FHRAI

may 2013

magazine Vol 13 Issue 05 Pages 72 `50

A MONTHLY ON HOSPITALITY TRADE

By DDP Publications

Eco Design

Develop &

retain talents

Talent absorption and succession plan

Imbibing sustainable trends

Voila Myriad hospitality segments of the heritage city

May 2013 Analysis

48

Voila Jaipur!

The heritage city presents a perfect face of hospitality by offering a wide segment of hotels that are flourishing and finding their business proposition.

Picture on the cover: View of Sukh Niwas Suite Bedroom at Rambagh Palace Jaipur Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces

48 Analysis

contents THIS MONTH

President’s Message Secretary’s Message FHRAI Desk News Updates Movements Products & Services Events

22 News You Can Use

7 9 10 22 64 66 68

52 GM Canvas: Federico Mantoani

FEATURES Cover Story 32 Develop & retain talents The attrition rate is still on a high in the Indian hospitality sector and companies find it a task to retain quality staff.

Hotels are now focussing on talent absorption and then nurturing them aptly with a good succession plan

32 Cover Story: Develop & retain talents

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GM Canvas 52 Having a soul All set to launch soon, Hyatt Regency Gurgaon is projected as the largest convention hotel in the city.

Federico Mantoani, General Manager of the hotel talks about its business proposition

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Dear fellow members,

I

am delighted to inform you that the 48th Annual FHRAI Convention will be held in September at Le Meridian in Kochi, Kerala.

This is indeed a glorious distinction for Kerala, as it will be for the very first time that the venerable FHRAI Convention will take place in the State.

It is extremely gratifying that our Annual Convention has come to be one of the most widely attended and eagerly anticipated events in the industry’s calendar. Each year, over 600-800 delegates, comprising the veritable who’s who from the world of hospitality and our esteemed members from across the length and breadth of the country, congregate at this influential tourism industry focussed-forum for a galvanising, inspiring and agenda-setting discourse.

This year as well, it will be our privilege to host representatives from the highest echelons of the political establishment, senior officials and technocrats from the Central and State Governments, global experts and thought leaders, members from premier media and civil society organisations, and of course, a galaxy of iconic business leaders and entrepreneurs from the hospitality industry.

We will draw on their rich experience and incisive insights to reflect on the compelling opportunities and diverse challenges which confront our sector and strategise on charting out a well calibrated roadmap for continued growth and innovation. The Convention will also be an opportune occasion for us to celebrate our shared accomplishments and further strengthen the bonds of unity and mutual solidarity which are an intrinsic part of our fraternity. I earnestly invite your enthusiastic support and participation for this ambitious endeavour!

We had been keenly looking forward to the Annual Supplement to the Foreign Trade Policy 2009-14 with high expectations that the Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce and Industry will unveil a comprehensive package of reforms, specifically aimed at boosting service exports such as tourism, keeping in mind the urgent economic imperative to bridge the country’s current account deficit (CAD). However, the policy which was announced on April 18, 2013 did not offer any substantive relief for our sector, and more surprisingly, certain benefits which the industry was enjoying in the existing dispensation have been curtailed.

Under the Government of India’s ‘Served from India Scheme’ (SFIS), service providers such as hotels are entitled to duty credit scrips at the rate of 10 per cent of free foreign exchange earned during a financial year. As per changes introduced vide the Foreign Trade Policy Supplement 2013-14, this entitlement shall now be calculated only on the basis of net free foreign exchange earned, i.e., after deducting foreign exchange spent from the total foreign

exchange earned during the financial year. I have immediately highlighted to the Government that this would adversely impact various hotels who are planning their renovation/refurbishment cycle and annual CAPEX budgets, since a major chunk of their foreign exchange expenditure goes towards procuring capital items for the said purpose. We have requested that the Government should revert to the earlier criteria for calculating the entitlement of service providers, which is also consistent with the yardstick applied to other industries.

The EPCG scheme has been one of the Government’s key initiatives to incentivise the growth of exports. As part of the new Foreign Trade Policy, a harmonised zero duty EPCG scheme has been notified, which shall be available for all sectors. Though our request for permitting the utilisation of duty credit scrips under SFIS for import of motor cars, SUV’s and all purpose vehicles as professional equipment by Hotels, Travel Agents, Tour operators and companies owning/operating golf resorts has been accepted, the same will now be disallowed under the new zero duty EPCG scheme. This measure will in particular negatively impact new hotels, which understandably have no prior record of foreign exchange earnings. These hotels will be forced to hire such cars at considerably expensive rates for providing essential services like guest pick-up/drops, at least in the first one or two years of their operation. FHRAI has already vigorously taken up with the Government, the issue of reinstating the approval for importing cars, SUVs, etc., for new hotels under the zero duty EPCG scheme, so that our members can offer world-class facilities and services to their patrons and international guests and earn valuable foreign exchange for the economy. We have also reiterated our long-standing request to withdraw the Average Export Performance (AEP) to be maintained in the new EPCG licenses being issued. Needless to add, FHRAI will continue to pursue these matters with the DGFT and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

Last month, I had shared with you that FHRAI has been diligently following up with the Union Government, the issue of expanding the Tourist Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) scheme to cover additional international airports in the country. In this regard, I had also recently called on the Hon’ble Minister of Home Affairs, Government of India, and he had given an assurance that our suggestion is being actively examined. You will be pleased to learn that the Government has now given its approval to extend the VoA scheme to five more airports, namely, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Goa, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, thereby taking the total number of airports where VoA can be availed to nine. Moreover, the Government has decided to provide ‘collective landing permits’, by which foreign tourists in groups of four or more arriving by air or sea and sponsored by approved Indian travel agencies can be issued group visas-on-arrival valid for 60 days, with multiple entry facility to enable them to visit neighbouring countries. We will continue with our efforts to impress upon the Government, the need to allow VoA for nationals of all those countries who constitute our top 20 source markets for foreign tourists, continued on page 10...

FEATURES Chef Talk 56 Keeping flavours subtle and original There are certain things that should never change like an old recipe believes Anupam Banerjee, Executive Chef of the soon-to-open The RitzCarlton, Bangalore. He keeps his food the way it should be Strategy 58 Reposition your business Hospitality industry has diversified in a manner where each and every customer interaction becomes a strong selling proposition Supplier Talk 60 Technology for restaurants An innovative application offering a comprehensive but modular order and guest management solution which reinvents the POS experience by minimising steps at every stage of operation Environment 62 Building a safer future A trend called ‘Eco-Design’ is emerging as the need-of-the-hour, addressing the need of responsible sustainability through sound buildings approach

56 Chef Talk

HR Focus by

Education Institutes RIG Institute 38 SRM IHM 40 IICA 43 IPS Academy 44 Disney Institutes 47

62 Environment: Building a safer future

Chairman Publications Sub-committee Vijai Pande - vijaipandit@yahoo.co.in Editor Deepa Sethi - deepa@ddppl.com Assistant Editor Sanjeev Bhar - sanjeev@ddppl.com sub-Editor Ramya JS D’Rozario

FHRAI B-82, 8th Floor, Himalaya House Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001 Tel: 91-11-40780780, Fax: +91-11-40780777 Email: fhrai@vsnl.com FHRAI Magazine is published, edited and printed monthly

by DDP Publication Pvt. Ltd. On behalf of Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India and published from DDP Publications Pvt. Ltd. 72 Todarmal Road New Delhi 110001 Email: fhraimag@ddppl.com Tel : 91-11-23731971 Fax: 91-11-23351503 Printed at Cirrus Graphics Pvt. Ltd. B 62/14, Phase-II, Naraina Industrial Area New Delhi 110028 This issue of FHRAI Magazine contains 68+4 pages cover

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creative Design Ruchi Sinha Advertising Gunjan Sabikhi - gunjan@ddppl.com Delhi Prateek Sahay - prateek@ddppl.com (+919650911388) Shradha Kapoor - shradha@ddppl.com (+919650196525) Udit Pandey - udit@ddppl.com

All information in the FHRAI Magazine is derived from sources, which we consider reliable and a sincere effort is made to report accurate information. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. The publisher regrets that he cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this publication, however caused. Similarly, opinions/views expressed by third parties in abstract and/or in interviews are not necessarily shared by FHRAI Magazine or DDP. However, we wish to advice our readers that one or more recognised authorities may hold different views than those reported. Material used in this publication is intended for information purpose only. Readers are advised to seek specific advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use, and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances.

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secretary’s message

All in good FAITH

T

Vijai Pande Honorary Secretary FHRAI vijaipandit@yahoo.co.in

he hospitality industry has been going through its own ups and downs. The conditions in the country are such that we all are trying to consolidate and thereby, build tourism from there to bring India into perspective. I am happy to see that when FAITH was launched formally during an event on May 14, 2013, the governing body came together to display their solidarity towards tourism. It has been imperative for all tourism and hospitality associations to come together. The theme says it all… ‘India Tourism & Hospitality – Going Forward’.

a nice presentation on the present industry status with the future outlook. The presentation should be shared with all association so that everyone can make use of it. Also, I got a view that only one person from FAITH will be in touch with the Ministry for discussing policy issues. My view to the department is to consider the executive committee members to represent their respective associations to exchange their opinion in a broad way.

Keeping that positive note, it gives me immense pleasure to share through FHRAI Magazine the massive task taken by the management of ‘Kumbh I firmly believe that with this as a motto, all Mela’ held at Allahabad early this year, organised by associations must start the introspecting process the UP Government. And it could not have picked a of assuring ourselves what is to be achieved. We better person to manage the event - Commissioner need to find out the vital aspect for what we stand of Allahabad, Shri Devesh Chaturvedi. As for and then incorporate it into the broader level an erstwhile official of the Ministry of Tourism, of FAITH. This federation of associations can he knew the heart of the matter. Please read the really do wonders for tourism extensive approach that was in the country and we have taken to make this massive event to rely on our assessment and a huge success. I wish to thank diligent observations. Though Shri Niranjan Khatri who we are standing together now, always contributes interesting As various associations it is important that we stand articles on concerns the join hands under the in ‘faith’ with each other and hospitality industry faces while banner of FAITH, each try to remove our insecurities giving solutions. of us will have to guard and inabilities. each other’s intrinsic It is so heartening to see that issues. and for that we The industry is suffering as high focus has been laid upon the need to have to establish commissions are charged from issue of education by the CBSE faith in each other. We hotels by the travel agents. to bring Tourism in the forefront should maintain secrecy Rather, they should work as as part of the curriculum for about information that partners with the hotels. The schools in Classes 11 & 12. Now, will be shared on this air fares are also high. On the it would be vital for all of us to common forum and other hand, tourists face trouble push it through schools so that not misuse them for with toll taxes charged at every it is adopted. We have training any petty benefits. We few miles making road travel and development needs that should speak as one voice a cumbersome process. We the hospitality industry needs to make the country have many concerns like these to answer consistently in order tourist-friendly which make the tourism sector to bring the quality standard quite unfriendly for tourists. to fore.

We need to work towards streamlining the same. We It gives me immense pleasure have to stand together to make ourselves tourismto inform that the FHRAI Institute of Hospitality friendly first. As various associations join hands Management has tied up with ITM Institute of under the banner of FAITH, each of us will have to Hotel Management offering various courses for the guard each other’s intrinsic issues and for that we industry. We are going to track its performance. need to have to establish faith in each other. We It gives an opportunity to hoteliers to enroll their should maintain secrecy about information that will wards in the institute for superior hospitality be shared on this common forum and not misuse training and knowledge. FHRAI Members can now them for any petty benefits. We should speak as one avail discounts as well for the courses. voice to make the country tourist-friendly. During the FAITH launch event, Shri Nakul Anand gave I hope you enjoy reading this issue.

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such as United States of America, United Kingdom, Schengen countries, Russia, etc.

I strongly believe that a liberalised visa regime is essential to enhance our competitiveness in the global tourism market and achieve the Ministry of Tourism’s target of 12 million FTAs by 2017. Therefore, I express sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, for accepting FHRAI’s proposal and to the Hon’ble Union Minister of Tourism for actively pursuing and supporting the same. You will recall that a few months back, the Government had also accepted our earlier representation on removing the restriction on tourist visas which had mandated a two month gap before re-entry.

We have urged the Central as well the respective State Governments to ensure that the provision of requisite infrastructure such as special immigration desks for facilitating VoA and posting appropriately trained officials of the Bureau of Immigration at airports is expedited, so as to provide foreign visitors with a pleasant and seamless experience on their arrival.

On April 29, 2013, thousands of restaurants across India came together to observe a day of protest against the imposition of Service Tax on all air-conditioned restaurants w.e.f April 1, 2013. The unprecedented success of this initiative is a formidable expression of the industry’s deep anguish and resentment over the Government’s unwarranted and arbitrary decision. The

Union Government must reconsider this policy and withdraw the Service Tax. It is pertinent to note that writ petitions challenging the validity of the Government’s earlier decision in 2011 to bring air-conditioned restaurants with a liquor license and hotel accommodation under the ambit of Service Tax are already being heard by the Hon’ble High Court of Kerala and the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi, and wherein the Government has been directed to file its reply.

On May 14, 2013, I was pleased to join the Presidents of nine other Industry Associations and officially launch ‘FAITH’ - The Federation of Associations of Indian Tourism and Hospitality.

This historic initiative was conceptualised to help coordinate and amplify our collective efforts to address macro level issues and grievances of the sector and is guided by our shared vision of ensuring that India steadily moves towards assuming its rightful place among the global leaders in tourism. FAITH has successfully brought together on a common platform, stakeholders representing every diverse segment and domain of India’s dynamic Hospitality, Travel and Tourism sector. This national umbrella organisation is thus, uniquely positioned to serve as a formidable and unified voice for an industry which single-handedly contributes 6.5 per cent of the country’s GDP and employs nearly 10 per cent of the total workforce!

Vivek Nair President - FHRAI

From Hon. Secretary’s Desk

Pilgrim TOURISM

Maha Kumbh:

An apt example for the tourism industry

F

or 55 days starting from January 2013, the Maha Kumbh in Allahabad enthralled world travellers who sought to view this massive congregation of mankind, to witness how effectively such a massive event could be held peacefully and impeccably.

Devesh Chaturvedi, Commissioner, Allahabad elaborated about the success of the Maha Kumbh recently at HAI e-Conclave held on May 2&3, 2013 in Gurgaon. Excerpts from the presentation…

Devesh Chaturvedi Commissioner, Allahabad

Uttar Pradesh is the janma bhoomi of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna, and karma bhoomi of Lord Buddha. On this land, at ‘Prayag’-Allahabad, we have the confluence of three holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and invisible Saraswati.

Legend of Kumbh Allahabad finds mention in the travel accounts of Hiuen Tsang and Al-Beruni corroborating the cultural and

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historical significance of the place. The Kumbh Mela has found mention in many written historical records.

Tsang, the famous Chinese traveller who visited India in 7th Century AD gave a detailed eye witness account of the Kumbh.

From serene river banks The serene river banks are transformed into a bustling city for 55 days leaving its mark on millions, where on the one day of the auspicious ‘Mouni Amavasya Snaan’ on February 10, 2013, witnessed the largest gathering of humanity in the world!

Layout planning ® 1936.56 HA planned on a grid pattern ® 14 sectors planned as self sustainable units ® Integrated market and offices in each sector The ‘mela’ area was available only after the monsoons receded and the meandering River Ganga stabilised its course.

A short span of only 10 weeks was available for finalising the layout and development of the fair area.

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Food and civil supplies ® Over 1,00,000 ration cards for subsidised food distributed ® 124 fair price shops and 150 milk booths were set up ® Over 1823 MT of wheat flour, and other cereals were distributed ® 3-stage checking to prevent pilferages

Layout had to be planned keeping in mind the expected increase in number of pilgrims and vehicles. You can imagine almost double the population of Manhattan had to be accommodated in 1/4th its area.

Roads ® 108 miles of road network created with 75,000 steel chequered plates ® 66 miles of minor roads ® 56 pile culvert bridges Pontoon bridges ® The connectivity between the river banks was managed by 18 pontoon bridges using 1537 pontoons to facilitate the movement of pilgrims and vehicles ® These bridges ferried 5,00,000 people per hour on peak days Bathing ‘ghats’ ® 22 bathing ‘ghats’ covering 3.5 miles ® 18 temporary ‘ghats’ and 4 permanent ‘ghats’ ® Monitored more than 600 polluting industrial units upstream of Allahabad ® Sewage treatment capacity of Allahabad city was increased from 89 MLD to 211 MLD ® For clean water supply, additional release of water from Tehri dam (located 800 km from the ‘mela’ area), appropriately timed, to synchronise with the bathing dates.

For the first time emphasis was laid on making permanent bathing ‘ghats’ along the banks of River Yamuna. Also, we had to continuously monitor and undertake anti-erosion measures on the river banks so that adequate bathing space with safe depth is available.

Deployment of security forces and barricading for safe bathing was undertaken. More than 600 pilgrims were rescued from drowning by these men.

Water ® 428 miles of water lines ® 32,000 water connections ® 46 tube wells were bored and developed on the river bed to augment the drinking water supply ® 92 MLD of drinking water ® 5350 KL storage capacity

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Healthcare ® A central 100-bedded multi-specialty hospital ® One hospital of 20-bedded in each of the 14 sectors ® Preventing breeding of mosquitoes and flies ® Average 9,500 out-patients per day and 80 in-patients per day ® 243 doctors during the Kumbh period ® 123 ambulances, 4 river ambulances ® Disaster management kits Sanitation ® 34,000 toilets ® Zero discharge toilets with bio-digester technology ® 96 MT of garbage removed per day ® Efficient collection and transportation mechanism for solid waste ® 7,000 sanitation workers deployed round-the-clock Security ® 20,000 police personnel deployed ® 200 police establishments ® 1000 anti-terrorist personnel ® 1000 life guards in river ® 24/7 control room and helpline ® CCTV cameras provided full coverage of the ‘Mela’ area Our Stakeholders Government ® 6 Central Government departments ® 28 State government departments The Kumbh team was handling such complexities throughout the life cycle of this event.

To give you a broad idea, there were 6 Central Government departments and 28 State Government departments who worked together with a single vision and mission-hosting the ‘Mela’ successfully!

Religious/spiritual/social institutions ® ‘Shankaracharayas’ ® 13 akharas ® 7 ‘Shaiva’ ® Akharas including ‘Naga Swamis’ ® 3 ‘Vairagi’ ® ‘Prayagwals’ & ‘Kalpwasis’ ® Spiritual gurus ® Other social and religious organisations Not-for-profit organisations Lost-and-found camps, pilgrim guides, shelter, homes, food, healthcare, etc.

Pilgrims Pilgrims from over 75 countries

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Media International, national and local media… We had set-up a dedicated media centre in the Kumbh Mela, equipped with the latest facilities. Reasonably priced accommodation facilities were provided to national and international media personalities.

Stakeholder management ® Substantial time of mela administration was spent in the management of these stakeholders in order to conduct the various events seamlessly ® Critical issues related to allotment of land, facilities and services were carried out through consultations ® Operations planning through wide consultation ® Crisis and conflict management ® Conflicting claims had to be resolved using various negotiation strategies. The contentious event of akhara bathing was conducted peacefully A shared vision “To ensure a safe, secure and comfortable stay for visitors.”

“To amalgamate technology and tradition in a seamless manner, thereby preserving the sanctity of the mela.” ® We had set a clear vision for the Kumbh team - ensuring a safe, secure and satisfying stay. ® The spirit of this event - positivity and tranquility had to be maintained. ® Our primary concern was to make the government machinery more effective. ® We believed this could be done by encouraging all to embrace new technology and bring efficiency and transparency in the system.

Making of the ‘Team Kumbh’ Officers with experience, good track record, resilience to pressure, willingness to innovate and accept change and desire to serve better were chosen for Team Kumbh. Incorporating strong and visionary leaders in the Kumbh team, who could take quick and timely action, made things easier. Every member was made to realise that the mela was his personal as well as official responsibility. Each member was assured that acts done in good faith and right spirit would be supported by the government.

fhrai Viewpoint It is a pleasure to know that such an extensive task was undertaken during the Kumbh Mela and who better than Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, who understands tourism vividly, to have executed the event so effectively.

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Developing humane and informal bonds Connecting with the last person in chain of command We acknowledged the role of the last mile worker All strategies were shared with them and they were given constant motivation and encouragement ® We encouraged informal interaction with workers on the bridges, sanitation workers, police constables and others ® Their feedback was given due importance in strategic planning ® ® ® ®

Effective leadership and teamwork ® Strong political and administrative leadership ® All departments worked in tandem ® Rigorous review mechanism (quarterly/monthly/fortnightly/ weekly) ® Objective accountability mechanism A clear message was given to all departments that organising the Kumbh Mela has to be accorded the highest priority. Single line of command was set-up. Regular review and monitoring system was followed rigorously. Appraisals of all the government employees deputed to mela team, were done by the Mela Administration.

This gave the employees confidence that their efforts would not go unrecognised.

Crowd management ® Policing without weapons ® Ease of location identification - Poles with pictorial signages ® Scanning the Mela area 3 times per hour ® Evacuation strategy Contingency plans and emergency schemes were prepared and implemented to handle a sudden rush and an increasing pressure of pilgrims. There was multi-layered communication with the pilgrims for bathing. The communication started on a positive note, by assuring them a safe bath. A request with folded hands, made the non complying pilgrim, pliant.

Our achievements ® Incident-free Kumbh Mela area ® ‘Shaahi Snaan’ managed peacefully ® No terrorist activity ® No body offence of any kind ® No crime against women ® No epidemic break out during or after the event ® 150 thousand lost pilgrims reunited ® Only one case of drowning The key points on which we measured our success have been highlighted. The successful conduct of the event has given us confidence in our delivery systems.

Taking a lesson from the Maha Kumbh, we have to build tourism in a similar manner where all stakeholders have to come forth and share a common vision to take this industry to a high.

And finally…

I conclude with the quote of Christopher Reeves, which very appropriately describes the entire journey of the Kumbh Mela.

Vijai Pande Hon. Secretary FHRAI

“You start with a vision – an idea you feel is IMPOSSIBLE. But you work at it and become convinced it is ACHIEVABLE. Finally, with passion – you know it is INEVITABLE.”

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From Hon. Secretary’s Desk ROAD TOURISM

Tourism on the highway

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n a recent discussion organised by PHD Chamber, titled – ‘Curtain Raiser on Caravan Tourism - India by Road, held on May 3, 2013 in New Delhi, the scope of caravan tourism was extensively discussed. Parvez Dewan, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India said that caravans are a unique tourism product, which promotes family oriented tours even in circuits/ destinations, which are not having adequate hotel accommodation. Caravan Tourism could attract a wide range of market segments including young people, families, senior citizens and also international tourists. He also informed the audience about the latest directive released by the Ministry of Tourism regarding granting Visa-on-Arrival facility for foreigners from 11 countries, along with the riders relating to time periods. He also said that caravan is a concept of mobile tourism which can be of a great help during

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peak tourism periods. In order to promote Caravan Tourism, Dewan gave examples of countries such as the UK, US and Singapore, where facilities of Caravan Tourism exist in plenty.

While welcoming the Secretary of Ministry of Tourism, Suman Jyoti Khaitan, President, PHD Chamber deliberated that the transport system of an economy is essentially linked to the tourism of that economy. Of the various modes of transport that connect the cities and villages of the country, road transport constitutes the crucial link. India’s tourism sector is witnessing a robust growth on the back of increasing inbound tourism by the burgeoning Indian middle class, rising inflow of foreign tourists and government campaigns for promoting ‘Incredible India’. Khaitan highlighted that Caravan Tourism can be increased in India by developing public-private partnerships. continued on page 20...

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From Hon. Secretary’s Desk good deeds

CSR – A business imperative

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ith CSR beginning to assume significance in the evolving scenario, there is a need to define what is CSR and how shall we go about measuring it.

In order for CSR to exist in India it must align itself with the global vision and standards, in order that it can be defined, measured, analysed, improved and controlled adequately by all stakeholders. That will pitch India to be examined as a shining example of corporate governance and CSR.

Yogesh Kochhar

However, there is a much more urgent reason for CSR to be termed as imperative. The surface area of commercial opportunity today in India is much less, with over 170 districts notified as terror ridden. The recently approved Companies Bill-2011 has set the tone to address the need for equitable development in the nation with 2 per cent of all companies listed with MCA with profits exceeding Rs 5 crores. This has the potential of including those unaddressed spaces and districts and making them count as part of India’s GDP estimated to be US$ 1.8 trillion.

geographical spread that rarely are scalable. India, if anything, is a graveyard of various such small pilots that don’t scale.

It is precisely here that there is a need to set up an electronic CSRealm or CS Registry, in the form of a one page view that catalyses CSR opportunities, interventions and partners and gives such initiatives both a deeper and a wider scale and scope.

On a recent visit to Puducherry, I saw hundreds of boats littered on the beach at Mammalapuram on the east coast road from Chennai to Puducherry; a post Tsunami result of well-meaning CSR. It isn’t difficult for us to imagine fishing villages that may have had 100 fishermen and 10 boats pre-Tsunami, but returned with 100 boats and 10 fishermen post the event. That happens due to no metrics or measures available. However most donors while they are happy having done their bit, do rarely go beyond to study the impact of such colossal overstuffing of waste.

Corporate houses are ever willing to ‘seek’ opportunities, while on the other hand several NGOs and Trusts are always willing to help communities ‘soak’ that giving.

India is a signatory to the UNGC and If we could identify and plot the spread committed to the achievement of and cascade of such ‘seekers’ and MDGs. An alignment of the UNGC ‘soakers’ with exactitude on an electronic and MDGs will enable India to become platform across states, districts and globally visible to more investors and blocks, it would catalyse aggregation and If a corporate drive competitiveness. collaboration and deliver a package that is entity sells its goods better than the sum of its parts. and services in an Absence of such an alignment is already area, howsoever resulting in dispersed, diverse and all Thus, on such an e-registry it would be remote, it is equally various initiatives being undertaken possible to identify ‘seekers’ that can responsible to by corporates that add up to nothing, ‘LEAD’ an initiative if it has its own contribute to the even as these are individually reported offices or establishment likewise in the sustainability in in their annual reports pretentiously. same block. And it would be possible to that area It is also here that UNGC and MDGs identify ‘seekers’ that sell their wares and have become casualties. services in a block and may not have their own offices or establishments and are yet If a corporate entity sells its goods represented through the presence of their and services in an area, howsoever remote, it is equally product, dealer, distributor, franchisees, etc. They can responsible to contribute to the sustainability in that ‘SUPPORT’ an initiative identified with the help of the area. For this alone can be called responsible and BDO (block development officer). sustainable selling. The corporate entity, however, is challenged to align itself with the MDGs due to its If the BDO (block development officer) and LEAD marginal ability to identify partners and collaborations to could jointly identify the deficiencies in each block in optimise their investment returns on CSR and increase the backdrop of MDGs and refer to the CS Realm or the surface of impact. Given the recent origins of CSR registry to identify resources, there is a good chance that and the team sizes managing CSR being really small, a primary school with five classrooms can be created in most initiatives remain constrained due to mobility and a remote block of the nation. The SUPPORT can come outreach challenges of the teams, and thus look to create from companies that sell cement, steel, computers, interesting small stories focussed around only a limited electrical and hardware, gensets and inverters, tiles and continued on page 20...

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The advantage of road tourism is immense transportation is the backbone of in the country. Rajiv Kumar Vij, CoIndia in terms of traffic. He also said chairman, Tourism Committee, PHD that National Highways constitute Chamber said that road transportation is only about 1.7 per cent of the road The advancement the best learning experience for travellers. network but carry about 40 per cent of new technology He reiterated that advancement of new of the total road traffic. He said that in the caravan and technology in the caravan and the easy more roads need to be constructed to the easy availability availability of high-end luxury vehicles have better connectivity which will of high-end on rent would be a major step towards also promote Caravan Tourism in luxury vehicles improving the potential of Caravan the country. on rent would Tourism in the country. Om Vijay be a major step Choudhary, Chief General Manager, The scope of ‘Road Tourism’ is surely towards improving Madhya Pradesh Tourism said that big. Keeping that in mind, we should the potential of Caravan Tourism is a unique product. additionally create ‘Tourism Hub’ Caravan Tourism in Being the first player in India in this concept - in the lines of ‘Dilli Haat’ the country segment of tourism product, he indicated at a definite location on a highway that that MP Tourism has three coaches passes through a city. Then it would operating where travellers can stay and create far more scope for tourism. travel the length and breadth in three A hub with various kinds of art & major circuits where they have launched craft, local cuisine, shopping, etc., the service. Promoted as ‘Holiday on Wheels’, there will make transit population interested in the culture are several packages that the State is promoting of the city. For example, Delhi connects with Aligarh, in three circuits with bases in Jabalpur, Indore and Hathras, Kannauj, and so on. In each city, a tourism hub Bhopal. All the basic facilities are available onboard, or ‘haat’ can attract more tourists to ensure that tourism including Internet connection, thereby offering a touches the small cities as well. comprehensive approach to the product. Currently, this is being used extensively by honeymoon couples Further, the scope of Caravan Tourism could be and small families. amplified if caravans should be allowed to tie-up with quality certified hotels for the requirement of parking A K Singh, Chief General Manager, National space, dining requirements and sewage disposal, which Highways Authority of India, New Delhi, said that road are essential for this concept of tourism.

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knobs. If 2 per cent of the profits have to be dovetailed with CSR activities, it is a simple generation of a general ledger code identified by such suppotrting companies under which credit notes can be released to their dealers and accounting maintained. It follows logically, thus, there could be several seekers and soakers working in each block (representing an administrative unit or the sub district) in disparate streams oblivious of other seekers’ and soakers’ presence, all keen to collaborate are blissfully unaware of each other.

Through an electronic CS Registry, we can execute, measure, monitor, control and grow sustainably, even as we exploit economies of scale and economies of scope by creating a holistic map of need-gaps and providing for them in an organic manner.

Thus, it can be ensured that a boat to that fishing hamlet is taken only if it needs it and the econometrics are not confounded or complicated. For that may mean creation of a sum of its parts that’s better than the whole, through a mechanism that has metrics built into it. If a company can sell in an area that is terror ridden, it must equally contribute to CSR there. How good is seeking without soaking.

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Studying the contribution and impact of such an exercise can result in an efficient and effective spread and support provided by all companies to be evaluated in percentage terms down to two decimal places. Eg., if one sold its goods across 2,100 blocks and one’s CSR interventions were spread only across 30 blocks, its effective contribution is 1.43 per cent. That is the opportunity for improvement (OFI) of up to 98.57 per cent where one still sold and never supported. Not only is it a question of support; perhaps, it can be equally called responsible selling! Lack of information pertaining to other likely partners in such deficient geographies and a mechanism to deliver restrains intervention across such 98.57 per cent. What counts can also be counted.

That Columbus discovered America is not to disregard that America existed before he set foot on it. The act of discovery does not lie in looking for new lands alone, it lies equally in looking with new eyes.

CSR is a marketplace. There is a space in the market and there is a market in the space.

(The writer is the Director-Strategic engagement, Microsoft India and the co-founder of: www.csrealm.org. Reach him at: yogeshko@microsoft.com)

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INDIA IN FOCUS

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Tourism initiatives by states Madhya Pradesh

The Madhya Pradesh government has allotted `180 crore for development of various tourism destinations across the state. Of these funds, `30 crore will be spent on development of tourism facilities under MICE tourism, `5 crore on development of Buddhist corridor in western Madhya Pradesh, `10 crore on Jain corridor, Rs 10 crore on heritage hotels and `50 crore on providing eco and adventure tourism facilities.

Similarly, `15 crore will be spent on expansion and upgradation of existing tourism facilities, `25 crore on improvement of approach and internal roads, `5 crore for signages on national highways and cities, `4 crore on development of air services, `4 crore to be spent on conduct of novel projects of rural, eco and adventure tourism, `2.50 crore each on statistics cell and fairs and festivals, and `2 crore on information technology.

Chandigarh

Chandigarh Tourism and North India Management Association have scheduled a conference on ‘Integrated Tourism Development in Northern India’ to be held on May 21. The conference will deliberate on various issues over the three technical sessions in the day-long conference. The conference is likely to be attended by state tourism departments, travel trade associations and other stakeholders.

Maharashtra

After receiving all mandatory approvals and clearances from aviation, tourism and security department; the Maritime Energy Heli Air Services (MEHAIR) will start seaplane services in Maharashtra, with Mumbai being the base. Currently, the operator manages seaplane services in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It will use Cessna 208 aircraft which can accommodate up to nine passengers and will offer flights at affordable rates. For instance, a journey from Juhu to Nariman Point would cost close to Rs 750 per passenger. In the first phase, the airline intends to cover Lonavala, Murud-Janjira, Bhandardhara and Shirdi and a commuter service from Juhu to Nariman Point.

West Bengal

The Government of West Bengal has plans to intensify the security for the tourists visiting the State. It has outlined a plan for a special police force to be put up at various tourist destinations. The West Bengal tourism will start deploying the security from seaside destination Digha and in some tourism spots in Kolkata city. The plans

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were announced at a seminar on tourism development in West Bengal organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The State is also auguring its road infrastructure by connecting tourist destinations in the state with Kolkata. According to tourism officials, discussions are on with local people in a few tourist spots for developing proper roads. Further, maps on various tourism segments viz., religious, cultural and heritage is on the anvil.

Kerala

Kerala Tourism has started a new campaign ‘Kerala – The Home of Ayurveda’ to promote Ayurveda in domestic as well as international markets. Kerala Tourism Development Corporation is targetting tourists from West Asia and Russia, during the monsoon season. Usually, Germany, Britain, Russia and France are the key markets for Kerala. Now KTDC wishes to capture the potential from the Gulf countries. According to N Prashant, Managing Director, KTDC, it organised special roadshows were organised last year in the Gulf countries which has reaped results. Now the State wishes to combine the lure of monsoon with Ayurveda. Having 72 properties with nine in premium categories, KTDC has also tied up with Santhigiri Ashram at certain properties for providing Ayurvedic therapy. The duration of the packages ranges from 1 to 21 days. These can be experienced in places like Kovalam, Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady and Periyar Sanctuary.

Jammu & Kashmir

The state of J&K wishes to undertake mega tourism projects of Sufi, spiritual, Buddhist circuits and is seeking `150 crore from the Centre. The state government’s tourism department has prepared and submitted a report to the Government of India for funds. Recently, Atal Dullo, Commissioner Secretary Tourism for the state presented the plan to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during the State Tourism Advisory Committee (STAC).

According to Dullo, in 2012 over 13 lakh visitors visited Kashmir Valley and over 103 lakh Yatris visited Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. Besides, more than 6.21 lakh pilgrims visited Shri Amarnath and Ladakh received more than 1.79 lakh visitors. In tourism development, as many as 23 rural tourism projects had been completed out of 29 such projects started at a cost of about `19 crore. The remaining six projects are likely to be completed during the current financial year, while 24 more such projects are in the pipeline.

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CROSSING BORDERS

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UNWTO Conference in Hyderabad

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r K Chiranjeevi, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Tourism, Government of India, inaugurated the 25th Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commissions for East Asia & Pacific and South Asia, and the UNWTO Conference on Sustainable

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Tourism Development in Hyderabad held during April 12-14, 2013. It was hailed that the APAC region will achieve higher growth in tourism. There is a need for synergy among the countries to promote destination and tourism products jointly.

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MOT gears up with unique services on the web

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Pic: Simran Kaur

he Ministry of Tourism with YouTube to introduce ‘Travel (MoT), Government of India Planning’ as a unique feature. It will has plans to feature India in a enable travellers to chart out their powerful manner on a global platform travel plans in India. Earlier, only by being user friendly on the web. To Brazil had introduced such a facility put travellers at ease, the Incredible for travellers. The Ministry also plans India website is all set to become to introduce an innovative electronic experiential in its delivery. Parvez three-dimensional ‘Walking tour’.

Dewan, Secretary – Tourism, This would bring into focus tourist Government of India recently attractions which are landmarks in announced the initiative at an industry major cities in the country. Further, Parvez Dewan event saying that the ministry has to benefit maximum tourists from Secretary – Tourism, Government of India been actively working on including across the globe, the Incredible innovative features that will be a India website will be available in ten first-of-its-kind initiative taken up by any country on foreign languages. At this moment, the ministry has the tourism front. Two of the facilities are ‘Travel hired different agencies to introduce these featured Planning’ and ‘Walking Tour’. services on its site in addition to existing services like Dewan informed that the Department is working online visa, airline and railway booking, etc.

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In fact, where tourism numbers to India as a whole is not going as it should, visitor numbers to Gujarat have grown – in 2012, the State welcomed 16 per cent more visitors than it Narendra Modi did the year before, which was double the Chief Minister of Gujarat national average at 8 per cent. According to Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat; tourism is now a priority sector in the State.

Talking about the growth in tourism sector, Modi said, “Since 2006, when we celebrated the year as a Tourism Year, the State has grown in leaps and bounds. With just `30 crore as the tourism budget in 2005-06, our

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budget today is `500 crore and will be increased, considering the potential in this sector. If we act on the potential, we can lead the tourism industry in India. Be it culture, history, Buddhism, wildlife, festivals, nature, monuments or even business; Gujarat today caters to every type of traveller according to his or her budget size.” He also informed that the State is in process of developing more jungles, wetlands, religious sites, cultural and heritage sites, eco-tourism sites for tourism purposes. Among the State’s major attractions, he highlighted the Great Rann of Kutch, spiritual tourism and eco-tourism as well as the increasingly important role in India’s lucrative movie industry.

According to Modi, the film industry is one of the best ways of promoting a state, and reaching national and international travellers. “We are in process of soon introducing a policy for film-makers and production houses. Under this special policy, they will be provided with incentives to choose and select various locations in Gujarat for their film shoots. Movies are bringing more and more tourists to Gujarat,” informed Modi.

The State is also encouraging private investors to come forward and invest in various tourism projects in the state.

Repositioning Rajasthan tourism

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The State will also be promoting resort, archaeological and tribal tourism. In addition, new incentives are being offered to spur hotel development, Rakesh Srivastava, Principal Secretary-Tourism, Government of Rajasthan and MD, RTDC revealed. These include a 50 per cent reduction in luxury taxes in the low season for new hotels in selected locations, land conversion charges at almost 20 per cent lower than the commercial market rates and higher floor area ratios for the construction of hotels and resorts.

Pic: Simran Kaur

reaking the shackles of history and heritage, Rajasthan is now looking at repositioning itself in the tourism world. The state will now be promoted as a destination for eco, adventure, wildlife and sports tourism. Bina Kak, Minister for Tourism, Government of Rajasthan said, “This is a major shift from the traditional focus on culture and heritage. We are changing the positioning of Rajasthan to a multiple-interest destination, attractive to diverse tourist groups from India and abroad. The focus will be on bringing efficiency in service delivery to visitors to increase the number of repeat travellers.” Kak, who was speaking at the inauguration of the 6th edition of the Great Indian Travel Bazaar in Jaipur, said the B2B travel market has evolved into a productive forum for businesses as well as policymakers Bina Kak in the country ever since Minister for Tourism, Government of its inception.

Rajasthan

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Act and lead in tourism sector: Modi

fter making tourism one of the core sectors for economic growth in the state of Gujarat, the tourism budget has been increased from `30 crore in 2005-06 to `500 crore in 2013-14. A decade back, the state was nowhere in the top five states for tourism in India. Today, it is not only having the most powerful and talked-about promotional campaigns, but has registered excellent growth in tourism figures, zipping past many states.

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Rakesh Srivastava Principal Secretary-Tourism, Government of Rajasthan and MD, RTDC

RTDC will also hand over 22 accommodation units, identified as nonperforming, to the state government. According to Srivastava, the ‘current market value’ of these units has been assessed and will be handed over to the government.

These properties will be managed by the Power Finance Corporation. continued on page 28...

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No room rate rationalisation at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai At a time when the economy is slowing and hotel occupancy levels are expected to take a beating, this hotel is extremely confident.

“There will be no price rationalisation in this hotel as the room rates are already low in this region. In the long term, the industry would only grow with additional inventory creating new demand,” said Philippe H Charraudeau, Vice President and General Manager, ITC Grand Chola.

Philippe H Charraudeau, Vice President and General Manager, ITC Grand Chola

A luxury hotel from the ITC group, this property was launched last year in September.

“For us, the mantra is ‘Destination Chennai’.

In 2013, we are planning to bring lots of international conferences, meetings and make the city more vibrant in the MICE world map,” Charraudeau said. With 600 rooms and a built-up area of 1.5 million sqft, the ITC Grand Chola, inspired by the architectural splendour of the Chola dynasty, is an iconic destination in Chennai.

The pillar-less convention ballroom spread over 30,000 sqft promises to make Chennai an important international convention destination in India, enhancing the potential for high quality tourism inflow into the state, he added.

The property, built on an investment of around Rs 1,200 crore, is expected to achieve an occupancy level that will be a benchmark for any hotel of its size in the history of this country, the GM pointed out. Talking about the various segments, which are expected to boost revenues, Charraudeau commented, “The hotel has multiple edifices to accommodate multiple needs of customers and attract revenue streams from various segments – discerning business and leisure travellers for events and conventions. Apart from offerings in the MICE segment, which are unparalleled in the country, the hotel will have a separate section of exclusive service residences and a luxury retail arcade. There will be 10 food and beverage outlets and a 23,000 sqft internationally acclaimed spa brand, Kaya Kalp as well.”

Speaking of Chennai as a location for the hotel, he opined, “The hospitality industry in Chennai features the least number of premium accommodation as compared to other major metros in the country.

There is hence, a need and an opportunity that we believe existed in the luxury hotel segment in Chennai.”

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EXPANSION

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Anand Menon, Head of Marketing, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts, who was in Delhi to meet the group’s travel partners says, “Till now, we have received a lot of weekend traffic from Bengaluru itself. The idea is to make the resorts popular among north Indians. The itinerary is one such step to promote the entire Karnataka circuit.”

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Coffee Day Hotels forays in Andaman and Mangalore

etting big on travel trade, Coffee Day Hotels & Resorts is looking at increasing its alliance with the B2B fraternity. Currently, around 35 per cent of its business is garnered through this channel.

It has now introduced a six-day itinerary across the three resorts offering three different experiences. Known as The Serai Memories, the package is clubbed with an offer of an additional complimentary night. For The Serai Bandipur, the company has initiated The Blue Mountain Trail where the guest gets to visit Ooty – visit a chocolate factory and a tea factory amongst other activities.

Anand Menon Head of Marketing, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts

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The subsidiary of Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company (ABCTCL), Coffee Day Hotels & Resorts is now venturing beyond its home turf in Karnataka. The group is looking at opening The Serai Resorts in Andaman Islands and Mangalore in the next three years. The Andaman Islands property would be the first property of the group outside Karnataka. The group is investing around `20 crore for With the handing over of these accommodation units, RTDC will be left with 20odd units under its ownership, Srivastava added.

the Havelock Island property in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, which should be operational in the next 18 months. With 55 operational rooms, the resort on the beachfront will cater to leisure travellers. Giving more details, Menon articulates, “The property is an existing resort, which we will take over on June 15. Here, the group will add an inventory of 30 rooms and upgrade the existing rooms to The Serai standard.” The Mangalore property overlooking Ullal beach will have 54 rooms and will be operational in 28-30 months. The approximate investment for this project is `42-45 crore, he adds.

The company currently has three resorts in Chikmagalur, Kabini and Bandipur in Karnataka. The three resorts put together have 73 rooms. Going forward, it aims at opening a property every one-and-a-half years. The expansion would be a mix of greenfield projects and acquired properties, he reveals. The company enjoys an occupancy rate of about 72 per cent.

On the current hospitality market situation, Menon feels the industry is going through a rough phase. “I won’t say we have not been impacted. But since I have a small inventory, the impact has not been much. One of the fallouts of this is that we are not going in for a price hike. Usually, keeping in mind the operational costs, our prices go up by up to five per cent. The situation will however improve by the third and fourth quarter,” he opines.

department is supporting the joint initiative of ITDC and Hindustan ö Eco-Tourism Salts for developing Sambhar as a major tourist destination. ö Adventure Tourism While long-term projects will be ö Wildlife Tourism undertaken by Hindustan Salts, ö Sports tourism Two mega tourism projects in the department also will focus ö Resort Tourism the state - Jaipur and Jaisalmer on basic infrastructure works like are currently under the scrutiny repair and renovation of temples, ö Archaeological Tourism of the Ministry of Tourism, museums, circuit houses, etc., ö Tribal Tourism Government of India for around the area. Some other approval, he informed. Creation major tourism circuits under of tourism infrastructure and new circuits is of utmost Rajasthan Tourism’s radar are Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, importance to the state tourism department. The Ajmer, Pushkar and Hadoti.

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Hilton Worldwide to launch in Pune Hilton Worldwide announced the signing of a franchise agreement with Panchshil Hotels for an upscale, fullservice DoubleTree by Hilton hotel. DoubleTree by Hilton Pune-Chinchwad, scheduled to open in June 2013, will mark the rapidly expanding global hospitality company’s first hotel in Pune, the second largest urban centre in the state of Maharashtra and the eighth largest in India.

This will be the fastgrowing DoubleTree by Hilton brand’s fourth hotel in the country.

resorts, we are expanding rapidly in the country and anticipate increasing our presence to 17 hotels by the end of this year.”

“The launch of DoubleTree by Hilton Pune-Chinchwad will be another significant step in our growth strategy in India as it will represent our entry into Pune,” said Martin Rinck, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide. “Following on from two great years of growth, when we grew our portfolio to 12 hotels and

DoubleTree by Hilton Pune-Chinchwad will offer 115 spacious guestrooms that feature all modern conveniences including Internet access, LCD televisions, electronic safes, refrigerated private bars and tea and coffee-making facilities. Other facilities at the hotel include three dining outlets, an Executive Lounge, 24hour business and fitness centres, outdoor rooftop pool and 2,800 sqft of meetings and events space.

“We are delighted to associate with Hilton Worldwide, the leading global hospitality company, and the DoubleTree by Hilton brand in India. We are happy to be able to bring to Pune the DoubleTree by Hilton brand’s promise of warm hospitality and outstanding customer service. DoubleTree by Hilton Pune-Chinchwad will offer world-class amenities and services and we are confident, on its opening it will be the first choice of travellers in the region,” said Ajay Chordia, Chairman and Managing Director, Panchshil Hotels.

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BUSINESS FAIR

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he 3rd Hospitality Business Fair 2013 (HBF) and Food & Beverage Process Tech Fair 2013 (F&B PTF) being organised by Synergy Exposures & Events India will be on view in Chennai from June 1416, 2013. The concurrent events catering to the hotel and food processing sector will also have a conference Hospitality Knowledge Sharing forum (HKSF) 2013, which is organised in partnership with leading industrial associations at the same venue.

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The Waterfront Shaw offers both hotel rooms and apartments. Jimmy B Shaw, Managing Director of The Waterfront Shaw said, “It has always been my

The industrial survey in India carried out by various organisations, point to a promising future for the hospitality and food industry. The government on its part is investing heavily in infrastructure building. The added advantage of governmental policy in relaxing financial lending and reduced lending rates in semi urban and rural areas have given a big boost the industry.

HBF 2013 aims at providing a platform for face-to-face interaction between the manufacturers/suppliers and the buyers. The expo is expected to showcase over 150 exhibitors from across the globe. The unique feature of the HBF is that it is a highly focussed event where the focus is on Hotels & Food chains in south India. South Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (SIHRA), Hospitality Purchasing Managers Forum (HPMF), The Tamil Nadu Hotels Association, Indo French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI), TN Bakers Federation India, etc., have extended their support of the event and will promote the expo to their members.

personal belief that maintaining high standards of consistent quality and ‘wowing’ customers is not the exclusive domain of the deluxe category and luxury hotels alone.” According to him, small hotels can easily outperform their more illustrious cousins by inculcating the true spirit of ‘atithi devo bhava’ through a simple desire to learn the ‘master doctrine’ that the Educational Institute has introduced to the hospitality industry with the launch of the Guest Service Gold programme.”

According to him, Indian hotels irrespective of the room count, independent or chain, should become GSG ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ Certified.

IRCTC promotes Chardham tour

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he Uttarakhand Chardham Yatra is revered by pilgrims from all parts of the country. In order to facilitate the pilgrims, the IRCTC has planned to operate Rail Tour Packages for the Uttarakhand Chardham Circuit covering the holy shrines of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. This year the Yatra is opening in the second week of May and thousands of pilgrims are expected to visit the holy shrines.

Taking cue of the demand, IRCTC has come up with the first-of-its-kind venture, in which seats/berths have been blocked for the Chardham Yatra in a number of

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Waterfront Shaw becomes first certified Guest Service Property in India he Waterfront Shaw in Lavasa, Maharashtra has become the first property in India to earn the Certified Guest Service Property designation awarded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI). To earn the title, 47 front-line employees completed EI’s Guest Service Gold Training programme and successfully passed the Certified Guest Service Professional (CGSP) examination.

Rail Tourism

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Hospitality events in Chennai

Synergy Exposures & Events India have in the past organised several expositions across south India on a variety of subjects. This expo is aimed at contributing to the growth of the hospitality industry and food processing by enabling the manufacturers and service providers mainly from the small and medium scale industry of the country, an opportunity to be at the right places. South India with its vast potential has become the centre of most of the development activity in the hospitality and food processing industry within the country.

HIGH StANDARDS

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trains originating from different parts of the country, including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Indore and Delhi.

The Yatra shall commence from Delhi and Haridwar as the two nodal points. In addition, the land packages on the sector are also being provided where confirmed rail tickets in 3AC class from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Indore, Pune and Delhi for the to and fro journey up to Delhi or Haridwar is provided. An exclusive vehicle for passengers of IRCTC packages will be used during the journey. A comfortable non AC accommodation at all destinations is ensured with relaxed itineraries having no hidden costs, states IRCTC release.

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Berggruen Hotels targets increased web bookings Berggruen Hotels, which owns and manages properties under the Keys Hotels online brand in India is targetting an increase of 25 per cent in online bookings by 2015.

Sanjay Sethi, MD & CEO, Berggruen Hotels said, “Bookings through online travel agents and our own website form an important segment of our distribution channel. Currently, 10-10.5 per cent of our bookings are online and we hope to see these numbers increase by 25 per cent in two years.” Sethi added that Berggruen Hotels would continue to work with the travel trade to promote its hotels in leisure destinations.

The hotel group, which has adopted an asset-light method for its expansion model in India Sanjay Sethi is also looking at launching an MD & CEO upscale brand in the country in Berggruen Hotels the near future. Sethi added, “We are targetting the metros in India to launch this upscale brand as well as leisure destinations such as Goa. Additionally, in the next 12 months, we will add 10 more properties to our portfolio in India, of which eight will be managed and two owned. We are also looking at the franchise model. However, it is a model where we will proceed with extreme caution as we do not want to dilute the brand and compromise on the brand quality.” Berggruen Hotels which aims to have 52 properties in India by 2015 is also looking at further expansion in South-east Asia through properties in Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Berggruen Hotels currently has 12 existing properties in India and 11 properties with over 1,150 keys at various stages of development.

Quick read Indian Tourism facts & figures l During April 2000 - January 2013, India received FDI inflow worth US$ 6,561.78 million l FTAs - a growth of 2.8 per cent in March 2013 (6,40,000) over March 2012 (6,23,000). l Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) – growth rate is at 21 per cent over the same period in Rupee terms l Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) Scheme - India has registered a growth of 54.6 per cent in February 2013 with 1,947 VoAs issued in February this year.

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retain talents

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The attrition rate is still on a high in the Indian hospitality sector and companies find it a task to retain quality staff. Following the great scope of employment due to burgeoning hospitality, talent absorption and then nurturing them aptly with a good succession plan policy is fast emerging as the need of hour to address staffing issues, as hospitality institutes continue to strengthen only the entry level workforce for the industry.

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n 2011, a survey undertaken by HVS involving 212 hotels in 61 cities revealed that the average number of employees-per-room in India was 2.01.

This is significantly higher than other Asian countries. This ratio was even higher for hotels in non major metropolitan cities in India. Hospitality, therefore, has been quite aggressive towards addressing the need of training and development for staff in order to make them competent as per requirements and focus on retention. However, a lot is desired when it comes to focussing on building employee capabilities, making them more productive in their work and hence, making them stay. The industry says that it has been identifying the focus areas and capping the loopholes.

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My HR Mantra I believe in Albert Einstein’s philosophy - “I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.”

Dhiraj Bhushan Director of Human Resource for Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel New Delhi We keep our work realistic and emphasise on operational discipline to ensure processes are followed at all times.

Tajinder Narang Leadership Coach & Head – HR & Training, Concept Hospitality

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Key focus

It is vital to attract talent that is best suited to support and drive the organisational goals. Yet, they need to be identified, trained and developed into high potential performers, ensuring sustained organisational success going forward. Ashwin Shirali, Regional Director, Human Resources, Accor India says, “We ensure an actively engaged workforce who are motivated and try to retain superior talent by providing multiple platforms and timely opportunities for displaying superior performance.” At the same time, Dhiraj Bhushan, Director of Human Resource for Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel New Delhi feels talent management (building the quality and depth of talent) and a focus on succession and leadership/ employee development has become extremely crucial nowadays.

The role of HR Lead and not manage...as management is associated with controlling, stifling people and keeping them in the dark.

Ritu Singh Verma Regional Director of Human Resources Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts The art of aligning, energising, synergising, training, captivating, motivating and enthusing the entire human capital of the organisation to achieve and sustain superior organisational performance.

Ashwin Shirali Regional Director, Human Resources, Accor India

Enable, Empower & Engage.

Nilesh Mitra Senior Director, Human Resources, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

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The function of HR has evolved rapidly to meet the human capital needs of global companies. Rather than focussing exclusively on personnel issues and service delivery, Bhushan believes in concentrating on creation of strong talent pipelines to enhance organisational decision-making and secure future growth. “My team ensures to retain high performing and high potential talent through the proper management of training and development opportunities, mentoring, coaching and the allocation of rewards,” he says.

The task of managing human resource is two-fold. Nilesh Mitra, Senior Director, Human Resources, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group sees it as an art and science, focussing on two major objectives: firstly identifying and growing the talent and capabilities of our professionals so they deliver optimum performance and secondly, keeping the staff engaged, motivated and ensure their achievements are recognised. He adds, “I am a firm believer that when you do the above well, employees will perform better, and in the end they will be more likely to stay with the company.”

The role of HR also entails making processes flow seamlessly.

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Hospitality has been quite aggressive towards addressing the need of training and development for staff in order to make them competent as per requirements and focus on retention Tajinder Narang, Leadership Coach & Head – HR & Training, Concept Hospitality informs, “We use the grid organisational development model of constantly striving to create openness, ‘not who is right but what is right’, from top to bottom through a grid workshop with checks and balances. For every opening property, we ensure that managers go through a 10-day training during pre-opening to know our open culture and processes.”

introspect and offer solutions best suited for that particular situation. The solution to a problem yesterday may not necessarily be the solution for today.”

Instead of ‘problem-solving’, we need to put more time and effort in developing policies, processes and toolkits to help pre-empt any challenges, paving an easier route to progress, he adds.

“However, it is not simple anymore.

We hire a big batch of trainess for

The war for talent is getting bigger due to scarce good resource. Retaining the top performers has become a key focus for hotel companies. “My role is to provide expertise on people issues in a business; to formulate policy and practice on people issues, to advise on the people aspects of organisational change and to take a ‘people perspective’,” explains Ritu Singh Verma, Regional Director, Human Resources Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts.

Nurturing employees The human factor has always posed challenges ranging from key talents, managing the change to their adapting to a new environment and then, developing leadership. Retaining, particularly top performers, is one of the biggest challenges today. The best people are always in demand in any kind of economy. The challenge today is that key talents have many employment options.

Bhushan says, “I will again stress on succession planning which increases the availability of experienced and capable employees.” This helps in investing less for finding new talent.

Quality recruitment and retention are ongoing challenges for hospitality. Mitra avers, “I have always believed that there are no permanent solutions as there are no permanent problems. Each challenge presents us with an opportunity to p Six Senses Spa, Jaypee Greens Greater Noida

management and operations each year from hotel management institutes, and the key criteria for choosing the colleges is based on our study of the quality of students the college enrolls and efforts the college makes to get students passionate about hospitality,” elaborates Verma.

Selection is a key and therefore, qualities like warmth, personality and efficiency

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with the requisite trade skills as entrylevel competency is what Narang looks at for employee selection. “At the executive level, we have a 60-question test to understand soft skills such as initiative, inquiry, decision-making, conflict resolution and the ability to give and receive critique,” Mitra adds.

With stupendous growth in the hotel inventory over the last few years and the trend expected to continue for the mid-segment, talent crunch has never been so acute, feels Shirali. He opines, for global brands today in India to be able to live their brand promise and differentiate themselves, there needs to be a vast reservoir of talent that gives these brands the liberty to hire talent best suited to their culture and showcase their

Enhancing organisations HR addresses an organisation with three key objectives Business partnership: HR needs to step up its role in directly partnering with operations to enhance customer service, enhance revenues, control costs and optimise the bottom line.

Talent acquisition: HR needs to focus on innovative and sustainable ways to enhance the flow of talent into the hospitality industry. This is vital for the human capital needs of the hospitality industry, which have to be met in the coming years.

Talent identification, development and retention: With timelines for achieving and maintaining operational success having shrunk, HR needs to ensure that available high potential talent at all levels is identified, developed, deployed and retained on real time basis. (by Ashwin Shirali, Regional Director, Human Resources, Accor India)

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p Candidates with the recruitment panel at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Asia Pacific Recruitment Day

individual DNA. “We have a very strong and robust internal career policy that ensures talent stays with us much longer than maybe the norm in competition, thereby reducing our need to go the market to recruit.”

Retaining talent A study was conducted by Aon Hewitt India Hotel Survey in 2012 which stated that the attrition rate in India’s hotel industry was close to 35 per cent. This is considered high compared to other industries in India. However, Mitra says, to bring this matter into perspective, talents in developed markets generally enjoy a more organised career structure and benefits, so it is easier for people to see their long-term career projection with a particular company. “Better career development structure as well as learning and development opportunities are areas where we are currently focussing on and is part of our talent retention strategy.”

It is known that a positive working environment can go a long way in making employees feel good about their work place. Bhushan says, “Coming to work has to bring about a positive element to motivate employees.” Similarly, Verma refers to a survey she received recently where India has been listed as the second highest country in Asia Pacific in terms of level of difficulty in hiring talent within local markets. “The average attrition is reported as 35.5 per cent which is at least three times, if not more as compared to other developed nations,” she informs.

The war for talent is getting bigger due to scarce good resource. Retaining the top performers has become a key focus for hotel companies In fact, Shirali agrees that employee turnover rates are disturbingly high in India hospitality industry, estimated between 40-45 per cent per year. This further swings depending on brands, location and hotel positioning. The India hospitality employment market is as yet young and evolving as compared to other developed countries, and so employee attrition is less volatile and certainly low.

HR as a revenue tool The need for HR to be aligned to the business strategy is a game changer for today’s hospitality industry. According to Verma, instead of a reactive approach, HR has to take a proactive one. It is important for HR to define and evaluate talent demand and build recruitment internal and external bench strength and leverage it to create competitive advantage. At the same time, a difference can be made with

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an emphasis on training the leadership to demonstrate how people processes are directly linked to productivity and profitability. Narang says, “Companies should invest in HR managers focussing on employee engagement along with a structured emphasis on career development. Consistency in activities and management support are aspects our industry needs to improve upon.” Direct involvement in responsible business practices encourages the adoption of good values in employees. It promotes team bonding. Mitra adds, “Further, direct involvement gives them better cultural, social and environmental awareness that is important to the sustainability of our business. This is why I personally take ownership of responsible business practices and encourage our hotels in India to be involved in it.”

Verma says, a mind-set shift is also the need of the hour. “Instead of a performance mind set, the shift has to be to a learning mind-set. In Starwood, we

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have a development programme called ‘Starwood Careers’ which focusses not only on high performers but also on average performers to help them move up the learning curve,” she adds.

HR has been able to emerge as a business partner, talent acquirer and an identifier which focusses on development and

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retention. “I personally believe that Hospitality HR has done an outstanding job so far in general in being able to staff, train and motivate employees and support brands in their endeavour to provide superior levels of hospitality service to customers. However, I do equally believe that there is much to be done as India globalises,” sums up Shirali.

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Meeting skill requirements of hospitality

T

he Indian hotel industry is Our USP seeing a huge spurt of foreign We have an excellent placement record investment with international for our students both for industrial brands entering the fray. training and job placements. This is the Most major international hotel brands main reason why the Institute has become such as Starwood, Hilton, Marriott, very popular among our Hyatt and Accor already have prospective students a growing presence in India and their parents. We and they have an even stronger have been able to place pipeline. The Federation of Hotel nearly 100 per cent of and Restaurant Associations of our students in different India (FHRAI) states that India job categories in hotels currently has over 2,00,000 and other outlets like hotel rooms spread across hotel cruise ships. The only categories and guest-houses and exception may be those is still facing a shortfall of over ROHIT BHATIA students who were not 1,00,000 rooms.

Chairman and CEO interested in placement or RIG Institute were unable to make the desired efforts In that light, RIG Institute of Hospitality in the exercise. About 25 per cent of and Management offers courses that meet our students have been able to get offers skill requirements of the hotel industry. for the posts of Management Courses are designed in such a way that Trainee, Executive students are engaged in doing real time Trainees and Hotel on the job activities to develop practical Operations Trainees skills. This makes the student learn about (supervisory level), the newer trends emerging in the hotel which is on a industry. Every year we incorporate the much higher side suggestions and recommendations taken compared to other from industry experts to update hotel management our courses. institutes.

Employment success rate

All our courses lay special emphasis on developing three important skills needed for the hotel industry, i.e., soft skills, presentation skills and practical skills. All students undergo mock interview sessions and personality development modules.

Each student is screened individually for general aptitude and general awareness, and only the qualified students are sent for job interviews to have a better success rate at employment.

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The percentage of students of our threeyear degree course who get management and executive level jobs is one of the highest among all institutes in India. We have academic and training support from HTMi, Switzerland and University of Ulster, UK, which are highly ranked and reputed institutions offering the best hotel management education in the world.

HTMi is bringing a high quality of hotel management education to RIG Institute, including its curriculum.

University of Ulster, Hospitality School is ranked as the number one hotel school in the UK for its hospitality programme. Our three-year degree students can also do a one year MBA/ MSc with full credit transfer in HTMi Switzerland after completing their degree in India. We also have a Senior Swiss Chef visit and offer practical training classes and theory inputs of international standards to our students.

About RIG Institute RIG Institute of Hospitality and Management has distinguished itself by attracting the largest number of students ever received among all private hotel management institutions in the country. We have built a high reputation for our operations and our placements for industrial training and jobs. Our institute has been awarded the number one Hotel Management Institute in northern India by various educational societies and has received the ‘Rashtriya Shiksha Shiromani Award’ for best infrastructure, education and placement record in five star hotels. Our Bazpur Institute has been awarded 9th All India Excellence Award for the Category ‘Best Emerging Institute for Hospitality & Management’ from Uttarakhand.

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Innovative curriculum and methodology Dr. Antony Ashok Kumar, Director, SRM IHM

‘E

ducation to Employment, Learn by Doing and Earn while you Learn’

SRM Institute of Hotel Management stands by this to cherish a mission of ‘Commitment to Excellence, to nurture and develop young aspirants to be the finest hospitality professionals for the most sophisticated hospitality industry’. To achieve this, students are trained in the aspect of five ‘I’s, which encompass intellect, initiative, integrity, interpersonal skills and industry to be the successful hospitality leaders of tomorrow.

We have Virgil James, Executive chef, Radisson Blu, Chennai and Arun Raj, Director - Rooms Division, Asiana Hotel, Chennai to name a few in our industry advisory board to keep a check on the ongoing curriculum, pedagogy

and student development to meet the industry needs. We offer a number of programmes such as BSc in Hotel and Catering Management (SRM University), BSc in Hospitality & Hotel Administration (affiliated to NCHMCT), BSc in Hotel and Catering Management (affiliated to Madras University), MBA in Hospitality Management (SRM

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University), three-year diploma (SRM University), craft courses, etc.

Our USP

We are able to provide 100 per cent placement through the consistent performance of our The various programmes are students at national level carefully crafted for bridging examinations, and the the growing demand-supply gap numerous awards and that exists in the industry. They accolades the Institute has provide a deep understanding received. Our students of subjects and practical are widely recognised for opportunities to develop and their passion, commitment demonstrate leadership skills. and their professional With the most advanced competence. These traits, Antony Ashok Kumar infrastructure, star hotel in the Dr. coupled with academic Director, SRM IHM campus, unique pedagogical excellence make our students tools, soft skills training, smart class stand out to address the needs of the rooms and clear emphasis on operational industry for quality manpower. and management oriented education, backed with the cumulative experience The Institute has strong ties with the of the faculty members, the skill sets are industry and almost all the reputed hotel delivered to students in the best possible chains for campus interviews and have environment. an excellent track record of 100 per cent placement since its inception. Our The Institute offers innovative ambassadors are given exciting internships teaching methods such both at national and international levels as activity-based learning and career opportunities around the world (ABL), case studies, tasks & and placed among the top hotels and food assignments, field trips, power services establishments, airlines, cruise point presentations, role plays, liners, entertainment and leisure, retail hotel management software, brands, event management and other creative manager exercise, guest sectors and services. lecture, research methodology, About SRM IHM etc. It enables interactive and We are one of the country’s premier collaborative learning. The hotel management institute established ‘Semester Abroad Programme’ in 1993, as a part of the prestigious SRM with leading universities in the University, Chennai. The Institution world has been corroborated grew substantially over the years, apart from ‘Faculty Exchange while maintaining a cordial atmosphere Programme’ with foreign and intimate learning environment universities such as Lycee Hotel for its students. We have campuses in Management Institute in France.

Chennai, Tiruchirapalli and Delhi with state-of-the-art infrastructure with the Our teaching process has been enhanced latest equipment, smart classrooms, through collaboration with leading hotels advanced labs, well-stocked library and in Chennai for ‘Faculty Development a fully operational star hotel attached Programmes’. We ensure that students to the campus to help the students acquire the perfect blend of behavioural acquire hands-on training in real time traits and professional competencies to environment. lead the industry in future.

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Being industry sensitive Virender S Datta, Founder & Chairman IICA

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n order to meet immediate challenges facing the industry, it is most important to understand them and then incorporate the appropriate course correction in our programmes.

Therefore, our institute leaders keep in constant touch with the industry by inviting experts as visiting faculty to share with the management as well as students the current expectations of the industry.

Our international academic partners (Edexcel UK & City & Guilds UK) also stay abreast with the latest developments in the industry that result in changes that the institute brings in its curriculum, so that students are fully familiar with new developments in the industry.

Meeting challenges To meet challenges that confront

employers and employees alike, IICA has taken some very specific initiatives: º Remain contemporary through enhanced interface with the hospitality industry by inviting their speciality experts as visiting faculty to share their knowledge and expectations our students in terms of knowledge, skill and most important positive work culture º Give appropriate exposure to our faculty on how the industry is through special assignments which require research and development of new products.

Our USP IICA is an industry sensitive institute where industry expectations govern the learning techniques and course curriculum. The industry places demands with the institute to spare our students

to join their team to participate in various challenging assignments over and above their routine work. This brings our students in close contact with the industry. This continuous interface with the industry ensures better evaluation of our students’ abilities and their compatability with the existing kitchen brigade in hotels. This facilitates easy employment and smooth absorption as team members.

About IICA Founded by Virender S Datta, an industry veteran with over 45 years of experience, IICA is rated the ‘Best Institute for Culinary Arts in India’ by TIME Research in 2013.

It has international affiliations, state-of-the-art lab kitchen and highly qualified faculty.

Visit us online www.chefiica.com

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Huge employment potential in hospitality Dr S L Kale, Director - Admission & Career Guidance Cell, IPS Academy, Indore

ernment and corporates alike.

Our USP

Under the umbrella of IPS Academy, Mashal School of Hotel Management has the unique advantage of being associated with Hotel Mashal – The Red Maple, a three-star hotel, which provides its students and teachers an excellent opportunity to have a regular interface with the changing demands of the hospitality industry.

The feedback received from customers enables students to innovate and adapt accordingly.

T

Dr S L Kale Director - Admission & Career Guidance Cell, IPS Academy, Indore

he Indian hospitality industry is guided by the age old dictum ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ which means guest is god. India is emerging as the global nerve centre of economic growth in 21st century. The Indian hospitality industry is growing by leaps and bounds because of a huge inflow of foreign companies, foreign investments and tourists.

Scope for employment With its plethora of tourist destinations ranging from snow-clad mountains to panoramic sea-beaches, ancient monuments and wildlife sanctuaries, India promises the best in the world. Further there is unprecedented growth not only in the hotel industry, but in related fields such as airlines, cruise liners, adventure sports, wildlife safaris, which has given a major boost to the hospitality industry.

The huge employment potential of this industry has drawn the attention of gov-

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With state-of-the-art infrastructure and amenities – restaurants, kitchen, frontline office, deluxe suites, swimming pool, auditorium coupled with faculty members with rich industrial experience, the students learn the requisite skills and techniques to satisfy their customers.

Further, the students undergo mandatory rigorous training regime in the top hotels of the country for one semester. Incidentally, our students have been serving the world’s top cricketers during the last three IPLs at Bengaluru, Chennai and other venues.

And last but not the least, our alumni are serving the top hotels in every corner of the globe, from Australia to America and Europe.

About IPS Academy

Mashal School of Hotel Management was established in 1994 under the umbrella of IPS Academy. It is approved by AICTE New Delhi, DTE Bhopal, Government of Madhya Pradesh and affiliated to DAVV Indore. It runs four-year BHM (Bachelor of Hotel Management) and three-year BBA-HM (Bachelor of Business Administration in Hotel Management).

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Tourism goes to schools The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced a course in travel & tourism to provide students in Classes 11 and 12 the opportunity to learn basic skills of the industry. This reiterates the growing importance on our tourism industry and provides the basis for a qualified and skilled workforce.

Devika Jeet

C

BSE has introduced 40 new vocational courses under the service category, providing schools the opportunity to teach more skill-based subjects in Classes 11 and 12. Travel & Tourism has been selected as one such course, which can now be taught at all CBSE schools for a minimum of 200 hours a year. The course is being offered to create skilled manpower for the industry, upgrade the skills and proficiency of the younger generation and also to provide knowledge and awareness about various career options.

New courses have also been added in the Hospitality and Cargo Industry and these include, Transportation System & Logistics Management, Food Production, Food & Beverage services, Dairying Science & Technology, Bakery & Confectionery and Front Office Training.

Introducing students to tourism

This course will provide complete knowledge of our country, including our culture, traditions, social history, hidden treasures of our country, natural beauty, monuments, places of pilgrimage, etc., development scenario and aspirations.

Outbound tourism will also be taught and will be explained as a passport for international understanding, peace and prosperity.

“This is a big achievement for our industry as the Government has seriously addressed the issue of providing specialised skills to students. CBSE has identified skill developers and TMI is the chosen one from the tourism sector.

We will help implement the programme in schools. A committee under IITTM has prepared the syllabus, and both

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domestic and outbound tourism will be taught in this programme. The curriculum provides a good base for advanced studies,” comments Kuku S Kumar, Managing Director, TravelMate India and TMI Academy.

Creating workforce India has only 5 per cent skilled workers in its total workforce. It is projected that the labour force will grow by close to 2 per cent or some 7 million or more a year, over the next few years. Keeping this in mind, CBSE decided that a student can choose to avail competency-based skill learning along with general education in order to enhance skills in the chosen field.

While enthusiastic about introducing the Travel & Tourism course, Kumar lists a few hiccups. “Some challenges we are facing include getting schools to accept this course, encourage it and be ready to introduce it as an option. We also need to find good teachers. This year, we are targetting 100 schools in Delhi with a minimum batch of 25 students each. Thus reaching out to approximately 2,500 students in Delhi and the same number in Punjab. We hope to train atleast 5,000 students this year (starting July), and in the consecutive years we want this number to substantially increase. By next year, we should be able to offer this course to all CBSE schools across the country,” she articulates. At the moment, the industry support is what we are looking for to create enough job opportunities and thereby encourage students to join the industry. “We require publicity of our industry and trade and want to create a buzz about the growth opportunities in Travel & Tourism,” Kumar sums up.

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Training aptly Jc. M S Valsan, Chairman, Disney Institutes

H

ospitality leads to a change in attitude of its members towards positive thinking and aids in their personal development. Hospitality education leads to the growth of the industry, as well as in the development of one’s personality. If this fails, growth is bound to suffer. Customer satisfaction is more important and there can be no constraint in making exceptions in this industry.

The courses in our institutes address these issues where attention is given in developing language skills, personality development and conversation skills apart from the curriculum. Special training for speech is given emphasis.

Meeting challenges

Our Institute follows the dividing pattern

of studies with a group of 4 or 5 students.

The theory from the syllabus will be taught initially, followed by practical industrial exposure, training in the Institute, hotels, resorts and restaurants, etc. While proceeding for training, they are issued a log book where they would self-assess their duties performed and incidents as case studies.

Our USP Hotels and restaurants are hiring our students because they meet the industry standards and needs. Punctuality, discipline, fluent conversation, good knowledge of theory and practical approach are reflected in their personality. Every year, students go through two months of rigorous industrial exposure to acquire more knowledge, making them understand the needs of the industry. We try to mould

them accordingly and encourage those skills that they excel at, making them fit perfectly in the industry.

About Disney Institutes

Disney Institutes is a unit of Koyikal Group of Institutions run and managed

by Koyikel Educational Trust, Kulasekharam, Kanyakumari District.

KET started the Disney institute at Kannumamoodu since 2006.

Disney branches are Vettuvenni, Marthandam, Arasamoodu Jn, Kulasekharam. The institutes are affiliated to BSS (NDA) promoted

by Government of India. Disney Institutes are co-educational, and provide training and education in the field of hospitality industry, garment industry, fire & industrial safety, para medical and computer courses.

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Jaipur!

Voila

p Fairmont Jaipur

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The unique growth of Jaipur as a commercial city has brought about a mixture of leisure and business tourists, changing the demand in the type of hotels from cultural to modern luxury.

Jaipur today hosts not only domestic but also international marts, exhibtions and other MICE events, requiring hotels for different segments, both small and large, budget to luxury. SANJEEV BHAR

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flamboyant showcase of Rajasthani (Rajput) culture or magnificent Mughal architecture, Jaipur has long been established in the tour itineraries of travellers visiting India.

Its hospitality too has been reminiscent of the cultural ethos of the city.

Raghvendra Singh, Owner, Samode Hotels says that the original essence of Jaipur stands enclosed by walls and imposing gateways, demarcating it from the sprawling modern suburb. “With a population of around 205 million, the ‘Pink City’ has advanced commercially and emerged as a business centre as well apart from being a historic city that lures the leisure segment. Jaipur has hotels across all categories from the budget to the luxurious 5 star deluxe properties to heritage havelis.”

The city growth has been unique, affirms Omesh Raina, Head – Marketing, Chokhi Dhani Group. Generally speaking, the hospitality industry feels that the city has developed in a manner that attracts a wide array of customers (travellers) looking for varied experiences. “In fact, the ‘Pink City’ offers a variety of accommodation that are peaceful, fun-filled, adventurous, corporate and also those that address MICE requirements and so on. This city commands different hospitality segments and has diversified uniquely,” he says.

Jaipur’s success can be attributed to the fact that it is a well connected destination by rail, road and air and having connectivity to Delhi and Agra.

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“But, once Jodhpur and Udaipur get better connectivity, which will happen, Jaipur will loose its only advantage,” feels Himmat Anand, Founder, Tree of Life Resort & Spa, Jaipur. Irrespective of that fact, Atul Lall, General Manager, Fairmont Jaipur pinpoints that the city is an upcoming market with many successful hotels offering best services and many upcoming ones setting new trends. “Jaipur offers charm along with striking architecture that is on display in many temples, palaces and heritage buildings. The city not only offers a strong leisure market but also has stateof-the-art conference centres which allow the city to capture special events and the wedding market,” he adds.

The spirit of competition in Jaipur is making every hospitality group find their strong points.

In fact, in the face of growing competition, selling only hotel attributes may not suffice alone Contradictorily, Anand opines that the city is going through rather difficult times presently. The growth in business has not kept pace with the growth in rooms and there is hence, a huge over-supply in the city. This is leading to ridiculous rate levels being thrown in the market, which will impact service and quality. He says, “I do not see this situation changing for another two years or so. The city hence, continues to get run-of-the-mill weddings and events. The one feather in its cap is the ‘Jaipur Literature Festival’, which is held in January annually and I hope that political interference does not make a mess of it.”

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Therefore Jaipur fits the requirement of all segments perfectly,” he adds.

t Himmat Anand We continue to flaunt the same experience for tourists, without trying to innovate. I do believe that if it continues in the present manner, Udaipur and Jodhpur will give Jaipur stiff competition as tourist destinations in the coming years

Varun Sahani u In terms of revenue, hospitality is doing fine. The difference in high or low season is negligible as people are visiting the city even during summers

t Omesh Raina Once, the location of Chokhi Dhani was considered as being at the outskirts of the city. But now we come within the city frame, which talks about the way the city has expanded and developed Atul Lall u The government has proposed several measures that will increase investment in the hospitality sector in Jaipur and will accelerate the process of growth. With the opening of FDI in hospitality, the market is attracting more foreign investment onto Indian shores Raghvendra Singh With a population of around 205 million, the ‘Pink City’ has advanced commercially and emerged as a business centre as well apart from being a historic city that lures the leisure segment

All said, the city is truly accommodating various segments one can think of with élan. Varun Sahani, General Manager, The LaLiT, Jaipur feels that of late it has seen two segments growing

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tremendously viz., weddings and MICE. “A lot of NRI weddings are taking place in the city. Also, following the large inventory that this city can offer, corporate MICE has grown as well.

Raina informs, “The majority of people coming to stay with us are FITs and corporates. Apart from that the segment of inbound travellers has also grown.

Once, the location of Chokhi Dhani was considered as being at the outskirts of the city. But now we come within the city frame, which talks about the way the city has expanded and developed.”

Yet, one can say that ‘royalty’ has remained synonymous with tourism to Rajasthan. Anand views, “Here again, the royal families of Udaipur and Jodhpur are very closely involved with tourism and play a major role in promoting their respective cities wherever possible. I have always requested the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur to take a keener interest and play a larger role in the promotion of tourism to the city.”

Offering niche hospitality In Jaipur, specifically, Chokhi Dhani has emerged as a unique entity in Jaipur and can be said to have become yet another synonym for this vibrant city. Raina claims, “We get travellers from all walks of life who wish to experience the leisure aspect of our resort as well as want to be drawn towards the Rajasthani culture.

One can say that we have become a replica for Rajasthan culture as almost everyone visiting Jaipur ensures that they experience the resort either as our in-house guest, or to explore the culture & cuisine. In fact, footfall to Chokhi Dhani is increasing by over 30 per cent annually.”

On the other hand, The Tree of Life Resort & Spa was built keeping in mind not to go totally ‘traditional’, rather balancing tradition with modernity. “I was always very clear that I must have a product which clearly differentiated itself from rest of the hospitality offerings in the city. Importantly, we are far away from the crowd and noise of the city and yet just a convenient 25-30 minutes drive from it,” explains Anand. The resort is marketed as a couples retreat and everything focusses on the expected conveniences.

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Raghavendra Singh says, “Samode Hotels, namely Samode Palace, Samode Bagh and Samode Haveli in Jaipur cater to the highend distant traveller. They are all family owned private hotels, which are quaint and distinctive in their own way. We are incomparable owing to our uniqueness.”

While the royal decor continues to be liked by all, Fairmont Jaipur, though new, showcases an old world charm through its architecture replicating the heritage feel of the city. The hotel claims to offer guests ‘authentically local’ experiences along with ‘engaging services’. Lall says, “Services apart, we plan unique experiences for guests where they can partake in a limitless array of recreational activities around the area, from nature hikes and

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A flamboyant showcase of Rajasthani (Rajput) culture or magnificent Mughal architecture, Jaipur has long been established in the tour itineraries of travellers visiting India. Its hospitality too has been reminiscent of the cultural ethos of the city The difference in high or low season is negligible as people are visiting the city even during summers.” He feels at the same time that the hotel has undertaken a ‘traditionally modern’ approach which has been identified by the leisure group of travellers. “They seek quick, professional services, which is prompt and crisp and brings about a ‘wow’ factor, which we deliver,” he adds.

Rajasthani entertainment and a magnificent lighting ceremony in the evenings are also some of the highlights in store for guests. Situated in some of the most exclusive and pristine areas in the world, we promise to provide our guests a memorable stay.”

“Competition needs to be taken in the right spirit. It will certainly help the hospitality of Jaipur to be effective and will help in skill development and higher service standards. These are vital to sustain the business,” articulates Raina.

The scope ahead p Villa, Tree of Life

Resort & Spa, Jaipur

at Tree of Meditation & Yoga

a, Jaipur e of Life Resort & Sp p Living room,Tre

mountaineering to hot air ballooning and elephant rides,” explains Lall, giving its own unique dimension to hospitality.

Vibrant competition Speaking financially, the city is rated high in business terms. Sahani says, “In terms of revenue, hospitality is doing fine.

ur p Life Resort & Spa, Jaip

Anand points out the interest of travellers to the resort for honeymoon, anniversaries or any similar celebrations. “We are also increasingly getting popular for small weddings of up to 50 persons where the whole resort is booked. Another growing segment is when groups book the whole resort for a couple of nights for yoga, meditation and spa activity,” he adds. The spirit of competition is making every hospitality group find its strong points. In fact, in the face of growing competition, selling only hotel attributes may not suffice alone.

Lall says, “Selling hospitality accompanied by a storyteller helps. Traditional

The future of Jaipur hospitality is bright, believes hospitality players. Lall says, “The government is also proposing several measures that will increase investment in the hospitality sector and accelerate the process of growth.

With the opening of FDI in hospitality, the market is attracting more foreign investment onto Indian shores.”

However, Jaipur as a tourism product has not re-invented itself for over a decade, argues Anand. “We continue to flaunt the same experiences, without trying to innovate. I do believe that if it continues in the present manner, Udaipur and Jodhpur will give Jaipur stiff competition as tourist destinations in the coming years. If last year is any indication, most of the ‘high-end’ events and weddings went either to Udaipur or Jodhpur and Jaipur was given a skip.

I just feel disappointed that the full potential of this wonderful city is not being taken to its highest level,” rues Anand.

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All set to launch soon, Hyatt Regency Gurgaon is projected as the largest convention hotel in the city.Yet, Federico Mantoani, General Manager of the hotel feels that it is not all that would make this hotel successful. It will be very competitive in the growing city scenario and would connect with customers instantly by offering its perfect service. SANJEEV BHAR

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service promise and connect with customers are the basic characteristics that make a customer loyal towards a hotel. Federico Mantoani, General Manager, Hyatt Regency Gurgaon feels that guest remembrance of the experience and memory that a guest takes back from hotel make all the difference.

The soon-to-be-launched hotel will have 451 rooms. “In the first phase, 230 rooms will be opened and later on, the additional rooms to be released will make this the first Hyatt Regency in Gurgaon city,” he informs. Further, it would have 37 luxurious suites. According to him, space is what will attract the business traffic. The room size starts from 44 sqmt giving ample consideration for a MICE property. Mantoani says, “Uniquely, a total of 200 twin rooms (categorised into 163 base category and 37 Regency Club rooms) will make our property distinguishable, a vital aspect for a large delegation to stay in a large group with the same standard of accommodation.”

Four specially designated Regency Club floors include a Regency Club Lounge which offers a complimentary breakfast buffet and evening cocktails. Additionally, the Regency Club’s other features would include private check-in and check-out facilities, limited access to a private boardroom and free wireless Internet.

Making it apt for MICE Hyatt Regency Gurgaon will offer one of the largest meeting spaces of

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Food options The hotel offers multiple dining options  Lavana, the signature restaurant serving authentic Awadhi cuisine  The Lounge, for comfortable and relaxing ambience; The Long Bar, a stylish and casual bar  Kitchen District, featuring five open kitchens which work in harmony to form a unique culinary experience.

40,000 sqft in NCR, including a pillarless ballroom of 20,000 sqft addressing the singular need of a large convention space. “Majority of business that we expect will be in the MICE segment.

That said, leisure traffic will also come here considering our location on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. Further, the Dwarka Expressway is underway and will be passing by very close to suit our proposition as a well connected property,” he says. Following a strong corporate base and manufacturing sector existing in Gurgaon region stretching towards Manesar and close to IGI Airport and Gurgaon offices, the hotel claims to stand a chance to address the need of a bigger place for business interactions.

According to Mantoani, the Gurgaon market is still going through a price issue, but it must be taken as a part and parcel of the trade that continues to fluctuate

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based on demand & supply. business. We have spent a “But still,” he says, “the considerable amount of time to demand for inbound has offer a seamless experience for been growing for MICE. A our customers.” decade back none thought Defined the way Gurgaon came into the global hospitality approach The hotel in its first year will scenario could be possible, focus on settling down and as the market forced a rapid Mantoani presenting its products and change with rising demand. Federico General Manager Hyatt Regency Gurgaon services. Mantoani explains, In spite of the supply that “Our service delivery will be a key exists in Gurgaon, hotels are still doing differentiator from other hotels in Delhi well and we will get our own share of NCR, especially Gurgaon. Though a number of hotels are coming up in this In-house events team part of the city and beyond, the scope for good business MICE hotel was lying The hotel has identified the need unanswered. In fact, the Hyderabad for a driving force with the help International Convention Centre of a team focussing on events. It (HICC) is still counted as the premium has been divided into Sales and convention centre of the country.” There Planning. The former markets was a need to shift the focus and bring the products and latter executes what has been promised by the more companies with large conventions former through quality service to this part of the country and Hyatt deliverances. There will be Regency Gurgaon is hoping for the experts to guide people booking best. “We want people to discover this with the hotel, e.g., wedding property and carry a reality check for planner, event manager for various events in the hotel and themselves and find out the scope for big they will pass on the expertise conventions that can be held in Gurgaon free of cost to its customers. in our hotel,” he remarks. He adds,

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“The hospitality landscape is interesting in India. As I came from Dubai, which has seen its own ups and downs, the work plan there was dictated by young people. Here too, I found the same vibrancy among the youth who will be integral to the hotel. Today, services, environment, quality, overall know-how, capitalising on the basic qualities are vital and most important is to have the sense of hospitality that is culturally innate among Indians. I see that the Indian hospitality has gone through many stages and is still evolving.”

Guided by a strong will, Mantoani understands the magnanimity of the task at hand. He says, “The first step of opening a property is to listen to the customers, their expectations and what they demand. The price strategy that we adopt has to be acceptable and based on knowledge that we have received in the past few months. Similarly, quality has to be measured based on feedback and constant monitoring is crucial.” No matter what is being done, the crux of the matter is that a hotel has to have a soul that reflects in its workforce and service deliverance, he believes.

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Keeping flavours subtle and

original

There are certain things that should never change like an old recipe.

Anupam Banerjee, Executive Chef of the soon-to-open The RitzCarlton, Bangalore says that keeping food the way they are is just fine and one should keep up with the times to imbibe modern trends to offer something unique to customers. He talks through his various experiences as he gears up for the opening of the hotel in a few months and what he is preparing for people to experience.

Q

What are the key challenges one faces in setting up a kitchen(s) when a new hotel is to be launched as the flagship property in a country?

First and foremost is to get the right team and right equipment. It is critical to understand the strengths of the local market to create a balance of local and international products. This will not only help us carve a niche but also create a ‘wow’ factor for our guests.

Q

Share some insight on the interesting culinary journey you had in Singapore and London, which you aim to re-live through your current role.

My culinary journey so far has been an exciting and enriching one. Both destinations are evolved with a vibrant food scene. My exposure to chefs from around the world, their philosophy of

food, cooking styles and ingredients helped me develop a mature and wellrounded approach to food. The local food culture, traditions and age old recipes play an extremely important role in my style of cooking. My goal is to incorporate these in our dining offerings.

Q

It is said that London diners are conscious about their food source and prefer the use of local ingredients for international cuisines.

Have you come across the same thought amongst Indian customers too?

Our Indian guests are well travelled and have a mature palate. They know their preferences and are well aware of the ingredients that go in to making a dish.

Sustainability and traceability are the two big words. I was pleasantly surprised to see the level of awareness among our local clientele.

Q

How do you (and should one) imbibe different cultures and adapt to the palate in order to address the organisational and customer needs?

I have been exploring the local market produce and special indigenous ingredients from Bengaluru and the region. With my team of culinary craftsmen and my exposure across

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cultures, we will be creating a unique and world class dining experience at our hotel.

Q

You love exploring possibilities in the culinary field. Comment on experimentation vis-Ă -vis conventional methods/procedures, which can be counted legitimate in food creativity.

I firmly believe in not changing old recipes, keeping the flavour subtle and original and at the Our Indian guests same time keeping up are well travelled with modern trends. My and have a mature idea is to incorporate palate.

They know modern presentations their preferences and techniques with the and are well aware traditional flavours. of the ingredients that go in to A lot is still making a dish desired as far as training and development is concerned in India.

How is this issue being

Q

addressed by you for your team?

India is rich with a lot of aspiring young talent, however, it is important to mentor and guide them in the right direction. We have a great training module in place for the ladies and

gentlemen joining us.

My vision is to have a culinary training programme of international standard at our hotel which can nurture the future generation of chefs and expose them to international standards and requirements. They will also benefit from being a part of the hotel’s highly motivated team which will open its door of opportunity for an international experience and exposure.

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Hospitality industry has diversified within in a manner where each and every customer interaction becomes a strong selling proposition. Read on to know the top 20 things every travel planner should do to increase revenue stream. Dhananjay Saliankar

Reposition your business

Dhananjay Saliankar

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» Specialise Pick a few destinations or activities and resolve to be a better expert at them than anyone else. Consumers now have access to so much travel information, particularly at their fingertips via the Internet that they have themselves become ‘generalist travel agents’. When they seek help, they’re seeking a true specialist.

cash flow and reduces the hassle of collecting commission.

» Personalise Differentiate yourself from DIY, selfservice online solutions – and instead give your consumers highly personalised service, recommendations, etc., right from your very first interaction with them – whether online, by phone or in-person.

» Master your pitch Have you perfected your pitch if clients ask: ‘Tell me about yourself and your agency,’ or ‘What makes you different from other agents’? What are the top three messages in your pitch?

Memorise them.

» Develop expertise with unique experiences and special access It’s all about selling experiences. The more unique the experience, the more value you’re adding, and the more you can get your clients access to special events or people, the more differentiated you are.

Brush up on ‘trusted advisor’ sales skills.

It’s a consultative sales job: Most agents can sell a lot more if they can be perceived as a trusted advisor. This means relationship-building and trust-building skills rather than pushy sales skills.

» Be complex Consumers can book the simple trips themselves. Travellers really need agents for complex trips (e.g., international holidays with unique experiences). Your energy and specialisation should be focussed on these complex trips. » Go upmarket Segment the market into two traveller types: Those with more money than time, and those with more time than money. Agents can only compete for the former segment’s business. Travellers with more money than time value purchasing a travel agent’s expertise and ability to handle every aspect of the trip.

Work on competitive pricing rather than just working on a commission model.

Agents should consider getting the best rates from suppliers and marking them up rather than taking commission.

This gives pricing flexibility and better

» Constantly do a self-check: Am I delivering the best value?

The market is constantly changing. For all products and services that you offer, are you competitive? Do you have a variety of strategies to get your clients the maximum value?

» Develop a trusted reputation/brand Get yourself or your agency written about in national media or at least your local newspaper. Get clients to write you endorsements on TripAdvisor, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Build your reputation with real traveller reviews on a referral service. » Have a good website Many agents have websites that do them a disservice. Agent websites need three key things: good design + compelling content + easy to maintain/update. » Be incredibly responsive & reachable – use a smart phone Even when you’re not in office, use a smart phone to be extremely responsive through voice, email and social media. » Improve process efficiency Most agents have plenty of opportunities to be more efficient in their operational processes. For example, streamline the time taken to develop a custom itinerary,

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the time to price a quote, etc. » Know when to ask for a fee I don’t believe there’s a cookie cutter answer on when to ask for a planning fee, management fee or good faith deposit.

Make a judgment call on this for various types of clients. » Engage with social media I highly recommend a Facebook page for your travel business. Get your clients to be fans and to post reviews of your services. Engage them with insights and tips. Note, it is fine to post some specials or deals, but a Facebook page is best used when it’s less about selling and more about engaging with fans and being helpful with your knowledge. » Partner to get new business Be a good marketer – expand your business by partnering with new products and services. Save yourself the time and focus on selling and generating new leads. Improve your writing/email skills. Many clients prefer

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email communication. Good writing is a sales skill that helps build trust and relationship with clients. Take a class to improve this skill and you’ll also improve sales conversion. Sharpen your first response to clients. Obsess over the quality of your first interaction with a new client, whether it’s a phone call or an email. Making a good first impression plays a major role in sales conversion. » Don’t sell deals: Sell expertise!

Many agents advertise deals on their website and send the message that they can find the best deals. It’s tough to beat deals on the Internet, and will be even tougher going forward. Transform your business and your message to sell expert advice and personalised service. » Continually improve knowledge and develop talent Agent product know-how is one of the key reasons people consult agents in the first place and so ‘maintaining’ this ‘expert’ status is key. Provide and give access to product education to your staff

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on regular basis. Trainings and updates are regularly extended by tourism bodies, GDS companies and hotels…. make the best use of it. Focus on HR and talent development. You need to invest on people and their growth. » And lastly…be a lifelong student of change This industry has changed tremendously and the pace of change will only accelerate. Be a constant student of best practices and be ready to adapt and adopt new ways of doing things… no matter how many years you’ve been in the industry.

We all have good intentions and are willing to change, but the key to it is execution, execution and execution.

(The author is the Regional Director - Starwood Sales Organisation, South Asia for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. The article is the extract from the presentation made by the author at the TAFI Convention in Durban during February 24-26, 2013.)

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Switch Soft Technologies’ innovative application offers a comprehensive but modular order and guest management solution which reinvents the POS experience by minimising steps at every stage of operations.

Technology restaurants for

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echnology, of late, has found time. Arun Kumar Cheela, Director, Switch Soft Technologies says, “We its presence in every business.

A business which embraces are pioneer in the field of application technology is software development with likely to survive in the longer an elaborate portfolio. Our run considering the volatile ‘TappyOka’ application helps marketing conditions which restaurants to manage their businesses are currently business better during peak facing. Technology changes hours by reducing lead time the very face of doing business and reducing service time, in terms of making it more improving table turnover flexible, refined, organised time, leading to up sell and and streamlined. Thus when cross sell by making dishes Arun Kumar Cheela technology is implemented, more visually appealing Switch Soft Technologies it leads to decrease in costs, and realistic.” When the increase in sales and revenue and thereby application is installed in restaurants, it leading to raising the profits. will give the desired strength to capitalise on its core competency, thereby leading to increase in profit margins.

Sound solutions for restaurants Successful restaurants are those that make the most of the peak hour rush

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The company was formed in late 2011 and has been a fast-growing smart phone application company that is working on

the next generation of product ideas to application-enable possibilities. The services range from mobility solutions to cloud-based applications to offering smart devices. The company with key technologies focusses on end-to-end smartphone capability having more than 80 applications. Out of which, TappyOka is a comprehensive but modular order and guest management solution which

Various attributes TappyOka helps in streamlining the following activities:

ö Reducing cycle time ö Faster table turn over rate ö Automation of processes ö Interactive environment ö Reduction in overheads

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has been able to reinvent the POS experience by minimising steps at every stage of operations. It claims that the use of this innovative application helps the restaurant achieve 15 per cent increased sales, 20 per cent reduced overheads, 35 per cent repeat customers, 20 per cent increased reach and so on. Cheela says, “As a business practice, we at Switch Technologies always verify the impact of our applications after installation in restaurants. This practice has helped us keep a tab on improvements, features to be enhanced and to ensure a smooth transition. During this phase, we also capture the quantitative data about the performance of our product at different restaurants. The arrived statistics are an average of such practices followed.”

Offering ‘Business Intelligence’ With the rise in consumer purchasing power, more and more people are willing to experiment with restaurants.

Restaurants for long have remained ill equipped to handle such massive customer information which when scrutinised can help in providing personalised service to each and every customer. “Business Intelligence has been a niche area so far, and it finds its relevance in restaurants as it helps them to slice and drill through the huge quantum of data to find the desired information. Our application, TappyOka, also has the feature of integrating the BI tool with the necessary Business interfaces,” Cheela adds.

Intelligence has been a niche area The future of restaurant so far, and it finds technologies is definitely its relevance in heading towards a restaurants as it direction where it helps them to slice would to provide an and drill through interactive environment the huge quantum for customers to dine. of data to find the This would provide an desired information off-the-shelf experience for the client. “We are gearing up to provide the required technical know-how for this task,” he informs.

Of late, there has been a growing willingness of restaurants to adapt to newer technologies to improve their balance sheet performance. Cheela says, “A paradigm shift in this change in willingness is due to the way restaurant owners are viewing technology. They are more receptive to technology and are more likely to embrace it to optimise their performance. Our reputed clients in India and USA like Ohri’s ruci & idoni and Sushi Wave have further reiterated this fact.”

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Building future

a safer

‘Eco-Design’ is emerging as the need of the hour. This would address the trend of sustainability through sound buildings that imbibe an eco-friendly approach.

NIRANJAN KHATRI

Janez Potocnik, Environment Commissioner, European Union said, “Eco innovation should go beyond incremental environmental improvements and efficiency gains, and aim at breaking out of lockedin systems and thinking.”

Extract from a speech of Ola Ullesten…

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ature sets the limits in a sustainable world - It is 50 years since Rachael Carson published her book Silent String. The book was a passionate, fierce attack on the indiscriminate use of DDT and other chemical pesticides in farming. The debate that followed and is still ongoing is about the conflict between the demand for economic growth and respect for nature. In her example, the farmer’s legitimate interest in having a better harvest and the Industry’s desire for a profit vies with the ‘carrying capacity’ of the environment.

Ullesten did not use sustainability as a key term in this article or in the opening remarks at an IOD conference in London in October 2012, on which the article is based. The term was obviously not commonly used in the 1960s and did not imply a pronounced policy, or it could be that the term was too abstract.

This book has inspired generations to learn and care about what is happening to our environment. It had a huge impact on government policies, science and business.

It is not an exaggerated suggestion that she played a key role in launching modern environmentalism. Her finger prints can be found on most legislations, changing the laws of environment whether it is air, land or water.

Crafting new hotel service design by intuition In ITC Hotels, we commenced creating our own trends in the late 80’s. These trends have since become commonplace in the hotel industry the world over, and as a chain we continue to evolve and establish best practices. The chain was the youngest in 1974 when ITC forayed into the hotel business. By 1983, we had approximately 12 hotels across the country.

In 1988, ITC Bay Island (ITCBI, now Fortune Bay Island) team members were oblivious to the terminology pertaining to the environment such as: EPR-extended producer responsibility, life cycle analysis, life cycle cost, green accounting, green marketing and bio mimicry. The hotel team was unaware of the fact that

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ITCBI was at that time at a vantage point of developing a model which is now referred to as Eco Design.

The finiteness of the islands and its available resources coupled with addressing the needs of 5-star segment customers led to innovation. Empirical studies have revealed that in island countries or countries surrounded by hostile neighbours, creativity flourishes.

Japan, Singapore and Israel are examples of such creativity.

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overdraw on natural resources for our unending wants. This implies introducing the concept of resource modesty to our daily lives.

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one bucket of water is a struggle. Yet, those who get piped water waste it by washing cars with hose pipes. Such contradictions need to be addressed by implementing new resource efficient options.

The Eco Design model that we developed intuitively is to address the paucity of water through a practical approach.

In a standalone restaurant Niranjan Khatri GM-WelcomEnviron Initiatives This includes methods like with an independent roof, ITC WelcomGroup harvesting, the segmented use of either a roof garden can be water depending on qualitative needs, and developed and used in good weather, a reduction in water usage in processes. or it can be used to assist in reducing Considering that we have challenging Further, it involves a change in attitude, the heat load on the restaurant and in issues ahead of us on the people, profit design and engaging with guests creatively the elimination of a few tonne of air and planet front - desertification, to involve them in achieving a long term conditioning, depending on the size of the deforestation, soil erosion, energy attitudinal change. restaurant. In ITC Gardenia, the coffee shortages, and peculiar weather events shop has a ‘green Topi’ which enhances - we need to work collectively and At the policy level, we have to be the aesthetics of the hotel in addition to collaboratively to unlearn resource forward-thinking while evaluating fulfilling the above purpose. intensive practices and to emulate forest management and introducing nature which has evolved over a period compensatory, depository forestation.

Daylight is one of the most efficient forms of 3.6 billion years, undergone natural The global community has coined a term, of lighting, provided it is aesthetically upheavals and survived.

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation induced in the core building and design and Forest Degradation concept. This has to be implemented Time has come to again (REDD), which is a set of keeping in mind that the heat is kept at revisit natural systems steps designed to use market bay via proper orientation from the direct and understand its and financial incentives in rays of the sun. This can also be achieved In a standalone production, consumption order to reduce the emissions through the judicious use of e-glass - also restaurant with an and decomposition. This of greenhouse gases from called smart windows, which traps heat independent roof, is the step forward to deforestation and forest during winter, and keeps the building either a roof garden escape the trap we have degradation. The objective cool in summer. can be developed and got ourselves into due to is to reduce the emission of used in good weather, Conclusion a lack of understanding greenhouse gases. or it can be used to Hotels, by virtue of their size and in the last 200 years. This assist in reducing resource intensity have a range of can be achieved by using Just as the quality movement the heat load on the opportunities to introduce frugal, tools like Eco Design. gained traction in the late restaurant and in smart, waste-free designs and create a 80s, ISO certification in the the elimination of Method new form of responsible luxury. Such 90s and six sigma in 2000 a few tonne of air Eco design is a method practices could also influence guests to in India, the eco design conditioning of designing products, adopt best practices of hotels in their is beginning to emerge taking into account homes. Depending on their sizes, hotels in diverse but few large its impact on the can opt for different rating systems such industries. The eco design environment at all as Griha, LEED or Ecotel certification tool can be practically stages of its life cycle. to holistically embed ecologically and simply applied to It may, for example, result in the choice appropriate behaviour. different sections of the travel trade in of recyclable or biodegradable material To conclude, too much is changing too order to eliminate waste. This can be for packaging or the development of a quickly, and business as usual is no longer through incorporating it as part of a washing powder effective in cold water an option. Therefore, we must reflect start-up enterprise or for retrofitting to reduce the energy consumption of deeply, understand, plan and act bravely in existing businesses. Resources such washing machines. In other words, the to kindle an eco-sensitive mechanism of as water, energy and other materials art of integrating environmental concerns thought and action in all stakeholders. can be optimised by creative thinking, in all aspects of life in order to ensure but what is crucial is for the design to that we do not compromise the ability of (The writer is the General Manager, vary from established norms which are future generations to live in a balanced WelcomEnviron Initiatives - ITC resource intensive. In the Indian context, ecosystem. The rationale is to ensure WelcomGroup. The views expressed by the water is an abundant resource only for that we make design choices that do not author are personal.) the privileged. For the majority, getting

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within the hospitality trade L Krishnakumar Board of Directors Tata Global Beverages Limited

Tata Global Beverages Limited (TGBL) has appointed L Krishnakumar as Executive Director on the board of Tata Global Beverages Limited.

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Krishnakumar took over as Head of the Finance function of Tata Tea in 2004 and has been part of its rapid growth story since then.

He has been actively involved in the Company’s acquisitions, restructuring and financing both within and outside India.

Krishnakumar has been with the Tata Group since 2000, initially with the Indian Hotels Limited as its Vice President Finance. He has over 30 years experience in a variety of industries including consumer goods, hotels, manufacturing and consulting.

Federico Mantoani

Pavithran Nambiar

General Manager Hyatt Regency Gurgaon

General Manager JW Marriott Mumbai

Hyatt Regency Gurgaon announced the appointment of Federico Mantoani as the General Manager for the first Hyatt Regency property in Gurgaon. He brings with him an in-depth knowledge of the diverse segments of the hospitality sector. Mantoani will play a pivotal role in establishing Gurgaon’s largest MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) hotel as the preferred choice for both business travellers and the city’s discerning guests.

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During his career, Mantoani has worked with many Hyatt properties the world over. He has been associated with Hyatt for over 15 years, where he has acquired extensive knowledge and experience in managing large Food & Beverage operations and has also played an integral role in opening a number of hotels.

Pavithran Nambiar is the newly appointed General Manager of JW Marriott Mumbai.

With over 16 years of experience, Nambiar has worked with many brands across the world such as Accor and Marriott Group Hotels.

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He joins JW Marriott Mumbai from Goa Marriott Resort where he was the General Manager for the past two and half years. Prior to the Marriott family, he worked with Accor, where he was the General Manager of the Novotel Hyderabad Hotel and Convention Center. After studying medicine from Sydney University, Nambiar switched across to hospitality and started his career by working in high-end standalone restaurants and bars before joining Accor as a Food & Beverage Manager in 2001.

Priya Sahni Senior Sales Manager Shangri-La’s-Eros Hotel, New Delhi

Priya Sahni has been appointed as Senior Sales Manager for Shangri-La’s-Eros Hotel, New Delhi.

Sahni has over eight years of experience in the hospitality industry. She has worked with many hotels including The Oberoi New Delhi, Taj Palace and Hyatt Regency in New Delhi. In her current role, she will be responsible for generating revenue and exploring new business opportunities.

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Rajesh Jhingon

Vijay Taksali

Rasika Singh

Executive VP Operations Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts

Director of Finance Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel

Director - Sales & Marketing Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre and HICC

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has appointed Rajesh Jhingon as Executive Vice President, Operations for the group. In this role, Jhingon will oversee and drive operations and initiatives for The Leela group’s portfolio of eight hotels as well as four new hotels in the pipeline. In a career spanning over 20 years, he has earlier donned the hat of General Manager at Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas.

Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel has appointed Vijay Taksali as the Director of Finance. In his new role, he will front the division for Finance to provide directed and strategic consultancy that will complement the company’s existing business. Taksali’s authorisation will include Account Management, Budgeting, Taxation and Compliances, Banking, Software usages, IT Knowledge and Cost Control for the company whilst developing strategies in alignment to the organisation’s goals and targets.

Rasika Singh joins Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre (NHCC) and Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) as DirectorSales & Marketing for the property.

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Jhingon began his career as part of the opening team of The Oberoi and went on to assume the operational command of The Oberoi in Mumbai and thereafter in New Delhi, before taking on the mantle of the opening General Manager of Amarvilas Agra.

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Based in Mumbai, Taksali showcases a portfolio of working with esteemed companies and servicing them with key designations.

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She comes with an experience of over 17 years in Sales & Marketing. A graduate in Geography from Miranda House, University of Delhi, she holds a Diploma in Public Relations and Advertising. She has attended a training session by Stephen Covey’s team on ‘Seven Habits of Highly Successful People’ and participated in the BBC training initiative on Crisis Management.

In her current role, she will be responsible to lead the Convention, Corporate, MICE and Social business for the complex.

Jatinder Pal Singh

Federico Pucci

Federico Volpi

Executive Chef Le Meridien Kochi

Sous Chef - Le Cirque The Leela Palace New Delhi

Italian Chef The Westin Pune Koregaon Park

Jatinder Pal Singh has been appointed

by Le Meridien Kochi as the Executive Chef overseeing Food & Beverage production. Prior to joining Le Meridien Kochi, he worked at the Westin Gurgaon as Executive Sous Chef.

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He has worked with various renowned brands in the hospitality industry like The Leela and Taj before joining The Starwood Group.

Singh’s Starwood experience started when he joined Le Meridien Ahmedabad as Sous Chef and later moved to Westin Sohna as the Senior Sous Chef. With more than 10 years of experience in the culinary arts, his expertise is set to feature authentic yet innovative delicacies in the city of Kochi.

Federico Pucci has been appointed as the Sous Chef at Le Cirque, The Leela Palace New Delhi.

He brings with him an international experience of six years in the hospitality industry. Born in Prato, a small town in Tuscany, Pucci has been a culinary connoisseur since childhood, helping his grandmother in the kitchen. Before joining Le Cirque New Delhi, Pucci was working with the 3 Michelin Star, Chef Massimiliano Alajmo at Le Calandre Padua, Italy.

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His passion has taken him to several renowned Italian restaurants like Baccarossa (Florence), Restaurant 500 in Florence, etc.

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Federico Volpi has joined the Westin Pune team as the Italian Chef of Prego. Volpi brings with him over 21 years of wide and varied culinary expertise. At the Westin Pune Koregaon Park, he shall oversee the dining experience at Prego.

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Chef Volpi brings with him a diverse culinary expertise from travelling across the globe and working with some of Michelin Star rated restaurants like San Domenico, Imola, Italy. His last assignment was with the Da Bruno Sul Mare, Marbella-Spain as a Head Chef.

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Vitamin enriched water

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eltek Canadian Water has introduced a first-ofits-kind Vitamin enriched water - Wild Water.

With the launch of this lifestyle beverage, the company has introduced an entirely new category in the Indian functional drink category.

With natural flavours, colours, no preservatives, low sugar and the goodness of vitamins, Wild Water focusses on tasty hydration and meeting the needs of calorie-conscious

Dustbins turn stylish & high-tech

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ecently, Ozone announced the launch of its flagship brand for home essentials, Ozone@ Homz. It has been created with a vision to offer home essential products and solutions for a better lifestyle.

A range of stainless steel bins with advanced technology is the first offering from the kitty of Ozone@Homz.

These modern, sensor-based bins offer hygienic and ultraconvenient solutions for living spaces. Made with high grade stainless steel ensuring rust-free long life, these bins stay ageless for years. The elegant and unique, brushed Stainless Steel designer bins look great in any space and complement modern interiors. These touch-less bins use the latest sensor based technology to open and close the

May 2013 I www.fhrai.com I

consumers. The drinks are available in three flavors which include Tropical Citrus-flavoured Energise, Lemonflavoured Reload and Dragon Fruit-flavoured Immunity.

While Energise comes with the benefit of Vitamins C & B along with Guarana extracts, Reload is available with the benefits of Vitamins A, B & C along with electrolytes and the Dragon Fruit-flavoured Immunity has Vitamins B, C and Zinc.

lid automatically, leaving your hands free to drop trash from a distance.

Available in touch-less sensor based, foot control and manual options, these bins are eco-friendly as they help to keep the environment clean and odour free.

These bins see a wide application, such as at homes, restaurants, food joints, super markets, hypermarkets, hotels, resorts, offices, etc.

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Electrolux food preparation appliances

E Tablet solution for restaurants

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ejasco Techsoft has a gesture-based mobile software for kitchen order taking which runs on Android OS based Tablet PC for KOT preparation and customer billing purpose.

A restaurant’s POS or PMS billing software is synchronised with the KO-Tab software i.e., Menu, KOT & KOT Modifier. It enables the following: l Easy tracking on running and cancelled KOTs l Single click upload of Menu for standalone system l Sales report generation l Guest’s Feedback Form l Capturing guest’s previous KOT, anniversary & birthday information l Supports multi-kitchen remote KOT printing.

Beer Nation by arttd’inox

a

rttd’inox, a stainless steel brand for tableware, barware, home and office décor products has launched an exquisite stainless steel beer mug - Beer Nation. Designed as a souvenir, it can also be used as a drinking mug that will add the perfect contemporary feel to your personal mini bar. The visual appeal of frothy beer in this stainless steel cylindrical mug is ideal to quench the craving for an icy cold beer. The exterior of the mug has calligraphy etched on the surface that says beer in many different languages.

The company also offers a variety of bar range products that includes Ribbed, Mushroom & Xylem barware with products like ice buckets and nut bowls.

lectrolux is a promise of excellence in food preparation, offering the widest range of highly performing and innovative appliances - vegetable slicers, vegetable peelers, food processors, planetary mixers, hand mixers, combined machines and much more, to encourage the chefs’ imagination, and easily and quickly create even the most stylish preparations for the largest culinary events.

With its vast assortment of sizes and capabilities and the wide variety of accessories, one can mix, slice, chop, dice, shred, grate, blend, whip, etc. Electrolux ensures you enjoy the pleasure of expressing your creativity while always providing best-in-class performance, extreme sturdiness and superior design.

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ITDC organises ‘Tourism for Art’

I

ndia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in association with Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) organised ‘Tourism for Art’, an Art Camp from April 20-24, 2013 at The Ashok, New Delhi. Dr Lalit K Panwar, Chairman and Managing Director, ITDC and Chandana Khan, Special Chief Secretary, Tourism, Government of

Andhra Pradesh inaugurated the Art Camp.

The Art Camp is an initiative under the MoU signed between ITDC and APTDC, with the objective to provide improved hospitality and tourism services by making joint use of their capabilities and facilities. The Art Camp will bring artists from various regions of the country like Hyderabad, Kolkata, Jammu & Kashmir, and also Delhi to

one common platform and will give them an opportunity to showcase their work to art lovers.

Pic: Simran Kaur

Altogether, a group of 15 artists participated in the five-day camp. ITDC hosted the artists and also provided the opportunity to them for showcasing and exhibiting some of their paintings which they had brought with them.

The Leela Mumbai hosts an

art collection

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t a glittering event attended by a select group of corporate leaders and art enthusiasts, Vivek Nair, Chairman and Managing Director, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, unveiled ‘Four Seasons in a Haveli’, a series of oil paintings studded with Swarovski crystals, created by Dubaibased artist Meena Das Narayan.

The magical evening was graced

by Arvind Singh Mewar, Maharana of Udaipur and Padmabhushan Capt. C P Krishnan Nair, Chairman Emeritus & Founder Chairman, The Leela Group.

Art enthusiasts including Monica Vazirali, Dalip Tahil and Nandita Puri, among other prominent personalities, attended the event. The highlight of the evening was the unveiling of a life-size oil portrait of Capt. Nair, a tribute by

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Meena Das Narayan to the legend of Indian luxury hospitality.

The artist, Meena Das Narayan is a renowned writer, poet and publisher of Gulf Connoisseur, the leading luxury lifestyle magazine in the Middle East.

Proceeds of one painting were earmarked for SOS Charity, an

independent, non-governmental, social development organisation that provides family-based care for children in India since 1964. It advocates the concerns, rights and needs of children. More than 6,000 children and young people live in 33 SOS Children’s Villages and 27 SOS Youth Facilities in the country.

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Check

Safety First

C Women-friendly features in

Lemon Tree

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emon Tree Hotels have launched a women’s initiative that focusses on the growing segment of women travellers and their specific needs. To launch the new initiative, actor Milind Soman inaugurated the dedicated women’s wing at Lemon Tree Premier, Ulsoor Lake in Bengaluru.

This new initiative revolves around creating dedicated spaces within Lemon Tree Hotels for women guests and developing a productservice offering. Some of the prominent features

include enhanced security in public areas and near these rooms, screening of phone calls, specially designed and decorated rooms with a range of women oriented amenities such as cosmetics, robes, jewellery boxes and full length mirrors, etc.

As part of the new initiative, women travellers at all Lemon Tree Hotels will also enjoy the use of facial steamers (on request) in their rooms, in addition to the relaxing and rejuvenating services available at the spa and salon.

heck Safety First of UK, the world’s leading Risk Management Company in the travel and tourism sector has partnered with Travel World Experiences, and launched its services to the burgeoning hospitality sector in the Indian subcontinent. A presentation on ‘Hygiene and Safety… An effective marketing tool’ was held in New Delhi, for the hospitality industry professionals.

The event saw the presence of general managers, restaurant owners, executive chefs and the heads of sales of the travel trade fraternity. The event provided a unique opportunity for networking and information sharing amongst the industry stakeholders on current issues concerning food safety, especially in view of the new FSSAI law to be implemented from February 2014.

Addressing the gathering, Stephen Tate, Chairman, Check Safety First said that the tourism industry in India is booming with people from home and abroad exploring the country more than ever before. There is a vast growth of international and national hotel brands operating in India to attract tourists.

This also brings in issues related to untrained manpower and the apparent need to maintain hygienic and safety standards consistently.

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Special dinner for New Zealand

F&B firms

p R-L: Chef Kunal Kapur with Jan Henderson, New Zealand High Commissioner to India and Richard White, New Zealand’s Trade Commissioner at the New Zealand High Commission during a dinner hosted for visiting New Zealand F&B companies.

T

he New Zealand Government organised a cooking session with Chef Kunal Kapur on April 20, 2013.

The event was hosted by the New Zealand High Commission.

The recipient of Sir Edmund Hillary Fellowship for the year, Chef Kunal Kapur cooked up a feast with ingredients from New Zealand such as wine, cheese, apples, kiwis, lamb, etc.

Being organised at the High Commission in Delhi, the cooking stations had delicacies

being prepared, wine stations for sampling the variety of wines from New Zealand and people got an opportunity to interact with Chef Kapur as he shared his recipes.

The Chef was joined by Jan Henderson, New Zealand High Commissioner to India and Richard White, New Zealand’s Trade Commissioner at the New Zealand High Commission during the dinner hosted for visiting New Zealand F&B companies.

Les Clefs d’Or UICH Congress in

Queenstown, New Zealand

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uring April 7-12, 2013, the 60th UICH Congress in Queenstown, New Zealand was held where more than 300 concierge members from across the globe participated. During the election, Edwin Saldanha, President – Les Clefs d’Or India was elected and honoured as Zone Director Asia. Now, Presidents from ten different countries will report to him in the interest of Les Clefs d’Or Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Chinese Taipei, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Japan and India.

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For the first time, a lady Concierge, Gungun Girish from Fairmont, Jaipur was nominated by Les Clefs d’Or India for the Andy Pongco Award. She was

one of the 12 nominees this year and all the nominees received a certificate of appreciation for being nominated by their respective member sections, however the award was won by Anna Endrihovskaia, Concierge from InterContinental Moscow, Russia.

India now plans to host the Asian Congress in 2017 which brings in 14-16 Asian countries together for the growth of tourism and hospitality in these regions. It is believed that it would give India’s tourism an opportunity to showcase itself to the participating countries of the world.

RNI No. DELENG/2000/1230 Posting Date 15-21 (Every Month) Postal Reg. No. DL-(C)-01/1294/2012-2014 at MBC-1 Date of Publication 12-05-2013