TOURISM INDIA AUGUST 2016 by TOURISM INDIA

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Travel TrendsUnderstanding Customer Behaviour The year 2015 saw a strong growth of customers as travel has now become a lifestyle choice in India. Travelling has become a common practice among urban consumers and they even increase their travel frequency sometimes every two to three months. Researches have found that both the domestic as well as international travellers woo India as the land give them umpteen choices from nature to architecture, heritage to culture and beaches to culinary. Learning the customer behaviour and how to tap the best from them by giving the best should be a research factor. Be it tourism department both centre and state, online, travel agents, hotels should make a great effort to draw the tourist with offers that they find it difficult to reject. The Online travel websites has become the first point of contact for consumers while making their travel plans. This includes researching about a destination, gathering information about accommodation, location, language, cuisine and more and making the actual bookings. Updating the sites and attractions and about the economic to high-end hotels will give the traveller a vivid vision on how to take an easy travel to the place they have chosen. Irrespective of the nature of the travel business, whether it is airlines, other transport, hotels, online travel agencies or car rental companies, domestic companies remain the preferred choice for consumers over international companies. This is due to their longstanding presence and understanding of local consumer behaviour. Giving a choice on travel, an arrangement at their beck and call will give an impression on the consumer and they give even a second choice of travel to the same spot. Revolutionising the concept of room inventory management, Oyo Rooms pioneered the concept in India. This became extremely popular in 2015 and other players such as Zo Rooms, from Zostel Hospitality Private Limited, Value+ from MakeMyTrip.com and GoStays from GoIbibo.com added to the competition. Indian passport holders now enjoy a privilege that most countries are willing to provide visa on their arrival. With this the outbound tourism is expected to see strong growth over the forecast period. Outbound departures are set to continue driving travel growth during the forecast period. In 2015, outbound departures saw twice the number of trips seen by inbound arrivals. Catering the consumer and their travel behaviour will give an upward movement to tourism and that growth will push the other connecting factors to draw more attention and impart more awareness. Ravisankar K.V. Editor

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August 2016 Vol No. 19 No. 04

CONTENTS

Managing Editor Ravisankar.K.V

Executive Editor Rajani A

Consulting Editor Biju Thomas Associate Editor Jayashree T.

Layout Artist

Sambhu Murali

Management Executive Divya

Consultants Adv. C.P. Udhayabhanu ( Legal) Baby Mathew ( Hospitality) Dr. S.G. Pandalai ( Editorial) Asokan CV ( Production) Bhadrakumar FCA( Financial) Ravi D FCA (Financial) KrishnaPrasad ( Company Affairs)

Business & Editorial Associates

MP & Kerala shines at National Tourism Awards for 2014-15

10 Chennai to host 32nd IATO Convention 11 63rd TAAI Convention at Abu Dhabi 12 PP Khanna new ADTOI President

13 Tourism blooms in Lakshadweep....

T. Haridas – London, UK Thomas Kannenkeril- Berlin- Germany Santhosh Joseph- Australia New Delhi: D Anilkumar, Mob: +91 9868123311 Kolkata: Jayasree Singh, Mob: +91 94330 60333 Pondicherry: Ramasubramanian, Mob: +91 98949 77161

Editorial and corporate office: PRL A 14/1, Tourism house, Panickers lane, Sasthamangalam P.O Trivandrum, Kerala, India - 695010 Tel: +91 471 2315256 Fax: +91 471 2315197 info@tourismindiaonline.com www.tourismindiaonline.com Editorial: editor@tourismindiaonline.com Mob: +91 9847060531 Circulation: circulation@tourismindiaonline.com Mob: +91 99471 60531 Marketing: email: marketing@tourismindiaonline.com Mob: +91 9947260531 No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of Tourism India Publications Pvt. Ltd. All right reserved. Copyright@2016 Edited, Printed and Published by Ravisankar.K.V on behalf of Tourism India Publications Pvt. Ltd, PRL A 14/1, Tourism house, Panickers lane, Sasthamangalam P.O., Trivandrum, Kerala, India - 695010 Printed at Amarakerala Industries, Ernakulam for Arsha Offset Graphix, Janvilla Lane, Sasthamangalam P.O., Trivandrum 695 010 Editor: Ravisankar.K.V

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‘Bharat Parv’ inaugurated

14 Govt. to ‘Relook’ Ban on Liquor Bars: AC Moideen 15 Augment Tourism with Effective Policies 24 “The Green Heaven”, an American’s account on Kerala

Pink City-An Enticing Destination

bags award 28 ‘Colours of Novotel’-Brings Artists Under One Roof 30 Romance On the Banks of River Karamana 32 Preparation for KTM in Full Swing

Modi to be Incredible India's Brand Ambassador

36 Budget Boost : Tourism all set to Bloom again in Kerala

37 38 40 41

Help2Help-Accomplishing A Dream Deccan Odyssey rolls out its Attractive Companion Offer Rise in Speculative Booking Exploring Health Tourism

42 GST Rollout To Mark An Unprecedented Reforms Measure 43 GST Agame Changer for India 45 Performance of domestic airlines for the year 2016-An Analysis

Mashobra & Kufri-A Mystical Experience

46 Emirates unveils her new global routes 47 Yangon and Hanoi become Emirates’ latest gateways 48 Etihad Airways announces additional A380 service to NY’s JFK 49 Etihad Airways’ luxurious Dreamliner to Shanghai 44 GST Agame Changer for India 50 Malindo Air links new partnership with Qatar Airways & Turkish Airlines 52 Oman Air & Saudi Arabian Airlines Sign Codeshare Agreement 53 SriLankan Airlines continues to re-structure and review its network 54 Oman Air Expands Its International Network to Include Iraq 56 PISA welcomes first Qatar Airways flight from Doha 57 Qatar Airways initiates successful recycling programme 58 ‘Fat Tax’ becomes reality; Hoteliers call ‘Despicable’ 60 ‘OPEN SKY POLICY’ Agreement with SAARC Coun tries 62 Rediscover the ‘Golden Age of Travel’ 64 MoCA for better Regional Connectivity 65 Origami & Calligraphy-Japanese Artistic Caliber 66 Quirky Flanders 68 California Farm-To-Table Experiences 70 Coronado-The Best Beach of America! 71 Tokyo glitters in Ancient Costume Parading 72 New Zealand is home of Disney’s ‘Pete’s Dragon’ 74 Romancing New Zealand’s Classic Tourist Spots 78 Global Delights to Satiate Gastronomic Carvings Tourism India | August 2016 | 9

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arendra Modi is the "best face" to promote 'Incredible India' campaign, Tourism Minister Dr. Mahesh Sharma has said, claiming that the country has witnessed jump in tourist inflow from the nations the Prime Minister has visited so far. Therefore, the ministry does not need any Bollywood face for the campaign to attract tourists from overseas, he opined. PM Modi has emerged as an ideal choice as he has been touring the world and making efforts to have India's voice heard on globally. Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India will be the face of Incredible India campaign of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Speculations were abuzz that one among Amitabh Bachchan, Kangana Ranaut and Priyanka Chopra will be roped as the face of Incredible India. Putting all of them to rest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi him10 | Tourism India | August 2016

self took the responsibility of being the brand ambassador of Incredible India campaign. Indian government's Tourism Ministry has decided that instead of getting a brand ambassador for the Incredible India campaign, it will make Prime Minister Narendra Modi the face of the campaign. Indian government’s Tourism Ministry has decided that instead of getting a brand ambassador for the Incredible India campaign, it will make Prime Minister Narendra Modi the face of the campaign. After analysis and studies it was found that Modi’s popularity can be made use of in the Incredible India campaign. Although there is no plan to declare Modi as the brand ambassador, his face will be used for the advertisements and promotional films. Even Gujarat Tourism’s prosperity will also be mentioned. According to a report in The Indian Express, the ministry got a marketing team to study regarding

the campaign and it was found that the countries where PM Modi had visited, from there the number of foreign tourists in the country have gone up. Even the number from US, where the Prime Minister has visited three times, has gone up by 8 per cent. In January 2016, Aamir Khan the former brand ambassador for the tourism campaign was ousted following his remarks on the alleged intolerance in India. Although government had denied that and said that Khan was never hired, instead his contract with the advertising agency had ended. Earlier this year there were speculations over megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s selection as the brand ambassador of ‘Incredible India’ campaign, but the government had denied any such proposals. Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma in a letter in the Lok Sabha wrote, “No committee has been constituted by the Ministry of Tourism since at pre-

sent there is no proposal for selecting a brand ambassador for Atulya Bharat Campaign.â&#x20AC;? Ministry of Tourism has officially confirmed the repots. Within a week, Concepts for the Ad Campaign will be finalized. NaMo will preach how the Foreign Tourists should be respected and the importance of Tourist Destinations in the Country in the Ad Films. The ministry has also asked the producers to submit the concepts of the ad films, which will show PM Modi speaking about the significance of different places, in a week's time. Earlier, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan served as brand ambassador of Incredible India. The term of the 'Dhoom 3' Star ended recently and Centre decided not to renew the contract after his controversial intolerance remark. However, his contract was not renewed after his "leaving India" remark, which triggered a major controversy. Since then, several names, including superstar Amitabh Bachchan, were doing the rounds to lead the campaign. The Union Culture and Tourism Ministry, which runs the campaign, has picked PM Modi for the job after much "deliberations".

However, the finally, the name of Modi has been sealed. The Prime Minister has been touring the world and making efforts to have India's voice heard on international forums and also on one-on-one basis with

different countries. Modi has also been trying to isolate Pakistan by creating a rapport not only with the US, which funds the neighbouring country's defence requirements but also sev-

According to the ministry's marketing and research team statistics released on Friday, there is, on an average, a rise of 20% tourist traffic from 32 countries that Modi visited between 2014 and 2016. Even as the government evades appointing a brand ambassador, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to have become the most effective face

of 'Incredible India'. In less than a year, the tourism ministry has again compiled figures that show an increase in tourist inflow from countries which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited. According to the ministry's marketing and research team statistics released on Friday, there is, on an average, a rise of 20% tour-

ist traffic from 32 countries that Modi visited between 2014 and 2016. Interestingly, the highest growth has been recorded from Iran (33%), Pakistan (29.54%) and Saudi Arabia (15.04%). The highest inflow increase is from Turkmenistan, 76.75%, followed by Uzbekistan at 40%. Tourism India | August 2016 | 11

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he 32nd Annual Convention of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) will be held in Chennai from September 18 -21 September 2016. The venue of the Convention is ITC Grand Chola Chennai. First time in the history of the apex body of Indian Tour Operators, Tamil Nadu is hosting its National convention, while all other south Indian states has hosted prestigious annual event of the association earlier. Chennai is considered as the Gateway of South India is famous for its Beaches, temples and heritage city tag. While announcing the decision of the Executive Committee Mr. Pronab Sarkar, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) said “We were planning to have our convention in Chennai for last couple of years as IATO never had its annual convention in Tamil Nadu earlier. However, this year, it is going to become a dream come true. From the very beginning, we focused to have our convention in Chennai only”. Rajeev Kohli, Senior Vice President, and the Chairman of the Convention was very much enthusiastic in holding IATO Convention in Chennai as Chennai is the Gateway to Southern India. Mr. Kohli mentioned that industry is going

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through a very bad time and our 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. Mr. Sarkar also mentioned “The Stupendous Success of the pervious convention has raised the expectations of the members and sponsors. More than 1200 delegates are expected for three days event and the IATO convention is eagerly awaited by all. Members look for an enchanting destination. Here Tamil Nadu fits in very well as this will be first IATO Convention in Chennai”. Mr. Kohli mentioned that industry is going through a very bad time and our 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. Mr. Rajiv Mehra, Vice President and Co-Chairman of the Convention mentioned that Tamil Nadu offers A to Z of tourism from beaches to pilgrimage, hill station, wildlife, shopping, ayurveda and medical tourism and these are our main consideration to have our convention in the state and see the products.

“Even as per our policy we always try to have convention in different state and try to boost tourism to the state basing our venue of the Convention,” he added. Concurrently with our convention, there will be Indian Travel Mart. It is an opportunity for exhibitors to showcase exciting and 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, incentives etc., said Mr. Lally Mathews, Hony. Secretary, IATO. Mr. Amaresh Tiwari, Hony. Treasurer, IATO is looking to have good participation in IATO Run for Responsible Tourism to create awareness about IATO and tourism in general.

Pranob Sarkar, President IATO

Rajeev Kohli, Vice President IATO

Sunilkumar, President TAAI

ravel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has decided “Abu Dhabi” as the venue for their 63rd Annual Convention & Exhibition of TAAI, popularly known as the Indian Travel Congress from October 14 to 16, 2016. This was announced by Mr. Sunil Kumar R. President and Mr. Bettaiah Lokesh, Hon. Secretary General of TAAI after their Managing Committee meeting held at Mumbai on 16th August 2016. TAAI has explored several destinations that have offered to host the Convention. The managing committee deliberated at length and concluded that the myriad wonders of a fast growing and evolving destination like Abu Dhabi must be given an opportunity said Mr. Sunil. Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture authority has also assured of their support to the Convention. The Convention would be rich in its content as well as in offering experiential take home to our delegates. The content would focus on the importance of a fast changing “today” and the urgent need for members to rise beyond the routine. Evenings will be classy – pre & post

tours will be plenty and above all the attendees will be offered abundant luxury of a very high order. Emirates Palace, the Seven Star hotel and with a strikingly magnificent and unmatched edifice is shortlisted to be an important venue for the Convention. There are other key attractions that are also being

considered for the delegates to experience. Lonely Planet defines Abu Dhabi as “The world's largest hand-loomed carpet, the fastest roller coaster, the highest high tea, the tower with the greatest lean, the largest cluster of cultural buildings of the 21st century – UAE capital Abu Dhabi isn't

afraid to challenge world records. Welcome to an exciting city where nothing stands still…except perhaps the herons in its mangroves.” The TAAI team had meetings with several Airlines on 16th August itself in our pursuit to offer the delegates attractive airfares. The Convention will also focus on an exhibition that will offer exhibitors and vendors from all over the region, the valuable opportunity to connect with the fast growing Indian outbound Industry, and to promote India as well. TAAI will promote “Inbound into INDIA” as an important subject at this convention, to attract the middle-east region connects well with India. Those looking forward to learning; networking; exploring; connecting to situations and people beyond their current, must immediately plan their participation and not miss out from exciting and momentous opportunity. TAAI will be soon rolling out the registration opportunities. This convention is designed to be a limited edition one. One certainly cannot stay away from this most incredible happening. Tourism India | August 2016 | 13

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P Khanna, Director of Diplomatic Travel Point (P) Ltd. has been elected as the President of Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), National Body of Domestic Tour Operators for two year term 2016-18 at the elections held recently in New Delhi. Rajat Sawhney of Rave Tours & Travels declared Vice President, Chetan Gupta of R.G. Destinations Pvt.Ltd. elected General Secretary, Debashis Dey of ASRA Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd. elected Joint Secretary and Kamal Gan-

dhi of Transglobal Tours & Travels elected new Treasurer. The new elected Executive Council of ADTOI: Anil Rajput (Promark Travels Pvt. Ltd.), Ankit Miglani (Welcome Trips), Arvind Khanna (Jyoti Travel Pvt. Ltd.), Ashish Sehgal (Hora Tourism & Hospitality Consulting Services), Jatinder Singh Bhatia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bobby (Travel Experts), Manoj Varshney (Tulsi Travels Pvt. Ltd.), Reena Chopra (Magical Holidays Pvt. Ltd.) and Sanjay Saxena (Cordial India Tours and Events).

Debashis Dey

Kamal Gandhi

Chethan Gupta

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Rajat Sawhney VP

A M Hussain, Assistant Director, Lakshadweep Tourism

akshadweep is a sensuous island with its pristine water along with the luxuriant marine world. A coral wonderland formed in the year 1956 consists of 36 islands, 12 atolls, 3 reefs, 5 submerged banks and 10 inhabited islands. The Island lies in the Arabian trade route and is 220 to 440 km away from the coastal city of Kochi. Lakshadweep in nutshell is a beauty beyond words. Lakshadweep Tourism department very recently decided to open three uninhabited Islands exclusively for tourists after building beach resorts and water sports facilities. With a total cost of Rs. 60 crore the department plan to build tourism infrastructure at three new islands Thinnakkara, Suheli Par and Cherium. The islands are about 40-50

hectares of land and are devoid of build resorts in this uninhabited ishuman settlement. The glistering sil- land. Giving adventure-loving tourver sand beaches and abundant ma- ists adrenaline rush, water sports rine life and coral reefs will definitely facilities planned on these islands beckon the tourists. include scuba diving, jet ski water“They are completely virgin and se- crafts, snorkeling, rafting, windsurfrene islands and that is why they will ing, deep-sea fishing, yatching, etc. be so special for tourists who are As an adventure sport and nature looking for exclusivity in their trip. tourism destination, it offers preThe charm of staying here would mier dive spots, rich eco-system, be unparalleled,” Mr. A M Hussain, marine wealth, coral reefs, silver Assistant Director of Lakshadweep sand beaches, virgin environment Tourism department said. The is- and pristine water. lands will be ready for the tourists Since it’s an ecologically-sensitive by next year. Of the ten inhabited area due to the presence of coral islands, only six islands have tourist reefs and marine life, the tourism resorts. department has marketed LakshadCompared to other beaches of India weep only as a niche tourism area. the sandy beaches have clear and The ‘aquatic paradise of India’ beckunpolluted water. On a PPP (Public- ons you back after each visit as it Private-Partnership), the Union Ter- etches in your heart the real nature ritory tourism department plan to with all its virginity. Tourism India | August 2016 | 15

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The Kerala Tourism Minister Mr. AC Moideen sought a ‘relook’ on the closure of liquor bars in tourism hotspots in the state which has been a fall in arrivals causing a loss to the tourism industry. He calls for reconsideration as Kerala has seen a severe dip in tourist arrivals and fall in revenues following the closure of bars. “Targeting of liquor bars in Kerala by the previous government has adversely affected the State’s tourism industry”, Tourism Minister A.C. Moideen has said. No longer, for instance, is Kerala considered one of the best places to hold business meetings and conferences, according to a study conducted by the Tourism Department, Mr. Moideen wrote to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Excise Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan. The decline in Kerala’s reputation as a top business conference destination is on account of the government policy taking a dim view of the liquor trade and consumption, he wrote. Business houses prefer other States to hold their conferences, Mr. Moideen wrote, adding that the policy needs changes. Minister also said that the curbs on liquor have given rise to the 16 | Tourism India | August 2016

wrong perception among tourists that Kerala was a dry state. This had adversely affected the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events (MICE) tourism sector which recorded a negative growth in the previous year. Stating that it was for the LDF to take a decision on reviewing the current Excise policy, the Minister said that liquor should be made available in tourist destinations. Mr. Moideen said he would discuss with the Chief Minister the proposal of making liquor available at tourist spots. The Minister noted that the slump in the tourism sector has also affected the state’s banking sector as many hoteliers had availed of loans for setting up the tourism infrastructure. Mr. Moideen said that the UDF had no right to speak about the Excise policy as it was a “divided house” on the matter. “Liquor should be available at the bars located near tourism destinations. There has been a considerable decrease in the growth of tourism sector in the recent months,” Mr. Moideen said adding he had submitted a report in this regard to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. “Organizations and companies shift

their meetings and conferences to other states that were once held in our state. This affects not only the tourism sector but also the hotel business and other commercial ventures. It doesn’t mean all the closed bars should be reopened. What is needed is to make liquor available at bars located near tourism centers,” the minister said. The state of Kerala had 116,95,411 tourist arrivals in 2014 against 9,23,366 international visitors, while 2013, had better numbers with 108,57,811 Indian tourists and 8,58,143 international tourists. The state earned RS 6,398.93 crore in foreign exchange in 2014, with an increase of 15% while last saw a massive dip of 8.6% with only Rs 6,949.88 crore. The total revenue generated from tourism was Rs 24,885 crore in 2014 which was 12.11%, while 2015 saw only Rs 26,689.63 crore. The previous UDF government had decided to close down 700odd liquor bars attached to hotels below five star categories in 2014. “The present excise policy has dealt a severe blow to the tourism industry in Kerala. There has been a severe fall in the growth of tourist arrivals in the state. With hotels not serving liquor, conferences have come down and the state is losing out,” Moideen said, adding, liquor should be made available in bars in tourist hotspots.

ourism contributes significantly to the economic growth of the state and ‘Brand Kerala’ is prominent globally. Recently the state witnessed a slowdown in the tourism sector and the government had initiated certain strategies to contain this. The government has allocated Rs. 750 crore for tourism promotion. Apart from that the government coined new marketing strategies and new destinations to boost the sector. The Minister of Cooperation and Tourism Mr. AC Moideen said that in order to attract young tourists to

A C Moideen, Minister for Tourism, Kerala

state innovative exploration on the tourism sector is a must, like ecotourism and adventure tourism. The Minister during a panel discussion said that the government will create four lakh employment opportunities in the tourism sector. He showed concern over the waste management which is one of the major challenge faced by the industry. The Tourism department is all set to improve the infrastructure facilities, safe drinking water and wayside amenities. Mr. Moideen urged the help of various departments for the smooth functioning of the proposed development programme. In order to solve the challenges in travel and accommodation of tourists, the Minister said that the department plan to construct airstrips at Bekal, Wayanad and Idukki for flawless connectivity. He also promised to take up talks with Indian Railways for special coaches and chartered trains for the tourists. He added that KTDC hotels will

be renovated and the rooms will be doubled. Apart from this, the home stays will be given special support. “Take a Break” programme initiated by the previous UDF government will be taken forward by launching roadside amenity centres including washrooms and coffee shops across the state. The Minister also promised to tackle the liquor policy and waste disposal which are the two major issues affecting the industry. Assuring the initiation of tourism master plan, the Minister promises to take necessary steps to control unwanted strikes and hartals. To ensure safety tourist police, tourist

warden and lifeguards will be trained on a regular basis and new technologies and tools will be deployed. Focus on rural population and the socio-economic development will take Kerala to unmatchable level when compared to other states. In a walk towards growth and development the mission initiated will face several hurdles but steadfastness, perseverance and hard work will bring fruitful results. The cooperative sector in the state play a great role in the development and the Minister urged for a timely modernisation of the sector and the use of technology to attract youngsters Tourism India | August 2016 | 17

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Mr. Surendra Patwa, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Tapan Bhowmik, ,Chairman of Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation, Mr. Hari Ranjan Rao IAS, Secretray and Managing Director and Miss Tanvi Sundriyal, Additional Managing Director of MPTDC receiving the National Tourism award from Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Lok Sabha Speaker in the presence of Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Union Tourism Minister

s. Sumitra Mahajan, Speaker, Lok Sabha Presented ‘National Tourism Awards for 2014-15’ to Various Segments of Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Madhya Pradesh bagged the National Tourism award 2014-15 in the category of Best State / Union Territory for Comprehensive Development of Tourism for their standing performance during the period while Gujarat won Second Prize and third Prize goes to Karnataka. SDU Travels Private Limited, New Delhi has bagged the first prize in Tour Operators Category I, who earned Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 100 crore 18 | Tourism India | August 2016

and above and Creative Travel Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi has won first prize in Tour Operators category II for Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 50 crore and above but less than Rs.100 crore. In the DOMESTIC TOUR OPERATORS category Yatra Online Pvt. Ltd. won First Prize in the category. While promoting the Rest of India Club Side Tours & Travels

Pvt. Ltd., Darjeeling won promoting the North East Region including Sikkim and Kesari Tours Pvt. Ltd for Promoting Jammu & Kashmir Kerala Tourism Department won two awards in PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION category, Excellence in Publishing in English for their Coffee Table Book - “Kerala & the Spice Routes” and their Brochure “The Great Backwaters (Das Faszinierendste Gewässer der Erde )” in German Language publishing in foreign language other than English. The Department of Tourism, Government of Telangana won their Best Tourism Promotion Publicity Material by States and Union Territories, their coffee Table Book “Ancient Temples of Telangana”. The Union Territory Administration of Daman & Diu for their film

Mr. Jayesh Radadia, Minister of State - Tourism, Gujarat, Mr. N. Srivastava (IFS), Managing Director and Commissioner of Tourism, Gujarat Tourism and Kamleshbhai Patel, Chairman, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat receiving the National Tourism award from Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Lok Sabha Speaker in the presence of Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Union Tourism Minister

Dr Venu V. IAS, Principal Secretary and Mr. U. V. Jose IAS, Director receiving the National Tourism award from Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Lok Sabha Speaker in the presence of Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Union Tourism Minister

iding on a string of innovative measures, Kerala Tourism walked away with three out of the six National Tourism awards for 2014-15 in the marketing category for states, while it received two more awards, including the one for its Responsible Tourism (RT) initiative in the hilly district of Wayanad that has transformed its economy through intensive participation of the local people. The hoteliers, tour operators and an Ayurveda Centre swelled the kitty of awards for God’s Own Country to 12 by winning seven more, including the Best Hotel in Five Star category and the Best Heritage hotel. The awards on behalf of Kerala Tourism were received by Dr Venu V. IAS, Principal Secretary and Mr. U. V. Jose IAS, Director from Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Lok Sabha

Speaker in the presence of Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Union Tourism Minister at a function at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. Particularly impressive was Kerala Tourism’s marketing feat in winning three out of the six awards for the states in the Tourism Promotion and Publishing category, including the one for ‘Most Innovative use of Information Technology’ — Social Media/ Mobile App. The Wayanad initiative was selected for the award in the Responsible Tourism category. Sargaalaya Arts and Crafts Village at Iringal, a small but thriving village in Kozhikode, fetched the award for Kerala Tourism in the Rural Tourism project category. “The awards are a heartening and robust reaffirmation of our Responsible Tourism initiative, which has

emerged as a trailblazing tourism product for the entire country. We also received three national awards for our brilliant marketing initiatives which are designed to woo travellers from both inside the country and abroad,” said Kerala Tourism Minister Mr. A.C. Moideen. Kerala Tourism Principal Secretary Dr Venu V. said winning five national tourism awards and seven for private players is a tremendous feat. “It is a welcome recognition of our pioneering measures, especially our cutting edge marketing techniques and leveraging of technology, to position Kerala as a tourist-friendly destination,” he noted. Kerala Tourism Director Mr. U. V. Jose said the national awards have come in the wake of Kerala Tourism winning two PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Gold Awards for its brilliant marketing initiatives. Tourism India | August 2016 | 19

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Mr. Sunit Suri, MD & CEO, SDU Travels Pvt. Ltd.( Travel World Experiences ) First position in Tour Operators Category 1

“Ilha De Calma” won the best award for Tourism film. In the best hotels category The Taj Exotica, Salcette, Goa won the best in 5 Star Deluxe categories whereas Kerala’s Turtle on the Beach at Kovalam won the best in 5 star categories. The Quality Hotel DV Manor, Vijayawada and Minerva Grand at Tirupati in the 4th and 3rd star categories won the awards respectively. In the Niche Tourism Awards Yes Bank Limited, New Delhi and Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala is the joint winners. “Edge of India” by Yes Bank and “Responsible Tourism in Wayanad” by Kerala government were the joint winners. “Sargaalaya Arts & Crafts Village, Iringal, Kerala” won the best Tourism Rural Project award meanwhile, the Somatheeram Research Institute & Ayurveda Hospital Pvt. Ltd., Trivandrum came out as the Best Wellness Centre. The Jaypee Green Golf Course, Noida won the best Tourism Friendly Golf Course.

Mr. Arjun Sharma, MD and Mr. Amit Prasad, COO of , Le Passage to India Second position in Tour Operators Category 1

on June 30, 2016. Mr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism & Culture presided over the function. Tourism Ministers of many States, Central and State Government Officials, Members from the Travel and Hospitality Industries, including leading Hoteliers, Travel Agents and Tour Operators and Travel Media attended the function. The Chief Guest Ms. Sumitra Mahajan extended her heartiest congratulations to all the award recipients and wished all of them a most rewarding journey ahead as they and their colleagues continue to bring the tourism industry to greater heights through your outstanding service and excellence. The selec-

tion of Awardees is very perfect and all the persons involved in Tourism industry are the Flag Bearers of our country. Ms. Sumitra Mahajan opined that the Tourists are the Brand Ambassadors of their respective countries and Tourism is a mode of improving the image of their countries abroad. She quoted the Prime Minster Mr. Narendra Modi describing the African nationals, who studied in India, as the ‘Alumini of India’. It is a unique gesture. She also said that Tourist Guides play a pivotal role in Tourism industry as they play an important role in promoting tourism. She called for positive news reporting about our country so that good image of our country can be por-

“National Tourism Awards for the year 2014-15” to various segments of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry were presented by the Speaker, Lok Sabha Ms. Sumitra Mahajan at a function organized by Ministry of Tourism in New Delhi 20 | Tourism India | August 2016

Mr. Rohit Kohli JMD of Creative Travel New Delhi - First position in Tour Operators Category 2

“The national awards will further boost the state’s profile as a coveted destination for the inbound tourism market,” he added. Kerala and the Spice Routes, a coffee-table book, designed by Stark was a proud winner in the category of Excellence in Publishing in English language. The glossy book provides a sneak-peek to the readers on the rich multiculturalism of the state more than two millennia ago and takes them through the Malabar Coast that was the starting point for Kerala’s spice trade with the rest of the world. ‘The Great Backwaters’, a brochure in German language, was adjudged for the award in foreign language segment. The brochure details out the unique, standalone and once-in-a-lifetime experience of the Kerala backwaters to the in-

ternational travellers. It targets the growing set of evolved travellers from Germany and other German speaking countries by showcasing the backwaters as a self-contained world with its culture, flora, fauna and way of life. The third award for Kerala Tourism in ‘Tourism Promotion and Publishing’ category came for its most innovative use of Information technology for the website designed by Invis Multimedia and social media managed by Stark Communications. Kerala Tourism has 12.8 lakh Facebook followers, the largest figure for any Tourism Board in India. Private players bagged seven awards: Turtle on the Beach, Kovalam, was the adjudged the best hotel in the Five Star category; Coconut Lagoon, Kumarakom, bagged the award for Best Heritage Hotel

in Classic Category; Coconut Creek Farm and Homestay, Kumarakom, was given the award for ‘Best Incredible India Bed & Breakfast Establishment’ approved by State Governments / Union Territory Administrations’ and Somatheeram Research Institute & Ayurveda Hospital Pvt. Ltd, Thiruvananthapuram, was declared the Best Wellness Centre. Kochi-based M/s Lotus Destinations Pvt. Ltd got the award for “Best Tour Operator promoting Niche Segments other than Adventure and MICE; M/s Kalypso Adventures (P) Ltd, also based in Kochi, received the award for ‘Best Inbound Tour Operator / Travel Agent’ and Kochibased M/s Dravidian Trails Holidays Pvt. Ltd got a Third Prize in the category of ‘Best Inbound Tour Operator / Travel Agent’.

Tourism India | August 2016 | 21

Mr. Baby Mathew Somatheeram CMD and Mrs. Sara Mathew receiving the National Tourism award for Best Wellness Centre in India

n e w s trayed abroad. Dr. Mahesh Sharma in his address, lauded the roles played by various segments of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry in our country and said that our focus is to encourage the tourism industry to deliver positive and unforgettable travel experience to all visitors and countrymen by embracing the highest standards of service excellence. The National Tourism Awards ceremony recognises the best service providers in each of their service domains. The objective of recognising and rewarding the tourism sector Stakeholders, State Govts & UTS is intended to set and consistently raise the standards of what is attainable and desirable in the competitive global tourism market, thereby helping to raise overall standards in the industry over time. The categories of these Awards are being updated from time to time. He said that few travel destinations in the world can equal the diversity, exhilaration, and wonder of our Country’s tourism product. The combination of our landscape, people, culture, attractions and experiences provide a travel package that is hard to match. At the outset it is important for us to recognise how much the industry in India has grown and its many successes and accomplishments. Our combined efforts and hard work is making an impact. The Minister opined said that the path breaking initiative of our Government has been the easing of the Visa regime. The e- tourist visa is reality today. It is now available for nationals of 150 countries. The Ministry of Tourism is also continuously working with MHA to make the e-tourist visa more tourists 22 | Tourism India | August 2016

friendly. A Welcome Kit to all foreign ‘Adarsh Airports’ and a low air fare tourists arriving at Indian airports is scheme of Rs. 2500/- for passengers will boost Tourism industry. being planned by the Ministry. He informed that Ministry of Tourism is in consultation with Ministry of Railways for exclusive Tourist coaches for Tourists on select routes as well as for the development of 50 Railway stations as “Adarsh Railway Stations”. Simultaneously, talks are going on with Ministry of Civil Aviation to develop 65 airports as

Mr. Mahesh Sharma said that a slew of measures taken by Government of India in last two years viz. Swadesh Darshan; PRASAD; Toll Free Helpline Number in 12 foreign languages; Medical Tourism Promotion Board; Ramayan Circuit; Krishna Circuit; Buddha Circuit; and Swachchh App. etc have helped the

Ms. Mridula Jose, VP- Product Development, CGH Earth Hotels and Mr. Shambu, GM of Coconut Lagoon – Best Heritage Resort

Mr. Sanjeev Kumar and Mr. Deepu CS of Lotus Destinations Pvt. Ltd. Cochin – Tour Operator promoting Niche Segments other than MICE and Adventure

tourism industry move on the path of growth. He urged all stake holders in Tourism sector to promote these new tourist friendly initiatives. He also said that without involving private sectors, our goal of Tourism development cannot be achieved. He emphasized that while the tourism sector in India continues to grow and develop, it is essential to remain true to the core values of ‘Athithi Devo Bhav’ of providing

consistent, exceptional service to our valued travellers, both local and international. The National Tourism Awards will prove to be an invaluable tool in ensuring that the tourism sector in India is not only encouraged, but recognised to deliver onthe-ground, as we work collectively towards mutual objectives. The different categories under which awards were presented this year (2016), for excellence in per-

formance during the financial year 2014-15 are: NATIONAL TOURISM AWARDS (2014-15) AWARD WINNERS Sl. No. Category Award Winner Best State / Union Territory For Comprehensive Development of Tourism

72 73 74

First Prize Second Prize Third Prize

Madhya Pradesh Gujarat Karnataka

TRAVEL AGENTS / INBOUND TOUR OPERATORS

Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 100 crore and above (Category I)

First Prize

Second Prize

Third Prize

M/s SDU Travels Private Limited, New Delhi Le Passage Tours & Travels Pvt Ltd. SOTC Travel Services Pvt. Ltd.

Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 50 crore and above but less than Rs.100 crore (Category II) 4

First Prize

5 Second Prize

Creative Travel Pvt. Ltd. Caper Travel Company Pvt.Ltd.

6. Third Prize Trail Blazer Tours India Pvt. Ltd.

Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 25 crore and above but less than Rs. 50 crore (Category III) 7 First Prize G.B. Morrison Travels Pvt. Ltd. 8 Second Prize Indian Legend Holidays Pvt. Ltd. 9 Third Prize Indo Asia Leisure Services Ltd. Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs.10 crore and above but less than Rs. 25 crore (Category IV) 10

First Prize

Indian Trails Sourcing Services Pvt. Ltd.

11 Second Prize

GeTS Holidays Pvt. Ltd.

Travelite (India)

Third Prize

Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 5 crore and above but less than Rs.10 crore (Category V) 13 First Prize Magadh Travels & Tours Pvt. Ltd. 14 Second Prize Maxxfun Holidays Pvt. Ltd. 15 Third Prize HEAT Travels & tours (India) Private Limited. Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs.2.50 crore and above but less than Rs. 5 crore (Category VI) 16 First Prize 17 Second Prize

Kalypso Adventures(P)Ltd. Asiad Holidays

DOMESTIC TOUR OPERATORS 19 Promoting the North East Region including Sikkim Club Side Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd., Darjeeling 20 Mr. Swaminathan S of Dravidian Trails Cochin third Position award for Best Tour Operator (Category VI)

Promoting Jammu & Kashmir

Kesari Tours Pvt. Ltd.

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Cdr Sam T Samuel, MD of Kalypso Adventure Cochin receiving First Position award for Best Tour Operator (Category VI)

Mr. sarbjit Singh Ahluwalia, MD of Travelite (India)- Tour Operator (Category IV)

Promoting the Rest of India

21 First Prize 22 Second Prize 23 Third Prize

Yatra Online Pvt. Ltd. Leisure Corp Pvt. Ltd. HEAT Travels & Tours (India) Private Ltd.

TOURIST TRANSPORT OPERATORS Turnover of Rs.1.50 crore and above (Category I) 24 First Prize Eco’s India Mobility & Hos pitality Pvt. Ltd. 25 Second Prize HEAT Travels & Tours (India) Private Ltd. 26 Third Prize Bakshi Transport Service (P) Limited Turnover of Rs. 50 lakh & above but less than Rs.1.50 crore (Category II) 27 First Prize Delhi Airport Service Pvt. Ltd. 28 Second Prize Panicker’s Travel (India) Pvt. Ltd.

24 | Tourism India | August 2016

29 Third Prize Alwar Tourist Transport Service 30 Best Adventure Active India Tour Operator Holidays Pvt. Ltd 31 Best MICE Operator SOTC Travel Ser vices Pvt. Ltd. 32 Tour Operator promoting Niche Segments other than MICE and Adventure Lotus Destinations Pvt. Ltd. 33 Most Innovative Tour Operator K B Enterprises, Imphal 33 Best Tourist Guide Mr. Jiwan Jyoti Pateriya, Tourist Guide from Khajuraho. AWARDS FOR PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION

34 Excellence in Publishing in English Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala for their Coffee Table Book - “Kerala & The Spice Routes”. 35 Excellence in Publishing in Foreign Language other than English

Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala for their Brochure “ The Great Backwaters (Das Faszinierendste Gewässer der Erde)” in German Language. 36.Best Tourism Film Department of Tourism, Union Territory Administration of Daman & Diu for their film “Ilha De Calma”. 37 Best Tourism Promotion Publicity Material by States and Union Territories Department of Tourism, Govt. of Telangana for their coffee Table Book “Ancient Temples of Telangana”. OVERSEAS AWARDS

Kasture, Executive Chef, The Ashok, New Delhi. 44 Best Chef (In 1 to 3 Star, Heritage Basic and Stand alone Restaurants) Chef Muruganandham, Executive Chef, Confluence Banquets & Resorts, Mahabalipuram, Chennai. 45 Best Lady Chef Chef Amninder Sandhu, Chef – DeCuisine, Masala Bay, Taj Lands End, Mumbai. 46 Incredible India Bed & Breakfast Establishments approved by the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India House of Kapaali, NOIDA 47 Incredible India Bed & Breakfast Establishments approved by the State Governments UT Administrations 38 Best Foreign Journalist for India- Coconut Creek Farm and Homestay, KuMs. Stephanie Pearson, USA for “The marakom, Kottayam Green Heaven” a feature on Kerala. HOTELS 48 Best Eco Friendly Hotel 39 Most Innovative use of Information Technology Jaypee Vasant Continental, New Social Media / Mobile App Delhi. 49 Hotel providing best facilities for the differently abled guests (JOINT WINNERS) The Lalit, New Delhi Department of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited. BEST HERITAGE HOTELS 50 Heritage Basic Category Convention Centres Gajner Palace, Gajner, Bikaner 41 Best Hotel Based Meeting Venue 51 Heritage Classic Category The Ashok, New Delhi. Coconut Lagoon, Kottayam, Kerala 42 Best Stand Alone Convention Centre 52 Heritage Grand Category Hyderabad International Convention Fateh Prakash Palace, Udaipur Centre, Hyderabad. Hospitality Segment BEST HOTELS 43 Best Chef (In 4 star, 5 star, 5 star Deluxe, 53 3 Star Minerva Grand, Heritage Classic & Grand category Hotels) Tirupati Chef Machindra Umakant 54 4 Star Quality Hotel DV

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n American woman journalist, who wrote an exhilarating account of Kerala — a snapshot on the state’s rollicking palm-fringed beaches, gorgeous topography, serene spirituality and hospitality — has won a National Tourism Award. Ms Stephanie Pearson, based in Santa Fe, won the award for “Best Foreign Journalist for India’ for feature write up on Kerala, “The Green Heaven”, which appeared in January 2015 issue of the prestigious Outside magazine. The write up, which was based on her experiences during her three-week Onam sojourn in God’s Own Country, will be anthologized in “The Best American Travel Writing”, a book to be published by Random House in October this year. A school teacher and science writer, she travelled more than 600 miles by car, train, kettuvallam, foot and kayak reporting a story about the wonderfully diverse wildlife, culture and spirituality of Kerala. The National Tourism Awards, 2014-15 were presented at a function at VigyanBhavan in New Delhi on Saturday (July 30) by Lok Sabha Speaker Smt. Sumitra Mahajan in the presence of Union Tourism Minister Shri Mahesh Sharma. Kerala was a proud recipient of 26 | Tourism India | August 2016

12 awards, including the ones for its Responsible Tourism in Wayanad, a Coffee Table book on the Spice Route, and Sargaalaya Arts and Crafts Village. The award for the American journalist not lends luster to Kerala’s awards but is also a testament to the state’s claim as a leading international tourist destination. “…..Kerala, a laid-back tropical paradise where you can paddle hidden backwaters, trek the rugged Western Ghats, look for tigers, indulge in Ayurvedic treatments, and chill out on unspoiled beaches. Just leave your manic Western self behind,” she wrote. Particularly fascinating is her account of the secular Onam festival, which commemorates the return of the legendary king Mahabali, ‘who is said to have given every Keralan—whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jew, Jain, or other—equal rights and total prosperity.’ “Over the centuries, Mahabali has morphed into an Indian version of Santa Claus, and you’ll find him everywhere—on billboards hawking new cars and in the flesh twirling parasols in parades,” wrote the journalist, who has toured all continents except Antarctica. Her experiences have appeared in top

publications such as National Geographic, Lonely Planet, Discovery and a number of books. Another interesting account in the write-up is of the Aranmula Boat Race, a 700-year-old, nearly one-mile contest that starts at the Aranmula Temple on the River Pamba. “The race, in which 120-foot-long palliyodams, or snake boats, from 48 villages go head-to-head in front of thousands of spectators, has the pomp and circumstance of the Olympics and seems a fitting end to the celebration.” Ms Pearson was both amazed and impressed by Kerala, ‘roughly the size of Maryland and Delaware combined, having a population of 35 million—about the same number of people in the entire country of Canada. Despite the masses, Kerala is intensely beautiful.” The article, written in a lucid, flamboyant and anecdotal style, delves into the entire facets of Kerala’s life – it’s picturesque and rich in biodiversity Western Ghats, one of India’s seven Unesco Natural World Heritage sites, the picturesque backwaters, medicinal herbs, Ayurvedic hospitals, spices, flowers, hill stations. The journalist salutes Kerala’s rich cultural ethos and religious

55 5 Star 56 5 Star

Manor,Vijayawada Turtle on the Beach,Kovalam, Kerala Deluxeaj Exotica, Salcette, Goa

tional Airport, Mumbai 66 Best Tourist Friendly Railway Station SawaiMadhopur Railway Station, Rajasthan 67 Best Heritage Walk (JOINT WINNERS) India City Walks for the Built Legacy of Mughals (Old Delhi Heritage Walk). 68 Heritage Walk of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. 69 Best HeritageCity Warangal, Telangana 70 Best Maintained and Disabled Friendly Monument Monuments of Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh

Niche Tourism Awards

pluralism. “As the epicenter of the world’s spice trade, Kerala has also endured as a largely independent, multicultural society for centuries. It’s a mind-boggling amalgam of cultures and beliefs,” she notes. The American journalist goes poetic at times. “Small villages line the canals and are surrounded by a chlorophyll heaven of rice paddies, banana leaves, and gardens of spinach, long beans, and curry. Lavender houses, indigo pet peacocks, women in brightly coloured saris, and men in plaid dhotis pop out of the foliage in brilliant relief. This is the land of Arundhati Roy, who spent part of her childhood in the village of Aymanam, where she set her haunting novel The God of Small Things.” And she concludes by mentioning some famous names that keep flocking to God’s Own Country for finding inner solace and savouring its spectacular natural beauty. “…. the vibe is local and chill, and guests like Paul McCartney come to tuck into thatch-roofed bungalows for yoga and Ayurvedic treatments. Western-style sports like surfing and stand-up paddle boarding are just starting to take root farther south, near the cliff-edged beaches of Varkala and the more developed Kovalam.”

57 Best Responsible Tourism Project JOINT WINNERS) “Edge of India” – Yes Bank Lim ited, New Delhi. 58 “Responsible Tourism in Wayanad” Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala. 59 Best Rural TourisPro ject “Sargaalaya Arts & Crafts Village, Iringal, Kerala” Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala. 60 Tourism Friendly Golf Course Jaypee Green Golf Course, NOIDA. 61 Best Wellness Centre Somatheeram Research Institute & Ayurveda Hospital Pvt. Ltd., Trivandrum 62 Best Film Promotion Friendly State Gujarat 63 Most Innovative and Unique Tourism Project (JOINT WINNERS) Heritage Transport Museum, Gurgaon 64 Madhya Pradesh Tourism for “Art Ichol, Maihar”. Other Awards 65 Best Airport Class X Cities,Chhatrapati Shivaji Intern

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DESTINATION

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The next stop will be the famous city Palace which includes Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal as well as a number of other structures. Built with highly trained architectural care, t the top of every tourist’s it combines Rajput, Mughal and Eulist, India’s Pink City is a ropean styles and is another stunning delightful fusion of tradi- example of Jaipur’s royal influences. tion and modernity, blended impecNext in line will be the famous cably. With its rich, ancient heritage, colourful culture and the extremely Jantar Mantar, one of the five wellwarm and friendly local people... known astronomical observatoeverything is fused in a nutshell. ries developed by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. A wonder to mathConstructed in 1727, under the ematicians, scientists and architects leadership of Maharaja Sawai Jai Sin- alike, the observatory is a collecgh II, Jaipur was transformed from tion of 19 well-built and highly a simple settlement to a flourishing accurate instruments, including centre of art and science and, as the the world’s largest stone sundial. first planned city in India; Jaipur’s The last stop of the day can be construction was based on an astrological grid, for good luck. In 1876, the Albert Hall Museum, home to the city got the moniker of the Pink an industrial arts exhibit with artiCity, when the sandstone, that the facts and information on the hisbuildings were made of, was painted tory of traditional arts and crafts pink as that was the signature col- around Jaipur and Rajasthan. our of Rajput hospitality and the city Exploring the Brahma Temple in wanted to celebrate the visit of the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria. Pushkar and the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, two opposing places of worSo, let’s start with a typical two- ship, this can be quite a unique day tour to Jaipur, with the Hawa experience. Located close to the Mahal as an ideal starting point. sacred Pushkar Lake, the Brahma This romantic sandstone fortress, temple, one of the very few in excascading over the streets of Jaipur, istence, dates to the 14th century, was originally built in 1799 as a van- and is believed to be 2000 years tage point for the ladies of the royal old. As a result, devotees from household. The landmark “hon- across the world flock to this spot. eycomb” facade of the structure Similarly, the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, reaches five stories high and is made dedicated to the Sufi saint, Moiup of 152 windows nestled into nuddin Chishty, is an equally sacred rounded latticed balconies, exem- spot, as it’s believed that anyone plifying the strong yet delicate Ra- who goes there and prays faithfully, jput architecture in all its splendour. will have his/her prayers answered.

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ART & CULTURE

ovotel Hyderabad Convention Centre and HICC unveil its fifth season of ‘Colours of Novotel’ at the hotel premises. Supporting a community of immense talent - the signature event series focuses on bringing together artists under one roof and presenting them a platform to showcase some of their best works. The edition is curated by a renowned connoisseur of the field and an artist herself, Ms.Rangoli Garg, and showcases over 30 paintings. Featuring a collection of exquisite illustrations, the paintings made from acrylic, oil pastels and water colours that are inspired from nature, love, culture as well as mythology are being presented this season. This edition features 30 | Tourism India | August 2016

works from renowned artists like Bala Bhakta Raju, Vasanthula Ramakrishna, Rangoli Garg, Agacharya and Satheesh Khanna that will be available for sale till the 31st October 2016. Live interactive sessions on Lippan work, Tanjore art, bamboo art and bangle making crafts

kept guests involved with the overall theme of the evening. Speaking on the occasion Mr. Neil Paterson, General Manager, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre and HICC said, “‘Colours of Novotel’, a signature series from the hotel dedicated to recognizing

Beegum Sherry Zaveri and Mr. Neil Paterson, General Manager, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre and HICC inaugurating the exhibition

Smriti Thapa with a friend arts and artists from across regions, has provided a platform for over 25 artists over the last year, and has entered its fifth edition now. The response to the innovative presentation of this edition is very encouraging, and the artists are pleased for having their works showcased on such a platform. An event such as this highlights our dedication

towards this countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diverse culture, while also contributing to the increase in interest towards Indian contemporary artâ&#x20AC;?. The event started off on July 22nd, 2016 and will last till October 31st 2016 and the venue will be Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre and Hyderabad Convention Centre.

Ms. Rangoli Garg and Ms. Ananya Simlai

Mr. Raunaq Yar Khan and Mr. Gabriel Hons-Olivier, Public Affairs Chief of US Consulate with Neil Paterson

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Adv. P. Prashanth, Mayor of Trivandrum Corporation inaugurating the Travancore Island Resort, Thiruvallam near Trivandrum in the presence of Mr. Ashokan, MD and Mr. Jithu Ashk, Director of TIR, Mr. Thampi Murugesan, MD of Beach & Lake Resort and Mr. Ravisankar, Managing Editor of Tourism India

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s versus gives beauty to poetry, Edayar charms the tourist with her scenic beauty. Edayar, a calm and peaceful village in Trivandrum, Capital city of Kerala, with a population of barely 300 families resides on the banks of River Karamana, near famous Kovalam Beach in Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Own Country. The rustic life on the banks is nothing but a feast to the eyes. Amidst the scenic beauty stands The Travancore Island Resort with much pomp and elegance. Thiruvallom is a scenic and serene backwater stretch enroute to Kovalam. The nearby Island Edayar is where the resort lures her tourists to enjoy the majestic flow of River Karamana. This unspoilt land is a perfect getaway for holiday makers. The Travancore Resort is a dream of experienced tourism entrepre-

neur Asokan who was also President of the Coir Manufacturing Units in Edayar. A piece of land which has been neatly woven into a snowwhite mansion summons the guests to cosy white rooms facing the elegantly flowing River Karamana. The resort has 14 rooms all facing the beauty of the river and the dense greenery. The newly opened resort aims at putting neat walk ways for the guests to have a walk along the river side during mornings and evenings. There will be a yoga area alongside the tennis court. Bird watching is another pass time wherein one can see numerous varieties of birds and their sweet voice give a pleasant feeling to the visitor. The exquisite pool will shrug away the tiredness and put you to rejuvenation. A travel by boat through the riv-

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er to watch the sunset is another beautiful sight that etches in your heart. Cycling is another entertainment and exercise that you can do through the small stretch of village. The resort provide cycles where you can go out and explore the lush greenery and watch the coir industries which is the major livelihood of the people over there. An ancient Parasurama temple, on the banks of the Karamana River, is nearby. Edayar Island can be reached by ferries. Alternatively one can also opt for a narrow iron bridge near Thiruvallam to walk into the island. Trivandrum International Airport is the nearest airport. The Travancore Island Resort unwinds you from the daily chores of life and puts you into a refreshing state to kick start your life back to normalcy after the relaxation.

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KTM 2016, India’s biggest B2B event in Travel & Tourism sector will be held at Samudrika and Sagara Convention Centre, Willington Island, Kochi from Sept 28-30. Inauguration will be held at Le Meridian Convention centre & Hotel on September 27, 2016 by Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala and will preside by Mr. A C Moideen, Minister for Tourism, Kerala The ninth edition of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) will focus on themes ‘Responsible tourism’ and ‘Muziris and Spice Route’. It is expected to attract around 1,500 buyers from around the country and abroad. Around 265 stalls of different sizes for the exhibitors within Kerala will be featured at the venue as part of the event. Abraham George, President, Kerala Travel Mart Society, says, “KTM 2016, which will coincide with ‘World Tourism Day’, will reach out to buyers from new international markets, emphasizing focus on the new arenas of tour34 | Tourism India | August 2016

ism, including responsible tourism, and popularize the concept among the common man. To facilitate better interaction between buyers and sellers, we have initiated the process for sellers’ registration much in advance. The buyers’ registration was open till July 29. The mart will be a platform for B2B networking.” Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) is set to be the biggest and farthest-reaching yet. The biennial event will witness 57 countries besides 20 Indian states during the three-day Mart, which is being organised by the KTM Society in association with the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala on September 27, World Tourism Day, in Kochi. Ten countries will be represented at the Mart for the first time, with Mexico, Georgia, Japan, China, Chile, Greece, Iran, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Botswana – markets as diverse as they are distant – all confirmed to participate. The 560 total international delegates

registered for KTM 2016 features the biggest-ever contingents from 10 highly-prized traditional markets, including the US, Canada and Australia. Domestic participation too has seen an uptick, buoyed by aggressive marketing campaigns. Some 1,304 Indian buyers will participate this year. As many as 57 countries, besides 20 Indian states, are scheduled to participate in the ninth edition of the three-day Kerala Travel Mart, which is organised by the KTM Society in Mr. Abraham George, President, KTM Society

association with the Department of Tourism under the Government of Kerala. Besides focusing on its core themes of ‘Responsible Tourism' and 'Muziris and Spice Route,' the KTM-2016 will project Kerala as an ideal breakaway destination for weddings and honeymoons - emerging segments for tourism destinations. “The KTM has always emphasised the consistent identification of quality buyers in ever newer territories as much as retaining participation from conventional markets. With representation from 10 new nations this year, our efforts have borne fruit,” said Abraham George, President, KTM Society. “For KTM 2016, we have extended the prefixed appointment system to registered domestic buyers, which will help the business session be more effective for both the sellers and buyers. The focus is on emphasising quality of interactions,” he added. The tourism industry in Kerala expects to generate an additional revenue of `5,000 crore in two years from the Kerala Travel Mart said KTM Society President Abraham George. The total revenue generated from tourism (direct and indirect) was `26,689.63 crore in 2015.

The KTM is expected to have around 25,000 business meetings, apart from the non-scheduled meetings. "We expect that 40,000 such meetings would take place during the event. It will provide additional revenue to the tune of `5,000 crore to the State in two years as KTM is the prime tourism event in the State," he added. In an attempt to promote the 'Muziris and Spice Route' theme, the UNESCO in association with Kerala Tourism and the Union Tourism Ministry will host a 'Spice Route Culinary Festival' from September 23 to 26, in which leading chefs from 31 member countries on the historic Spice Route will participate. The event is being organised as a prelude to the KTM. "The Chief Minister has promised that steps would be taken to ensure sustainability and development of the tourism sector. It would be good if any announcement in this regard comes ahead of the KTM, as we could showcase it before the global audience. As of now, 560 international delegates have registered. Including domestic participants, we expect a total of about 2,000 delegates," added Abraham.

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r. Manohar Parrikar, Defence Minister, inaugurated “Bharat Parv” at the Rajpath Lawns, India Gate, in New Delhi. Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, was the Guest of Honour. Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Culture & Tourism, presided over the function. Addressing Media persons, Mr. Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, and Ministry of Tourism informed them that the “Bharat Parv” was organized by Government of India as part of Independence Day celebrations-2016. The prime objective of organizing the event was to generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country and to ensure wider participation of the general public. The Event was open to the pub36 | Tourism India | August 2016

Mr. Manohar Parrikar, Union Minister for Defense, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Union Minister of State for Culture and Tou State for Information & Broadcasting at the inauguration of the ‘Bharat Parv’, organised by the Government of India as

lic and entry was free. However, identity proof should be carried for entry. He said that the Ministry of Tourism has been designated as the nodal Ministry for the event, the highlights of which will include Performances by the Armed Forces Bands (static and moving), a MultiCuisine Food Court, Crafts Mela, Cultural Performances from different regions of the country including Delhi-based cultural organizations and associations of various states and a Photo Exhibition by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Mr. Zutshi said that the Cultural

urism and Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Union Minister of s part of the Independence Day celebration at New Delhi

Performances include choreographed Folk / Tribal Dances and Music arranged through the North Zonal Cultural Centre as well as performances by cultural troupes from the different States/ UTs of the country. The Food Court had 50 stalls set up by the States / UTs, National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) showcasing street food from different regions as well as by the Institutes of Hotel Management and ITDC. The Crafts Mela with 50 stalls showcased the diverse handicrafts of the country, arranged by the State Governments and Ministry of Textiles through the Office of the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts. There was 17 Theme State Pavilions where each State showcased their achievements

and initiatives, tourism products and destinations, etc. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is also setting up “Azadi 70 Saal- Yaad Karo Kurbani” – a Photo Exhibition on the occasion of 70th Independence Day celebrations. The participated States and Union Territories in the Event were Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Daman & Diu and Dadra – Nagar Haveli, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

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Mr. Abraham George, President, KTM Society, Mr. Riaz Ahammed, Mr. E.M. Najeeb and Mr. Swaminathan S are with Dr. Thomas Issac, Finance Minister of Kerala

he Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s Peoplefriendly Budget 2016-17 gave a new vigour to the tourism industry by giving an allocation of Rs. 1061 cr. It is for the first time in the history of India, a state government is allocating more than 1000 cr rupees for the development and marketing of tourism. Dr. Thomas Issac, Finance Minister of Kerala in his budget speech said that Rs. 750 cr will be given for infrastructure development and Rs. 311 for marketing, new product development and HR training and upgrading of KITTS, Food Crafts Institutes and State Institute of Hospitality. To give a facelift to the heritage spots Rs. 400 cr will be used for the overall development and infrastructure improvement of 30 tourism circuits like DharmadamMuzhappilangad and St. Angelo Fort-Arakkal Palace in Kannur, Karappuzha Wayanad Tourism Hub, Chethi-Mararikulam Beach circuit in Alleppey and Thrissur-Guruvayur38 | Tourism India | August 2016

Palayur Pilgrim circuit. The second phase development of Veli Tourist Village, Akkulam Tourist Village and Ponnani has also been incorporated in the new government’s maiden budget. The development has been extended not only to tourist spots but also to roads, power supply and drinking water facility. Apart from this Rs. 50 crore has been allowed for other developmental projects. Tourists who visit Ponmudi in Trivandrum will enjoy rope way trip as the government has gifted the tourist spot Rs. 200 crore for destination development and construction of rope way. Balaramapuram in Trivandrum, Mannar in Alleppey, Aranmula in Pathanamthita, Cheruthuruthy in Thrissur, Payyannur in Kannur, Muthanga in Wayanad will be upgraded as Heritage villages. Alleppey and Thalassery will be uplifted to the range of a heritage spots like Muziris project. For the easy movement of tourists in Malabar area air strips will be constructed at Bekal in Kasargode and Wayanad. The government plan for another

four lakh employment opportunities by developing new tourism destinations and upgrading the existing tourism destination in Kerala. As per the election manifesto of the LDF, the new government plan to double the foreign tourist flow and increase the domestic tourist arrivals by at least 25% from the current scenario. To achieve this target the government will facilitate tourism friendly policy to attract more private investment to the state. In short, Kerala is dreaming on becoming a God’s own Country in all sense and the government plan to make our state the best tourist spot in the tourism global map with all perfect infrastructures.

MEMORY

ocial responsibility starts with oneself contributing and acting, not just talking about it-The belief of a great man who practised what he preached gave Dr. Polly Mathew a success story.

ples. The St. Frederick Tuition School started in 1997 give tuition class to around 200 children of different age groups and almost 2000 children since the school’s initiation. The school is fully funded by donations and no On the memory day of Dr. Polly Mathew, who was fees are charged from the children. The Somatheeram a Ayurveda pioneer and founder of Somatheeram-An Charity Clinic which was started in 2008 provides comAyurvedic Resort, the family planned to bring in their plimentary medical services as consultations and medivarious charitable projects under one umbrella and cines to approximately 40 persons every month. called it ‘Help2Help-Dr. Polly Mathew Somatheeram Dr. Polly Mathew was based in Germany since 1978 Foundation’. An inaugural ceremony was conducted at and the idea to start India’s first Ayurveda Resort evolved Mascot Hotel on 29th July 2016 which was attended after understanding the Western need for an alternative by many dignitaries. The function was inaugurated by to allopathic medicine. Somatheeram Ayurvedic Resort Minister for Electricity & Devaswoms, Mr. Kadakampally is the fulfilment of this dream. Branding Kerala and India Surendran. Mr. Cherian Philip, former KTDC Chairman worldwide as a destination for authentic Ayurveda had made the memorial address. Former Chief Minister Mr. been his lifetime achievement. Oommen Chandy was the chief guest and the keynote Health, Education and Environment were the three address was done by Mr. TP Srinivasan IFS (Head of core fields of Dr. Polly Mathew’s social activities. So the Council for Higher Education, Kerala state; Former to continue his legacy, the numerous charitable projects Indian Ambassador). will come under one umbrella ‘Help2Help-Dr. Polly For the past 20 years, Dr. Polly Mathew, along with his wife Mrs. Tresa Polly had initiated and led numerous charitable projects. The St. Frederick’s Tuition School and the Somatheeram Charity Clinic are two such exam-

Mathew Somatheeram Foundation’. The ‘Help2Help’ aim to focus on sustainable projects, awareness campaigns and individual support which will turn out to be helping hand for the needy.

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eccan Odyssey, the awardwinning luxury train operated by Cox & Kings, the outsourced partner of The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), in India has announced its exclusive Companion Offer for Indian citizens who are resident in India for the new set of journeys commencing October 2016. Book a cabin before September 30th and avail 50% discount for your companion. It is time you let yourself immerse in opulence. Visit the iconic symbols, India's architectural wonders, World Heritage sites and relish secret recipes of the royal kitchen.

Indian citizens who are resident in India, Foreign diplomats / Expats resident in India having work / resident permit can also avail the special offer.

The train stands out for its superlative service combined with world-class amenities. It has been refurbished in keeping with the aspirations of the new-age traveller. The journeys offer a glimpse of Incredible India with stops at destinations that have historical significance and diverse cultural offering. Each journey on the Deccan Odyssey is an exploration of India's diversity, exotic locales and the discovery of timeless traditions. To get the Royal Deccan Odyssey will embark on its Indian Rail Experience, avail the ofunique journeys from 1st October fer and get set for an Odyssey. 2016 covering some of the spectacular sites. The offer is applicable Following are the itineraries: on bookings made from 16th June Maharashtra Splendor: Mumbai – Nashik to 30th September 2016. Besides – Aurangabad - Ajanta –– Kolhapur – Goa

ROOMING

SINGLE OCUPANCY

TWIN/DOUBLE OCUPANCY

Discounted price under the offer

02 CHILDREN (in a separate deluxe cabin)

–Sindhudurg – Mumbai

Hidden Treasures of Gujarat:

Mumbai – Vadodara – Palitana – Sasan Gir – Little Rann of Kutch– Modhera - Patan – Nashik – Mumbai

Indian Odyssey: New Delhi –

Sawai Madhopur – Agra – Jaipur – Udaipur – Vadodara – Ellora Caves – Mumbai

Indian Sojourn: Mumbai – Vadodara – Udaipur – Jodhpur – Agra – Sawai Madhpur – Jaipur –Delhi

Jewels of the Deccan: Mumbai

– Bijapur – Aihole - Pattadakal – Hampi –Hyderabad –Aurangabad – Ajanta – Mumbai

Maharashtra Wild trail: Mumbai

– Aurangabad – Pench (Ramtek) – Tadoba –Ajanta– Nashik -Mumbai

Discounted price under the offer

Deluxe Cabin

Rs. 3,71,900

Rs. 5,36,710

Rs. 4,02,533

Rs. 4,02,530

Rs. 3,01,898

Presidential Suite

Rs. 8,05,100

Rs. 6,03,825

Rs. 4,02,530

Rs. 3,01,898

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recent data analysis and survey, done over 9 months by RailYatri.in, revealed an unhealthy growth in Speculative Booking since the increase in advance booking period (to 120 days from previous 60 days). This frenetic buy is due to Speculative Booking where people book their train tickets out of mere speculation or a vague intent and not because of any concrete travel plan. Just as a background, the Indian Railways train ticket booking window until 31 March 2015 used to be 60 days prior to the date of trav-

el. This was increased to 120 days thereafter (reasons not explained by the authorities). RailYatri’s analysis and survey regarded to train travellers, who had booked their tickets more than 60 days in advance. According to RailYatri, this traveller count is significant enough to cause the trains getting completely booked leaving the remaining to get into a wait-listed queue. Talking to travellers from 20 cities, the survey revealed that 67% of people who had booked tickets more than 90 days in advance did it without a concrete travel plan.

These train travelers did not want to run the risk of waitlist tickets by booking at a later date. RailYatri attributes this to the phenomenon of Speculative Booking. The survey also revealed a small number of 22% travellers who had booked tickets with definite travel plans in the above mentioned period. RailYatri, a fast emerging travel app in India, analyzed the ticket booking patterns of travellers across the country over the last 9 months. Based on the survey of travellers who booked their tickets well in advance, the findings were as follows:

Advance Ticket Booking Window

Response

This phenomenon of Speculative Booking becomes sharp during holiday/festive travel booking. “With the exception of January where rush in trains can be attributed to disruptions, train in India see significant rush in 8 of the remaining 11 months.” explains Manish Rathi, CEO of RailYatri. “We have been tracking traveler and train movements over the last few years now. This increasing trend of Speculative Booking is something we can attribute to last few quarters”. As an example and according to RailYatri data, the fastest ticket run out time for Durga Puja ticket was recorded for the route between Delhi and Kolkata. By 1 P.M. on the first day, tickets to Sealdah and Howrah stations were already 42 | Tourism India | August 2016

90 - 120 days

60 - 90 days

Have definitive travel plans

22%

37%

73%

Don’t have definitive travel plans

67%

48%

21%

Did not respond

11%

15%

seeing RAC and by the end of the day they got to a big waiting list counts. “This trend of speculative booking by consumers has an eerie similarity to the unhealthy practice of hoarding behavior in the commodity world. Speculative ticket booking like the hoarding behavior seems to be a common response to the fear of losing out on shortage of something good. This seems to be leading towards an inefficient distribution of an already scarce

0 - 60 days

resource i.e. train tickets; thus making the scarcity even more of a problem” says Manish Rathi. “Our data is pointing that this practice is becoming more prevalent due to the recent increase of advance booking period. This is leading to the cycle of longer waitlists and last minute cancellations” The survey also found that losing money on cancellation of tickets was not that much of a restriction to these speculative buyers.

UNWTO/ETC Roundtable Discusses Wellness and Medical Tourism

he Roundtable ‘Exploring Health Tourism’ gathered a group of international experts in Budapest, Hungary, to better understand and explore the growing segment of wellness and medical tourism. The meeting was convened by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the European Travel Commission (ETC), as part of their joint research programme, with the support of the Hungarian Tourism Agency. The two-day event gathered, among others, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Union (EU), the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the European Spas Association, the Global Wellness Institute and Spaincares. The health-related tourism sector counted with representatives from Hungary, Lithuania, Malaysia and Mexico. The Hungarian Commissioner for Tourism, Gusztáv Bienerth, highlighted the importance of healthrelated tourism in Hungary’s tourism sector, as well as the role of the country in its global market, while underlining the relevance of the event. Discussions were based on the ongoing ETC and UNWTO research on health tourism, a complex and not yet well-defined segment. This

report is the first attempt to set a coherent conceptualization of health tourism and define the motivations behind travellers looking for health-related services. “The need to better understand an emerging, global, complex and rapidly changing phenomenon such as wellness and medical tourism has become essential to tap into its growth potential”, said Márcio Favilla, UNWTO Executive Director for Operational Programmes and Institutional Relations. “For ETC and UNWTO it is very important that we provide tourism authorities, managers and experts with a better understanding of the health tourism phenomenon and jointly cooperate to identify and provide a consistent terminology that lays the foundations for this

promising sector”, explained Eduardo Santander, Executive Director of ETC. Participants debated the taxonomy proposed in the research to agree on a consistent terminology to define and describe the system of travelling for health purposes. Furthermore, the Roundtable explored the latest trends shaping health tourism and how tourism destinations can tap into these opportunities. The final report establishing common grounds for a health-related tourism taxonomy will be published by the end of 2016.

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he Economic Survey 2015-16, proposes widening tax net from 5.5 per cent of earning individuals to more than 20 per cent, reasonable taxation of the better-off individuals with income from Real Estate and Agriculture, phasing out of the tax exemption Raj. The Economic Survey 2015-16 has called the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) as a reforms measure, perhaps unprecedented in the modern global tax history. The GST, to be implemented by the Centre, 28 states and 7 Union territories, awaits a Constitutional amendment requiring broad political consensus. Estimated to affect between 2 to 2.5 million Excise and Service Tax payers, the Survey says the GST would impact dramatic changes in the Indian tax system. The Survey lays out the fiscal capacity roadmap for the 21st century, and calls for widening of the indi44 | Tourism India | August 2016

vidual tax payersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; base. Despite the number of tax returns filed picking up from mid-1980 onwards, nearly 85 per cent of the economy remains outside the tax net. Pointing out that just 5.5 per cent of earning individuals are in the tax net, translating to a ratio of about 4 per cent of tax payers to voters, the Survey says this ratio should be raised to a desirable estimate of about 23 per cent. As a step towards building fiscal capacity, the Survey suggests that the easiest way to widen the tax base would be not to raise exemption thresholds. Making a study of the data since Independence, the document points out that the exemption thresholds have been raised much more rapidly than underlying income growth, resulting in a widening of the wedge between average income and threshold limit. Bringing more and more people into the tax net via some form of direct taxation will help in realizing the promise of

Indian democracy, it notes. The Survey also calls for a review and phasing out of the tax exemption Raj that benefited the richer private sector. It recalls the promise to bring down Corporate Taxes from 30 per cent to 25 per cent while proposing the phasing out of exemptions in an orderly manner, and calls for reasonable taxation of the better-off individuals regardless of where their income comes from viz- Industry, Services, Real Estate or Agriculture. It identifies Property Taxation as an area calling for urgent attention. Higher Property Tax Rates with periodic updation will improve local government finances, discourage speculation in real estate sector and pave the way for Smart Cities. Another alternative to fiscal consolidation would be to reduce subsidies to the well-off amounting to about Rs 1 lakh crore and better targeting subsides to the poor.

ANALYSIS

Prakash Chawla*

he 122nd Amendment to the Constitution will go down in Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political-economic history as a watershed, as it is about to give the country the most progressive tax reforms till date in the form of Goods and Services Tax (GST) which should make life easier for the trade and industry and more importantly reduce the cost of goods and services for the consumer, without compromising on the revenues of either the Centre or the States. In fact, the GST should lead to a tax buoyancy and push to the

Gross Domestic Product between 1-1.5 per cent with clearance of the cob web of taxes. The excitement among the industry, trade and investors is justified. By a single measure, India would move up the World Bank ranking of ease of doing business by several notches. It is true the GST Bill has been pending for over a decade but the fact that the NDA Government has been able to build a wide political consensus on, what has been the most contentious issue, has conveyed a huge positive signal to the rest of the world that India enjoys a broad political support for the eco-

nomic reforms, crucial for over a billion people. What is GST? It is plethora indirect taxes which contribute to bulk of revenues of the states and just about half of the tax kitty of about Rs 16 lakh crore of the Central Government. While direct taxes like the personal income tax concern a small fraction of the population, the indirect taxes affect every Indian. Since the indirect taxes are on consumption, rich and poor, both have to pay the same amount. Presently, the Constitution gives mandate to the Centre and the Tourism India | August 2016 | 45

States to levy indirect taxes ranging from excise duty, customs, and service tax; Valued Added Tax or sales tax, entertainment tax, octroi, entry tax, purchase tax, luxury tax and different surcharges. Both the Centre and the States have their own official machineries to collect these taxes. But for Central excise and VAT, most of the taxes get calculated on a base which itself has been subjected to taxation at some or the other stage of manufacturing value chain. So, it is a tax on tax making goods and services rather expensive for the ultimate consumer while making life hard for the trade and industry. The most visible example of inefficiencies of the system can be seen at inter-state borders with long queues of trucks being subjected to different kind of tax inspection and payment of octroi and entry tax, blocking traffic on the highways for hours together. With the roll out of the GST, expected from April 1, 2017, all these taxes would be subsumed into a single tax for the consumer. The Centre would levy and collect Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST), and States would levy and collect the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) on all transactions within a State. The input tax credit of CGST would be available for discharging the CGST liability on the output at each stage. Similarly, the credit of SGST paid on inputs would be allowed for paying the SGST on output. Services and goods would be subjected to taxes only on value addition at each stage, thus bringing down the overall tax burden for the consumers. From manufacturing to destination As against the present system where the taxes like excise and Central sales tax are levied on manufactur46 | Tourism India | August 2016

ing at the factory gate or on interstate movement of goods, the GST involves taxation at the destination level. This could mean gains for the consuming state and loss for the manufacturing state. This is why the state with a good manufacturing base like Tamil Nadu was opposed to the GST and consuming states like Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha favoured the same. But, the GST Bill provides for fully compensating the losses to the states for five years. The earlier provision of additional one per cent levy for the losing states has now been done away with. Impact on inflation Analysts feel that in the short term, there could be some impact on prices of services which now attract an average service tax of around 14 per cent only at the Central level. However, in the case of manufactured products like automobile, the standard GST could be much lower than the combined present effect of excise and state levies. However, in the medium to long term, this should play out. On the whole, GST should be anti-dote to inflation and would thus be peoplefriendly along with trade /industry friendly. It would also bring in a lot of unorganized sector of the economy within the mainstream. GST Rate There would be about three rates – Standard rate in the form of X which will cover bulk of the items , X-minus for the items of mass consumption and X-plus for the luxury goods or the so-called “sin goods’’. In the Constitutional Amendment, there is no mention of the GST rates, which would be decided by the GST Council comprising of Un-

ion Finance Minister as the Chairman and Finance ministers of the states. Any decision of the GST Council would require three-fourth approval of the Council. The states would have two –third of the voting powers and the Centre one-third. The Congress Party has demanded a ceiling of 18 per cent on GST standard rate while the government is called upon to ensure the revenue neutral rate (RNR). Any major deviation from RNR could be counterproductive either for inflation or for fiscal prudence. Getting the right RNR both for the Centre and the states would be a major challenge. Left out Petroleum products and alcoholic beverages have been left out of the GST, for now, on concerns of the states which feared these major revenue heads could not be bargained for. For the sake of wider political consensus, these heads have been left for the future reforms. What Next? After approval of Parliament, the GST Bill would go for ratification by at least half the states. The process is expected to be completed very soon. Afterwards, Parliament will have to again pass two enabling bills – one for the Central GST and the other for the Integrated GST. Besides, the state legislatures will have to pass the enabling law of State GST. In the meantime, work on the central IT backbone being prepared by a non-profit organisation is being done on a war-footing for the possible roll out from the next financial year. * Prakash Chawla is a senior journalist and commentator. He mostly writes on political-economy and global economic issues.

AIRLINES

raffic data submitted by various domestic airlines has been analysed for the month of June 2016. The biggest airline by number of passengers is IndiGo. The most punctual airline is Vistara. Spicejet had its aircraft filled the most, but it is also the leader in passenger complaints. The most reliable is IndiGo which had the fewest flight cancellations. Passengers carried by domestic airlines during Jan-Jun 2016 were 475.79 lakhs as against 388.33 lakhs during the corresponding period of previous year thereby registering a growth of 22.52%. The passenger load factor in the month of June 2016 has slightly decreased compared to previous month primarily due to the end of

tourist season. In the passenger load Spicejet stands first with 93% followed by Air Asia 90-86% and Go Air by 84-88%. The rest of the flights also show growth but they stand behind these three in passenger load. The overall cancellation rate of scheduled domestic airlines for the month of June 2016 has been 0.96%. Trujet stands first in cancellations with 21.73% where as Indigo with the least rating of 0.20%. Apart from Indigo, Jetlite, Go Air, Jet Airways, Vistara and Spicejet also rank less than 1% in the cancellation criterion. Technical is the main reason followed by miscellaneous, commercial, weather and operational. During June 2016, a total of 788 passenger related complaints had been received by the scheduled domestic airlines. The number of

complaints per 10,000 passengers carried for the month of June 2016 has been 1.0. Air India tops in passenger complaints and Vistara has the least complaint. The complaints that topped the list were customer service, flight problems, baggage issues and staff behaviour. During the month of June 2016, all the scheduled domestic airlines complied with the mandatory capacity deployment requirements contained in the Route Dispersal Guidelines. On-Time Performance (OTP) of scheduled domestic airlines has been computed for four metro airports viz. Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Vistara ranks first with 86.5% followed by Indigo, Jet Airways/Jetlite, Spicejet, Go Air and Air India in OTP.

Tourism India | August 2016 | 47

AIRLINES

mirates announced an 11% capacity increase to Manchester with the deployment of a third daily A380 on the route. As of 1st January 2017, the replacement of the Boeing 777-300ER will mean that all Emirates flights to Manchester will be operated by the iconic double decker aircraft. Thanks to the new aircraft deployment, Emirates will offer 2,198 additional weekly seats on the route, enabling further business and leisure travel between Dubai and Manchester. The airline also expects to break the symbolic mark of one million passengers carried on the route for this financial year, attesting to the growing demand in the market. Emirates have announced that it will be upgrading one of its four daily flights between Dubai and Johannesburg to an Airbus A380-800 from 1st February 2017. Emirates currently uses Boeing 777 aircraft for each of the four daily flights between the two cities, making it the busiest route in the airline’s African network with over three million passengers carried in the last five years. Once launched,

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Johannesburg will join more than 40 destinations in Emirates’ extensive global network that is served by its flagship A380 aircraft. With four flights a day between the two cities, Emirates provides both inbound and outbound customers with more choice and flexibility when planning their travel, and enables convenient and seamless connections for travellers from Johannesburg to destinations across the airline’s global network, especially in Europe, West Asia, the United States and the Far East, with just one stop at its modern and comfortable Dubai hub. Emirates unveiled plans to increase capacity on the Dubai-Milan route with the deployment of a second daily A380. The migration from a Boeing 777-300ER to the iconic double decker represents a capacity increase of 1,834 seats per week between the two cities; enabling more A380 to A380 connections to and from key destinations in Australia, China, South Korea and South East Asia with just one stop in Dubai. Commencing 1st October 2016,

Emirates flights EK91/92 will be operated by an Airbus A380 aircraft in a 3-class configuration with 14 Private Suites in First Class, 76 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 401 comfortable seats in Economy Class. Guangzhou will join more than 40 destinations on Emirates’ extensive global network served by its highly popular A380 aircraft, including Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, London, Paris, Sydney, Toronto, Auckland, Bangkok, and Seoul. Emirates will deploy its three-class A380 on the Guangzhou route, offering a total of 491 seats, with 14 private suites in First Class, 76 mini pods with lie-flat seats in Business Class and 401 spacious seats in Economy Class. Flight EK362 will depart Dubai at 10:20am and arrive in Guangzhou at 22:05. The return flight, EK363, will depart Guangzhou at 12:15am and arrive in Dubai at 03:50*. Emirates is keen to support China’s economic, trade and connectivity ambitions as China looks to connect the world through the Belt and Road Initiative. With its wide network across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, Emirates serves 56 cities in 31 of the 65 countries identified as part of the Initiative and is a ready-made connector of people and trade.

AIRLINES

mirates recently enhanced its presence in Southeast Asia with the launch of a new daily linked service from Dubai to Yangon (RGN) in Myanmar, and onwards to Hanoi (HAN) in Vietnam. This new service, which is being operated with a Boeing 777-300ER, expands the airline’s network in Southeast Asia to 12 cities in seven countries and offers more choices and convenience to passengers travelling between Hanoi and Yangon to Dubai and beyond. Yangon, the first destination within Myanmar to be served by Emirates, is one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia. As the country’s largest city and the most important commercial centre, Yangon contributes approximately one fifth to the country’s GDP. The previously undiscovered country of-

fers visitors a rare glimpse of ancient Asia, and since the opening up of tourism, has witnessed an increase in foreign tourist arrivals. Meanwhile, Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam and also a destination with rich culture and heritage for over a thousand years, becomes Emirates’ second gateway within the country following the launch of services to Ho Chi Minh City in 2012. Badr Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Far East, was on board the inaugural flight with a number of senior executives of the airline. They were joined by a VIP delegation that included prominent business leaders as well as media from the UAE, GCC and Europe. The aircraft was greeted in Yangon and Hanoi by traditional water cannon salutes upon arrival. As the World’s Best Airline 2016

awarded by SkyTrax, Emirates provides its customers with a wide range of choices across its global network of 154 destinations in 82 countries and territories together with exceptional on-board offerings and services. Flights to Yangon and Hanoi will depart daily from Dubai as EK388 at 03:30hrs arriving at Yangon International Airport at 11:40hrs. The service will then depart from Yangon at 13:00hrs and arrive at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport at 15:30hrs. The return flight, EK389 will depart Hanoi at 22:50hrs, arriving at Yangon at 00:20hrs the next day. The service will then depart from Yangon at 01:50hrs and arrive at Dubai International Airport at 05:05hrs.

Tourism India | August 2016 | 49

AIRLINES

tihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, announced plans to increase Airbus A380 service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport in response to heightened demand from guests traveling between the two destinations. Beginning on June 1, 2017, the airline will upgrade its second flight between Abu Dhabi and New York JFK to its award-winning A380 aircraft which features The Residence, the only three-room suite available in commercial airline operation, and its award-winning First Apartment cabins. The new service will join the airline’s existing daily A380 service, replacing the current daily Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Etihad Airways first began welcoming guests on board its first A380 flight between New York JFK and Abu Dhabi in No-

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vember 2015. “The response we have received from Etihad Airways guests traveling between Abu Dhabi and New York since we launched the service nearly a decade ago has been phenomenal, and we are delighted to further expand our world-class product for all guests traveling to and from New York,” said Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer. A total of 70 Business Studies are also located on the upper deck of the A380, all offering direct aisle access, a fully flat bed of up to 80.5 inches long and an increase of 20 per cent in personal space. Food and Beverage Managers in Business Class provide guests with expertise in food and wine pairing from an extensive ‘Dine Anytime’ menu. The main deck of the aircraft features 415 Economy Smart Seats with the latest Panasonic eX3 en

tertainment system, providing more than 750 hours of on-demand entertainment, improved gaming and high definition screens across all cabins. The A380 features full inflight connectivity including WiFi. The Lobby, a luxurious lounge located between the First and Business Class cabins, features two comfortable Poltrona Frau leather sofas and a staffed bar, offering a large selection of snacks and refreshments available throughout the flight. Etihad Airways first introduced daily, nonstop, round-trip flights into New York JFK on October 26, 2006, and this fall, the airline will celebrate 10 years of service between Abu Dhabi and the New York

AIRLINES

A state-of-the-art Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner touched down in Shanghai from Abu Dhabi on its first flight into China. The new Dreamliner features the airline’s next-generation business and economy class cabins, and will operate with 299 seats, 28 in Business class and 271 in economy, representing a 14 per cent capacity increase on the route. To mark the event, guests were presented with commemorative certificates in Chinese and English, featuring Shanghai’s iconic landmark, the Oriental Pearl Tower. Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “Since launching flights between Shanghai and Abu Dhabi four years ago, we have experienced first-hand the huge growth of China’s outbound tourism market and enjoyed strong demand from both business and leisure travellers.” Mr. Baumgartner continued: “The

new Boeing 787 services will help to support the increasing demand for outbound tourism from Shanghai and its surrounding cities in Eastern China. The additional capacity will enable more Chinese business and leisure travellers to enjoy seamless one-stop connections over the Abu Dhabi hub to over 40 destinations across the Gulf region, Europe, Africa and South America.” China has recently surpassed the USA as the biggest business travel market in the world, according to the Global Business Travel Association, representing US$291.2 billion spending on business travel in 2015. The Dreamliner will assist Etihad Airways’ growing reputation amongst the business community in China, with the aircraft specifically catering to the long-haul business market. The airline’s world-renowned guest experience begins well before departure and lasts long after arrival.

For example, its chauffeur service is available in over 30 cities globally including Beijing and Shanghai. For inflight entertainment, Etihad Airways currently operates the latest Panasonic eX3 IFE system on its flagship fleet of Boeing 787s and Airbus A380s. Guests can also enjoy mobile connectivity, access to onboard Wi-Fi and seven satellite channels of live TV on many aircraft. For economy passengers, the airline’s Smart Seats provide enhanced comfort with a unique ‘fixed wing’ headrest, adjustable lumbar support, a seat width of approximately 19 inches and an 11.1” personal TV monitor on each seat. Shanghai is the seventh destination in the world to be served by Etihad Airways’ B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with the aircraft also deployed to Perth, Brisbane, Singapore, Washington DC, Zurich and Düsseldorf. Tourism India | August 2016 | 51

AIRLINES

alindo Air has teamed up with Qatar Airways to offer passengers seamless travel and greater connectivity when travelling between ASEAN and more than 100 destinations in Qatar Airways’ network. The enhanced connectivity is coupled with the convenience of a single reservation across both airlines’ networks – thanks to a new bilateral interline

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agreement that took effect on 8 July 2016. The partnership allows Qatar Airways passengers to tap into Malindo Air’s growing short-haul regional network that currently serves 36 cities in 13 countries, including 13 major airports in Malaysia. Malindo Air passengers travelling from cities such as Langkawi, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Johor Bahru and Kuching can also easily book interline itineraries containing sec-

tors that include one of Qatar Airways’ thrice-daily flights departing from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), thereby seamlessly connecting themselves to more than 100 onwards destinations within the Qatar Airways global network. Malindo Air CEO Chandran Rama Murthy, said, “We are delighted to partner Qatar Airways, one of the world’s best airlines renowned for its aviation excellence and onboard hospitality. The agreement

AIRLINES

will further enhance Malindo Air’s reach beyond KLIA to all destinations served by Qatar Airways. Malindo Air is now able to bring our passengers further than ever before, with onward flights connecting passengers to more than 100 global destinations through Qatar Airways’ state-of-the-art hub, Hamad International Airport in Doha.” Chandran also added, “This partnership will also give convenience for travellers from all corners of the globe to visit Malaysia and experience our diverse culture, explore our eco-tourism and enjoy the renowned Malaysian hospitality. Our extensive network coverage in Malaysia will enhance the choice of travel destinations to Visit Malaysia for customers in both the business and leisure segments.” Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “By partnering carriers such as Malindo Air, Qatar Airways

is able to expand our regional footprint and continue to drive passenger growth on our Malaysia route and here in the ASEAN region.” Malindo Air,a premium Malaysianbased carrier, and Turkish Airlines, a fast growing global carrier operating to 289 destinations worldwide, jointly announced the start of interline partnership that enables both carriers to tap into new markets and making travel even more convenient for their guests. Therebytravellers can now plan their business or leisure trip, with Malindo Air-Turkish Airlines cooperation. Malindo Air currently serves more than 800 weekly flights to 40 cities in 12 countries in the Indian SubContinent, South India, ASEAN region, China and Australia with several new cities set to launch by the middle of the year. Turkish Airlines connects 240 international destinations and Istanbul, as the only city in the world

having settled on two continents, serves as a main hub of Turkish Airlines. It offers the transcontinental advantages of its location in Eurasia and connects flights to destinations all around the globe easier than ever. Chandran Rama Muthy, CEO of Malindo Air said, “This new interline ticket agreement is a flying partnership and will enable passengers to find connections easier when traveling between the ASEAN region and Europe.” Turkish Airlines' Deputy Chairman & CEO, Mr Temel Kotil said, "In connection with rapidly growing relations between our countries, we sincerely believe that this partnership with Malindo Air will bring enormous benefit to both airlines within commercial perspective. Together we’ll be able to provide multiple travel alternatives to our passengers and eventually increasing the traffic between European and Asian destinations respectively”. Tourism India | August 2016 | 53

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man Air and Saudi Arabian Airlines have signed a codeshare agreement covering services between Muscat and four destinations in Saudi Arabia. Effective from 29th June, customers were able to book flights through either airline for services between Muscat and Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, or Medina.

Saudi Arabian Airlines operates regular flights throughout the week from Riyadh, Jeddah, and Medina to Muscat, using Airbus 320 aircraft.

This new codeshare agreement represents an important element of Oman Airâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy to increase the choice, convenience and connectivity that the airline offers its customers. In addition to expanding its network Oman Air operates double-daily flights between Mus- to approximately 75 destinations by 2020, Oman Air cat and Riyadh, double-daily flights between Muscat has entered into a number of codeshare partnerships, and Jeddah, up to two flights per day between Mus- with various reputed international airlines. Such agreecat and Dammam and daily flights between Muscat and ments enable Oman Airâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customers to enjoy increased Medina. The airline deploys Boeing 737s on services frequencies on a number of established routes, as well to Riyadh, Dammam and Medina, whilst B737s, Airbus as access to a wide range of destinations in Asia, Aus300s, and Boeing 787 Dreamliners are deployed on tralasia, Africa and Europe. services to Jeddah.

54 | Tourism India | August 2016

AIRLINES

riLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka, will be suspending its operations to Paris and Frankfurt, from winter 2016. Accordingly, the last flights between Frankfurt and Colombo (UL 553/554) will be operated on October 30, while UL 563/564 of November 6, 2016 will conclude the operations between Paris and Colombo. The Government of Sri Lanka has made it clear that it will no longer fund continuing losses. Airline sources said that the route network is being continuously evaluated in the context of changing market dynamics in order to maximize on sustainable routes which bring in more contribution towards the bottom

line. While the drop in fuel prices has contributed to the airline’s improved performance, this benefit has been significantly eroded with the airline’s revenues declining for the F/Y ending 2015/16 compared to the previous year. Addition of capacity to the Colombo market particularly by Middle Eastern carriers, accompanied by a drop in airfares in European markets has seen the contribution of the European network drop in comparison to the other routes. This has been further exacerbated by the depreciation of the Euro against the Dollar. Airline sources further stated that there were no short term signs of recovery in yields. SriLankan operates daily flights

to both Doha and Abu Dhabi and has a strong code share relationship with Etihad and Qatar through which it will continue to provide onward connectivity to the European destinations it has been serving via Paris and Frankfurt. London will remain the Airline’s gateway to Europe, where the Airline has deployed its state-of-the-art A330-300 fleet for daily non-stop operations, providing a greater comfort and an enhanced flying experience to its passengers. The Indian Sub-continent, the Middle East and the Far East will remain SriLankan’s focal markets, where the Airline will continue to explore its potential for expansion. Tourism India | August 2016 | 55

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Oman Air has announced further expansion to its global network with a new destination starting in September 2016. The flights will operate from Oman Air’s hub in Muscat to Najaf, in Iraq with four weekly flights. Flights to Najaf will start on 15th September 2016. This is Oman Air’s first destination in Iraq, and the carrier will operate the flights aboard Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The launch of the new route is in response to airline's significant customer demand also demonstrates Oman Air’s commitment to continuing its ambitious network expansion programme, first unveiled in 2014. The new destination represents the addition of a new country to Oman Air’s network, opening up easy access to Oman Air’s outstanding range of choices for customers from Iraq. In addition, the service will further help to strengthen political, economic and social links between Oman and Iraq. Following the launch of the new route, Oman Air’s network will include 51 destinations in 28 countries. It is anticipated that the network will include 75 destinations by 2020. Commenting on the new services Oman Air’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President Commercial, Abdulrahman Al Busaidy said: “Oman Air is undertaking an ambitious growth programme to de56 | Tourism India | August 2016

velop our network and ensure international connectivity. We are committed to ensuring that our customers have greater choice and the opportunity to discover new destinations with Oman Air. We are therefore delighted to be launching this exciting new service to Najaf. As our first destination in Iraq, Najaf offers excellent potential for travellers visiting friends and family, and for pilgrims.” Oman Air has provided a substantial boost to its services to Salalah over the summer months, in respond to customer demand. The national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman is expanding its capacity to the principal city of Dhofar, in Southern Oman by an additional of almost 23,000 seats, compared with the previous year. The unprecedented increase will see Oman Air offer a total of 317,600 seats to and from Salalah. The increased capacity has been enabled by an increase in flight frequencies between Salalah and Muscat, and between Salalah and Dubai. Furthermore, Oman Air has deployed Boeing 737 airliners on its six daily frequencies between Salalah and Dubai, enabling increased numbers of customers from the UAE to enjoy both Oman Air’s outstanding passenger experience and the warm hospitality offered to visitors in Salalah. The move by the national carrier of the Sultanate of

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Oman underlines its long-term commitment to supporting economic growth of the Dhofar Governorate. It also continues Oman Airâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s year-on-year expansion on routes out of Salalah, which last year saw a record 52,274 seat offered by the carrier on flights between Salalah and Dubai. Salalah has experienced significant growth in the number of visitors it receives, especially during the Khareef (summer monsoon). The Khareef sees the southernmost tip of Oman transformed from a dry desert to a lush green carpet, where brilliant flowers bloom in the moist climate and wildlife abounds. Visitors from around the world, and especially the GCC region, come to experience the cooling mists and rains which envelop the area, contrasting sharply with the heat found elsewhere

within the Gulf. Exceptional efforts been made to boost tourist facilities and services in Dhofar. These include an expansion of its hotel sector and the establishment of the Salalah Tourism Festival, of which Oman Air is the Official Airline and a major sponsor. In addition, Oman Air has worked in close partnership with OAMC (Oman Airports Management Company) to modernise and expand the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s airport. As the Khareef continues, Oman Air will continue to monitor demand on the Salalah/Muscat and Salalah/ Dubai sectors. Should there be a requirement from customers; consideration will be given to further increases in the number of flights operated and the number of seats offered.

Tourism India | August 2016 | 57

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he Italian city of Pisa welcomed the first Qatar Airways flight to arrive at its international airport from Doha, Qatar. The Airbus A330 landed at 06:55 and was greeted by a celebratory water canon salute as well as a welcome ceremony with flags and drums from people in traditional costumes. The VIP delegation on board the flight, which included the airline’s Senior Vice President for Europe, Mr. Jonathan Harding, were welcomed by airport authorities representatives Mr. Marco Carrai, President of Tuscany Airports; and Ms. Gina Giani, CEO of Tuscany Airports as well as Mr. Marco Filippeschi, Mayor of Pisa. Pisa is the fourth city in Italy to be served by Qatar Airways, which has been flying to Milan since 2002, to Rome since 2003, and to Venice since 2011. The airline already offers five daily frequencies to Italy: two to Milan and Rome and one to Venice. The new daily flight to Pisa will increase the airline’s weekly flights from Doha to Italy from 35 58 | Tourism India | August 2016

to 42. In the last year, Qatar Airways has strengthened its existing Italian routes and demonstrated its commitment to the Italian market by introducing new, wide-body aircraft generating a 35 per cent increase in passenger capacity. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Pisa is an important addition to our route map, strengthening our ties with the people of Italy by offering them another opportunity to connect with more than 150 business and leisure destinations. We are equally delighted to be giving our loyal passengers from around the globe the chance to visit the beautiful city of Pisa and the surrounding region of Tuscany.” President of Tuscany Airports, Mr. Marco Carrai, said: "Our region continues to open up to the world thanks to the agreement with Qatar Airways and the opening of the new service between Pisa and Doha. This new route gives us the oppor-

tunity to enlarge the new network to business and leisure connections throughout Asia and Africa. This is one of the most prestigious milestones in the history of Tuscan Airports, as the benefits for our region will soon be under the eyes of all. This is an achievement that Tuscany Airports can really be proud of." The award-winning airline is flying the Airbus A320 daily to Pisa, enriching the airline’s global network and offering its passengers a new Italian destination. The new getaway will connect Tuscany to the Qatar Airways network, through its stateof-the-art hub in Doha, to more than 150 business and leisure destinations including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The A320 will also provide businesses importing and exporting goods to and from Pisa with 11 tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity per week.

AIRLINES

atar Airways and Qatar Aircraft Catering Company (QACC) have launched a new waste reduction and recycling programme in Doha, further contributing towards local and international environmental solutions. As a world-leading airline Qatar Airways is continually improving how it manages its impact on the environment and has been working to introduce additional measures that will minimise packaging and increase recycling to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. Over the past three months Qatar Airways and QACC have recycled 266 tonnes of materials including cardboard, plastic wrapping and a variety of plastic containers. These materials have been collected by two

local firms for recycling, along with 6,300 litres of cooking oil which will be converted into biodiesel. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “QACC’s focus on reducing waste is a core part of Qatar Airways’ commitment to the environment. Our promise to provide travellers with the highest quality service extends to delivering sustainable and environmentally responsible services across our global network. Recycling not only delivers efficiencies but reduces environmental impacts arising from waste disposal and the consumption of natural resources. “Qatar Airways and QACC recognise that through the provision of support and investment, our local

recycling supply chain can evolve to further drive environmental change in Qatar and provide an excellent revenue opportunity for local commerce.” QACC operates a state-of-the-art facility providing premium in-flight and lounge catering services to passengers travelling on the national airline’s global network and utilising HIA lounges including the awardwinning Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge at Hamad International Airport. Together with the Qatar Airways Group companies QACC is leading ambitious energy and water conservation and waste minimisation programmes to support the environmental pillar of Qatar’s Vision for 2030. Tourism India | August 2016 | 59

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The fax tax proposed by Dr. Thomas Issac, Finance Minister of Kerala in the revised budget has come into effect. The Kerala Hotel & Restaurant Association has requested to the state government to limit the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fat taxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; only to junk foods sold through branded outlets. The junk foods 60 | Tourism India | August 2016

like pizzas, doughnuts, sandwiches, tacos, butter-pattys, pasta, breadfillings and other cooked food items sold through branded outlets will be slapped with 14.5% tax. The same junk food sold through small bakeries and other smaller outlets will be exempted from the

purview of fat tax. With this increase the government hope to grab up to Rs. 10 crore as tax. The Association authorities conveyed that the Minister in his Budget speech had imposed 14.5% fat tax on junk food sold through branded outlets. But the Finance Bill introduced in the as-

sembly has made the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fat taxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; applicable on all food items sold through all branded restaurants. The association had encouraged branding of domestic restaurants so that they could compete with the multi-national restaurant chains. Today many small restaurants had

risen to the level of branded ones and they had even acquired trade mark registrations. But as per the provisions introduced by the Finance Bill it would lead to a 14.5% tax on all food items, even non-junk food, which were sold through any branded outlets.

As per the Kerala Finance Bill 2016 a 5% tax will be levied on wheat and wheat products like atta, maida, sooji and rava. Apart from that green tax will be imposed in different slabs on vehicles that are 10 or more years old.

Kerala introduces ' Fat tax' on unhealthy food. The tax applies to - burghers, pizzas, doughnuts, sandwiches and pasta when sold through branded restaurants. While it would result in INR 10 cr revenue the measure is clearly more than for a source of funds. It is a health measure. By that logic a similar measure would follow for sugared sodas. And perhaps introduction of a health warning for such foods and drinks. And perhaps a distance rule prohibiting sale or service of such foods and drinks from places of education - schools & colleges. While this may sound preposterous. It's benefit will be health for the citizen and also local entrepreneurs who invariably do not fit into the definition ' branded restaurants '. Kerala thus a pioneer on this route in India and joins the league countries using taxation to discourage unhealthy food and drinks Mr. Jose Dominic, MD, CGH Earth Group

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‘OPEN SKY POLICY’ Agreement with SAARC Countries As per National Civil Aviation Policy 2016, Government has planned to enter into an 'Open Sky' Air Service Agreement on a reciprocal basis with SAARC countries and countries with territory located entirely beyond a 5000 km radius from New Delhi. Unlimited flights above the existing bilateral rights will be allowed directly

to and from major airports within the country as notified by the Government time to time. However, the points of call at other airports under the existing Air Service Agreement will continue to be honoured till the same are renegotiated.

‘C-ATFM’ To Decongestair Traffic at Airports Airports Authority of India has initiated the process for installation of Central Air Traffic Flow Management (CATFM) at 06 metro airports -Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad & Bangalore and associated air spaces in the first phase. Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning (SITC) of first phase of C-AFTM

project has been awarded with a total estimated cost of Rs.107Crores. C-ATFM is for the purpose of balancing the demand and capacity at airports and airspace. There is no implication on navigational facilities at Indian airports

Expansion of Airports in Tamil Nadu The Government has planned to develop and expand the airports in Tamil Nadu. The details of works undertaken by AAI for development of airports in Tamil Nadu along with their projected cost are as follows: (i) Chennai Airport: Re-surfacing of runway 07/25 - Rs. 40.90 crores Provision of poly carbonate sheet enclosure at city side arrival, departure and airside bus terminal lounge along with development of area around metro station - Rs. 3.75 crores (ii) Coimbatore Airport: Expansion of apron for 2 additional parking bays - Rs. 6.42 crores

Construction of airside corridor with fixed aero-link corridor for isolation of 2 additional aerobridges for the integrated passenger terminal building - Rs. 2.63 crores (iii) Tuticorin Airport: Resurfacing of existing runway, taxiway and strengthening of apron - Rs. 4.80 crores. The Development and expansion of airports is a continuous process, which is undertaken by Airports Authority of India (AAI) from time to time depending upon the availability of land free of cost and free from all encumbrances, traffic demand, commercial viability, technical feasibility, etc.

Construction of New Airports Government has granted 'site clearance' for setting up of a Greenfield Airport at Bhiwadi, District Alwar in Rajasthan in November 2015 and at Dagadarthi Mendal Nellore District, Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram District near Visakhapatnam and Oravakallu in Kurnool District in Andhra Pradesh in January 2016.

The Government has also received two proposals from Gujarat for setting up of Greenfield Airport at Dholera and Ankleshwar in Gujarat. Ministry of Civil Aviation has examined these two proposals and granted 'in-principle' approval for setting up of Greenfield Airport at Dholera in Gujarat in January 2016.

Safety Audit of Aviation Sector by ICAO The ICAO conducted audit of Civil Aviation Security in India in October 2015 under their four yearly Universal Security Audit Programme - Continuous Monitoring Approach (USAP-CMA). India's compliance with ICAO regulations has been rated at 99.25%. 62 | Tourism India | August 2016

The ICAO during the audit of India under its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) in December 2015 had asked about the steps being taken to ensure adequate number of ATS (Air Traffic Services) personnel in Airports Authority of India (AAI). In re-

sponse, the risk assessment and the immediate mitiga- to ICAO who accepted the measures adopted. Thus no tions measures already put in place by AAI to ensure safety concern was raised by ICAO. adequate number of ATS personnel was communicated

Impact of FDI in Aviation Sector The Government has released the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016 on 15.06.2016. The NCAP 2016 covers the broad policy areas, such as Regional connectivity, Safety, Air Transport Operations, 5/20 Requirement for International Operations, Bilateral traffic rights, Fiscal Support, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul, Air-cargo, Aeronautical 'Make in India'. The broad key features of the NCAP are as under: i) VGF for operation under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). ii) Revival of un-served or under-served routes under RCS. iii) Introduction of a new Category 'Schedule Commuter Operator' under Commercial Air Transport Operations. iv) Rationalization of Category-I routes under Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDGs) on the basis of criteria given in NCAP 2016. v) The requirement of 5 years and 20 aircrafts for international operation has been modified to 0 years and 20 aircrafts or 20% of the total capacity (in terms of

average number of seats on all departure put together) whichever is higher for domestic operations. vi) Liberalization of domestic code share points in India within the framework of ASA. The National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016 has been formulated after extensive consultation with all the stakeholders. With 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% FDI under automatic route has now been allowed in Brownfield Airport projects. This move would also serve in further developing the domestic aviation infrastructure. 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 of the 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

Construction of Helipads The Government has released National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016 on 15.06.2016 which, inter-alia, includes Helicopter usage to promote regional connectivity by facilitating the development of atleast four helihubs initially across the Country. Also Helicopters will now be free to fly from point to point without prior ATC

clearance in airspace below 5000 feet and areas other than controlled airspace, prohibited and restricted ones, Temporary Segregated Areas (TSAs) and Temporary Restricted Areas (TRAs) after obtaining the Air Defence clearance, wherever required and intimating the following information to the nearest ATC.

Cancellation Fee of Airlines Under the provision of prevailing regulation (Sub Rule (1) of Rule 135 of Aircraft Rules, 1937), every air transport undertaking engaged in scheduled air services is required to establish tariff having regard to all relevant factors, cost of operation, characteristics of service, reasonable profit and the generally prevailing tariff including the cancellation fees of pre-booked air tickets. Airlines remain compliant to the regulations so long as the cancellations charges levied by airlines are displayed on their website. The Directorate General of Civil Avia-

tion (DGCA) has issued Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), Section-3, Series M, Part-II on "Refund of airline tickets to passengers of public transport undertakings". The CAR specifies that the statutory taxes and User Development Fee (UDF)/ADF/Passenger Service Fee (PSF) shall be refunded by airline in case of cancellation, the cancellation charge shall not be more than the basic fare plus fuel surcharge, airline shall not levy any additional charge to process the refund and refund process is to be completed within 30 working days. Tourism India | August 2016 | 63

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Inter Continental guest offering and to showcase how it is redefining luxury travel to make dream journeys a reality, the new Insider Guide to the Ultimate in Luxury Travel with Club InterContinental has been launched throughout the AMEA region. From planning your ultimate dream travel experience at some of the most glamorous hotels and resorts across the region to fashion advice for any climate, The Insider Guide to the Ultimate in Luxury Travel with Club Inter Continental is the perfect companion when travelling with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts. Experts in luxury travel and lifestyle have provided top tips to give readers an invaluable collection of insights into how to make the most of a luxury escape. From designer, Raghavendra Rathore, who believes a smart messenger bag, crisp white shirt and a good fragrance are the only ‘must-

ecreating the ‘Golden Age of Travel’, that indulgent era where every aspect of a holiday journey was the epitome of style at its finest, is easier than it may seem, says luxury expert Bruce Ryde from InterContinental Hotels & Resorts. Whether travelling for pleasure or business, bringing to life the glamour, romance and allure of luxury travel is effortless with Club InterContinental, the end-to-end bespoke premium travel experience by

64 | Tourism India | August 2016

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts tailored exclusively to individual guest preferences. “Luxury is a mind-set for our InterContinental guests,” says Bruce, Head of Luxury and Lifestyle Brand and Marketing, IHG, Asia, Middle East & Africa (AMEA), “They’re discerning, extraordinarily well-travelled and appreciate finer, more personalised touches when it comes to the way they spend their time away.” Customised attention to detail is the very cornerstone of the Club

haves’ you need to pack, to fashion director Esther Quek, who is a fan of a Little Black Dress for the ladies and a classic timepiece for gentlemen. When it comes to experiencing the best in food and drink, Chek Wong, Air Sommelier and Wine Expert, shares his secrets for some of Singapore’s best bars and Alessandro Bottazzi, Culinary Director of Harvest Concept, offers his unique take on sampling local indulgences in the UAE. The Club InterContinental team offers recommendations for not only planning the perfect trip away, but ways to make any trip, whether business or leisure, indulgent and glamorous at over 50 InterContinental hotels and resorts across AMEA and more than 70 around the world. Booking a table at that restaurant you’ve always dreamed of dining at, or arranging a private behindthe-scenes tour, the Insider Guide shows any request is possible for the Club InterContinental team, who are passionate about bringing to life exceptional customised experiences for its guests. “This Insider Guide helps guests not only plan their dream stay but enhance their Club InterContinental experience with advice on ways to make their trip the ultimate in travel indulgence, completely personalised and carefully curate to their wishes, as well as showcasing the array of bespoke privileges available to Club InterContinental guests from the moment they make their reservation to their departure from the hotel,” Bruce explains. There are currently two properties of InterContinental Hotels &

Resorts (164 rooms) in India and 68 hotels and resorts (21,240rooms) across Asia, Middle East and Africa. For more information on InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, visit www. intercontinental.com. Tourism India | August 2016 | 65

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ollowing the release of the Draft Regional Connectivity Scheme recently, senior officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, held broad and in-depth consultations with the Stakeholders of the new Scheme in the capital today. The key issues discussed during the deliberations were as follows: 1. Bidding Parameter to be considered while inviting proposals for interested airlines operations under the Scheme. 2. Exclusivity to be granted to Selected Airline Operators for Operations under the Scheme. 3. Airfare Caps proposed under the Scheme 4. VGF Caps and PLF based tapering of VGF proposed under the Scheme 5. Minimum Performance Specifications to be adhered to by Selected Airline Operator 6. Provisions enabling easy entry and exist 7. RCS applicability 8. Overall implementation of RCS Representatives of State Governments expressed their willingness to cooperate in giving support to Airlines to operate from airports within their States. However, States from the North East wanted the Centre to give 100 % financial assistance to the Scheme. Representatives from Airlines wanted assistance under the Scheme to be extended beyond period of three years. Some Stakeholders also wanted flexibility with regard to the distance stipulated in the Draft. They wanted the minimum distance of 200 Km and maximum distance of 600 Km to be decided on a case to case basis. Speaking to media persons, the Minister of State for 66 | Tourism India | August 2016

Civil Aviation, Mr. Jayant Sinha said that the Regional Connectivity Scheme is in pursuance of the Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s objective of taking development and infrastructural facilities to the common man in all parts of the country. Also while addressing the media, Secretary, Civil Aviation Mr. R.N. Choubey said that, the Ministry had come with an open mind and will try to address the concerns of the various Stakeholders wherever possible. He was hopeful that the Regional Connectivity Scheme should take final shape by mid August. The primary objective of the Regional Connectivity Scheme is to facilitate and stimulate regional air connectivity by making it affordable. The Scheme proposes (1) concessions by Central & State Governments and airport operators and (2) fiscal (viabilility gap funding or VGF) support to promote affordability of regional air connectivity. Apart from senior officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation the meet was attended by the following Stakeholders. 1. Ministers and senior officers from the State Governments/UTs 2. Airport Operators 3. National airlines 4. Regional Airlines and Non-schedules opera tors 5. Airline Associations 6. Helicopter operators and their association in cluding Pawan Hans, RWSI 7. Aircraft Manufactures 8. Regulatory agencies like DGCA, AERA, BCAS 9. Industry associations

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long with Japan’s charming landscapes, rich culture, technological advancements and simple lifestyle, it is also globally known for its art and craft which involves spectacular work in the field of ‘Origami’ and ‘Calligraphy’. Since the Japanese developed Japanese paper, they had a custom of wrapping offerings and gifts in paper. Over the time they started enjoying the act of folding paper itself without the formality and rules associated with gift wrapping, which is “Origami” we see today. Now Origami is enjoyed all over the world and continues evolving. Complex origami refers to a three dimensional piece of work completed by “folding” a piece of paper based on mathematical theory. After coming up with the image of what you want to create, you make a “crease pattern” which indicates folding lines according to the sequence of folding the paper. The process of creating a “crease pattern” is referred to as “design”. After making the development you carefully follow its folding lines to turn it into a piece of work. Let’s take a look at amazing works of origami which may be hard to believe that they were made of a single piece of paper. On the other hand, Tessellation origami utilizes the technique of weav-

ing a geometric pattern which can be theoretically expanded infinitely on a plain. When lit up from behind a complex and fantastic pattern emerges. This piece of work which looks like a flower was also made from a single piece of paper. Not just that, Origami’s folding techniques developed in Japan are now being studied and applied in various academic disciplines such as airbags, robots that change shapes and human body system engineering. Today the concept of origami provides useful insights in various fields and has the global attention. In fact the solar panel installed in the International Space Station was developed using the techniques used in origami. Origami is not just an eye-pleasing work of art but, it is combined with technologies in various fields and put into practical use.Japanese Calligraphy is another artistic gem in the country’s pocket which has an amazing history to it. Consisting of rubbing ink sticks to produce ink and writing with a

brush, it was once a common way of writing in Japan. Nowadays, few people write with brushes on a daily basis, but the artistic qualities of calligraphy are highly appreciated. In fact, calligraphy exhibitions are held, just like those for paintings. One difference from paintings is that once it's written, corrections are not made. Calligraphers consider the size and balance of the characters, the darkness or lightness of the ink, how easily the ink will run, what lines will be broken or grazed, and write the characters all at once. Japanese calligraphy is a simple yet profound art, rendered in the two colors of black and white. Due to the involvement of such artistically brilliant technique and flawless writing, the calligraphic characters have taken over the world in the field of tattooing art. Travelers from all over the globe tattoo names and emotionally significant characters in the font of Japanese calligraphy making it an integral part of the global art and craft. Tourism India | August 2016 | 67

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be found in cobbled alleys off the Hoogstraat. 2. World’s Longest Tram Ride According to the popular belief, Flemish coast is flat and permanently rainy. But, taking this coastal Tram ride is the best way to add something else to that belief as, the view from the tram alongside the coast line of Flanders charms anyone.

Looking for experiences beyond the beers, chocolates and canals in Flanders, the northern region of Belgium? Here we enlist the 5 most Quirky experiences for that offbeat adventure enticing the curious traveler.

1.Brussels Street Art Trail (Graffiti) The street art scene in Brussels emerged in the 1990s when the city, modeling itself on Berlin, took a more tolerant attitude towards graffiti. Many of the best street artists flocked to the abandoned ‘Kapell¬ekerk’ railway station in the Marollen where the art organization 68 | Tourism India | August 2016

Recyclart was based. The artists were given permission to create works in the tunnels that run under the rail¬way viaduct. Here you can have a visual treat of the striking works by local artists such as Bonom and ROA as well as Greek artist Sonke. From the station, head into the Marollen district where vibrant street art can May 2016 

The result is a baffling border town with two fire stations, two town halls, a cafe split between two coun¬tries and a house with the living room in Belgium and the bed¬room on Dutch soil. Once a den of smuggling, it is now a lively tourist town with a curious split identity making it a perfect trip. 5. A Museum where You Don’t Want to be Alone The 67-kilometre route is the longest in the world and costs just a few Euros for a day ticket. You can cover the entire route from southern De Panne to northern Knokke in a couple of hours, but it is more fun to get off at different stops along the way. One can choose to wander among the fish shops in Nieuwpoort, drink a coffee in Ostend’s grand cafe Du Parc and walk out to the end of the wooden jetty in Blankenberge. But the best part of the trip is the stretch between the sea and the dunes just west of Ostend.

3. The Dark Secrets of a Brabant Castle The strangely overlooked Gaas¬beek Castle lies just outside Brus¬sels in the rolling Pajottenland countryside of Flemish Brabant. Exploring through the dark Neo Gothic interiors, including a dining hall, round tower and luxurious Art Deco bathroom installed by the last countess to live here is fascinating. These romantic rooms are often the setting for contemporary art exhibitions on creative themes like sex and death. After a visit, you can wander around the wooded estate, visit the walled vegeta¬ble garden and drink a beer in one of the taverns at the castle gates, all of which qualifies for a perfect quirky adventure in Flemish style.

The strange and haunting Dr Guislain Museum occupies the 19th-century psychiatric institution founded by Dr Jozef Guislain. Visitors can wander through chilling deserted wards still furnished with iron beds and old medical equipments. One room contains a terrifying mechanical saw used in operations to remove the top of the skull. The temporary exhibitions are always fascinating, as is the extensive collection of outsider art. Almost no one leaves this museum untouched making it one of the best horrific experiences in Flanders.

4. A Bizarre Belgian Enclave The village of Baarle-Hertog is described as a Belgian enclave within the Nether¬lands, but it’s a lot more complicated than that. The village, population 2,300, is broken up into 20 little enclaves located inside the Dutch village of Baarle-Nassau. But there are also seven Dutch exclaves within the Belgian enclaves. May 2016

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ocated in the middle of the farms, vineyards and ranches, these outdoor Californian restaurants bring to your table the freshness of fields, orchards, and artisan foods. The ingredients are harvested on property abundantly and chefs prepare simple but beautiful dishes for guests to savour on site. These special experiences not only deliver amazing meals in unforgettable settings, but also a chance 70 | Tourism India | August 2016

to see and learn first-hand now California’s farmers, ranchers, and artisan food purveyors make the most of the state’s fertile land.

Sacramento: The farm-to-fork capital As the largest agricultural producer in the country, California’s sustainable soil is held by Sacramento and its surroundings – a fertile acreage with proper weather conditions

which offers access to the juiciest fruits, freshest vegetables, and an ever-increasing array of artisanal, farm-based products. These perks allow the chefs to form close relationships with farmers in order to source ingredients that will be used in their restaurants the very same night.

Future Foods Farms: An aquaponic greenhouse in Orange

County Chef Adam Navidi, a leader in Southern California’s sustainable food movement, had an interesting idea: Grow his own produce on a 25-acre farm in Brea, about 30 miles/48 kilometres south-east of Los Angeles, to bring fresh, local food to his catered events. And so began Future Foods Farms. Chef Navidi’s massive, all-organic aquaponic greenhouse is a symbiotic relationship of aquaculture (used to raise fish) and hydroponics (growing plants in water without soil).

tours take you to vineyards, nut and fruit orchards, and groves of olive trees, all aiming to open your eyes and your mouth to the region’s bounty. You will discover a cornucopia of fresh fruit, produce, nuts, and wine produced in this Placer County region. As you drive from stop to stop (four or five per 4-hour tour) guides share local insights and stories, as well as plenty of samples. Chat with farmers and growers while you snack on fresh cheese or peel a super fresh Mandarin (one of Placer County’s signature crops).

Harley Farms: Candlelit farmhouse dinners in Farmers Market: Friendly shopping districts light Pescadero up in San Luis Obispo

Perfect for out-of-towners and locals alike, Harley Farms’ tours and field-to-fork dinners set the scene for country-style romance. A restored Victorian hayloft on farmland halfway between San Francisco and Santa Cruz transforms into a backyard restaurant awash in candlelight and brightened with freshly gathered flowers. Chefs prepare a five-course seasonal meal with ingredients from the property.

Thursday evenings year-round, (except when it’s raining), the place to be in SLO is Higuera Street, home to a farmers’ market with the soul of a street party. At this loved-by-locals weekly event, students and families gravitate to the town centre to collect containers of Hayashi’s super-sweet strawberries or fresh roasted corn on the cob then catch up with friends. Live music makes a perfect backdrop for perusing all the fresh proCarmel Valley Ranch: A 5 star farm-to-table ranch duce and artisan foods, and chatting with local farmers. Right off the coast in the romantic seaside town of Carmel in the Central Coast is a 500-acre, all-suite property in California’s Santa Lucia Mountains known as Carmel Valley Ranch. Despite a sprawling golf course and luxurious spa, the resort’s farm is as popular an amenity as anything else on-site. The ranch offers a number of farmstead experiences, including a signature bee session, where adventurous guests can go behind the scenes of the on-site apiary—home to 60,000 honeybees.

Forage Wild Kitchen: Underground supper club for the locavore The brainchild of San Francisco entrepreneur Iso Rabins, Forage SF was launched to support local food purveyors and artisans by helping monetise their businesses. The popularity of Forage’s underground markets led to the creation of Wild Kitchen, a roving underground supper club. Each meal highlights a different foraged ingredient from the local landscape, like mussels, moon snails, and edible mushrooms. Eight-course dinners feed up to 100 guests at a large communal table.

Local Roots Food Tour: The Gold Country Shining a light on the diverse crops and artisan foods that come from the Sierra Foothills, Local Roots Tourism India | August 2016 | 71

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r. Stephen P. Leatherman, Director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University - and famous for judging the nation’s top beaches as “Dr. Beach”, since 1991- has publicized his annual list. Coronado Beach, considered the best one in 2012, took the seventh spot this year, making it yet again the best beach of America! Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oahu, Hawaii took the top spot. Dr. Leatherman is an internationally known coastal scientist who has published 20 books and hundreds of scientific articles and reports about storm impacts, coastal erosion and ways to improve beach health and safety. More emphasis is being placed on environmental management and beach safety. Bonus points are awarded for prohibition of smoking on beaches, allowing other beaches to enter the list again. 72 | Tourism India | August 2016

Coronado is an island getaway a stone’s throw from the city. The appealing island community feels like a private enclave wrapped with perfect beaches, including ultrafamily-friendly Coronado Beach. Besides those soft sands, the island’s crown jewel is the Hotel Del Coronado, built in 1888, with a remarkable history and starry guest list, such as Marilyn Monroe. The diminutive island, reached by the arching Coronado Bridge, is

easy to explore by bike. You can pedal past elegant oceanfront mansions and tended gardens, or through Orange Avenue’s shops, restaurants, galleries and theatres. Travel tip: Traffic on the San Diego-Coronado Bridge can get thick, especially on summer weekends. Flagship Cruises will ferry you from Ferry Landing, across the Bay to Seaport Village. Water taxis are available too.

he Sanno Matsuri is one of the three most famous festivals of Tokyo, along the Kanda Matsuri and Fukagawa Matsuri. It takes place in mid June in even numbered years, alternating with the Kanda Matsuri which takes place in odd numbered years. The Sanno Festival extends over a week and has a few events, being its main attraction the parade that winds through central Tokyo over the course of nine hours. The parade begins and ends at Hie Shrine, the shrine responsible for holding the festival. Hie Shrine enshrines the guardian deity of Tokyo. It is believed to predate the foundation of the city, and its kami (Shinto gods) have always been associated with the protection of the city. About 300 people dressed in ancient costumes parade through

the heart of Tokyo including Tokyo Station, Ginza, and in front of the Diet Building. Consisting of mikoshi (portable shrines) adorned with a phoenix on the roof, dashi floats, people carrying drums, people on horseback, the procession extends over a length of 600 meters. You will also see people dressed as the legendary goblin called Tengu, characterized by a red face and a long nose, and believed to possess supernatural powers. The procession which departs at 8 o'clock in the morning does not return to the shrine until early in theevening. During the festival week, you can also experience various Japanese traditions. For example, there are displays of flowers arranged in the traditional style known as Ikebana,

and special tables and seats are set up in the shrine garden so that you can savor Japanese tea. You might also see people going through a large ring made of thatch, which is believed to purify the sins you have unconsciously committed in the past 6 months. The doll you hold as you stroke your body and pass through the ring is said to take on your sins.

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ew Zealand’s newest movie star role will be revealed when Disney’s Pete’s Dragon has its US première on 8 August, 2016. New Zealand is set to star in a new movie fantasy, this time as the home of Disney’s Pete’s Dragon - scheduled for worldwide release in August 2016. A reimagining of Disney’s cherished family classic Pete’s Dragon is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend - a lovable dragon named Elliot. The film is directed by David Lowery and stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, New Zealand’s own Karl Urban, Oona Laurence and Robert Redford. In Pete’s Dragon, New Zealand plays Millhaven, an American Pacific Northwest logging town. Two trailers released to date show four New Zealand locations - New

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Zealand’s thriving film hub of Wellington, cultural and cycling Mecca Rotorua, adventure capital Queenstown, and fisherman’s paradise Tapanui - featuring in the film.

Rotorua, central North Island Most of the forest scenes for Pete’s Dragon were shot in Rotorua’s Redwoods Forest, an extensive plantation of soaring Californian redwoods that makes it the ideal double for the USA. Redwoods Forest is a popular destination for hiking and mountain biking. Many trails wind through the forest with spectacular hill-top views over the lakes and volcanic wonders of Rotorua, making this a uniquely ‘Kiwi’ experience. Rotorua is known as New Zealand’s Maori cultural hub and for its geothermal activity.

The Redwoods Tree walk - a new eco-experience that’s the first of its kind for New Zealand – is one way to experience Rotorua’s natural wonders. The series of 23 suspension bridges traverses the air between 22 majestic 110-year-old redwood trees, 12-metres above the ground. Wellington, Lower North Island Production for Pete’s Dragon began at Wellington’s Stone Street Studios in Miramar, Wellington’s film industry hub. Nearby Weta Digital, the visual effects company founded by filmmaker Peter Jackson and Sir Richard Taylor, has been responsible for the latest digital effects bringing to life Elliot the dragon. Visitors can go on a behind-thescenes tour of Weta to see artists at work, examine authentic movie props, try on prosthetics and create their own fake blood or realistic chainmaille. Mt Victoria - a 10-minute drive from Miramar - was used to film several of the forest scenes in Pete’s Dragon. The prominent tree-covered city landmark offers sweeping views across Wellington and is a favourite picnic spot and leisure destination for locals and tourists. The area has also become popular

with filmmakers looking for a natural landscape in close proximity to the city and Miramar studios. Lonely Planet has described Wellington as the ‘coolest little capital in the world’. The city is also known as the national centre of arts, coffee

the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Filmed at Deer Park Heights, and just below The Remarkables mountains, Pete watches as Elliot the dragon appears from beneath a cliff top to fly over him. Local helicopter company Glacier

for fishermen chasing an abundance of brown trout and sea salmon in the local rivers. The area is also close to the Clutha Gold Trail, one of the New Zealand Cycle Trail’s ‘Great Rides. Open year-round, this wide, well-

and craft beer. Queenstown, southern South Island

Southern Lakes filmed the aerial sequences for Pete’s Dragon. Tourists can soar like a dragon on their own aerial adventure around Queenstown, with the company offering daily scenic rides or private charters.

formed trail stretches 73km offering a rural heartland experience enriched with rugged gold mining history. Nearby, at Nugget Point on the Otago coastline, visitors can see a variety of native wildlife including New Zealand fur seals, sea lions and yellow-eyed penguins. Nugget Point was named in New Zealand's top 10 landmarks by travel website Trip Advisor in 2014 and 2015.

The alpine resort town of Queenstown, in New Zealand’s southern South Island, is a lively year-round tourist destination that frequently rates among the world’s top holiday destinations. In this international adventure capital, the thrills start before arrival as your plane flies between mountain ranges to land in the narrow valley on

Tapanui, lower South Island Tapanui, in the Otago region of the lower South Island, was transformed into the main street of the film’s quiet American town. In real life, Tapanui is a popular spot

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rom north to south, New Zealand offers a diverse expanse of landscapes revealing a never-ending backdrop to a huge line up of experiences From sub-tropical Cape Reinga in the far north to the southern fishing port of Bluff where the wild Southern Ocean rolls in, New Zealand’s North and South islands offer a diverse expanse of landscapes. On the North Island, the northsouth journey travels from towering sub-tropical rain forests and endless picturesque beaches to Auckland’s populous cityscape, then southwards through rolling green pastures, across lakes, rivers and epic volcanic marvels, into the rural towns of heartland New Zealand and on to a capital city that’s renowned for arts, culture and coffee. 76 | Tourism India | August 2016

From coastal paradise to mountains and the southern ocean, New Zealand’s South Island unveils one majestic landscape after another. Beginning in the coastal paradise that is Nelson Tasman and the Marlborough Sounds and ending in Southland, the vast southern regions unfold as the real Middle-earth of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. In New Zealand, every day is a different journey.

Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies film locations can be discovered in many parts. The most famous, and most visited, is Hobbiton – the village home of the hobbits – near Matamata, in the Hamilton Waikato region of the North Island. The Hobbiton film set occupies a sizeable slice of a New Zealand farm, and is one of the largest outdoor film sets in the world. Visitors to Hobbiton experience a two-hour fully-guided tour of the village hearFilm tourism: Hobbiton / Wel- ing about the books and behindlington / Nelson / Canterbury / the-scenes stories of film-making.

Queenstown

Maori Culture: Rotorua

It's no secret that New Zealand Rotorua has been visited by is the home of Middle-earth and its stunning landscapes are at centre tourists since the early 19th censtage for movie lovers world-wide. tury making it New Zealand’s oldFilmed entirely in New Zealand, The est tourism destination – renowned

for Maori cultural experiences and spectacular geothermal attractions. Maori culture and history infuse Rotorua life. The town of Rotorua, on the shores of Lake Rotorua, is home to the Te Arawa iwi - one of New Zealand’s larger Maori tribes. A third of Rotorua's population is Maori. Te Puia, an important Maori culture centre, has visitor experiences covering traditional art forms, carving and weaving, story-telling, and authentic cultural performances.

land Cycle Trail is a network of fantastic, well maintained trails catering to beginner and expert cyclists. Cycling is a popular New Zealand sport, and there are many destinations that offer visitors a chance to get to know the real New Zealand - fresh air, wildlife and songbirds, tasty regional fare and friendly locals. From the challenging Alps 2 Ocean trail (the longest of the trails) to the leisurely Tasman Great Taste’s Trail there is something for everyone. Serious mountain bikers aren’t forgotNew Zealand has some of the ten with the Old Ghost Road track best quality food and wine in the on the South Island’s West Coast waiting to test the most competent world. of riders. Marlborough, on the top of Multi-day tracks offer a variety of the South Island, is the country’s basic and luxury accommodation, biggest wine region and world re- cafés and food stops. nowned for its sauvignon blanc. In the lower South Island, the Central Recreational sports: Golf, fishOtago region is known for its in- ing & sailing credible pinot noir. The North Island’s Hawke’s Bay region produces New Zealand is a hub for many beautiful syrah while nearby Martin- popular recreational activities and borough has a reputation for fine offers some world class experiences reds. Waiheke Island, in Auckland’s and facilities. Waitemata Harbour, was named on Golf courses can be seen eveLonely Planet’s top regions to visit rywhere in New Zealand, and in in 2016. The island is a 35-minute fact only one other country has ferry ride from Auckland city and more courses per capita. Worldproduces some of New Zealand’s class courses like Cape Kidnappers (Hawke’s Bay), Kauri Cliffs (Northbest wine. Throughout New Zealand fresh land) and Jack’s Point (Queenstown) seafood, artisan products and in- to name a few, provide unique, uncredible farmer’s markets are always forgettable golf in stunning environnearby. Whether it is manuka honey ments. or oysters, the food in New Zealand New Zealand’s lakes and rivers are is an incredible experience in itself great spots to land your first trout and goes exceptionally well with the and the coastal waters are a fisherman’s playground. Blue cod wait in aforementioned wine. the South Island, while the NorthCycling: Hawke’s Bay / Queen- land region is a popular game-fishing destination. stown / Alps to Ocean Auckland is known as the ‘city of Nga Haerenga or The New Zea- sails’ and the sheltered waters of

the Waitemata Harbour make it an ideal location for sailing. Visit one of the many islands around Auckland including Waiheke. Four hours’ drive north of Auckland is the Bay of Islands, a beautiful sub-tropical destination with more than 140 islands waiting to be discovered.

Walking / hiking Much like the New Zealand Great Rides, there is an equally spectacular Great Walks network. Energetic hikers can discover glacier-carved valleys and Traverse Mountain passes, while more sedate day-walkers can explore golden beaches, bush walks and other sites of scenic, historic and cultural interest. Nine walks currently make up the Great Walks network and they can be found all over the country. Popular tracks include Milford Track, The Kepler, The Routeburn and the Tongariro Northern Circuit. In addition to the multi day walks there are popular day walks such as the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and the Pouakai Crossing both located in the central North Island.

Nature & eco-tourism Recognised for its cleanexperie, green environment, New Zealand is a rich combination of beautiful landscapes; from vast mountain chains to grand volcanoes, sweeping coasts and deep fiords, lush rainforests, grassy plains, rich thermal areas and expansive beaches. The wilderness of Stewart Island, the country’s third largest island, offers one of the best chances to spot New Zealand’s national bird, the kiwi, in its natural habitat. With 400 full-time residents, Stewart Island is Tourism India | August 2016 | 77

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sparsely populated in human terms but add in an estimated 20,000 Stewart Island brown kiwi - just one of the many native bird species living on the island - and birds outnumber humans many times over. Walking on a West Coast glacier is a New Zealand must-do for visitors. The Franz Josef is a glacier located on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. The glacier is 12 kilometres long and, together with Fox Glacier which lies 20 kilometres to the south, it is unique as it descends from the mountains to just 240 metres above sea level. The area surrounding the two glaciers is a designated World Heritage Site. Aviation - flight seeing in New Zealand One of the best ways to see New Zealand is from the sky and there are plenty of opportunities for a bit of ‘flight seeing’. Auckland Seaplanes offer an exciting trip to Waiheke Island, taking off from Wynyard Wharf in downtown Auckland and landing in gorgeous Man O’ War Bay after a

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flight over the Waitemata Harbour. The Man O’ War vineyard waits offering a first-class wine-tasting experience and a spot of lunch before returning to Auckland. Classic Flights in Wanaka will take visitors back in time with a scenic flight in a vintage Tiger Moth or Waco aircraft. The flights take in some of the most stunning scenery in the South Island with the backdrop of Mt Aspiring National Park and the Southern Alps. Over the Top Helicopters, based in Queenstown, have several memorable experiences. Whether it’s golf on the side of a mountain, a glacier landing or a picnic on a peak, Over the Top will make it happen. Luxury & Romance Luxury and romance go hand-inhand and New Zealand has got both covered. Seascape – an ultra-modern luxury retreat in a private seaside setting – sets a new standard in utterly romantic getaways. Constructed in glass, stone and turf to blend into the wild coastal landscape, this intimate award-winning villa has been una-

shamedly designed and furnished for romance. The jewel in the crown of the Annandale Farm Escape & Luxury Villa collection, Seascape is located on Banks Peninsula in New Zealand’s South Island. Wharekauhau Country Estate, on a 5000-acre working sheep station overlooking Palliser Bay, in the Wairarapa north of Wellington is a great example of Edwardian grandeur. The view of dramatic coastline is undoubtedly exclusive to New Zealand. Exploring nature, soft adventure - horse trekking, archery, clay bird shooting, golf - and indulging in fine food and wine (It’s on the

doorstep of the boutique Martinborough wine region), spas and quiet relaxation attract visitors to Wharekauhau and it’s only 15 minutes by helicopter from Wellington. Star-gazing in the Mackenzie Basin In the Mackenzie Basin, nestled in the foothills of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, where the stars twinkle brightly in a crystal-clear night sky that makes the heavens appear closer to earth, astro-tourism is booming. The skies above the surrounding region, which includes the country’s highest peak Aoraki Mt Cook, have been officially declared a gold-rated

International Dark Sky Reserve. Covering 4300sq km over Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park and the Mackenzie Basin, the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve forms the world’s largest such reserve. Stargazing is a year-round activity but New Zealand’s summer months and autumn (December to April) are when skies are clearest. Unique star features include the Southern Cross and the Magellanic Clouds, satellite galaxies to the Milky Way that are only visible in the southern hemisphere. Tourism India | August 2016 | 79

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asic need of every human is food. Apart from quenching one’s hunger, humans are al-

ways in search of tasty, interesting and innovative recipes and new invention in cuisines. Indians as part

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of their country’s diversity are global tasters and are in search of such curious foods. To such people, here are fifteen countries wherein one can eat around with different recipes alongside holidaying: 1) Slovakia: When in East Europe, a visit to Bratislava is a must for more than one reason, the food being one of the very vital ones. They have beautiful meat curries, the potato dumplings are to die for and the soup served in a bread bowl is the highlight. 2) Argentina: Excellent is an understatement. With by far the best beef in the world, it can also be called the beef capital of the world. The quality of the meat is a definite winner here. 3) Iraq: With fish preparations that are simple, yet so delicious, you re-

ally don’t need to look anywhere else in Iraq. The meats, fruits and fresh salads are also always in abundance and the quantity, mild seasoning and good produce define this cuisine. 4) Lebanon: Words absolutely cannot do justice to this cuisine. While the shawarmas and pilafs are lip-smacking, a lot of flavours are produce driven, giving the main emphasis to the meat and making the original flavours the highlight. The hummus, a world-famous dish, is now one of the winners hands down. 5) Thai: With the mild, yet absolutely amazing seasoning, the local Thai flavours are absolutely delicious, the Pad Thai Noodles and Tom Yum soup being the most delicious. 6) Japan: Nobody can beat the Japanese when it comes to cooking

with the original flavours of the ingredients. With a minimum of seasoning or spices, they still manage to make every dish taste unique. But, being an ardent sushi fan, the salmon maki rolls are definitely the best of the lot. 7) Ethiopia: Extremely close to Indian flavours, Ethiopian food is amazingly yummy. Accompanied by breads and being a cuisine driven by curries, a trip to Ethiopia will make you feel like you never left. 8) Italy: A world famous cuisine. Nobody does or loves their bread better than the Italian. Crisp and freshly baked pizza dough with fresh mozzarella sprinkled atop and some of the best local wines for company. This is a perfect example what a fine dinner should look like. 9) Greek: The best salad and best cheese of the world come from here. Being on the Mediterranean belt they really put their advantage to good use. The quality of the salads and lovely feta are the main highlights here. 10) Mexico: With some fantastic spices and sauces in power here Mexican happens to be one of the most sought-after cuisines in the world. The famous habanero sauces originate from this region and believe me I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had a better zesty sauce before.

everyone would like, but for the ones who do, they swear by it. The eggs, the cold cuts all are done to perfection with some lovely local bakes. 13) Sri Lanka: The food is jawdropping. With the sea in their favour, they have some lovely seafood at hand and the curries, with some lovely local spices added, make the combination a mouth-watering dish. Sri Lankan curries are famous for being one of the spicy curries around the world. 14) Spain: This might be down in the list but they are high up in one of the best foods ever tasted. Their fantastic sangrias compliment the flavours further and the paella is one of the best rice preparations. 15) Turkey: They have given the world Doner kebabs, Baklavas and ice creams and trust me these happen to be one of the most delicious things in the world. Definitely add them to the list of the things to taste before you die!

11) Indonesia: A country rich in seafood, the deliciously adapted local flavours make this cuisine a hands-down winner. The prawns and fish preparations are to die for, with with Nasi Goreng and Mee Goreng, being one of my personal favourites. 12) Scotland: The famous Scottish breakfast is by far the best breakfast spread I have come across. The black pudding is not maybe what Tourism India | August 2016 | 81

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ashobra the beauty situated on the outskirts of Shimla is a charming town where one can enjoy a holiday by keeping all tensions and pains from the hussle and bussle of daily routine. Mashobra is a beautiful, quaint Himachal town, situated amidst thick forest with towering mountains on all sides. Decision for a solemn or rather in search for calmness, Mashobra will satisfy the traveler fully with its serene and pristine ambience. 1) Jakhu Temple: Shimlaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous temple, the Jakhu temple is dedicated to Hanuman, and this is evident in the thousands of monkeys that can be seen around the temple 2) Rothney Castle: On the way up to the temple, the Rothney Castle which was built for colonial reformer and naturalist Allan Octavian Hume, who amassed the world's largest collection of stuffed Asiatic birds

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here before donating it to the British Museum 3) Shimla Heritage Museum: Experience Shimla in black and white through the ancient treasures that are housed in this museum 4) Mall Road: A staple of every hill-station, the Mall Road in Shimla makes for a very pretty walk and is a great place for some last-minute shopping and quaint souvenirs Once done with Mashobra, visit Kufri, a picturesque hill-station, just 20 kms away from Shimla, is an excellent place to visit. Very well known as a ski destination, although winter is the best time to visit Kufri, the months between April and June warrant a visit for their lovely weather. Developed as a tourist destination by the British back in 1819, Kufri is a great place to unwindâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; with panoramic views of the Himalayas, adventure sports, steep hikes and even a few interesting sightsee-

ing spots. 1) The Himalayan Nature Park: Sprawled across 90 hectares and comprising of a diverse range of western Himalayan flora and fauna, the Himalayan Nature Park is home to a large variety of animals and over 180 species of birds 2) Mahasu Peak: The highest point in Kufri, on a clear day you can even see the Badrinath and Kedarnath ranges from the peak. During ski season, the Mahasu ridge is also a great spot for beginners to practice before hitting the rougher slopes 3) Fagu: Located between two valleys and surrounded by apple orchards, Fagu is ideal for skiing in the winter months, and makes a great spot for a picnic during the summer. Just 6 kms ahead of Kufri, this little village overlooks the Giri valley and has a tourist bungalow perched right at the top

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