in the hospitality industry. He has worked with the Starwood Group as the Director, Food & Beverage at Le Meridien Pune and brands like the Leela Hotels and The Taj Group.

P

rem Upadhyay is appointed as the Director of Sales and Marketing of Delhi. He has an experience of more than 15 years in hotel sales and marketing in selling of rooms, conference venues through inbound market and Incentive Groups. He has worked as Manager-Sales in Toshali Resorts International and Nepal Travel Agency.

Siddharth Savkur

Rajan Malhotra

Regional General Manager- India Commune Hotels & Resorts

Director of Sales & Marketing Shangri- La Hotel Bengaluru

S

iddharth Savkur is appointed as the Regional General Manager- India of Commune Hotels & Resorts. He will be responsible for the oversight and strategic management of all Commune properties in India. He will perform this function in addition to his existing role as the General Manager of Alila Diwa Goa.

T

he Shangri la hotel Bengaluru appoints Rajan Malhotra as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Delhi. He brings with him fourteen years of experience in the hospitality industry. Prior to this, he worked with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide at Le Meridien, Jaipur as Director of Sales and Marketing.

Narendra Prabhu

Anshuman Appanna

General Manager Brigade Orchards’ Signature Club Resort

Director of Sales and Marketing Park Hyatt Hyderabad

B

rigade Orchards Signature Club Resort appoints Narendra Prabhu as the General Manager. He brings with him an experience of over 18 years in the hospitality industry in various aspects of hotel management like Restaurant Operations, Revenue Management.

He started his career with leading hotels like Accor Group and Poppy Group of Hotels.

A

nshuman Appanna joins Park Hyatt Hyderabad as the Director of Sales & Marketing. He started his career with Taj group of Hotels across different locations like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Goa. He was associated in the opening of Vivanta

by Taj Club House in Chennai and other Taj properties across India.

Vivek Mahajan

Sudipto Mukherjee

General Manager Crystal Sarovar Premiere, Agra

Director of Sales & Marketing Mercure Hyderabad KCP

S

udipto Mukherjee is appointed as the Director of Sales & Marketing of Mercure Hyderabad KCP and will be responsible for implementing sales and marketing activities.

He has an experience of over 13 years in the hospitality industry. He has worked with Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre,Ellaa Hotels and Lindsay Hotel Kolkata.

S

arovar Hotels appoints Vivek Mahajan as the General Manager of Crystal Sarovar Premiere, Agra. He brings with him an experience of 14 years in the hospitality industry. Prior to this, he had worked with brands like Oberoi Group, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces and Wyndham Hotel, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

www.voyagersworld.in

NETWORKING ISTHE THE NETWORKING IS KE KEY Y September 2016

October 2016

September2016

November 2016

December 2016

January 2017

23, 24, 25 India International Travel Mart Mumbai

27, 28, 29, 30 Kerala Travel Mart Kochi

29, 30 September, 1 October Astana Leisure-International Tourism exhibition Kazakhstan

30 September, 1, 2 October India International Travel Mart Gurgaon

October 2016

November 2016

13, 14, 15

4, 5, 6

TTG Incontri Italy

Holiday Expo Visakhapatnam

14, 15, 16

7, 8, 9

Holiday Expo Nagpur

World Travel Market London

19, 20, 21

13, 14, 15, 16

ITB Asia Singapore

ICCA Congress 2016 Malaysia

28, 29, 30, 31

25, 26, 27

Reisen & Caravan Germany

India International Travel Mart Pune

January 2017

December 2016 Nov 29, December 1

18, 19, 20, 21, 22

ibtm Spain

Fitur Spain

2, 3, 4

19, 20, 21

India International Travel Mart Hyderabad

India International Travel Mart Kochi

2, 3, 4

26, 27, 28, 29

Chengdu International Tourism Expo Chengdu, China

Emitt Turkey

16, 17, 18

27, 28, 29

Holiday Expo Amritsar

Holiday Expo Coimbatore