TOURISM INDIA NOVEMBER 2015

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6 | Tourism India | November 2015

Destination Branding – Challenges and Prospects

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he rise of the new technologies, coupled with the global economic downturn, has brought a paradigm shift as power moves from governments to citizens and from companies to consumers. This change is having a huge impact in the tourism sector and both destinations and companies need to adjust to new challenges, says Mr. Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General.

This year at World Travel Market London, UNWTO is seriously discussing the issues related to the future of global tourism. The UNWTO and WTM Ministers’ Summit will be the platform to debate the key issues facing the industry by the ministers of the various nations and industry leaders.

Destination branding is becoming even more complex challenge as consumers empowered by new business models such as the sharing economy and social media have an impact on a destination’s brand and reputation.

Many Country brands which were spearheaded the initial momentum of global tourism markets has slowly vanished or diminished their market visibility, while many new destinations and countries come out of their shell to showcase their tourism potential to the world. Incredible India and KeralaGod’s Own Country brand promotions are the classical examples of the destination branding. But during the voyages even these brands also require a new colours and strategies to maintain the consistency.

When discussing the differences in branding places and consumer products with advertising agencies, they frequently maintain that there is no difference between the two. To some extent they are correct. However there are differences that have a profound influence on the brand planning, brand implementation and brand management. These relate to the complexities of ownership, consultation, decision-making, product development, and experience delivery.

According to Mr. Bill Baker, the master of destination branding “A well -conceived brand strategy can provide increased awareness, competitiveness, effectiveness and efficiency in how the destination or city is presented by various agencies. It sets the guidelines for how the destination city, precinct or downtown should communicate and the delivery of experiences for target audiences.

If there is a gap between the reality of the destination or downtown and the expectations and perceptions held by outsiders, then a strategy is needed to bridge this gap. Regardless of whether people hold an overly positive or negative image, the destination must address the situation since both of these scenarios can cause problems. An overly positive destination image can lead to disappointment, while a negative one will lead prospects to spend their time and money elsewhere and possibly perpetuate negative word of mouth.

A brand strategy will bring increased effectiveness and efficiency to your destination or city’s marketing investments and the way that it presents itself, as well as providing many unexpected benefits for a wide variety of stakeholders.

When the Travel and Tourism industry is very competitive and challenging day by day, the leaders must take utmost care to sustain and maintain the momentum of the image of the destination.

Ravisankar K.V. Tourism India | November 2015 | 7

November 2015 Vol No. 17 No. 07 Price: India INR 75 US$ 4.99 GBP 2.99

Managing Editor Ravisankar.K.V Executive Editor Rajani A Consulting Editor Biju Thomas Art Editor N Bhattathiri Sub Editor Anand Vattamannil 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 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

10 Destination Thekkady won US$ 1 Million International award

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8 | Tourism India | November 2015

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Trafalgar Square Beats to 'Chenda' in 'Visit Kerala'

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Cover photograph was taken at Thekkady, Kerala by foveafoto

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Lanco Hills celebrated Bathukamma

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The World Cup of Wild Life

AIRLINES

• Amadeus helps airlines • Etihad host ABTA convention • Malindo Air Flies to Amritsar • Oman Air To Frankfurt • Qatar Airways Network Expansion • SIA to Re-Start US Flights

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DOWN MEMORY LANE

Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives

Tranquebar the Singing Waves

Jeeva Jayadas

Tourism India | November 2015 | 9

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he Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced the winners of the inaugural US$1 million PATA CEO Challenge 2015. Kerala’s Thekkady has been adjudged as Top Destination Award in the category of Second and Third Tier Cities while the province of Albay, Philippines has been awarded the Top Destination Award in the category of Regions/States/ Provinces.

The two winning entries will work with PATA CEO Challenge 2015 partner TripAdvisor to develop and create digital marketing campaigns to showcase their destination to a global audience, valued at US$500,000 each. The PATA CEO Challenge 2015 Top Destinations awards will be presented at the forthcoming PATA Aligned Advocacy Dinner in London on Monday, November 2 in the presence of guest of honour UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai, as well as other high-level dignitaries and senior executives from TripAdvisor.

“It was difficult to choose only two winners, as we received some excellent submissions from destinations both near and far. All the submissions had unique stories that every traveller should get to know and experience,” said PATA CEO Mario Hardy. “The two winning submissions had the most authentic, culturally diverse and innovative offerings but needed the most assistance in helping promote these assets.”

A dedicated team at TripAdvisor will work with both winners on creating marketing campaigns designed to ensure that they are effectively utilising the digital environment to encourage travellers to visit their destination. They will also benefit from TripAdvisor’s wealth of knowledge, experience and proven global digital penetration.

The company will also support the winners by helping small and local hospitality businesses to get listed on TripAdvisor.

Martin Verdon-Roe, VP Global

Display Sales, TripAdvisor said, “As the world's largest travel site, we take great pride in promoting wonderful travel destinations to our global travel community.

Working with PATA on the PATA CEO Challenge, we are very pleased to be supporting the two winning destinations, Albay, Philippines and Thekkady, Kerala, India, who both have fantastic tourism offerings that we will now work together on to showcase their story to the world.”

The PATA CEO Challenge 2015, which attracted entries from a broad range of destinations, embraces the uniqueness and diversity of heritages, cultures, customs and natural beauty of many destinations in line with the theme of this year’s PATA Advocacy Dinner in London. It aims to promote and enhance the number of visitors to emerging destinations (regions, states and provinces, and second-tier/third tier towns and cities), and to enhance tourism development in a sustainable manner.

The fourth Aligned Advocacy Dinner at Stationers’ Hall in London, United Kingdom will be held on November 2, the first night of World Travel Market 2015. The invitation-only dinner, with the theme “The Dispersion of Tourists”, will highlight the current issue of the disproportionate growth of tourism, as well as provide guests the opportunity to reflect on the importance of the need for both the public and private sectors to work together for the responsible development of these emerging destinations.

The two winners will also receive other benefits including a complimentary pass to the PATA Annual Summit 2016 in Guam, USA on May 18-21, free stand space at PATA Travel Mart 2016 in Jakarta, Indonesia from September 7-9 and extensive international brand exposure through a variety of well -established PATA communications channels.

We have decided to grow.

15 more planes shall be added to the domestic fleet in 2016, followed by another 15 that shall be replacements and would arrive in 2017.

Meanwhile the international sectors would witness addition of 6 787's and 3 777ER's that would all arrive in 2017 and 2018. And this is just the beginning. The commercial department is also on the front foot with a host of schemes that hit the nation yesterday.

Action is in the air, and the organization is as expected responding well

Photo: Phal S. Girota

Ashwani Lohani CMD Air India

The new head of Air India, Ashwani Lohani wants the national carrier to focus on safety, better passenger experience, glitch free air craft, and on time performance to revive its lost glory. He is all set to impose stringent measures to maintain discipline and professionalism; it was evident in his first message to the employees. In his message to the employees he said that the organisation will always maintain a ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards indiscipline.

"Air India is a brand symbolising the nation.

Unfortunately, it has lost some of its sheen. We have been repeatedly questioned on our performance and our delivery has fallen short of national expectations ... Let us put our best foot forward and revive

12 | Tourism India | November 2015

its glory," Lohani said in an internal letter circulated among Air India staff.

The message comes at a time when the 660-member Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) undertook a secret ballot to decide whether they would go on strike to protest against the management’s decision to remove pilots-in-command from the ‘workmen’ category.

Lohani, who took charge last week in his message to employees, also highlighted the need to enhance passenger service in the airline. “This can be done through high standards of cleanliness of the aircraft cabin, improvements to the cabin, working IFE (in-flight entertainment) system, audible announcements, courteous behaviour and above all a

happy smile on the face of every employee of Air India,” Lohani has written in his letter.

He elaborated that while maintaining highest standards of cleanliness and upkeep of all establishments, employees of Air India should remember that they are in the service industry and demonstrate an eagerness to serve customers from the heart with a smile as symbolised by the airline’s mascot ‘the Maharaja’.

Lohani, appointed in August to turn around the ailing carrier, said there would be no compromise on safety.

Moreover, he wants to ensure high on-time performance with initial targets set at 90 per cent. The Air India chief has also asked for improving the efficiency of the engineering set-up to ensure higher reliability and availability of aircraft. There have been numerous incidents recently

when Air India flights have been delayed because of technical snags in aircraft.

The carrier, which had a total debt of Rs 40,000 crore as on March 31, is expected to turn around only by 2018-19.

At present, the airline is surviving on a Rs 30,000-crore taxpayer bailout. Air India reported a net loss of Rs 5,547.47 crore in 2014-15 on total revenue of Rs 19,781 crore. In June, the aviation ministry had asked the merchant banker SBI Capital Markets to review its turnaround plan.

However, in a sudden improvement in its on-time performance (OTP), the airline management claim that its flights are meeting schedule 99% of the time now a days.

This is in contrast with the airline's past record which brackets it for having among

the worst OTP records in the industry.

Despite the challenges, Air India would soon be operating the world's longest nonstop commercial flight. The airline is planning to link the IT hotspots of India and US — Bengaluru and San Francisco (SFO) — which are almost 14,000 km apart.

“We are planning to have a nonstop from either Delhi or Bengaluru to San Francisco on our Boeing 777-200 long range aircraft. And in addition we are planning a direct service between Ahmedabad and London due to the huge demand for travel between these two cities," said a senior AI official. . These ambitious flights will be among the first key decisions to be taken by AI's new chairman Ashwani Lohani.

Tourism India | November 2015 | 13

TAAI

The new Managing Committee of TAAI includes R. Venkatachalam, Imtiaz Qureshi, Bhagwan Ramnani, Devaki Thiagarajan, Shreeram Patel, Anil Kumar and Jyoti Mayal.

Talking to the media after the election results were announced, Mr Sunil Kumar said - It is a rewarding result and he is very excited that the entire team has won. He thanked the members for their faith in the TEAM and said that the TEAM TAAI POSITIVE will go all out to attempt meeting the expectations of the members. The focus will be on trying to guide members into a changing industry era where the challenges will be many while opportunities too will multiply.

To a question on what would be the key focus, he remarked that TAAI will do all possible to boost their positive image levels and take TAAI to its much awaited next level. It will be our endeavour to lead members from the "today-we -exist" into an environment 14 | Tourism India | November 2015

India’s leading Travel Trade organization have elected its office-bearers and Managing Committee for the 2-year term (2015-17) at the 64th AGM held on 30th September, 2015, in Mumbai. Team TAAI Positive emerged victorious with a sweeping majority. Mr. Sunil Kumar R, who headed TAAI Positive, has been elected as President, Marzban Antia has been voted as Vice President Lokesh Bettaiah, as the Honorary Secretary General and Jay Bhatia as Honorary Treasurer.

Mr. Sunil Kumar R President, TAAI

called "tomorrow", rather than trying to get the tomorrow's to meet our today's. He added that this is one way to make the association relevant in a changing environment and evolution being the order of the day, our approaches and practices must change. Thus training will be an ongoing process to ensure that members can be successful in the current environment.

He was happy that the members who had attended the AGM were very cooperative and supported the election process which was an almost zero defect process.

“Our immediate agenda will be design our planning and form committees to assign agenda and accountability to our members. Among the things we need to do is to get a closer connectivity with the Government”’ he added.

He once again thanked members for their support and invited them to join the initiative to drive TAAI forward to its most deserved position.

Kerala Travel Mart 2016 to be held from Sept 28-30, 2016 in Kochi

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erala Travel Mart Society, the umbrella organization of Kerala Tourism stake holders has officially decided to conduct the Ninth edition of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM 2016) from September 28 to 30, 2016 at the Samudrika Convention Centre, Cochin Port Trust in Kochi. The inaugural ceremony will be on 27th Sep’16 at Le Meridien Convention Centre, Cochin.

Last edition of Kerala Travel Mart has altogether hosted 854 domestic buyers and 234 international buyers 45 countries. "There was an expected 30,000 buyer- seller appointments lined up for the last edition of the mart, but the figures crossed forty thousand business sittings. In the next edition of KTM, we are planning to host more than 1000 domestic buyers and 500 international buyers from new and upcoming markets and 50000 buyer- seller sittings" said Mr. Abraham George, who recently re - elected as President of KTM Society KTM is the largest gathering in the tourism industry of India, especially Kerala that facilitates the meeting and interaction of the buyers, sellers and the media.

Tour operators, hotels, resorts, home stays, houseboats, Ayurveda resorts, cultural art centres, etc. will showcase their products at the Mart The Kerala Tourism Department partners with the Kerala Travel Mart Society to host this mega event, which

brings together the tourism products and service providers of the state on a single platform.

KTM management committee has constituted an Organising committee under the leadership of Mr. A.P. Anilkumar, Minister for Tourism, Kerala as Chief Patron and KTDC Chairman Mr. Vijayan Thomas as the Patron.

Kerala Tourism Secretary Mr. G.Kamala Vardhana Rao IAS will be the Chairman of Organsing committee while Mr. Abraham George, President - KTM Society will be the General Convener.

Mr. P.I.Sheik Pareeth IAS, Director - Tourism Govt. of Kerala, Mr. Ali Asgar Pasha IAS, Mg.Director - KTDC Ltd and Mr. Riaz Ahmed, Past PresidentKTM Society are the Vice Chairmen of the committee and Mr. Jose Mathew, Hony.

Secretary- KTM Society and Mr. Prakash K. Nair, Vice President - KTM Society are the Conveners. Mr. Gopinathan G, Hon. Jt. Secretary of KTM Society elected as Jt. Convener and Mr. Jose Pradeep, Hon. Treasurer of KTM Society as Treasurer. CEO of KTM Society Mr. Mathew Philip will continue as Member Secretary.

Once again Mr. Swaminathan S, Managing Director of Dravidian Trails retains as Chairman of Accommodation Committee while Mr. Jose Mathew, Managing Director of Rainbow Cruise as Sellers Committee and Mr. George Dominic,

Executive Director of CGH Earth Hotels as Chairman of Buyers Committee. Mr. Ross Masood will continue as Chairman - Airlines Committee and Mr. Baby Mathew Somatheeram as Chairman - PR/Media Committee Chairman. Mr. Jose Pradeep, Director of Hotel Yuvarani residency, Kochi will be the Chairman of Exhibition Committee.

The Chairmen of various other committees include Mr. Mathews E.V. ( Buyer- Seller Co-ordination Committee ), Mr. Scaria Jose ( E-Marketing Committee ), Mr. Riaz Ahmed (Finance Committee), Mr. Roy Chacko (Marketing Committee), Mr. Ashraf CC ( Post Mart Tours Committee - North Kerala ), Mr. Dileep Pottamkulam (Post Mart Tours Committee - Central Kerala), Mr. Manoj Babu M ( Post Mart Tours Committee - South Kerala), Mr. Gopalakrishnan M.R. (Programme & Cultural Committee ) , Mr. Rajasekharan Nair (Reception Committee), Mr. Jose Dominic ( Seminars & Workshops Committee ) , Mr. Gopinathan G (Sponsorship Committee), Mr. Prakash K. Nair ( Training & Skill development Committee) and Mr. Ross Masood ( Transportation Committee).

Tourism India | November 2015 | 15

Mr. Abraham George, President KTM Society

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he famed Trafalgar Square reverberated with the beats of 'chenda' and movements of 'Kathakali' performers as 'God's Own Country' captured the hearts of visitors to the 'Mayor of London' event in the British capital.

More than half-a-lakh people thronged the London landmark visited by tourists from around the world to witness a series of traditional music, dance and martial arts performances organised by Kerala Tourism on October 11.

"The Trafalgar Square presented a grand stage to introduce the cultural diversity of our state to the people of the United Kingdom and visitors from the rest of the world," said Kerala Tourism Minister Shri A P Anilkumar.

"Our objective is to present the 'Best of Kerala', its natural beauty and rich culture and

heritage, to our distinguished visitors from around the world so that we can contribute to the development of our state and empowerment of our communities," Shri Anilkumar said.

Kerala Chief Secretary Shri Jiji Thomson introduced the cultural extravaganza to the audience at a function attended by Deputy Mayor of

16 | Tourism India | November 2015

London, Mr Roger Evans at the ceremony, held in collaboration with the Indian diaspora's 'Diwali in London' committee. Kerala Tourism Secretary Shri G Kamala Vardhana Rao was also present on the occasion.

"Kerala is a top destination on the world tourism map because of the harmony between our land and culture as seen in the beautiful backwaters, majestic hills and calm countryside in the state," Shri Thomson said after the event, which also had cultural presentations like 'Garba' and

'Bhangra' dances, fusion, Bollywood songs and performances by Indian children.

The Kerala cultural presentation included 'Chendamelam', 'Thiruvathirakali' and a 'Bharathanatyam -Mohiniyattom - Kathakali fusion. Another attraction was a 'Kerala Nadanam' classical dance fusion.

The Chief Secretary, who called upon the large Indian community in London to invest in the tourism sector in Kerala, said: "Investing in Kerala's tourism sector is being part of the mission to save the nature and the planet as we are the world leaders in practising

sustainable and responsible tourism."

Britain is the biggest tourism market for Kerala. A whopping 151,497 travellers from the United Kingdom had visited the state last year. The Kerala delegation also met with prominent tour operators and top media persons in London to promote 'Visit Kerala' campaign.

"The tens of thousands of visitors at the 'Mayor of London' event were happy to learn more about Kerala," said Shri Rao. "We are confident of a major increase in foreign tourist arrivals in the state during the 'Visit Kerala' year and beyond," the Tourism

Secretary said.

While the 'Thiruvathirakali' and 'Kerala Nadanam' were presented by the Chitra Lakshmi and team, Vinod Navathara and team performed ‘Chendamelam’ and the 'Mohiniyattom -Bharathanatyam-‘Kathakali’ fusion was performed by Vinod Nair.

Launched in April this year in New Delhi by Union Tourism Minister Dr. Mahesh Sharma and the state Tourism Minister Shri A P Anilkumar, 'Visit Kerala' campaign, which will run until April next year, brings together a variety of tourism products, presenting a unique opportunity for a 'once-in-a -lifetime' experience in 'God's Own Country'.

The Indian Diasporas in London are the largest ethnic minority in the city known for its multiculturalism. The 'Mayor of London' event sets the stage for the celebration of Diwali in November.

Kerala Tourism will also participate in the influential World Trade Mart (WTM) in London, which will be held during November 2-5. The Who's Who of global travel and tourism industry attends the WTM, the world's leading tourism show.

Tourism India | November 2015 | 17

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erala Tourism has made its foray into the vast outbound tourism market of Japan, with a first-time road show in the capital Tokyo. As many as 55 leading trade participants from the Japanese travel and tourism industry participated in the road show held on October 19 at the landmark Hotel New Otani Tokyo, venue of several G-7 summits and location for the Bond film 'You Only Live Twice'.

The road show follows the assurance given by the Japanese government to support the state in promoting tourism, during the meeting between Kerala Tourism Secretary Shri G Kamala Vardhana Rao and Japan's Ambassador to India, Mr Takeshi Yagi, in New Delhi on October 6.

"As the world's third largest economy, Japan is a very important market for us," said Shri A P Anil Kumar Hon. Minister for Tourism. "After the 2009 global financial meltdown, Japan has been on the path of recovery with increased employment and income in the recent years," he added.

This is the first time Kerala

Tourism organised a road show in Japan though the state tourism department had taken part in the biggest travel and trade show in Japan, JATA Tourism Expo, in the last two years.

"The road show in Tokyo is a significant step for us to position our state as a top destination for Japanese travellers as well as a MICE destination for CEOs of its major companies to conduct meetings and conferences," said Minister.

The Kerala Tourism delegation was led by Additional Director (General) Smt Anupama T V, who made a detailed presentation about the tourism products at the road show.

"There was an enthusiastic response to the road show from the Japanese industry," said Smt Anupama. "The leading outbound travel companies wanted to get further insights into the products offered by us," she added.

The office bearers of Japanese Association of Travel Agents attended the road show. The Japanese media also showed its keen interest in the event, with a participation of

18 | Tourism India | November 2015

several media persons representing mainstream news organisations attending the road show.

"Japan is certainly going to be big market for Kerala Tourism in the future," said Smt Anupama, adding products like Ayurveda treatment packages came in for special attention at the road show.

Tourist arrivals from Japan have witnessed a 25 per cent growth in the last five years.

The number of Japanese tourists to Kerala last year was 8,785.

The state delegation included trade partners Ayurveda Mana, Eastend Hotels & Resorts, Kairali Ayurvedic Village, Kumarakom Lake Resort, Thomas Hotel & Resorts, Travel Planners. The road show was partnered by Singapore Airlines and Air India.

India Tourism Additional Director Smt Bidisha Sen Gupta was also present on the occasion.

In September last year, the Kerala Tourism pavilion at the JATA Tourism Expo in Tokyo had showcased Ayurveda and the backwaters as the main theme.

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homas Cook (India) Ltd, India’s leading integrated travel and travel related financial Services Company has announced a 3-city promotional ‘Holiday Mela’ to launch its exclusive Maharashtrian Regional international tours Avismarniya and Apratim Tours. Thomas Cook’s Holiday Mela commenced in Kolhapur, followed by Pune and its finale in Thane.

In 2015, Thomas Cook saw an increase of over 20% in its holiday business emerging from Maharashtra. The launch of its Maharashtrian Regional Avismarniya and Apratim Tours is hence Thomas Cook’s strategic initiative to leverage the potential of this rapidly growing Maharashtra consumer market.

Thomas Cook’s Avismarniya and Apratim Tours cover both Europe and Asia and offer unique features, including • Local Maharashtrian cuisine elements on tour • The reassurance and expertise of an accompanying Marathi speaking Thomas Cook Tour Manager • Brochures and itineraries in Marathi To showcase its unique Maharashtrian Tours and target the high potential Maharashtrian consumers Thomas Cook collaborated with Marathi actor Atul Kulkarni and his film Rajwade & Sons. As part of the 3-city

Holiday Mela, Thomas Cook has included an exclusive Meet & Greet event for its esteemed customers and media - to interact with the cast of Rajwade & Sons. Present at the event were Ms. Shibani Phadkar, Senior Vice President & Head Products & Operations & Mr. Jatinder Paul Singh, Senior Vice President & Head - Sales & Distribution, Leisure (Outbound) along with the stellar star cast of Rajwade & Sons – Atul Kulkarni & Sachin Khedekar The Thane Holiday Mela also provided Maharashtrian travellers a valuable opportunity to interact with Thomas CookIndia’s experienced travel experts.

Ms Shibani Phadkar, Senior Vice President & Head - Leisure Travel Outbound, Products, Contracting, Operations & Tour Management, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. said, “Maharashtra currently contributes more than 25% of our Thomas Cook Outbound business and given the high potential, we have identified Maharashtra as a key strategic focus for our Company.”

“Movies offer us a great connect with our

Maharashtrian customers and hence our tie-up with the vibrant Rajwade & Sons.

Shweta Rajwade’s passion for travel offers us an engaging peg to showcase our holiday product offerings to Maharashtrian families who believe that holidaying together is the best way to bond/ nurture relationships.”

“To delight our Maharashtra customers, we have launched our unique regional Avismarniya and Apratim Tours that offer local Maharashtrian food, a Marathi speaking Thomas Cook Tour Manager.

The impressive response of over 200 bookings from our Maharashtrian customers, in fewer than two weeks, is a reiteration of our belief in the Maharashtrian customer and we are very grateful for their loyalty.”

She added, “To further inspire bookings, we have also announced special discounted offers for our Regional Winter 2015/ Summer 2016 Tours. Our customers will be able to interact with the star cast of the movie and also plan their own holidays with our Thomas Cook experts present at the venues of our Holiday Melas”

Tourism India | November 2015 | 19

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he huge potential of the tourism sector for inclusive growth and job creation, particularly in developing countries, justifies a greater share of trade-related development assistance. That’s one of the main messages of a new report by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) called ‘Tourism and Trade: A Global Agenda for Sustainable Development’.

Just 0.78% of Aid for Trade disbursements went to tourism in 2013, even though the sector accounts for 6% of developing countries’ exports and around 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) in low-income countries. More Aid for Trade funding should be allocated to the sector, ITC and UNWTO say in their joint report, and tourism projects should be bigger.

The study, which launched during UNWTO’s General Assembly meeting in Medellin, Colombia, underscores the importance of tourism to sustainable development. The report finds that the sector may not be able to reach its full potential to deliver sustainable and inclusive growth without strong, coordinated action around tourism export strategies that

take full account of the different policy frameworks governing the flows of travellers, services, goods and foreign direct investment. The report illustrates the importance of trade, investment and visa policies to tourism from two perspectives – the tourist journey and the tourism value chain. Another key finding is that open trade policies cutting across a wide range of sectors – not just transport and the hospitality industry – can facilitate tourism. These sectors range from financial and insurances services make it easier for tourists to access local currency or their own bank accounts, through to health, education, and communications.

In recent decades, tourism has enjoyed rapid expansion and geographic ‎diversification, becoming one of the fastest -growing economic sectors worldwide. The tourism industry now ranks fourth among worldwide export sectors – behind only fuels, chemicals and food – and accounts for fully 30% of global services trade. UNWTO

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says domestic and international tourism expenditure generated US$ 1.5 trillion last year, adding 10% to global GDP and representing one out of every 11 jobs worldwide.

Tourism is the top export of about a third of developing countries, which play an increasingly important role in the sector. Emerging and developing economies register 45% of all international tourist arrivals today, and this share is forecast to reach 57% by 2030.

Tourism is an important driver of economic growth in these countries and is employment intensive, with linkages into many other parts of the economy. The industry also contributes directly to poverty reduction – notably among women.

‘Tourism has, therefore, a key role to play in maximizing the contribution of trade in services to development, job creation and the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the proposed Sustainable Development Goals,’ the ITC-UNWTO report says.

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NWTO welcomes the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reiterates its commitment to work towards the implementation of the Goals.

Tourism is one of the most dynamic economic sectors, with significant global reach, and can make an important contribution to the achievement of the SDGs, particularly in the areas of job creation, sustainable consumption and production and the preservation of natural resources.

“Issues such as climate change, effective resource management, poverty reduction and inclusive growth need to be at the center of tourism development. Now that the Goals have been approved, it is time to step up our action, time to advance policies and business strategies that monitor and minimize the negative effects of tourism development and maximize its positive impacts, namely through the distribution of its benefits

among host communities” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

The SDGs are a universal 17-goal plan of action for people, the planet and prosperity for all countries and require all stakeholders to act in collaborative partnerships.

The SDGs were approved by the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2015.

Tourism is included in the SDGs as a target in Goal 8, Goal 12 and Goal 14: – Goal 8, on the promotion of “sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all includes as Target 8.9 "By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products".

– Goal 12 aimed to “ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns” includes as Target 12.b to "Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism which creates jobs, promotes local culture and products".

– Goal 14 set to “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development” includes as target 14.7 "by 2030 increase the economic benefits of SIDS and LDCs from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism".

Tourism India | November 2015 | 21

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he 2015 UNWTO/WTM Ministers’ Summit at World Travel Market London will put a spotlight on destination branding and how it has become an increasingly complex challenge (WTM London, Tuesday, November 3, 2015).

Destination management organisations are re-evaluating their structures and strategies to adapt to new market trends created by social media and new business models, such as the so called “sharing economy” and the growing empowering of consumers.

Moderated by CNN journalist Quest, Tourism Ministers and private sector leaders from around the world will discuss Destination Branding: new challenges in a changing market. The 2015 edition of the UNWTO/WTM Ministers’ Summit will focus on: What makes a successful destination brand in today’s globalised media landscape? The links between nation branding and destination branding, the role of social media and consumers’ engagement in destination branding, reputation management and crisis communication, the changing role of destination marketing organisations; and the contribution of the creative economy to destination branding will also be in the topic.

Confirmed speakers include; Nikolina Angelkova, Minister of Tourism, Bulgaria,Mauricio Ventura Aragón, Minister of Tourism, Costa Rica, Darko Lorencin, Minister of Tourism, Croatia,

Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive Officer, Eurostar International, Noah Tratt, Global Senior Vice President, Expedia, Inc. Lee McCabe, Global Head of Travel, Facebook, Nayef H. Al-Fayez, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Jordan, Edward Zammit Lewis, Minister of Tourism, Malta, Magali Silva, Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Peru, Issa Mohammed Al Mohannadi, Chairman, Qatar Tourism Authority, Qatar, Frantisek Palko, State Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development, Slovakia, Derek Hanekon, Minister of Tourism, South Africa, Walter Mzembi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Zimbabwe The discussion will be further enriched by the participation of more than 150 Ministers and aides poised to attend the event.

“The rise of the new technologies, coupled with the global economic downturn, has brought a paradigm shift as power moves from governments to citizens and from companies to consumers.

This change is having a huge impact in the tourism sector and both destinations and companies need to adjust to new challenges”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

Now in its ninth year, the UNWTO/WTM Ministers’ Summit is part of the World Travel Market London Ministerial Programme, bringing together Tourism Ministers and leading tourism experts to debate each year key issues affecting the sector.

Tourism India | November 2015 | 23

Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture & Tourism, Govt of India and Mr. Pawan Kumar Chamling, Chief Minister of Sikkim lighting the lamp to inaugurate the 4th International Tourism Mart for North East Region 2015, in Gangtok, Sikkim on October 15, 2015. Mr. Vinod Zutshi IAS, The Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, India and other dignitaries are also seen.

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he 4th International the North East. The Minister Tourism Mart (ITM) was informed that Sikkim will have inaugurated by the Minister of its own airport in Pakyong, 35 State for Tourism, Culture and Km away from Gangtok by Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahesh December 2016. Centre will Sharma, along with the Chief work to create better road Minister of Sikkim, Shri Pawan connectivity for the public Chamling in Gangtok, Sikkim through National Highways for recently. The ITM has been the North East. He assured organized by the Union that he will discuss the matter Ministry of Tourism in of road connectivity with the association with the North concerned ministry.

Eastern States and the state of Dr. Mahesh Sharma West Bengal. appreciated the fact that Inaugurating the Mart, the Sikkim is soon going to become Union Tourism Minister, Dr. the first 100% organic state in Mahesh Sharma said that the the country. The Prime ITM helps to showcase to the Minister will declare Sikkim as world the rich and untapped a full organic state on his visit potential of the North East States. Dr Sharma said that the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has a great vision to develop the North East which has a very high tourism potential in the country.

Promoting tourism in these states will be one of the prime focus areas of the Ministry of Tourism, the Minister added.

Dr Mahesh Sharma said that improving connectivity is the key to promoting tourism in 24 | Tourism India | November 2015

to the state next year in January 2016, he said. Dr Mahesh Sharma praised the ‘cleanliness and no smoking drive’ of the Sikkim Government and said that the state has all the potential to become an ideal tourist state.

Highlighting the importance of tourism for a country, Dr. Mahesh Sharma said tourism is an economic engine for the country’s growth and development.

Tourism can contribute 8-9% to the GDP if we achieve 1% share of International tourist arrivals around the World. At present India’s share in

International tourist arrivals around the World is 0.68%.

Tourism helps to generate employment and women empowerment, he added. Dr Mahesh Sharma also said that the facility of e-Visa has been extended to 113 countries and the Government will extend it to 150 countries by March Next year.

Shri Pawan Chamling, delivering the keynote address, highlighted the initiatives taken by the Government of Sikkim to make the State a most preferred tourism destination in the region. Shri Chamling said that “we have created a comprehensive action plan to develop tourism in order to showcase and share the cultural and natural heritage of Sikkim with the world. Village Tourism and Home Stays have a tremendous potential in Sikkim as the villages are well developed and well connected. A Village Development Action Plan has been prepared for the purpose,” he explained.

Secretary, Tourism, Shri Vinod Zutshi said that the Government is developing North East region in terms of all aspects–tourism, education, health, transport networks, telecommunications, information technology,

Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture & Tourism, Govt of India and Mr. Pawan Kumar Chamling, Chief Minister of Sikkim addressing a press conference after inaugurating the 4th International Tourism Mart for North East Region 2015, in Gangtok, Sikkim on October 15, 2015.

electricity grids, flow of investment and trade and everything else that is needed to harness its economic and commercial potential and raise the standards of living of our people in this region.

This 4th International Tourism Mart 2015, spread over three days is seeing participation of fifty two (52) international delegates comprising of tour operators and media persons from 23 countries. These delegates are from Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, UK, USA and Vietnam. This mart also has participation of 71 tour operators from eight north eastern States and West Bengal besides domestic buyers (tour operators) from different regions of the country.

Tourism India | November 2015 | 25

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s the biggest and brightest festival is fast approaching, gifting is one of the top priorities on people’s minds. Move over the boring mithai and dry fruit boxes and make your gifting innovative and memorable with customized Diwali hampers from Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon.

Choose from a delightful variety of three beautiful hampers and a customized Indian sweet box created by the hotel. The hampers priced at INR 5500+ taxes, INR 3000+ taxes & INR 1500+ taxes, offer an exclusive selection of goodies and liquor from J.W. Black Label Whisky, Red House wine & sparkling waters to homemade Diwali cookies & chocolates, prunes, marshmallows, cheese crackers & pasta. All three hampers contain a pretty handmade diya to mark the occasion of Diwali. The Indian sweet box priced at INR 750+ taxes can be customized as per the guest’s preference with an eclectic assortment of mouth-watering Indian sweets all made in-house using traditional recipes and organic ingredients.

Usher in the festive season and opt for amazing hampers especially created by our talented pastry chef and light up the faces of your loved ones this Diwali!

26 | Tourism India | November 2015

anco Hills, Hyderabad celebrated the “Bathukamma Festival” with traditional fervor and enthusiasm. The complex was buzzing with life at the “Bathukamma Festival”, the state festival of Telangana with people offering prayer to Goddess Durga. The women dressed in colorful attires carried the 'Bathukamma' on their head, offering them to the Goddess. The procession started from the Club Zeus shopping street and culminated near the lake. The Festival was planned for families to celebrate the tradition and offer prayers for peace and prosperity. The event was marked with festivity and spirit with all the

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ovotel Hyderabad Convention Centre celebrated International Chef’s Day with Chef’s Day Brunch @ The Square. The event was exclusively organized to honour the culinary masters and to recognize the pivotal role chefs play in the F&B and hospitality industry.

The event was a step by Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre to salute the culinary spirit and the art of crafting magic displayed by their chefs. Executive Chef Muthu Kumar and his team of cooking masters were all seen celebrating the international Chef’s Day at the Square.

There were unlimited fun activities & interactive games like super seven games in alfresco, Roll of dice, followed by amazing prizes for the winners. There were interesting elements like Table magician, face painting, caricature, Nail painting, pottery and many more activities to choose from. Guest was seen enjoying the afternoon fiesta. The buffet at The Square featured selection of Indian and international cuisines including flavourful soups, exotic salads, grills, pastas, delicious selection of dessert for the guests.

The event culminated with an exciting Chef Parade which was led by Executive Chef Muthu Kumar- along with his team who interacted with the guests and each table and engaged in fun filled activities.

residents coming forward to participate and celebrate the event.

Speaking on this occasion Mr Janardhan Reddy, President of Lanco Hills owners welfare associations said “The whole

concept of this event was to bring together the families to help them cherish and celebrate the tradition and legacy. As a community our role is to make Lanco Hills a place which promotes

cultural diversity as well as preserving our traditions dynamic living, well-being and superior lifestyle for all the residents. This community is one of the most vibrant communities of Hyderabad.”

Tourism India | November 2015 | 27

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ew Travel Intelligence solution enables carriers to improve customer service and run operations more efficiently. Amadeus recently announced the launch of a cutting-edge Travel Intelligence solution for airlines, Amadeus Schedule Recovery, which minimises disruptions to operations caused by external events such as bad weather or air traffic control congestion. Amadeus Schedule Recovery serves as a recommendation engine, using data analytics to help quickly and efficiently identify the

efficiencies when dealing with disruptions.

“At Qantas, we take the impact of disruptions on our customers very seriously. The Amadeus solution helps reduce the number of and length of delays, whether due to excessive traffic, operational delays, or weather conditions, leading to an overall improved experience for travellers,” said Paul Fraser, Head of Operations at Qantas.

“Amadeus has developed a product that improves our efficiency and speed to ensure any delays to our services are

most critical issues, and act upon them.

This solution helps airlines make rapid choices such as whether to delay or cancel flights, swap aircraft, or reassign landing slots.

Schedule Recovery reduces manual effort and improves the quality of decisions while closely controlling the strain on the airline operating costs and minimising the overall impact on passengers.

The launch customer of the solution, Qantas Airways – Australia’s largest carrier –has been using Schedule Recovery to improve operational

minimised”, he added.

Schedule Recovery supports any airline where the size and organisational complexity of its operations, and the need to act quickly, makes it difficult for manual decision-making to take in the full operational and customer picture. It does not require an airline to use any other Amadeus solution, and can be integrated with any passenger service system.

The solution is divided into three modules: Airport Resource Tracker, Schedule Manager and Schedule Optimiser.

28 | Tourism India | November 2015

Airport Resource Tracker, the first module, which is being launched recently, provides unique capabilities to airlines at a time when growing air traffic is placing ever -increasing demands on airports and airspace capacity.

The module enables airlines to interact more efficiently with air traffic control so that the best possible use can be made of available airport arrival and departure slots.

Check-in facilities, airport gates and luggage belts are other examples of airport capacity constraints, where poor operations control decisions could result in disruption to the passenger experience. Airport Resource Tracker allows these to be factored into airline decision -making to ensure a smooth journey.

Pascal Clement, Head of Travel Intelligence, Amadeus, said, “In today’s business, providing an excellent customer experience is essential to maintaining loyalty. One of the biggest pain points for travellers has been how airlines manage disruptions. Schedule Recovery has been designed to help airlines make quicker and more informed decisions about how to handle disruptions, regardless of their cause. From a business perspective, operations control decisions are often difficult to measure and are kept in silos. Schedule Recovery drives a more integrated view of operations and ensures airlines can assess all aspects of the costs associated with any operations control decisions.” He added.

The solution, which uses real-time business intelligence and very rich visualisation, can be readily adapted to the unique priorities of each airline as well as to their changing business needs.

ABTA

– The Travel Association, has revealed that Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and its national airline Etihad Airways, will host the association’s 2016 Travel Convention. The convention will take place from 10 to 12 October, 2016. at the Yas Viceroy Hotel on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi’s hub of leisure, sports and retail activities.

The choice of Abu Dhabi was announced at the 2015 ABTA Travel Convention in Costa Navarino, Greece.

This will be the first time that the Travel Convention has been held in Abu Dhabi. The Emirate was chosen for its immense touristic appeal and superior infrastructure. ABTA was impressed by the city’s efforts to transform itself into a global showcase of modern living and culture.

Mohammad Al Bulooki, Etihad Airways’ Vice President for UAE Commercial, said: “ABTA’s decision to choose Abu Dhabi for the 2016 Travel Convention is true recognition of the enormous efforts the Emirate has placed on developing Abu Dhabi into a progressive world class hub of tourism, culture and tolerance.

Abu Dhabi’s population is diverse, forward-thinking, and above all welcoming.

“As the world-leading national airline of the UAE, we are delighted to be able to welcome the movers and shakers of the United Kingdom’s travel industry to our cosmopolitan home, and in doing so highlight and celebrate the great importance of the British tourism market to Etihad Airways and its partners.”

Noel Josephides, ABTA Chairman, said: "I am delighted that Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi have agreed to host the 2016 Travel Convention. Abu Dhabi leads the world in state-of-the-art luxurious hotels and facilities, and in the Yas Viceroy we will be lucky enough to be able to enjoy one of the most iconic buildings in Abu Dhabi."

Etihad Airways, as official airline, will fly over 500 leading travel company managers, owners, and industry leaders to the convention. The Yas Viceroy Hotel is located within the Yas Marina Circuit and is the first hotel in the world to be built over a Formula 1 race circuit.

The airline will offer ABTA delegates flights from its three main gateways in the United Kingdom – London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Sultan Al Dhaheri, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) Acting Executive Director for Tourism, said: “Hosting the 2016 ABTA Travel Convention in Abu Dhabi is testament to the great efforts the Emirate has taken to establish itself as a world-leading and progressive tourism, sporting

and cultural hub. Welcoming the leaders of the British travel industry here is the perfect opportunity for us to showcase our diverse and colourful home through the UK’s sophisticated and experienced travel trade.”

Etihad Airways operates six daily flights from the United Kingdom, connecting through its hub in Abu Dhabi to the leading leisure and business destinations in Asia, Africa, the Indian Ocean and Australasia.

The airline operates its new flagship Airbus A380 from London Heathrow, featuring The Residence, the only three room cabin in the sky, First Apartments, Business Studios and Economy Smart Seats.

Tourism India | November 2015 | 29

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alindo Air, Malaysia’s first hybrid airline becomes the sole airline to offer direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and the Punjab capital of India, Amritsar, via three times weekly flights. The 4,268km route or equivalent to a 5-hour 20-minute flight will signify the airline’s furthest destination from its main hub in Kuala Lumpur.

Promotional fares for Business Class start from RM1,309 one-way while Economy Class fares start from RM759 one-way all inclusive of light refreshments and a meal, in-flight entertainment and free baggage allowance.

Bookings can be made online at malindoair.com or for Smartphone devices at mobile. malindoair.com or via the Malindo Air App available for download on Google Play and

App Store.

The departing flight will take off daily from KLIA2 at 9:15am and touch down at the Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport (ATQ) at 12:25pm. The return flight will depart from Amritsar at 1:15pm and arrive in KLIA2 at 9:35pm.

Malindo Air’s CEO, Chandran Rama Muthy, said, “We are proud to soon be extending our wings further up north India to Amritsar, the capital city of Punjab state.

This means a lot to our airline as the route will signify our furthest route yet from Kuala Lumpur using our young fleet of Boeing 737-900ER aircraft.

Malaysians and transiting visitors from neighbouring Singapore can now look forward to a smooth flight to Amritsar via Kuala Lumpur whether for business, leisure or religious purposes.”

“Apart from Amritsar, we will continue to focus on further route enhancements

30 | Tourism India | November 2015

and introduce more value -added services and promotions to strengthen our hybrid concept in Malaysia and the region,” he added.

Being the Sikh capital of India, the city of Amritsar offers a humbling eye-opening experience for tourists and Punjab pilgrims. The legendary Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, is a must-visit for spiritual healing and sight-seeing.

Recently, Malindo Air clinched the Airline of the Year (Passenger) award at the distinctive KLIA Awards 2014, in recognition of the airline’s achievements and exceptional performance in areas such as passenger movement, growth, sales, international recognition and service throughout year 2014.

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rankfurt, Germany, is set to become one of the first destinations for Oman Air’s iconic new Boeing 787 Dreamliners when they enter service this autumn. Oman Air’s Chief Executive Officer, Paul Gregorowitsch, has announced that the aircraft will begin flying daily between Muscat and Frankfurt from October-November 2015.

The non-stop and direct flights depart Muscat at 14.00 and arrive in Frankfurt at 18.45.

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, return flights depart Frankfurt at 20.20, arriving in Muscat at 06.00. Flights on Mondays Thursdays and Fridays depart Frankfurt at 21.35 and arrive in Muscat at 07.15.

Oman Air remains the only airline to offer direct, non-stop flights between Muscat and Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, London, Milan and Zurich.

Paul Gregorowitsch comments: “Frankfurt is one of Oman Air’s most important international destinations and we are delighted to offer customers on this route an early opportunity to experience our wonderful new Dreamliner aircraft.

“Oman Air’s Dreamliners

offer extraordinary levels of style and comfort for our long haul passengers. Their unique technology and innovative engineering have ensured that the aircraft has fast become an icon of 21st Century air travel.

Together with Oman Air’s superb new cabins and seating, and our legendary Omani hospitality, it will offer our customers a tremendous passenger experience.”

The Boeing B787 Dreamliner is the first commercial aircraft to utilise carbon composites in its airframe manufacture. It is lighter and uses 20 per cent less fuel than similarly-sized aircraft. It also offers greater range, produces fewer In addition; its spacious cabins include large, electronically -dimmable windows that provide more natural light and improved views, even for those sitting in central seats.

Oman Air has initially ordered six Dreamliners, with the first two being delivered this autumn. Four more will follow before the end of 2018.

The carrier’s expansion of its long haul fleet is part of a broader fleet and network expansion programme, currently underway. This will Tourism India | November 2015 | 31

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light frequencies to Stockholm set to increase from 10 to 13 times weekly, to Copenhagen from 11 weekly to double daily and to Brussels from 7 to 8 weekly Qatar Airways is continuing its rapid growth and responding to increasing demand within Europe with a substantial increase in flight frequencies to Stockholm in Sweden, Copenhagen in Denmark and Brussels in Belgium.

From 1 December 2015, flights from Doha to Stockholm, Sweden, will expand from a 10-times weekly service to 13 flights per week, a capacity increase of 30 per cent on the route. The increase is seasonal and valid until 25 March 2016. A double-daily service will be operated every day except Wednesday by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, offering customers 254 seats across its Business and Economy Classes. With the launch of these additional frequencies, customers from

the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa in particular will benefit from improved connectivity to the Swedish capital via Qatar Airways' Doha hub.

Qatar Airways’ flight network to Scandinavia will be further enhanced with the expansion of flights to Copenhagen from 2 December 2015. The airline will increase frequencies from an 11-times weekly service to double daily flights, representing an increase of almost 30 per cent in additional seats to Copenhagen every week. All flights will be operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and customers flying from the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa can look forward to even smoother connections via the state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport.

On 4 December 2015, five years after the introduction of the route, flights from Doha to Brussels will also be increased from seven to eight times weekly representing a 14 per

32 | Tourism India | November 2015

cent increase in capacity on this route and enhanced connectivity for both leisure and corporate customers, particularly from the Middle East and the Indian Sub -Continent.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to offer our customers wishing to travel to and from Sweden, Denmark and Belgium an even greater choice of connection opportunities and this further network expansion is evidence of the growing demand on these routes. Qatar Airways continues to expand rapidly, not only in terms of our global network but also in terms of the service we offer our customers. Complementing our five-star service in the skies on board one of the youngest fleets in the industry are our transfer facilities at the state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport in Doha.”

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ingapore Airlines has signed an agreement to be the launch customer for a new ultra-long-range variant of the Airbus A350 aircraft, enabling the resumption of non-stop flights between Singapore and the United States.

Singapore Airlines has 63 A350-900s on firm order and the new agreement with Airbus will see seven of these upgraded to orders for the A350-900ULR, which will have a range of up to 8,700nm. The Airline also has 20 purchase options, four of which will be converted into firm A350-900 orders. This will lift to 67 the total number of A350s on firm order with Airbus, plus 16 options.

Deliveries of the A350900ULR aircraft are scheduled to take place in 2018, enabling the re-launch of the world’s longest non-stop flights, between Singapore and both Los Angeles and New York. The

aircraft will be fitted with all-new cabin products which are currently under development. Non-stop flights between Singapore and additional points in the US are also under consideration.

“Our customers have been asking us to re-start non-stop Singapore-US flights and we are pleased that Airbus was able to offer the right aircraft to do so in a commercially viable manner,” said Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong.

“This is another example of how we strive to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations by remaining at the forefront of product and service innovation in our industry. It will also further strengthen the Singapore hub by providing the fastest and most convenient air connectivity between North America and Southeast Asia.”

Airbus President and CEO

Fabrice Brégier added: “We are excited to be working with Singapore Airlines to re-launch its premium non-stop service to the US. The A350 is the perfect, flexible platform for such operations, offering unrivalled operating economics for the very longest routes.

And the wider and quieter cabin will provide the perfect environment for passengers to enjoy the world-famous Singapore Airlines in-flight product.”

The agreement comes as Singapore Airlines is preparing to take delivery of its first A350-900 early in 2016, in line with the Airline’s longstanding policy to maintain a young and modern fleet.

Singapore Airlines operated non-stop flights between Singapore and both Los Angeles and New York until 2013, when the A340-500s that were used for the services were retired.s Tourism India | November 2015 | 33

T Jeeva Jayadas

34 | Tourism India | November 2015

he historic town of Tarangampadi (Tranquebar) in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu attracts foreign tourists and native holiday makers with its remarkable mementos of the bygone days. Tharangampadi was a Danish settlement and the remains of the Danish era have stood stand the testimony of time. Tharangambadilies both sides of the East Coast Road .It is just 15 kilometres from Karaikal district of Pondycherry, and it is n the way to the pilgrim towns of Chidambaram in the north-east and Vailankanni in the south.

The Danes were the last of the colonial powers to set foot in India. They established trading outposts in Tranquebar in Tamil Nadu, Serampore in West Bengal and the Nicobar Islands.

Tharangampadi or Tranquebar as it was re- christened by the westerners was the last Danish outposts in India. It was sold to the British in 1845 The City Gate, near the main junction of Tharangampadi, welcomes you to the heart and soul of the coastal township dotted with streets and buildings which represent a curious mixture of Western and Indian Tradition, the vestiges of which are still alive.

The waves that cradle this shore still whisper the tale of that ancient legacy, which moulded the very life of these people. The shoreline is dotted with the remnants of the bygone cultural, commercial political and religious legacy.

Sadly most of them are in ruin.

Masilamaninathar Temple is the oldest surviving monument in Tharangampadi, built by the King MaravrmanKulasekhara Pandyan in 1305. This temple originally had three mandapams, two of them have already been swallowed by the sea, recently rebuilt In 1620 AD,Tanjore province was ruled by the King Vijaya Rakhu Nayak. On May 5, he allowed the king of Denmark, Christian IV, to set up a trading centre at Tranquebar on the agreement that the Danes would pay Rs 3,111 a month as rent .The agreement, signed on a golden sheet can still be seen at the International Archive at Copenhegan, Denmark.

Around the same period during 1620 AD, Roland Crappe, a Danish Navy Caption brought Tranquebar and the surrounding area from the Tanjore king on behalf of the Danish King.

The Dance built the majestic Dansborg Fort Museum and the stone wall surrounded by it . It was the Danis initiative that made Tranqubar a prime hub of maritime trade in this coastal belt earning it a well-known place in the pages of the Colonial History of India. The Dansborg Fort was the gateway for voyagers passing through the east coast into Tranquebar.

Yet another integral part of the Tranqubar’s eventful history if the advent of the Roman Catholicism way back in the 17th century .It was a period marked by the setting up of several churches, aggressive evangalization under the Catholic church Tourism India | November 2015 | 35

accompanied by healthcare and educational activities adding new dimensions to the very social and cultural life of the local populace.

Danish Churches were first established in Tharangampadi in 1701with the priest giving the much needed priority to educational work.

The most notable was the arrival of the Berthelomeus Ziegenbalg and Plutscheu two German priests in July 1706, It is amazing to know that, it was Ziegenbalg who set up India’s first printing press at Tharangampadi.

Ziegenbalg also translated the Bible into Tamil and printed it. Ziegenbalg’s tricentenary celebrations in March 2006 was attended by many of his admires from Germany and other countries.

The event was a tribute to the great man who laid the foundation of the printing industry in India.

It is heartening that Danish Citizens are still in touch with the place through thanks to the initiative of the Denmark Association. Throughout the year, the village has visitors from Denmark. Research scholars of History and Anthropology frequent this village to explore the unique culture of that bygone past.

These visits are not just out of academic curiosity; On the other hand it represents a link that cannot be separated by time and tides.

The dilapidated Danish Governor’s bungalow, was rebuilt recently. It falls under the control of the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department. The building structure attract many due to the style of construction.

A few feet from the beach, stands the British Collector’s bungalow gives a different picture amidst this depressing scenario. The building which was later sold to a Nadar family 36 | Tourism India | November 2015

has been renovated as by a heritage hotel group, Neemrana. It is now called “The Bungalow on the beach”.

There are many buildings of immense heritage value in this coastal township. It is heartening that efforts are gaining momentum for their preservation and renovation, thanks to organizations like INTACH( Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) and BestsellerFoundation.

The Buckingham canal which splits the landscape of Tharangampadi, it is a witness to the cultural upheavals that had taken place in this coastal hamlet over the years. The Bridge over the canal tells the story of peaceful co-existence between the populace of the two banks of the village.

Tharangampadi also has a truly secular tradition marked by harmonious co-existence among the Hindus, Christians, Muslims. What has added value to this harmony is the long history of trade links with various countries and their people. Irrespective of the social, religious and economic status, the people are more polished, cordial and accommodative and truly more enlightened.

During the 14th century, Tharangampadi began trading with the Arabs with sanction of the Danish rulers. They built a mosque based on Arabian style about 300 years ago. The 225 year Danish rule transformed Tharangampadi. The main streets here are still known as King street, Queen street and Admiral street.

Tharangampadi, with its rich tradition, can be noted as one of the most historically important places in India.

A few architectural monuments like the Zion Church, celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2001. The post office of the village is situated in a Danish building, and first

began functioning in 1884 during the British Raj. The houses in Tharangampadi stand out with their typical courtyard and large verandas. The Muslim houses in Tharangampaditoo maintain the antique beauty of architectural elegance.

In a major initiative by the much concerned Denmark Association, six of such old houses are being which renovated with meticulous care to see that the traditional architectural style is maintained and cultural legacy is intact.

However, most of the people are not aware of the architectural value of their houses. There are houses in the typical Chettinad style with vast interiors and rooms and built during the first half of the century. These houses are mostly research topics for Tourism India | November 2015 | 37

architectural students and professionals from various parts of India and abroad.

The fisher folk of Tharangampadi are culturally distinct and more polished in their lifestyle than their counter parts elsewhere in the

country. Thanks to the heritage they have inherited from the Colonial past. The fisher folk constitute the majority of the population with more than 1,100 households.

Tharangampadi, which survived over many a centuries, by singing, dancing and crying to the mystic tunes of the waves that cradle its shorelines has also at times shattered by the fury of the sea. The worst happened in 2004 when the devastating Tsunami that hit the costs of India did not spare even this tiny village which was hitherto a safe haven for as many as 1,700 households and a nearly 10,000 strong

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population.

Many houses were destroyed and the fisher folk was the worst affected. But it was only yet another test of time adding to the agonies and ecstasies, this population have undergone over centuries.

Today the wounds of the Tsunami are healing fast and the fishing community is back in their spirits venturing into the sea harvesting its bounty.

The waves are back as soothing music years. The fish market is back to its good old days, boats are back in the seas, catches are sumptuous.

Yes the bad memories of Tsunami have already faded into oblivion.

Yes, hopes of a brighter tomorrow, more sunshine and dawn of a new era of progress are back here with the waves having resumed its good old symphony.

Tourism India | November 2015 | 39

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ithin just nine months of opening, AOL UK has selected Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives amongst the “Top Ten All-Inclusive Resorts in the World” for 2015! Additionally, Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives is the only resort to be selected within this list, from the entire Asian Region!

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AOL UK described Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives as the best choice for Affordable Luxury in the Maldives! Offering a unique Premium All-inclusive plan – Platinum PLUS, wherein over 90% of the daily expenses that you would expect to incur during a typical five-star

tropical beach holiday experience is paid up front, enables you to enjoy a total hassle-free experience!

Platinum Plus offers a fine collection of premium wines, spirits & cocktails, a combination of buffet, fine dining & theme night dining options through-out the week, together with an array of activities ranging from excursions, sunset fishing, snorkeling & non-motorized water sports! ALL INCLUDED in ONE price!

Located in the stunning and sparsely populated Lhaviyani Atoll; a short 35-minute sea-plane ride from Male international airport, Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives sits on a naturally stunning island with pristine white beaches and vast lagoon beyond. The resort has 150 Stand-alone & oversized Beach villas, in 4 different categories, spreading idyllically along a mesmeric two kilometre long turquoise lagoon, showcasing

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vast living spaces with accentuating Maldivian interiors. Each villa comes with spacious and tastefully decorated interiors, with open-air bathrooms and private outdoor garden areas with sun-loungers and direct beach access.

Another unique selling point for the resort is the introduction of the FIRST PURE Vegetarian restaurant in the Maldives –“JUST VEG”! JUST VEG presents delightful vegetarian cuisine from the Mediterranean, Arabic and Indian Ocean regions, redefining contemporary non-meat cuisine by experimenting with original and surprising flavor combinations. The restaurant elevates the “100% meat-free cookery” to a new high, delighting the discerning palates of all tastes, whether

you are a Devout Vegetarian or a Committed Carnivore!

JUST VEG, is one of the most talked about ‘Gourmet Cuisine’ restaurants in the Maldives currently and has just been selected as being part of the “TOP10Restaurants in the

Maldives” by the popular & prestigious UK based Tour Operator – Destinology( www. destinology.co.uk )!

Benchmarking JUST VEG as a culinary trend setter for Gourmet Vegetarian cuisine and as the ONLY authentic Vegetarian Restaurant in the Maldives, the overall experience offers the discerning traveler a unique journey, through the surprising world of contemporary

vegetarian food and healthy life style.

As per Mr.Rajat Chhabra, Director of Operations, “JUST VEG specifically caters to the growing Vegetarian community of this world in a lifestyle orientated manner. The entire experience at the restaurant is totally in sync with the Brand Essence of Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts – Art of Balance! It is our way of offering alternative cuisine, specifically focusing on the healthy aspect of life and the vegetarian philosophy!”

The resort has ventured to add on this innovative fine dining experience, to further enhance guests’ gastronomical journey, whilst holidaying in the Exotic Indian Ocean destination – The Maldives; sparking further appeal to the already popular Premium All-Inclusive experience at Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives!

Tourism India | November 2015 | 41

T

he Capital Group is a network of companies owned and managed by Capital Travel & Tours Private Limited, Maldives which bloomed in 1991. The prime activity of the company was initially to operate as an inbound- travel agency in the Maldives.

However today, they have over 5000 partners all around the globe and is classed as one of the largest, reliable and efficient tour operators in the Maldives. The company has allotment contract with all the leading resorts and hotels in the Maldives.

The group carefully diversified its business

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operation engaged in trading within the last 15 years. Some of it includes Resort and Hotel Supplies, Office Stationeries and equipment’s, importing Motor cycles, Cars and other vehicles as well as the establishment of a Vehicle Service Center.

Capital Travel is an in -bound and out-bound Tour Operator operating under the License of Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture since 1990.

Capital Travel is affiliated with many Travel Agencies / Tour Operator’s around the globe, and partner resorts / hotels in the Maldives including the international brands hotel chains. Capital Travel is a member of many international organizations like, JATA, ASTA,

PATA, ICTP etc. Capital Travel created its brand in hospitality industry with efficient services and tireless caring in dealing with its clients.

As a tour operator and Travel Agent, Capital Group have associates and partners around the world with whom the working relationship has been excellent for several years. Their clientele are from all around the world and they take a personalized route to ensure that each and every one of their clients is fully satisfied

with the services. Capital Group also participates in major travel fairs and exhibitions internationally and thrives to expand the network of alliances throughout the world.

As a leading travel agent and tour operator in the industry their services and offers are limitless. Varying from honeymoon packages to family holiday packages to surf

and dive vacations. With over 24 years of experience in the business, the Capital Group is confident that their services will be unrivalled and that their customers would not be disappointed in spending their luxury vacation at the sunny side of life!

Capital Travel support and find resources for investor’s for tourism products, resorts / hotel and safari cruise in the Maldives.

Mr. Yoosuf Riffath Chairman and Managing Director Capital Travels, Maldives

Tourism India | November 2015 | 43

Nevada Division of Tourism in India appoints Sartha Global Marketing for India Representation

The Nevada Division of Tourism has announced the appointment of Sartha Global Marketing as its representative office in India. Sartha Global Marketing has been tasked to implement ongoing public relations and travel trade programs, to educate potential travelers on the destination’s unique attributes, thereby attracting a larger number of visitors to Nevada from India.

Nevada is a mountainous state in the Western region of the United States of America; a premier vacation and business travel destination; the state has rich and diverse holiday options on offer for potential Indian travelers. Also known as the Silver State, Nevada’s picturesque highways wind their way through some of the most spectacular scenery in the country, providing a perfect setting for scenic drives. Unique travel experiences abound, ranging from the Cowboy country in Northern Nevada, the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, historic mining towns along the Loneliest Road in America 44 | Tourism India | November 2015

to Lake Tahoe - the Jewel of the Sierra.

“Nevada is a large, diverse state already world-famous for the spectacular recreation and entertainment destinations of Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe.

Nevada also is a tremendous location for destination weddings, family reunions and large group meetings. We hope the state’s beautiful mountains and lakes, fascinating American history and culture, delicious cuisine and endless adventure will resonate with the Indian market. We sought a marketing agency in India that can spread the message of these treasures and attract

visitors to Nevada, and we believe Sartha Global will be the perfect partner to do that.” said Ms. Claudia Vecchio, Director, Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs.

Mr. Sunil Puri, Executive Director, Sartha Global Marketing added, “We are thrilled to represent the Nevada Division of Tourism in India. The destination symbolizes history, diversity, culture and landscapes. Indians love to travel and explore destinations that capture unique landscapes and action packed urban settings. This should make Nevada a natural destination of choice for Indian travelers.”

Tourism India | November 2015 | 45

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35

Manila’s latest attractions, and th edition of ASEAN features the capital’s premier Travel Forum (ATF) SMX Convention Center and a returns to the Philippines after selection of the World’s top a decade. Host city Manila – hospitality brands such as the capital city of Philippines is Conrad, City of Dreams, Solaire all set to welcome more than and Resorts World, 1,600 international delegates conveniently located within including ministerial officials, walking distance of one exhibitors, buyers, media and another. The Manila Eye, a other travel industry gigantic ferris wheel professionals from some 50 observatory is also part of the countries for the week-long district’s iconic event. landscape.

Manila’s Mr. Ramon R. Entertainment Jimenez Jr., Secretary City will be home of Tourism, to key ATF Philippines said; “The activities including Department of the 3-day TRAVEX Tourism (DOT) is travel trade mart honored and proud of from January 20 to the Philippines’ 22, 2016. This gaming and hosting of ATF 2016. entertainment To all the delegates, district is one of we welcome you to Mr. Ramon R. Jimenez Jr.,

our home, the Philippines. We hope that beyond the conference walls of this meeting, you experience our country in different ways— from our diverse natural wonders to our rich cultural heritage and the warmth of the Filipino people. And while this forum will allow for the exchange of ideas for the progress of our economies, we also hope that these meetings will build stronger friendships between our nations.’’ The ATF 2016 secretariat has already started the initial rounds of stringent validations to identify real buyers from across the globe and eligible buyers have started receiving hosting invitations since July 15, 2015. More invitations will be sent over the coming weeks as the ATF Host Committee gets ready to host a total of 400 buyers and 100 media delegates from more than 50 countries.

Secretary, Tourism, Philippines

Tourism India | November 2015 | 47

Midway Museum • Kids Ride Free with Flagship Cruises & Events • Kid's Equipment Free from Toddler's Travels • Kids Go Free at Newport Landing Whale Watching Cruise • Kids Eat Free at selected San Diego Hotels • Kids Play and Ride Free at Belmont Park • Kids Sail Free with San Diego Sailing Tours • Kids Go Free to San Diego Children's Discovery Museum and many more..

Star Wars- Themed Lands Coming to Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, Anaheim: The Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced to an audience of more than 7,500

N

ew 2015 Kids Free Offers are Here, San Diego: Find 100’s of Kids Free Deals during the entire month of October where kids eat stay and play for free throughout San Diego. Take advantage of great deals at more than 100 participating partners and get ready for the ultimate family vacation.

• Kids go free at San Diego Zoo • SEAWORLD San Diego - Kids Go FREE in October • Kids Go Free to the USS

fans that Star Wars-themed lands will be coming to Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California allowing Star Wars fans to step into the stories from a galaxy far, far away.

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, Buena Park: Surrender to an age of bravery and honor and witness epic battles of steel and steed during our ALL-NEW SHOW. From ringside seats, discover a feast of the eyes and appetite with more action, more fun

48 | Tourism India | November 2015

and more excitement than ever before. As you thrill to a rousing live jousting tournament, marvel at awe -inspiring horsemanship and falconry, Medieval Times serves a four-course meal fit for royalty.

Knotts Berry Farm (America’s 1st Theme Park), Buena Park: Voyage to the Iron Reef, a spectacular new 4-D interactive ride, is now open at Knott's Berry Farm. Grab a freeze ray and join the battle to save Knott's from the mysterious creatures that are emerging from the waters beneath the Boardwalk!

Six Flags Magic Mountain Announces the New Revolution for 2016, Los Angeles: Six Flags Magic Mountain is known as the “Thrill Capital of the World,” the 260-acre theme park features 19 world-class roller coasters and over 100 rides, games and attractions for the entire family and was voted by USA TODAY readers as America’s Best Theme Park.

Set to debut in 2016, The New Revolution will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the world’s first 360-degree looping coaster.

Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles: Universal Studios Hollywood wields a bit of magic with the reveal of newly created signature art for the eagerly -awaited arrival of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™,” scheduled to open in spring 2016.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, Los Angeles: In anticipation of the March 2016 release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Bros.

Studio Tour Hollywood will debut the newest incarnation of the Batmobile in its Picture Car Vault starting September 4, 2015 and for a limited time only, as part of its special Batman exhibit. Ben Affleck’s

Batman, Henry Cavill’s Superman, and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman costumes will also be revealed as a new star attraction in the Batman exhibit, which brings together costumes and props from all eight Batman films for the very first time.

The Ahwahnee Announces 31st Annual Chefs’ Holidays Event Lineup, Yosemite National Park: The Ahwahnee, a National Historic Landmark hotel located in the heart of Yosemite Valley, announces the lineup for the 31st Annual Chefs' Holidays event series.

Yosemite National Park's Chefs’ Holidays event will be held over a series of eight sessions from January 10 February 4, 2016. Since the inception of Chefs’ Holidays in 1985, this event series has allowed park visitors to enjoy a winter getaway at Yosemite National Park combined with a gourmet food and wine event.

Fairyland, Oakland: The whimsical 10-acre park is a magical fantasy world where young children can create, imagine, play, and learn all day long, located on the shores of Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. In December, Fairy Winterland celebrates the winter holidays of many cultures: Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Diwali, and Chinese New Year. Join in for stories, crafts, a festival of lights, and a visit from Santa.

Pier 39, San Francisco: When was the last time you were at PIER 39? If you haven’t been to The PIER in the last couple years, there are a few new businesses to check out: • 7D Experience’s LaZer Challenge Imagine yourself standing in a room filled with webs of laser beams. Imagine a crowd of people outside watching, waiting for you to succeed or fail. The clock is ticking and it’s your mission to climb

over, under and in between where Stone Flower is all the beams without located touching a single one.

• Cup & Cake Cafe - Enjoy • The Sea Lion Center- One of gourmet Illy Coffee, specialty San Francisco’s most popular cupcakes and other sweet attractions just got bigger: treats at Cup & Cake Cafe, a the Sea Lion Center is now European-style cafe with the open at PIER 39! Owned and only view down the center of operated by Aquarium of the The PIER. Click here to see Bay, the Sea Lion Center is a where Cup & Cake Cafe is hub for all things sea lion, located. including interactive displays, educational videos and many • Open Heart, PIER 39′s fascinating presentations led newest piece of art, is

by Aquarium of the Bay permanently located at the Naturalists. picturesque Bay End of The • Stone Flower features fun PIER. The sculpture is part of apparel, gifts and accessories San Francisco General for women. This pink-themed Hospital Foundation’s 2014 boutique is filled with “Hearts in San Francisco” jewelry, accessories, collection that supports the handbags and trendy casual vital dresses. Click here to see Tourism India | November 2015 | 49

M

ore than 2 Lakh Tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa during Jan-Sept 2015 showing an increase of 945.6% over the same period last year. Highest number of tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa from USA during Jan-Sept 2015 Government of India launched Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVoA) enabled by Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), presently known as e-Tourist Visa scheme on 27th November 2014. At present e-Tourist Visa facility is available for citizens of 113 countries arriving at 16 Airports in India.

The following are the important highlights of e-Tourist Visa during September, 2015: (i) During the month of September, 2015 a total of

31,729 tourist arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 2,170 during the month of September, 2014 registering a growth of 1362.2%. (ii) During JanuarySeptember, 2015 a total of 2, 01,705 tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 19,290 during JanuarySeptember, 2014 registering a growth of 945.6%. (iii) This high growth may be attributed to introduction of e-Tourist Visa for 113 countries as against coverage of earlier TVoA scheme for 12 countries. (iv) The percentage shares of top 10 source countries availing e-Tourist Visa facility during September, 2015 were as follows: USA (18.71%), UK (9.24%), Australia (8.50%),

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Germany (7.22%), China (6.36%), France (5.22%), Canada (4.54%), Israel (3.61%), Japan (2.83%), and Mexico (2.66%). (v) The percentage shares of different ports in tourist arrivals on e-Tourist Visa during September, 2015 were as follows: New Delhi Airport (50.69%), Mumbai Airport (20.70%), Bangalore Airport (7.44%), Chennai Airport (7.18%), Kochi Airport (3.53%), Kolkata Airport (2.93%), Hyderabad Airport (2.74%), Goa Airport (1.71%), Trivandrum Airport (1.30%), Ahmadabad Airport (0.72%), Amritsar Airport (0.43%), Tiruchinapalli Airport (0.33%), Jaipur Airport (0.27%), Varanasi Airport (0.01%) and Gaya Airport ( 0.01%).

F

oreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) register a growth of 6.1 % in September 2015 over the same period in 2014 Bangladesh accounts for the highest share of FTAs in September 2015 Rs. 9,512 Crore Foreign Exchange earned through Tourism during September 2015 Ministry of Tourism compiles monthly estimates of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) on the basis of Nationality-wise, Port-wise data received from Bureau of Immigration (BOI) and Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism on the basis of data available from Reserve Bank of India. Following are the important highlights regarding FTAs and FEEs from tourism during the month of September2015.

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs)

• FTAs during the Month of September2015 were 5.40 lakh as compared to FTAs of 5.09 lakh during the month of September2014 and 4.54 lakh in September2013.

There has been a growth of 6.1% in September2015 over September2014.

• FTAs during the period January- September 2015 were 56.08 lakh showing a growth of 4.6% over JanuarySeptember 2014 • The Percentage share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during September 2015 among the top 15 source countries was highest from Bangladesh (18.81%), followed by USA (10.99%), UK (7.96%), Malaysia (4.72%), Sri Lanka (4.69%), Australia (3.39%), China (3.37%), Japan (3.20%), Germany (2.89), Canada (2.51%), Nepal (2.44%), France (2.39%),Singapore

(2.13%), Pakistan (1.61%) and Afghanistan (1.27%). These top 15 countries account for 72.37% of total FTAs during September 2015.

• The Percentage share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during September2015 among the top 15 ports was highest at Delhi Airport (30.08%) followed by Mumbai Airport (17.21%), Haridaspur Land check post (10.57%), Chennai Airport • (8.91%), Bengaluru Airport (6.57%), Kolkata Airport (4.02%), Cochin Airport (3.23%), Hyderabad Airport (3.03%),Gede Rail (2.02%), Tiruchirapalli (1.94%), Trivendrum Airport (1.55%), Ahmedabad Airport (1.35%),Ghojadanga Land check post (1.26%), AttariWagha Land check post (1.05%) and Amritsar Airport (0.75%). These top 15 ports account for 93.54% of total FTAs during September 2015.

Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from Tourism in India in rupee terms and in US$ terms • FEEs during the month of September 2015 were Rs9,512 crore as compared to Rs9,057crore in September 2014 .

• The growth rate in FEEs in rupee terms during September 2015 over September 2014 was growth of 5.0% .

• FEEs from tourism in rupee terms in January- September 2015 were Rs91,737 crore showing a growth of 3.2% over the same period during2014 .

• FEEs in US$ terms during the month of September 2015 were US$ 1.436 billion • FEEs from tourism in US$ terms during JanuarySeptember 2015 were US$ 14.453 billion Tourism India | November 2015 | 51

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Tourism India

Vol. 17

No.07 November 2015

RNI. No.: KERBIL/1998/7642