IATO Day 1

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‘Tourism is no longer elitist’ On the sidelines of a one-day workshop organised recently to promote the Hunar Se Rozgar Tak scheme, Subodh Kant Sahai, Union Minister for Tourism spoke to on the changed perception of the tourism industry.

VIVEK SETHI

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ith the global economy facing more uncertain economic developments, the sensitivity towards travel and tourism sector as the vehicle of employment creation, economic growth and development, is growing manifold.

As per Sahai, of late, there has been a paradigm shift in thinking and approach in India and across the globe.

“For years, tourism had been largely regarded as an elitist and glamorous segment,” said Sahai. According to him,

“The Approach Paper to the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) has made a formidable change in the perception of tourism in the country by articulating tourism as a vehicle of serving the goal of the Plan, of promoting faster, sustainable and more inclusive economic growth.”

Further, the four pages of the Approach document which are devoted to the travel and tourism sector, recommends a pro-poor tourism focus. It is aimed at increasing the net benefits to

the poor and ensuring that the growth of tourism contributes to poverty reduction.

“It’s in line with the Prime Minister's National Skill Development Council, identifying tourism and hospitality

industry, along with the health and information technology for mass basing the skill training being larger generators of employment,” he added.

to the national economy as well as for the creation of jobs in the country. Based on the

Noticeably, the tourism sector contributes significantly

PMO’s push for boosting tourism A

n Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee for Tourism Sector set up by the Government under the Chairmanship of the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, had its second meeting in the Prime Minister’s Office on August 13, 2012. Secretaries to the Government of India of important Ministries were present. The Principal Secretary emphasised the importance of tourism as a key sector for employment generation and economic development and stressed the need for all the Ministries concerned to work toward the development of this important sector.

Some of the important decisions taken in the meeting were:

regarding specific training and skill development requirements and prepare an action plan.

Manmohan Singh Prime Minister of India

1. A sub-committee consisting of Secretary (Tourism), Secretary (Labour & Employment) and Secretary (Rural Development) will identify employment potentialities of tourism and hospitality sector, particularly in rural areas.

This Committee will make recommendations

2. The Ministry of Culture will expedite the development of essential facilities like tourist facilitation and information centres, souvenir shops, toilet facilities, etc., to begin with, at the 19 World Heritage Sites managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) through an appropriate agency.

The Ministry will also take an early decision on the proposals received, in this connection, by the Archaeological Survey of India from the India Contd. on page 10

Subodh Kant Sahai Union Minister for Tourism

Tourism Satellite Account for the year 2002-03 in the Government, the contribution (direct and indirect) of tourism in GDP and the total jobs in the country in 2007-08 is estimated to be 5.92 per cent and 9.24 per cent respectively.

Domestic Tourism contributes to three-fourths of the tourism economy. “Globally, as per United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the overall export income generated by inbound tourism, including passenger

transport, exceeded US$ 1 trillion in 2010. As an export category, tourism ranks fourth after fuels, chemicals and automotive products across the world. It’s also one of the main sources of foreign exchange income for many developing countries,” informed Sahai. “Moreover, the recent declaration at the 4th T20 Meeting also emphasised that productivity and service quality of the tourism sector offers a unique opportunity for poverty reduction and entry point, especially for young workers, as presently, women make up 70 per cent of the labour force in tourism sector and half of all tourism workers are 25 years or below,” he added.

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INTERVIEWS

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

Moving Forward in Challenging Times IATO Convention’s theme ‘Moving Forward in Challenging Times- Together’ seems like an attempt to bring all stakeholders on a common platform to brainstorm on the future opportunities and overcome the challenges- together.

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ubhash Goyal, President, IATO said, “We should collectively leave behind the economic worries and move forward as a united industry to address the real challenges and scale new heights.”

Today, the inbound sector is facing several challenges starting such as lack of air connectivity, shortage of worldclass infrastructure, fluctuating currency, etc. In fact, the

foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) during the period January-July 2012 at 37.62 lakh had registered a growth of mere 6.6 per cent, as compared to the FTAs of 35.29 lakh with a growth of 10.7 per cent during JanuaryJuly 2011 over the corresponding period of 2010.

Hence, stressing on the suitability of the theme, Lally Mathews, Hony. Secretary, IATO and Co-Convention Chairperson, IATO Convention 2012 said, “Moving Forward in Challenging Times-Together is an apt theme for our 2012 convention. We reckon that difficult economic phase first started towards the start of 2008, but India managed to come out of such tough global environment. Today, when the global economic scenario continues to throw upon difficult challenges, the Indian economy has also started showing signs of considerable weakness. In such times, the ‘moving forward’ theme collectively holds the silver lining.”

Subhash Goyal President IATO

Lally Mathews Hony. Secretary, IATO and CoConvention Chairperson, IATO Convention 2012

Lajpat Rai Hony. Joint Secretary IATO

We should collectively move forward as a united industry to address the real challenges

Moving Forward in Challenging TimesTogether is an apt theme that we have chosen for our 2012 convention

The business sessions and panel discussion will help the members to come out with flying colours

Arun Anand, Hony.

Treasurer, IATO says, “The theme of the Convention has been chosen in line with the present scenario in tourism.”

Moreover, the business sessions, he believes will deliberate on the current status of the tourism industry visà-vis Government’s policies.

According to Lajpat Rai, Hony. Joint Secretary, IATO, the event will be a great success. “The various business sessions and the panel discus-

Arun Anand Hony. Treasurer IATO

The theme of the IATO’s XXVIII Convention has been chosen in line with the present scenario in tourism sion will help the members to come out with flying colours from the present challenging times which the industry is going through.”

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IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

INTERVIEWS

‘Tap smaller countries’

‘360 forts our state’s USP’

Having been the Co-Convention Chairperson many times, Dr Jagdish Patil, Managing Director, MTDC shares Lally Mathews, Hony. Secretary, IATO and Co-Convention different reasons why travellers should visit Maharashtra.

Chairperson, is confident to make a great success.

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e are taking care of all aspects to ensure that the IATO Convention 2012 is a great success. We are hopeful that over 1000 delegates will attend the IATO Convention 2012,” said Mathews.

“Moving Forward in Challenging Times’ is an apt theme for our 2012 Convention. Today, when the

Lally Mathews Hony. Secretary, IATO and Co-Convention Chairperson, IATO Convention 2012

global economic scenario continues to throw upon difficult challenges, the Indian economy has also started showing signs of considerable weakness. In such times, ‘the moving forward’ theme collectively holds the silver lining to eventually see us through such challenging times,” he added.

Mathews also assured that during the course of the convention, IATO will raise the

issue of the government policies’ impact on various segments in the tourism industry.

We will also work on the best practices to stand in the crowded market. Moreover, highlighting the need of better coordination among the value chains in industry, Mathews said, “It is important to bring leading stakeholders like airlines, hotels and others on a platform to streamline all relations and move ahead creating mutually beneficial business opportunities.”

“There are many opportunities in smaller countries like Turkey and Romania that are ripe with possibilities which should be tapped.

This will help in achieving the target of doubling the inbound arrivals in the 1 2th Five-Year Plan Period,” he added.

As a host state, what are your expectations from IATO’s 28th Annual Convention?

MTDC is presently working on multiple projects to boost the tourist figures of the state.

IATO Convention will prove to be

the destination to end travellers and thus, it is important for us to work closely with them, educate them and introduce them to our products, destinations and offerings. Maharashtra, as a state, has loads to offer but unless we make people know about the destination, it’s not going to work.

Tour operators are the most crucial link between the state and travellers.

So, if IATO joins hands with us, we will be able to sell our destination very efficiently and effectively markets.

USP of Maharashtra?

Dr. Jagdish Patil Managing Director, MTDC

yet another platform for us to showcase our state to the real industry stakeholders.

It is the ‘travel agent’ and ‘tour operator’ who takes

We have everything to offer under the sun except the desert and snow. It is a big state as far as heritage is concerned. We have more than 350 forts and all types of forts – on hills, grounds and in the middle of the sea.

This is a very unique feature of Maharashtra which no other state in India has. We have a longest coastline in the country with crystal clear beaches, unspoiled beaches etc. We also have almost 80 per cent of the country’s caves with few listed in the World Heritage Sites. We have lot of potential in the field of adventure sports. Sahyadri ranges are a paradise for trekkers; and other adventure sports like – snorkeling, scuba diving, deep sea diving, river rafting etc add more to our diverse range of products. Many companies are now organising monsoon adventure activities like waterfall rippling, parasailing etc.

We are also promoting rural and agriculture tourism under the theme initiated by MTDC called Mahabhraman. Through this, we are combining adventure, Contd. on page 29

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ANALYSIS

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

Europe loses, India gains in global market Global alterations have an impending effect on tourist arrivals in India. In spite of the international challenges, India has shown growth in tourism and is now exploring new destinations within the country to attract more tourists.

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he global tourism industry has seen turbulent times as the economic recession continues to have its effect on tourism. Though this year looks brighter but the progress is still slow.

UNWTO forecasts reports that by the end of 2012, tourism will reach one billion international arriving tourists. In 2011, the global figures reached 982 million

international tourist arrivals and India received a share in these figures. Our growth rate in 2011 was 8.9 per cent, much better than UNWTO’s projected growth rate of four to five per cent.

International synopsis Tourism growth to an extent depends on external factors, such as social, political and economic condition.

This has its effect on tourist arrivals in India especially long-term booking and group movements.

“At present, Europe and America has not come out of the economic downturn, hence tourism from these two giants are not very healthy.

Though we are struggling to increase the tourism from all over the world, the progress is slow. Group movements from abroad and long term booking have also reduced. The policy of airlines to purchase the air tickets at the time of making the International booking has

Pronab Sarkar

Ravi Kalra

Managing Director Swagatam Tours

Managing Director Travel INN

Though we are struggling to increase the tourism from all over the world, the progress is slow

The outlook for emerging markets is strong. 2012 will be a challenging year for tourism in Europe

made this difficult for longterm bookings,” said Pronab Sarkar, Managing Director,

Swagatam Tours. The global travel and tourism GDP growth is expected to remain

Captain Swadesh Kumar Managing Director Shikhar Travels

In India, the North Eastern region has a strong potential and should be focussed upon positive in 2012, but is unlikely to exceed 2011’s growth level. Speaking on

this, Ravi Kalra, Managing Director, Travel INN, says, “A slowdown is clearly evident from the traditional European markets as a result of weaker macroeconomic outlooks, notably within Europe. The outlook for emerging markets is very strong. 2012 will be an especially challenging year for tourism in Europe. For Asia-Pacific, China’s GDP growth forecast for 2012 is again relatively unchanged at a strong 8.2 per cent. Chinese demand will help to support growth throughout the Asia Pacific region, although Indian economic growth showed signs of a slowdown in 2011. Its GDP growth forecast for 2012 has therefore been revised down to 6.5 per cent from 9 per cent a year ago. Apart from Asia, Latin America and USA, where prospects are potentially more positive than previously expected; downgrades to economic forecasts and latest Contd. on page 20

INTERVIEWS

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

TRAVTALK

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The industry needs stimulus: Thakur Vijay Thakur, Immediate Past President, IATO insists that stakeholders from the travel industry should join hands to launch a special campaign for showcasing Incredible India as the most attractive destination.

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he forthcoming season in 2012 looks challenging. The summers in 2012, which otherwise is a lean season, had also registered comparatively mediocre performance than the previous year. Thakur says that the industry needs unfailing attempts to revive the growth momentum.

Vijay Thakur Immediate Past President, IATO

On the policy front, there is a need to extend Visa-onArrival and aggressively pursue all conventional and emerging source markets “The theme of the XXVIII IATO Convention is similar to our Silver Jubilee Convention titled ‘Managing the Downturn’ in 2009. In 2008-09, the economic conditions in our major source markets looked very bleak. To revive the inbound growth engine, there was a need to take consistent efforts. To a great extent, the series of roadshows conducted by Ministry of Tourism in association with IATO during this tenure, which covered

over 20 countries, helped in the growth revival process,” said Thakur.

“Similarly, consistent initiatives are required today as the economic conditions in USA, UK and major European countries

are likely to stay challenging. Further, the Far East and South East Asia, along with a few other emerging economies, offer a great potential to emerge as important source markets,” added Thakur.

As per Thakur, the industry now needs to focus upon new products in line with the shift in consumer preference that are now weighed heavily in favour of shorter holidays and packages that offer great value for money.

“In fact, the stakeholders from hotel industry, aviation sector, travel agents, tour operators, tourist transport providers and other value chains in the industry should join hands to launch a special campaign to showcase

Incredible India as the most attractive destination.

On the policy front, there is a need to extend Visa-on-Arrival and aggressively pursue all conventional and emerging source markets,” insisted Thakur.

INTERVIEWS

Streamlining road tax With issues like service and road tax plaguing the travel industry, Raj Bajaj, Convener, IATO Railways/Surface Transport Committee, says that the committee is working with various departments to make surface travel comfortable.

T T B U R E AU What has the IATO railway and surface transport committee been up to this year?

There are several pending issues with railways which are impacting tourist movements and the IATO delegation of Railway and Survey Transport Committee has had several meetings with railway officials to resolve these issues.

The concerned departments in the railways are reviewing our representations to streamline the following: • With effect from March 10, 2012, the advance booking window has been increased to 120 days. It should be brought down to 45-60 days in order to avoid touts from taking advantage. Genuine clients will suffer if the 120-day period is continued.

• Name change facility for Foreign Tourists needs to be introduced by the railways.

• The procedure for group booking needs to be simplified. Allocation of berths/seats for groups should not be bifurcated.

• Entry passes for tour operators (IATO members) should be intro-

duced to facilitate foreign clients for meet and assist at platforms: All our members who are recognised by the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India and are issued airport entry pass by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, after police verification is completed, may be allowed to enter the plat-

be designated as PSAs to purchase Indrail passes from International Tourist Bureau against payment of INR bank draft along with FIRC (This demand has been long overdue and had been assured by the Railway Board/ Northern Railway Officers in the past but has not yet been implemented) • Similarly, for surface transportation, providing wayside amenities and streamlining the road tax process for seamless travel at the borders and rationalising road taxes are our major priorities.

How has the airline turbulence in the country affected travel by road?

Raj Bajaj Convener, IATO Railways/Surface Transport Committee

form as well as at the Railway Stations for receiving their foreign clients. This will help build confidence among overseas tourists visiting India and will also help members to fulfill the assurance for all possible assistance at railway stations. Railway may issue Photo IDs to the IATO members who are recognised by the Ministry, Govt. of India for entry at railway stations up to the platform.

• Presently, 19% commission is offered to overseas GSAs on USD Indrail passes. We propose at least 17% commission to IATO members who could

Yes, the airline turbulence has affected travel by road mainly because weekend travel has increased, but then because of the high fuel cost, the difference is very negligible. It is not possible to take long journeys by road as road conditions are bad and enroute facilities are limited. However, the much talked-about Yamuna Expressway will help to ease traffic on NH-2. For India’s infrastructural development, such type of projects will surely boost tourism activity.

What are the challenges that travel operators face?

The main problems plaguing us are service tax, road tax, toll tax and luxury tax on accommodation, VAT on hot food, hike in fuel cost, lack of facilities on road routes, safety hazards etc which are our main challenges as travel operators. We are trying our

best to streamline the operations by having proper partnerships.

How has the recent Indian Railways fiasco affected travel operators?

The railway fiasco has created a fear psychosis and people are avoiding to opt for road packages. The labour problem is also an issue. The railways, at times, jeopardise travel programmes by not maintaining time schedule and sometimes train accidents make promotion of rail-related tours harder to sell. Railway stations/trains lack decent toilet facilities. The quality of bed rolls requires improvement.

The cleanliness quotient needs to meet international standards.

In a meeting on May 21, IATO had highlighted some serious concerns to the Transport Minister of Uttar Pradesh to create smooth flow of tourist transport. Is anything being worked upon on that?

Yes, we had taken up various issues with the transport minister of Uttar Pradesh. They have started online deposit of taxes. So, we are not required to go to the tax-deposit office and tax deposit can be done 24x7. Also, they have opened a tax-deposit counter at the DND toll, which has helped for easy movement. Earlier, one had to go to Ghaziabad to pay tax and then enter Noida.

Similarly, a tax-deposit counter has been opened at the UP Tourism office at Chanderlok building in Janpath. We are happy with the progress as all these steps help to streamline tourist transport.

Tourism comes under PMO’s focus Contd. from page 3

Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).

3. State Governments/UT Administrations will be

requested to partner the exercise for creation of tourist facilitation and infrastructure facilities in stages in all 116 ticketed ASI monuments.

The committee noted that basic amenities and high standards of hygiene and cleanliness are essential for enhancing the quality of experience that the country offers to the visitors.

4. The ASI will introduce computerised ticketing in 116 monuments and audio-visual guides in 36 monuments in phases over a period of six months.

5. The on-going exercise of rationalisation of visa regime will be completed by the Ministry of Home Affairs within two weeks.

6. The Ministry of Tourism will work out an action plan for imparting training to the Immigration Staff within four weeks.

7. The Ministry of Railways will start Agra-Jaipur Shatabdi by November 2012. The Ministries of Railways and Tourism will work jointly to prepare an action plan for upgradation of 5 Railway Stations (Amritsar, Agra, Rai

Bareily, Gaya and Thiruvananthapuram) within two weeks and 19 other Stations within three months.

8. The Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Human Resources Development will partner for introducing tourism related vocational courses in the School syllabus of various States/UTs. Efforts will also be made to further enlarge the capacity building base for tourism and hospitality sector under CBSE. Industry stakeholders will be involved to give impetus to this exercise.

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IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

IATO well received in Kerala

IATO’s monthly meet

From making various suggestions during the formation of the state tourism policy, to playing an important role in various committees, IATO’s Kerala Chapter has gone all out to play a central role for tourism development in the state.

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ndian Association of Tour Operators’ Kerala Chapter has been active in all the tourism development activities in Kerala. “We have a very healthy model of a Public and Private sector Partnership existing in Kerala that contributes to a very favourable climate for the growth of tourism. There are various forums for interfacing between the Government

Planning Committee on physical infrastructure of tourism constituted by the Planning Board of Kerala. It is also represented in the Trivandrum International Airport Development Society.

and the private sector where Government policies are discussed with the private sector and their voices are heard.

At all these forums, the voice of IATO could be presented in an acceptable manner.

Thus, IATO has been well accepted among the travel trade in the state.

The Government has given IATO a due representation in all the important bodies and committees for planning, classification and approvals formed by the Government,” says EM Najeeb, Chairman, IATO- Kerala Chapter.The association has been active in most of the tourism-related initiatives in the state and across the board. IATO is represented in the Hotel and

EM Najeeb Chairman, IATO- Kerala Chapter

Restaurants Classification Committee of Kerala Tourism.

It is also represented in the Responsible Tourism Committee, the Tourism Expert Committee of the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), the Classification and Approval Committee for Houseboat Classification and Ayurveda Centres. IATO has been actively participating in the private sector initiatives, such as Kerala Travel Mart (KTM). It is represented in the

“Last year, IATO raised various constructive suggestions to the Government of Kerala for the development of tourism in the state including infrastructure development, the problems faced by the private sector and also reduction of taxes on tourism. The Kerala Tourism recently announced Kerala Tourism Policy 2012, which spells out the policy related to tourism business, infrastructure, human resources development, marketing and investments to which IATO had contributed various suggestions,” adds Najeeb. The strength of IATO’s Kerala chapter is 11 active members, 52 allied and 9 associate members.

Ahead of the XXVIII IATO Annual Convention 2012, IATO conducted its monthly meet on August 1 at The Park Hotel in New Delhi. Subhash Goyal, President, IATO, apprised all the members of the present response and encouraged more members to register for the Convention.

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INTERVIEWS

Air connectivity needs to be improved Suresh Periwal, Chairman, IATO - Sikkim and North Bengal Chapter, says that while they have been working to keep tourists outside the purview of strikes, other deterrents continue to bother tour operators of the region.

T T B U R E AU What has the IATO North Bengal & Sikkim Chapter been working on this year?

The IATO North Bengal & Sikkim Chapter has been working together with the Eastern Himalayas Travel and Tour Operators’ Association to highlight and address a number of issues which affect the tourism industry in the region. One of

our strongest campaigns has been to keep tourists outside the purview of strikes in the region and this has met with some success. We have been working to increase the awareness of IATO as a national body while encouraging the stakeholders of the industry to be a part of it.

How important is air connectivity for tourism in the region?

Air connectivity is extremely important for the growth of tourism in the country, especially in the northeastern states where connectivity by trains is either very poor or non-existent in most places. The turbulence in the airline industry has drastically reduced the number of seats thereby resulting in the exorbitant fare hike. Travelling to this region from the Western and Southern part of the country is expensive and now the reduction in the number of seats makes this region an

extremely expensive destination to travel to.

kms in three Northeast states, which also includes Sikkim.

The Asian Development Bank and the Government of India have signed a $74.8 million loan to improve connectivity with the northeastern region of the country. How will this move help the tourism sector of the region?

Road connectivity is vital in the northeastern states because of the limited means of connectivity and this move will definitely help the tourism industry to flourish. Sikkim is completely dependent on road connectivity since there are no other means to reach the state and considering the events in the past when landslides have cut off Sikkim from the rest of the country for days, the funds would be vital to take necessary steps in ensuring that this does not happen again.

The first tranche is set to improve a road stretch of 200

witnessed an extremely good flow of tourists during the summers, which is a result of the political stability in the region. With the Gorkhaland Territorial Authority assuming office, we are certain there will be a greater focus, on the growth of tourism.

What are the issues that need to be addressed to improve tourism inflow?

The treacherous road conditions in the North Bengal, is a huge put off for anyone visiting the region.

Suresh Periwal Chairman, IATO - Sikkim and North Bengal Chapter

How are tour operators coping with the political situation in North Bengal to ensure that tourist inflow is not affected?

The actions taken by the West Bengal Government to stabilise the political situation in North Bengal have been very encouraging. The region

The travelling time has increased substantially because of the conditions of the roads.

Air connectivity to this destination needs to be improved.

We now have direct flights from Bagdogra to Bhutan and Bangkok. We are hoping that flights from Nepal will also be more frequent. The

Shatabdi Express which has started recently between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri was expected to help tourism since a large number of tourists come via Kolkata, but the timings of the train compel the passengers to stay a night in Siliguri on both arrival and return journeys. It is important the train starts from Howrah in the morning and reaches NJP in the afternoon thereby allowing enough time for tourists to drive up to tourist destinations like Darjeeling or Gangtok in the afternoon.

What was the footfall during the peak tourist season this year?

During the period between March and June this year, the region witnessed a footfall of about 4 lakh tourists.

The composition of this volume was predominantly domestic but this was the highest as compared to the volumes over the last few years.

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IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

IATO addressing aviation concerns talks to IATO’s sub-committee on Civil Aviation and Airlines and finds out what they have been doing to address aviation concerns.

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ivil Aviation is an important industry for India.

“Today the industry is suffering due to delay in policy decision by Government of India and imposition of high taxes and high Airport charges. As per IATA, the Delhi and Mumbai Airports are one of the most expensive in the world in regard to the Airport charges. We strongly recommend the Government to address these issues and

reconsider the high taxes on ATF and Airport charges to be in line with other major airports in the world, we also recommend Government to clear pending policy issues such as FDI in the aviation industry on priority so that the industry can be revived,” says PS Duggal, Coordinator, Civil Aviation and Airlines Committee, IATO. The committee claims to have been working as a body, conveying the concern

PS Duggal Coordinator, Civil Aviation and Airlines Committee

of the industry and its stakeholders to Government for the growth of the Indian aviation industry and tourism.

He added, “We will take up all the issues related to the development of the aviation industry in India with all the stakeholders in order to have their view and concerns so that a presentation can be made to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. ” Listing some of the important aviation issues that need to be highlighted at the IATO

Convention this year and addressed by the industry, Duggal adds, “The recently increase in airport charges at Delhi and Mumbai, high taxes on jet fuel, high ticket prices and lack of monitoring by DGCA on tickets prices, imposition of development fees at various airports in India, services tax on air tickets and airlines, issue of royalty charged by AAI on ground handling activities, recent increased royalty manifolds up to 36

per cent on ground handling activities, are some of the urgent aviation issues that need to be addressed.

AAI has also covered representation services provided to airlines by their Indian agents and has asked them to pay royalty on their charges as well. This will further rub salt on already bleeding aviation in India.”

Platform for sharing ideas ‘Explore the real treasures’ The tourism industry is rapidly growing and to keep itself During the 28th Annual Convention in Mumbai, abreast of these changes, IATO developed the Education: delegates will have first-hand experience of the Industry Capacity Building Committee. ‘changed’ and ‘modern’ state of Maharashtra.

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ATO is interested in developing the capacity and capability of the human resource pool of its members and stakeholders. The committee for Education and Capacity Building has been set up as a vehicle to fulfill this objective.

The role of the committee is to identify, evaluate and analyse the requirements of the industry and organise workshops/seminars,

which would address these needs.

Ravi Luthra, Committee Coordinator & Director, Landmark Tours & Travels says,

“Only thing constant in the travel & tourism industry is ‘Change’ and that too rapid change.

Since IATO represents a majority of the fraternity, it also becomes an obvious platform for sharing ideas, needs and requirements, thereby becoming a repository of domain knowledge including skill development requirements.

Factoring in these aspects, we see the committee playing an important role in future.”

The committee, at IATO, has identified certain areas of skill development based on the industry feedback like

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Ravi Luthra Committee Coordinator, Education: Industry Capacity Building Committee

Entrepreneurship Development, IT & its relevance in Tour Planning, Behavioral Skills, Leadership Development, Customer Service etc. A preliminary calendar has been prepared and the committee hopes to implement it soon after the annual convention.

The committee also expects whole-hearted support from IATO members which is a prerequisite to implement the skill development initiatives,” adds Luthra.

o showcase the state, IATO has organised five different post tours for all delegates covering Nashik (for wine tourism), Shirdi (religious tourism), Aurangabad (heritage – Ajanta and Ellora), Ganpatiphule (religious and beach) and Tarkarli (beach and luxury).

According to Narendra Rathore, Chairman Maharashtra & Goa Chapter, IATO, delegates should explore these real treasures of Maharashtra to understand and sell it in a better way.

With immense confidence in the state as a tourism product, Rathore said, “Over the years, the state was promoting the usual destinations, making us (tour operators) believe that it’s only the typical tour circuit available to offer. However, in recent past, MTDC, is association with private players, started

highlighting the ‘unusual’ aspects of the state – wildlife, beaches, hill stations, cuisine, culture, fairs and festivals, heritage, etc.

In fact, the present team of MTDC is really aggressive in promoting tourism and encouraging us to come forward and provide concrete suggestions to take this sector to the next level.”

Fam Tours IATO has organised five different post tours for all delegates covering Nashik (for wine tourism), Shirdi (religious tourism), Aurangabad (heritage – Ajanta and Ellora), Ganpatiphule (religious and beach) and Tarkarli (beach and luxury)

Narendra Rathore Chairman Maharashtra & Goa Chapter - IATO

By showcasing the unusual facets of the state to domestic and international operators via IATO Convention and post tours, Maharashtra is all set to welcome more visitors in the coming years. MTDC is supporting the stakeholders of the industry to further enhance the tourism offerings of the state. So, enjoy the convention and be ready to ditch the usual tourist attractions during post tours.

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HOTELS

MICE high@BRYS Fort Jaisalmer To cater to MICE more extensively, the hotel has a dedicated event management team that takes care of the specific requirements of corporate clients

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art of the BRYS Group of Companies, the BRYS Hotels – an enterprise of Rahul Gaur–launched its maiden hospitality project in the land of sand dunes at Jaisalmer. Launched in December 2011, BRYS Fort Jaisalmer is one of the largest ultra-modern luxurious hotels constructed to evoke memories of Rajasthan’s medieval glory. With a back-

Corbett National Park by the end of this year. To woo the business travellers in and around Delhi, it will also unveil a third property, a business hotel in Sahibabad in Ghaziabad (Delhi NCR) by 2013. As per the company, all the properties will be in functional by 2013 with emphasis on ownership, self managed model.

activities for those who are travelling to western India.

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Rahul Gaur CMD BRYS Group

ground in the real estate, the company claims to have identified the needs of travellers.

Inspired by the sprawling ramparts of Jaisalmer Fort, BRYS Fort carries forward the magnificent architectural legacy of Rajputana and blends it with the state-ofthe-art facilities.

With spacious banquet areas and open air spaces for special events, the hotel is the ideal option for MICE

BRYS Fort has created several theme evenings and fun activities for its corporate clients. These include camel rides and fun-filled evenings with folk performers with Jaisalmer’s breathtaking sand dunes serving as a backdrop. The BRYS Haveli is a two-storeyed luxurious bungalow, with services to match its ostentatious décor.

Hindola Mahal and Ras Mahal are two premium suites on the property. The hotel also has 36 Deluxe Rooms and a large corporate group can book all when checking into BRYS Fort for its MICE activities. There are plans to add 42 more rooms to this inventory by February 2013.

Groups coming to the hotel can also choose to stay in tents under the clear, pollution-free Jaisalmer sky. At a given point of time, 10 tents are available for bookings. For those looking for an absolute

Capturing MICE royal treatment, BRYS Fort has vintage cars available for drives around the hotel’s premises.

To cater to MICE more extensively, the hotel has a dedicated event management team that takes care of the specific requirements of corporate clients. The hotel works with its own list of suppliers.

Corporate groups can bring in their own suppliers but this will entail special charges.

Indoor and outdoor team

building activities can be organised as per the requirement of clients. BRYS Fort also has a 24-hour multi-cuisine restaurant and a rooftop restaurant Phalak that overlooks the Jaisalmer Fort.

According to Rahul Gaur, CMD, BRYS Group, the company has also chalked out plans till 2013. To diversify its portfolio in various segments, the company will come up with its second property, jungle resort in Jim

BRYS Fort has created several theme evenings and fun activities for its corporate clients The BRYS Haveli is a two-storeyed luxurious bungalow, with services to match its ostentatious décor To cater to MICE more extensively, the hotel has a dedicated event management team that takes care of the specific requirements of corporate clients

20 TRAVTALK

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

HOTELS

‘Delhi-Agra Expressway is a boon’ Hotel Clarks Shiraz, the first five-star in the state and the third five-star established in India, is expecting a significant spurt in domestic, leisure and MICE segments. moment, Bhowmik reveals, “The city at present during the low season (April-August) is doing an average ARR of ` 3,700. The ARR at our hotel during the same period is ` 2,900.”

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verlooking the Taj and Agra Fort, Hotel Clarks Shiraz has been synonymous with exceptional hospitality for the last four decades.

Spread over 8 landscaped acres, this five-star resort combines business with pleasure. Talking about the USP of the property, Debasish Bhowmik, Senior Vice President, Hotel Clarks Shiraz says, “The hotel is located in

Debasish Bhowmik Senior Vice President Hotel Clarks Shiraz

the cantonment area with green and serene surroundings. Where the hotel scores is its proximity to the Taj Mahal with a large number of rooms from where you can view the Taj Mahal directly.

The first five-star hotel in the state, we are now celebrating the 50th year of glorious tradition and services in the hospitality industry.”

Talking about the kind of average room rate (ARR) the city commands at the

The hotel considers the recent development of the new expressway from Delhi to Agra as a boon to the property as this will facilitate more tourists in Agra. The Vice President informs, “With the recent opening of expressway from Delhi to Agra, the convenience would go a long way in facilitating more tourists into Agra.

We are expecting a significant rise in domestic, leisure and MICE segment. It is too early to put a figure as target but the industry is expecting significant and sustainable growth.”

Development in good infrastructure is an integrated part of tourism promotion and its subsequent development and growth. The entire tourism and travel trade will benefit from this. Business inflow and customer’s overall experience would increase manifold.

Talking about the threat this new development might pose in the long run, Bhowmik says, “There are also speculations of falling room nights as this may also encourage more day trippers.

My suggestion is in case the traveller wants to enjoy or experience the beauty of the

heritage monuments in Agra, one need to spend a considerable amount of time in the city. Agra is not all about the Taj Mahal and one need to give time to explore Agra beyond the Taj.” The day trippers, however, are certainly expected to increase and there is a likelihood that Food & Beverage (F&B) revenues will jump now. “We expect an increase in the Coffee Shop/Fast Food business through more number of day trippers in the near future,” he adds.

According to him, there has been a steady growth in

competition and tourist inflow.

With the ever-changing demands of leisure, corporate and the MICE segments, the hotel is continuously upgrading its facilities and amenities to meet these expectations.

Highs & Lows The day trippers are certainly expected to increase and there is a likelihood that Food & Beverage (F&B) revenues will jump now with the opening of the Expressway However, Agra is not all about the Taj Mahal and one needs to give time to explore Agra

Reduce tax to increase growth Contd. from page 8

industry performance suggest weaker global and regional travel and tourism growth prospects in 2012.”

Tourism has taken a hit and figures are still not very promising but Captain Swadesh Kumar, Managing Director, Shikhar Travels, has not lost hope. He feels, “The luxury segment is booming and so are economic and budget tours.

Therefore, the choice for tour operator is that either you go for the budget market or go for the luxury segment.

But most importantly, the future is domestic market and if you ignore this, it will be at a high cost.”

Exploring New Markets Focussing on developing new regions, including international and domestic, to attract more tourists, Kalra lists some of the new regions worth exploring in India, “Bekal is a new destination on the tourist map.

Located in Kerala, it is

known as the land of Gods, forts, rivers, hills and beautiful beaches. Another must visit place is the Satpura Tiger Reserve, an amalgamation of the Satpura National Park, the Bori Wildlife Sanctuary and the Pachmarhi Sanctuary. This prime wildlife habitat is relatively unknown and is rightly believed to be one of India’s best kept secrets.

The summer capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar is a magical wonderland of high Himalayan mountains, lush green valleys, snow clad high altitude lakes, streams, rivers and spectacular landscapes with the great diversity in culture and tradition.

Lastly, Lakshman Sagar, built in the late 19th century as a hunting lodge in Rajasthan, is a must see.

Situated approximately two hours from Ajmer, Lakshman Sagar is strategically located in the centre of the tourist circuit in the Marwar and Mewar region.”

Adding to Kumar, “In India, the area, which has real potential and worth exploring, is the North Eastern region which is going to be the future destination and should be focussed. Also Gujarat is another destination which has got great potential and is unexplored”.

India’s concern While India has the potential to capture a larger market share of foreign tourists, are the rising taxes and high tariffs holding us back?

Sarkar draws light to this issue, “In India, the fivestar hotel segment in metro cities have a higher tariff. This is usually beyond the reach of most tourists. The four star hotels are in less numbers therefore, hotel price at our metro cities are higher than any other tourist cities. The multiple government taxes are also one of the reasons which make our package tours costlier than our neighboring Asian countries.”

No smoking for tourists in Goa Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister, Goa recently informed the Goa assembly that the Government would initiate action against tourists

smoking in public places.

Replying to a private member resolution, Parrikar said that during his previous tenure, his government had enacted an

anti-smoking law, which had helped reduce public smoking in Goa, which he claimed was the lowest in the Asian sub-continent.

22 TRAVTALK

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

CSR

GREEN TALK Follow ‘fair trade tourism’ principle Matthias Leisinger, Head - Corporate Responsibility, Kuoni, caught up with to share his thoughts on the need for all corporates to realise their Corporate Social Responsibility and the future of such initiatives for Kuoni in India.

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uoni India had always been alive to its corporate social responsibility and the need to give back to the industry and society. It has always played an active role, be it partnering with the Mumbai Police for the launch of Tourism Police, the cause of women empowerment, promoting sustainable development or child protection.

As per Matthias Leisinger, Head - Corporate Responsibility, Kuoni, India has done an impressive job on the

Matthias Leisinger Head of Corporate Responsibility Kuoni

corporate social responsibility front including women empowerment and code on protection of child rights in tourism, which had also been recognised by the Ministry of Tourism in the form of

National Tourism Awards for Kuoni.

Leisinger said, “I have been with Kuoni since 2003 and can confidently say that we value our corporate social responsibility commitments. We aim to make travel as meaningful as possible in social, ecological and economic terms. The aim is to strengthen the positive side of tourism and inte-

tions to support sustainable tourism projects in rural areas. This, in turn, brings about an alternative earning potential for Kuoni with new products to sell. So our work is advantageous for both.”

“I am very happy at the achievements Kuoni India had registered in the recent past.

We have signed the Code of Conduct and have also taken measures towards staff edu-

We aim to make travel as meaningful as possible in social, ecological and economic terms.

The aim is to strengthen the positive side of tourism grate social, ethical and environmental issues with business, minimising its negative effect on destinations and the people. We work hand-in-hand with NGOs and other organisa-

cation, stakeholder involvement, capacity building and training of suppliers – bringing out an annual report on the CSR work we have done.

Going forward, we would like to announce many new initia-

tives in India that will focus on integrating environmentfriendly practices in business, mirroring our initiatives underway in Kenya and South Africa to name a few,” he added.

He said, “Empirical research shows that travellers’ satisfaction levels are high, when service providers ensure their compliance to environmental protection and child-friendly safeguards. Our sustainability commitments are also part of our supply chain management. We align with only those B2B partners, be it hotels, resorts or other value chains in travel and tourism industry, who have a clean and transparent record of honouring their commitment towards the environment and needs of Responsible Tourism covering aspects of child right protection and women empowerment.”

On the importance of giving back to the tourism sector and society, Leisinger shared that a top down approach is important. All big players should willingly volunteer to own their commitments by having a contract clause that includes green activities and human rights by practising energy efficient functionality, conserving water and contributing in every manner that helps the environment and humanity through ‘fair trade tourism’.

However, the role of medium and small players can’t be negated, who should also contribute with similar zest to the best of their capacity.

A Big Idea All big players should willingly volunteer to own their commitments by having a contract clause that includes green activities and human rights by practising energy efficient functionality and conserving water

24 TRAVTALK

ANALYSIS

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

Tourism revenue rises as Indian ` falls When the value of rupee was falling, the number of tourists visiting India was rising. The irony brought much cheer to tour operators and agents who had been facing the brunt of a weak global economy.

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he depreciating value of rupee has made India, a lucrative market for tourism, among foreigners and boosted the inbound traffic of the country. Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India, during 2011 were 6.29 million with a growth of 8.9 per cent, as compared to the FTAs of 5.78 million with a growth of 11.8 per cent during the year 2010 over 2009. The growth rate of 8.9 per cent in 2011 for India is better than UNWTO’s projected growth rate of 4-5 per cent for the world in 2011 and 7-9 per cent for Asia and the Pacific. In the first quarter of 2012, India has already received 3.24 million tourists, making a growth of 7.4 per cent over the same period in 2011. Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) from tourism in rupees terms during January-July 2012 were ` 52,149 crore with a growth of 23.3 per cent, as compared to the FEE of ` 42,279 crore with a growth of 14.8 per cent during January-July 2011, over the corresponding period of 2010.

“Fluctuating rate of rupee has benefitted India. It is more profitable for foreigners to visit India as they get more rupees in exchange of their Dollars or Euros and also India is a relatively

cheaper destination with a lot to offer. Hence, there was bound to be a large influx of tourists from outside India,”

explore historical places, visit wellness centres and also opt for adventure holidays. Most of them coming to India prefer the mid-market to luxury as

& wellness retreats at exotic locales of Kerala and Rishikesh and wildlife vacations at Jim Corbett Park and Ranthambore Sanctuary, amongst others. India, as a confluence of different religions, also attracts tourists to India for Pilgrim Tourism,” adds Daniel D’Souza, Head - Sales-B2C, SOTC. The rupee slide has also influenced the mind of the Indian traveller and diverted

Lally Mathews Hony. Secretary IATO

Arup Sen Director, Special Projects Cox & Kings

The fluctuating rate of rupee has benefitted India. It is more profitable for foreigners to visit India as they get more rupees in exchange of Dollars or Euros

Most of the inbound tourists coming to India prefer the mid-market to luxury as we do not have adequate options for budget travel.

says Lally Mathews, Hony.

Secretary, IATO.

we do not have adequate options for budget travel. India being a long-haul destination, travelling to the country, is not cheap in itself,” says Arup Sen, Director, Special Projects, Cox & Kings.

The tour operators and agencies in India are cashing in on this renewed interest in India as a destination. This has led to a boom in India.

Destinations like Rajasthan, Kerala, Goa and Ladakh are among the top searched places to visit in India. Spas, adventure, wildlife tourism in India are some of the indirect beneficiaries of the rupee fall.

“Inbound tourists come in for a range of experiences to India. Many of them come to

ly or internationally at least once a year. Travel has become a necessity to destress and people do not mind, paying additional rupee to enjoy a good vacation.

During 2011, the number of domestic tourist visits to the States/ UTs was 851 million as compared to 748 million in 2010 and 669 million in 2009. The figures for 2012 are expected to be higher.

“India is fast emerging as a Luxury Tourism destination.

The cultural diversity offered and the myriad of unexplored exotic locations have made India, the new favourite amongst frequent travellers.

Over the years, India has witnessed emergence of niche holidays like adventure sports including river rafting, scuba diving and rock climbing; spa

Daniel D’Souza Head - Sales-B2C SOTC

With prices increasing for outbound travel, people are opting for breaks where price is controllable

the attention from international travel to domestic travel. In spite of being challenged with a sharp rise in airfares, accommodation and fuel prices in India, the number of Indians travelling on domestic routes has gone up significantly. The reason for this can be attributed to the fact that many Indians today want to enjoy a holiday whether local-

Rajesh Magow Co-Founder & Chief Financial and Operating Officer, MakeMyTrip

Travel cannot remain de-linked to the economy.

The industry needs to invest in business models that offer cost-effective scalability

“Domestic Tourism received a fillip this year with the rupee depreciation.

Kashmir and the North-East India are the new destinations that have become popular this year. Kerala and Goa are also seeing more tourists, this monsoon season, due to the bargain deals. MakeMyTrip’s charter holidays to Ladakh and Bhutan have also opened up to more

Indian tourists this year.

Among the beach destinations, we have seen enquiries and bookings grow for the Andamans and Lakshwadweep Islands,” says Rajesh Magow, Co- Founder & Chief Financial and Operating Officer, MakeMyTrip.

Indian outbound travellers, however, have been losing a lot under the global economic meltdown. To combat the depreciating value of rupee, Indians had to rework on their international holiday plans and think of ways to travel economically and wisely.

“The global economic scenario made a substantial number of Indian travellers, reduce the duration of their holidays and opt for shorter vacations. With prices increasing for outbound travel, people are opting for breaks where price is controllable. There has been a huge demand for weekend packages for destinations at drivable distances. Thus, Indian travellers identified alternative holiday options within their budget thereby ensuring no major decline in numbers of tourists,” explains D’Souza.

The attractive ‘Incredible India’ campaign has no doubt helped in luring many more foreigners while the brand ‘India’ also received a huge impetus. The industry feels that tourism during harsh economic times can be generated profitably through innovative promotions.

Magow adds, “Travel being a discretionary expenditure cannot remain de-linked to the economy. Therefore, the industry needs to invest in business models and partnerships that offer cost-effective scalability.” With the downfall in the value of rupee and the global economic meltdown, this can be the golden period for Indian tourism as far as inbound anddomestic travel is concerned.

26 TRAVTALK

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

ANALYSIS

Aviation suffers as costs escalate in India To resolve India’s aviation crisis and improve its competitiveness, the International Capacity A new airport is needed in Mumbai or economic opporAir Transport Association (IATA) has called for an ‘India Inc.’ approach. tunities will be lost. The urgency of the situation needs to be understood and moving the Navi Mumbai airport project forpresents key features of the recommendations made by the associations. ward on a fast track will be required. Aviation should be seen T T B U R E AU

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viation in India supports 1.7 million jobs, 0.5 per cent of GDP and 90 per cent of international tourist arrivals.

But, at present, India’s aviation sector is in a multifaceted crisis. Before aviation can deliver greater benefits to the domestic economy, this crisis must be resolved with coordinated public policies.

Tony Tyler Director General and CEO IATA

Taxation Aviation can deliver the greatest value to national coffers by facilitating business that expands the tax base. The Ministry of Finance imposes a service tax on air tickets, landing and navigation charges. This contravenes International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) policies. India’s airlines are also taxed on domestic fuel that can add an additional 30 per cent to the fuel bill. On top of that is an excise duty of 8.2 per cent.

As a result, fuel is about 45 per cent of the total operating costs for Indian carriers, compared to a global average of 33 per cent.

Building the future for a successful aviation sector must begin with solving the well-catalogued problems of airlines in India today. The sector is growing, but not profitably. With some relief in oil prices and capacity rationalisation the red ink may recede slightly. But the crisis continues. All the network carriers are struggling financially.

Kingfisher’s situation is dire. And Air India is on government-provided life-support of financial bailouts and other forms of protection.

High Costs The high costs of doing aviation business in India is squeezing the life blood out of the airline sector. Infrastructure costs and taxes need urgent attention.

Airport Costs India’s airports are becoming increasingly expensive. The recent 346 per cent increase in charges at Delhi Airport will add over $400 million in operating costs for airlines providing connectivity to India through Delhi.

“Despite this great potential, India’s airline industry is struggling financially. Indian airline losses approached $2 billion for the year ended in March 2012, after losing an estimated $3.5 billion over the three previous years.

It’s time for a grand plan to build India’s aviation future and thereby strengthen the Indian economy. To do that, we need an

as a team effort. Common purpose brings a value chain together with governments and regulators. Roughly 80,000 times a day a remarkable choreography of cooperation gets an airplane and its passengers and cargo safely into the air – and back on the ground. That happens in India and around our planet.

“Knowing we are capable of that, we should have every confidence in building a successful future for Indian aviation.

The world is focussed on Indian aviation; from manufacturers, tourism boards, airlines, global businesses to individual travellers, shippers and businessmen,” says Tyler.

‘India Inc.’ approach that addresses the crippling issues of high costs, exorbitant taxes and insufficient infrastructure,” says Tony Tyler, Director General and CEO, IATA. Hoping that all the above mentioned issues are addressed at the earliest possible, Tyler adds, “A bright future is at hand for Indian aviation if we can find common purpose among all stakeholders.

India must not settle for a bronze medal in global aviation. If we can take deliberate action on a handful of critical issues – reducing taxes, ensuring capacity and keeping costs in check – a gold is entirely possible.

And the benefits of such an effort will be shared across the entire economy.”

IRCTC makes 1500% growth in ticket sales Rakesh Kumar Tandon, MD, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), shares the secret on how the corporation has gone up from selling 30,000 tickets a day to 4,50,000 tickets, a 1500% rise in 5 years.

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n a conversation with , Tandon talks about how they are constantly upgrading the IRCTC infrastructure to meet increasing demands.

What do you make of the allegations that the IRCTC software allows touts to book tickets 9 times faster? Is that possible?

We need to appreciate that various references to booking software used by touts is actually the use of form auto-filling facility, which is available in most browsers today or by script-

ing software, which any techie can do. We have put in a number of checks to prevent multiple bookings by a single user during Tatkal period. In addition, all bookings made in the critical period are being verified by our Anti Fraud team to ensure only genuine passengers are making booking.

Is IRCTC taking steps to help the present situation of increased demands? If so, what are those?

We are continuously upgrading our infrastructure to cope up with the increasing demand of E-Tickets.

Some of the capacity upgradation measures imple-

The staggering of Tatkal time, which we proposed quite some time ago, from 8am to 10am, has helped in better website availability as well as availability of tickets and more disciplined crowd management at the PRS counters.

How many tickets do you sell in a day from the IRCTC website?

Our daily ticket sales figure is continuously going up. We have gone up from about 30,000 tickets per day to 4,50,000 tickets per day in the last 5 years.

After our latest capacity augmentation measures and modifications in Tatkal timing, our sales have gone up from 3.6 lakh tickets per day to 4.5 lakh tickets a day on a regular basis and we have hit a peak of 4.96 lakh tickets on July 13, 2012.

The demand for E-Tickets varies according to season.

E-Tickets now constitute about 46 per cent of total reserved tickets on Indian Railways.

Significant changes have recently been made by the Railway Board to enable genuine passengers in getting Tatkal tickets.

Is the increase in demand of rail tickets fuelled by the increase in airfare?

Rakesh Kumar Tandon Managing Director, IRCTC

mented in recent past include induction of new high capacity servers, increase of internet bandwidth, deployment of additional software and tuning up of E-Ticketing application. Further capacity enhancement is in progress.

It’s true that the Railway demand has been growing much faster, but air travel constitutes a very small portion of the total capacity available on Indian Railways and so the airfares do not have a significant impact on demand for Rail travel.

Tell us more about your latest association with ITDC.

IRCTC and ITDC have joined hands to work together to provide improved hospitality and tourism services to the large customer bases that they have, by making use of their expertise and vast network and facilities all over the country. We, at IRCTC, offer a wide range of travel & tourism products and services to meet the requirements of different segments of tourists; popular among these are the Bharat Darshan tourist trains, Mahaparinirvan Express (Buddhist Circuit Special Train), Maharajas’ Express (the luxury tourist train), the educational tours for school children and rail tour packages.

ITDC, on the other hand, has been the prime mover in the progressive development and promotion of tourism in the country. It provides a host of unparalleled travel-related services and attractive packages. The Corporation is running hotels and restaurants at various places for tourists, besides providing travel facilities as well as the event

management. With this cooperation, both the organisations will work towards the development of joint tourism products, opening and managing various catering and hospitality outlets, budget hotels etc.

Could you tell us more about the website foraying into other activities like cab rental, air ticket booking, hotel booking etc?

Our core objective is delivering best value for money to the customers using our online and offline channels.

IRCTC has been offering rail tour packages, cabs, online hotel booking, holiday packages since last four years and selling good volumes. We started selling air tickets couple of years back via a third party and the market showed good interest in our product. Therefore, we have launched IRCTC's own online air ticketing service recently through our portal www.air.irctc.co.in and we are already amongst the top air booking sites today. This is expected to grow further with various initiatives, which are in the pipeline.

28 TRAVTALK

HOTELS

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

CIS in Mysore ready to open doors The Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Mysore, has 130 well-appointed rooms and suites.

This is one of the largest inventories available in Mysore.

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way from the hustle bustle of the main city amid a verdant green canopy of trees is the yet to be opened Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Mysore. Situated only a short distance from Mysore vacation destinations such as the Chamundi Temple, Brindavan Gardens and Mysore Palace, the hotel offers a convenient pit stop

for travellers en route to other destinations nearby.

Talking about the USP of the property, Vikram Sharma, Director-Sales & Marketing, Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Mysore says, “The hotel would be the first international hotel in the city.

Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Mysore scores over other properties in the proximity is its large inventory. The hotel has 130 well-appointed rooms and suites. This is one of the largest inventories available in Mysore.”

Mysore, which primarily is a leisure destination, is now changing dynamics and attracting other sets of travellers, including MICE. According to Sharma, Mysore is the second largest city in Karnataka. Mysore is famous for the festivities that take place during the Dasara festival (Navaratri) held every year. The Mysore Dasara is famous far and wide and

attracts people from all parts of the world. Mysore is a developing city and has recently seen a lot of interest in terms of corporate development; large IT giants have already set up big campuses i.e. Infosys, Wipro, L&T, etc.

Vikram Sharma Director-Sales & Marketing Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Mysore

There are a couple of manufacturing industries also set up like J K Tyre, Hindustan Unilever etc. The property will thus, cash in on the loca-

tion to woo a number of corporate travellers.

“We are in the heart of Mysore’s industrial and commercial belt with large corporate companies featuring Infosys, Wipro, L&T Infotech, and J K Tyre. Hence, the property will target the business clientele in the region,” he informs. The hotel has state-of-the-art banqueting and conferencing facilities to offer along with comfortable rooms and restaurants providing a wide variety of cuisines.

“Being a business hotel equipped with all amenities we have plans to look at the MICE segment closely,” he adds.

The Mysore city has been averaging an average room rate (ARR) of 4000 and above for the top seg-

ment hotels. “We plan to position ourselves at the same and as we enter 2013-14, we are expecting to take it upwards by seven to ten per cent.”

The connectivitybetween Bengaluru and Mysore is excellent and thus, Mysore receives a lot of Bengaluru travellers as well. This will form a huge market for the hotel. “Bengaluru city will always dominate the contribution in terms of different segments like corporate, MICE and domestic packages. However, we are also expecting guests arriving from Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. These are other vital feeder markets. Some inbound private charters are also anticipated.”

CIS for Corporates The property will cash in on the location to woo a number of corporate travellers

Holiday at Mt Everest An adventure holiday specialist says that bookings for trips to Mount Everest have doubled during the first six months of 2012.

The operator, World Expeditions, said it expects this trend to continue, as next year, marks the 60th year, since the first recorded ascent of the mountain by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgar. It is thought that the recent surge in visitor numbers has been helped by the establishment of a string of permanent campsites on the mountain.

The company says travellers can now tackle Everest in a shorter time without compromising on safety. To celebrate the anniversary, a series of Everest treks have been planned for May 2013, finishing at the Buddhist Thyangboche Monastery - which is 3,800m above sea level - on May 29, exactly 60 years after the first ascent.

HOTELS We need to create awareness on Maharashtra

How a destination can be built into a brand?

While creating or building a brand, we need to create awareness among the local people. There are two sides of it. One is protecting and preserving that site (monument, national heritage, etc); another thing is creating pride – people should be proud of their product (local site/village/ cuisine, etc). There is a need to create awareness among local people that will create pride.

How is MTDC taking the initiative to educate the younger generation about tourism ?

Starting this year (by October), MTDC will launch ‘Tourism Clubs’.

MTDC team is working on this project from last one year and is ready to flow it.

Under the ‘Tourism Club’ project, students through different clubs from across the state will be adopting the destination and spread awareness about its sustainability.

Over 3.5 lakh students and 4000 teachers are a part of this project and we have already identified 23 destinations in the state which will be adopted by them. After a brief training session on tourism and importance of sustainable tourism, students will work on a five-point agenda – protection of the destination, spreading awareness about the destination, collecting authentic information about the destination and disseminating it to the locals and tourists (thus, creating authentic guides) and broadening the concept of cleanliness in the destination.

TRAVTALK

29

Bengaluru gets Sarovar’s suite hotel Sarovar Hotels has opened another all-suite hotel in India, their first property in South India called Davanam Sarovar Portico Suites.

Contd. from page 6

rural and agro-tourism.

Additionally, these tours are connected to local fairs and festivals. For every region, a festival is unique with ideal celebration experience.

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

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Renu Verghese General Manager Davanam Sarovar Portico Suites

ocated at Koramangala, Bengaluru, the hotel began its operations on July 1, 2012 and is within 10 km south of the business hub in Bengaluru.

At the launch, Anil Madhok, Managing Director, Sarovar

Hotels said, “The upbeat business environment of Bengaluru will complement our product and its business facilities. ” Renu Verghese, General Manager, Davanam Sarovar Portico Suites says, “The USP of our property is undoubted-

ly the size of our rooms.

While other hotels will give you a 250 sq ft room, our rooms are almost triple the size. Also, the property is part of a mall, so visitors can have easy access for shopping.”

The hotel has announced an introductory stay offer of

onwards till ` 4,990 September 30, 2012. The hotel will also offer travel agents 15% commission.

“We also plan to conduct fam trips with travel agents,” adds Verghese.

AVIATION

International routes on IndiGo radar Within a year of its first foreign flight, IndiGo has expanded its worldwide operations and is strengthening its presence on international sectors. looks at their growth pattern and the new flights added this August. endeavour to provide more flexibility of choice to our passengers as IndiGo continues to offer them; on time, hassle free and always affordable flying experience.”

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ith its international operations launched in September 2011, IndiGo now flies to five foreign destinations, namely, Muscat and Kathmandu, Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok. The airline is India’s second

President IndiGo

On August 2012, IndiGo, expanded its international operations with the introduction of new flights between the cities of Chennai-Dubai, Hyderabad-Dubai and KochiDubai. In addition, IndiGo will start its second daily and direct flights between Delhi-Dubai and Delhi-Bangkok sectors.

gers. In line with our endeavour to meet the requirements of both business and leisure travellers, IndiGo has further strengthened operations on its international route. The airline is determined to provide the best travel experience to all those who wish to fly these destinations.”

largest with a market share of 24.9 per cent as of May 2012. According to CAPA, IndiGo is also the fastest growing low-cost carrier (LCC) in the world. At present, the airline has a fleet of 57 new A320; the airline offers 351 daily flights connecting 32 destinations.

Proclaiming August as the month of growth for the airline, Aditya Ghosh, President, IndiGo, says “Having launched our international operations last year in September 2011, it has been a great encouragement for us to receive strong response from our passen-

Ghosh further added, “We are looking at providing affordable fares on these new routes for travellers.

IndiGo will continue to expand its network to meet the requirements of both business and leisure travellers wherever they demand it. It is our constant

Aditya Ghosh

Adding to their unmatchable customer experience, the airline launched its new Arabic website in Dubai market. This newly launched Arabic website has been specifically designed for both business and leisure travellers based in entire Middle East Region.

IndiGo also offers a wider choice to make payments in Australian Dollars (AED), Indian Rupee (INR), Omani Rial (OMR), Nepalese Rupees (NPR) or Singapore Dollars (SGD).

New Flights in Aug Delhi- Dubai (second flight) Hyderabad- Dubai Delhi- Bangkok (second flight) Chennai- Dubai Kochi- Dubai

‘1,600 private planes by 2020’ With a young fleet of aircraft, Foresee Aviation promises quality services with an experienced crew. The charter company caters to corporate houses, travel agencies and tour operators for their charter flight requirements and promises great deal.

T T B U R E AU

H

iring a private plane is no longer a luxury but has become a necessity. The growing importance of general aviation could be gauged from the fact that in the last few years, Indian airports witnessed around 35 per cent more general aviation flights during the last four years from 2006. “Currently, there are around 650 private

planes in India. This is expected to reach over 1,600 by 2020. Growth in the general aviation market is expected to be around 12–15 percent in the coming years.

In order to reach sites located in other cities, which are not connected by scheduled airlines; private planes and helicopters are hired. Though, chartered plane comes with a cost much higher than flying commercial plane, but it gives the flyers an element of flexibility that he can visit multiple cities of his choice and be back home the same day,” says Santosh K Sharma, Vice President, Foresee Aviation.

Foresee Aviation primarily caters to corporate houses, travel agencies and tour operators for their charter requirements. “We have the privilege of dealing with almost all the leading travel agencies and tour operators who hires private planes for

Santosh K Sharma Vice President Foresee Aviation

their guests, especially FITs. We cater to all the areas, such as, leisure, religious and medical. We are also undertaking lot of flights on Boeings and Airbus aircraft for MICE movements where the number of passengers are more than 50 and as big as 200 in each aircraft,” adds Sharma.

Foresee Aviation has been able to make a mark for

itself in the general aviation industry in very short span of time due to its commitment towards providing highly professional services to all its clients. Foresee Aviation believes in providing aircraft and helicopters that are not only new in their category but also has an excellent record in terms of flying and crew experience. “We have a wide range of aircraft in turboprop category such as, King Air C90, Super King Air B200 and Pilatus PC12. In jet category, we offer aircraft, such as Phenom 100, Cessna Citation Cj2+, Premier 1A, Hawker 900XP, Dassault Falcon 900EX, Challenger 850, etc. As far as helicopter category is concerned, we offer Bell 407, Bell 429, Agusta 109, to name a few. Very importantly, these aircraft are 2-5 years old and are being flown by highly experienced crew,” concludes Sharma.

32 TRAVTALK

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

HOTELS

‘Tree of Life’ to capture ‘leisure’

‘The Umrao’ for MICE

Along with the banquets, the resort The all-villa resort is planning to double its business by targetting the B2B offers personal dining room for a small market for honeymoon couples and those celebrating their anniversaries. get-together and high-tech business meeting room for MICE. from India and the overseas spa, sunken tub and an outT T B U R E AU

T

he Tree of Life Resort and Spa, Jaipur - has gone all out to capture the leisure market in the region. Having spent three decades in tourism, this resort is the brainchild of Himmat Anand, Founder, Tree of Life Resort & Spa, Jaipur as he ventures into hospitality.

“The resort offers luxuries of the future; space and privacy.

Each Villa offers a private space between 2,400 and 4,500 sq ft and has an outdoor

door shower for couples. Many of the villas come with their own private pool. This sort of luxury is not available in Rajasthan. Further, we are a couple’s retreat and our entire focus is towards individual couples and towards their likes,” Anand says.

Talking about the USP of the property, a candid Anand informs, “Built in a traditional style using lime plaster and stone, with hardly any use of cement and steel, the resort blends with the natural surroundings of its village setting.

Each villa here is named after a tree.” One can wake up to the sound of birds, a relaxed day can include spa treatments at the private outdoor spa in the villa, yoga, a walk to the welcoming village next door or the incredible experience of a meal with an elephant, he adds.

The resort is targetting the luxury Frequent Individual Travellers (FIT)

market. The resort that has paid special attention to attract the leisure segment does not wish to cater to the evolving MICE and wedding segment at present. Feels Anand, “Jaipur continues to be a leisure destination. In my opinion, most of the larger hotels in the city are today generating a majority of their revenue from weddings.

We are strictly in the FIT ‘couples’ segment and do not consider evaluating the MICE and large weddings segment.”

The Tree of Life receives some 60 per cent plus of its business directly and the balance through tour operators.

“We do not advertise the product; word-of-mouth, website references and other booking engines generate this business

T T B U R E AU

U Himmat Anand Founder Tree of Life Resort & Spa, Jaipur

for us. Tour operators within India have appreciated the product. However, they have been slow in promoting the product. Hence, this winter we will double our business which comes through tour operators.

We will also target the B2B market for honeymoon couples and those celebrating their anniversary. The Gay and Lesbian segment is also on our radar. We are promoting via Facebook and other such social platforms. We are also looking at fitting ourselves for promotions through mobiles.”

niquely designed with a fusion of heritage structure from outside and a contemporary design inside, The Umrao is housed within 27 acre of plush green land. The Umrao is strategically located on NH 8 in Delhi, which is a 10-minute drive from Indira

Gandhi International Airport and stone throwaway distance from commercial complexes and business district of Gurgaon.

Ankit V Yadav, Director, Umrao Hotels and Resorts says that the hotel will cash in on the strategic location. “As the

resort is extremely close to Gurgaon and the airport, we are targetting the corporate segment in a big way.”

The Umrao features 55 stylish, comfortable and luxurious rooms and suites all carefully designed to cater the modern needs of our guests. All rooms are well-

furnished in a natural colour palette of wallpapers and upscale amenities. The room inventory extends from superior rooms, executive rooms, jr. suites to one-bedroom executive suites. The Umrao also offers a 100 per cent refreshing smoke-free environment.

34 TRAVTALK

HOTELS

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

Clarks Inn branding Alwar as a tourist hub As the only chain hotel in the branded segment in Alwar, Clarks Inn Hotel is capturing the corporate segment and creating avenues to market the city as a potential leisure destination.

K

nown as Matsya Nagri, Alwar is a small town that is aspiring to emerge big. “The quiet and calm nature of this small city attracted many retired couples to set up their homes as it is very safe for elderly couples,” says Manish Bhatia, MD of Clarks Inn Hotel Alwar. “It is almost emerging as a re-settlement city for aged people even though it is a hub for the corporate segment due to the existence of various industrial plants and offices in and around the city. Also, city’s close proximity to the industrial townships has also ensured that it goes through a change,” he adds. Clarks Inn Alwar happens to be the fourth hotel of the Clarks

about the various facets of the city that are tourist attractions.

The hotel wants people to take notice of this destination as a weekend leisure getaway option from Delhi, Jaipur and even Agra.

bring an organised approach of hospitality to the city,” Bhatia remarks.

T T B U R E AU

Manish Bhatia Managing Director Clarks Inn Hotel Alwar

Group. It also makes Bhatia’s hotel the only chain hotel in Alwar. “The hotel was started in 2008 and we chose Clarks Inn considering the market demand and the kind of hospitality we wanted to bring to the city. I decided to bring Clarks Group into Alwar to

Primarily, the Alwar market is driven by corporate business. “We get an average occupancy of 65-70 per cent commanding an ARR of ` 2,300 per night, which is fair enough in comparison to Jaipur in proximity,” elaborates Mukherjee. Alwar is noticing a growth of leisure business but it is still considered negligible. “We get leisure booking of four-five per cent of the total occupancy annually, but we expect it to grow to 20 per cent in future,” Bhatia affirms. The Clarks Inn Alwar is also going through renovation to add seven more rooms. It has three categories of rooms viz.

Deluxe (19 keys), Club (19 keys) and Suite (2 keys).

Apart from hospitality, Bhatia’s interest has always been towards promoting the city in a holistic manner that benefits the travel trade.

“There is so much to explore

in this city which remains hidden. Alwar’s name is missing on the travel map and that irks me. The township that has emerged into a city culture holds a lot of promise and is a hidden gem of Rajasthan,” he says. The hotel has also taken initiative to let people know

“We undertake weekend promotions to capture the travellers from Delhi, Jaipur and industrial belt of Rewari and Bhiwadi.

Due to rapid growth of real estate, the scope of the city has increased tremendously. It is time to just convert the potential into actual business,” Bhatia informs.

Fariyas 1 name, 2 destinations, many avenues The Fariyas Group of Hotels & Resorts has set a new paradigm in hospitality with its two flagship brands: Fariyas Hotel, Mumbai and Fariyas Resort, Lonavala.

T T B U R E AU

B

oth properties come with international standards and are known for their loyal clientele across generations.

Tajdin Maredia, Managing Director, Fariyas Hotels and Resorts spoke to about renovations and upgrading existing properties by upgrading the rooms, facilities, and services of Fariyas Hotel Mumbai and taking it to the next level by converting it into a boutique hotel offering unparalleled service to all its discerning guests.

With focus on increased room inventory and other facilities, Maredia said that Fariyas Resort, Lonavala has added 58 new rooms and suites in superior category (Premium and Fariyas Club), taking the room inventory to a large scale of 159 rooms and

Tajdin Maredia Managing Director Fariyas Hotels and Resorts

suites. Two new conference halls have been added to cater to offsite seminar needs.

Attached to one of the conference halls is an 18000 sq feet tastefully developed green

lawn and a separate vegetarian kitchen on the other side, which will cater to increasing demand of social functions like weddings, product & car launches, etc. He added, “We value the sentiments of our vegetarian customers and hence we thought to have a completely separate vegetarian kitchen which will specifically cater to wedding groups which is an innovative idea in a 5-star deluxe. This has given us an edge and quite a number of wedding clients have liked this concept and have booked functions for the coming wedding season.

Further elaborating, Tajdin Maredia said that one

of the main markets we cater to in Lonavala is MICE.

We realised that our existing 6 conference halls may not suffice to occupy 159-room inventory during the weekdays, so we have come up with two new conference halls, Galaxy II and Regal Ball Room.

These two new halls are elegantly designed and will cater to about 150 to 500 guests at a time. We are also

coming up with a Club Lounge, which will have a unique and privileged check in & check out facility for all our Premium and Fariyas Club Guests. While signing off, Tajdin Maredia further added that the Fariyas Group plans to take its “Famed Fariyas Warmth” far and wide, to offer the Fariyas experience to as many customers as it can.

More on the List With focus on increased room inventory and other facilities, Maredia said that Fariyas Resort, Lonavala has added 58 new rooms and suites in superior category

36 TRAVTALK

Mandu

DESTINATION

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

Many splendours & surprises Madhya Pradesh’s rich heritage, legendary pilgrim centres, breathtaking scenic beauty and unparalleled stroke of history, make the state truly unique.

The state’s cultural heritage from ancient times is awe‐inspiring.

I

nnumerable monuments, exquisitely carved temples, stupas, forts and palaces on hilltops, all take you back to the era of empires and kingdoms, of the great warriors and builders, poets and musicians, saints and philosophers; of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam.

This magnificent state located at the heart of India is also home to three UNESCO world heritage sites, Sanchi, Khajuraho and Bhimbetka.

The great Stupa at Sanchi was built by Emperor Ashoka and has become an icon of India’s cultural heritage. The area is surrounded with monasteries and temples dating back to the 3rd century BC. The Khajuraho temples are amongst India’s best loved and most impressive monuments. Eighty-five extraordinary temples were built over a period of 100 years, from 950-1050 AD by the Chandela Rajput rulers. Bhimbetka in the outskirts of Bhopal gives a complete picture of Neolithic man through cave paintings and rock shelters.

Located 46-km South of Bhopal, in the rocky terrains of dense forests, the 600 rock shelters are sure to take your breath away.

Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh (MP), combines scenic beauty, historicity and modern urban planning. Bhopal today presents a multi-faceted profile; the old city with its teeming market places and fine old mosques and Waterfall, Pachmarhi palaces, still bearing the aristocratic imprints of its former rulers. Equally Sanchi Stupa impressive is the new city with its verdant exquisitely laid-out parks and gardens, broad avenues and streamlined modern edifices.

Other must-to-visit places include the ancient city of Ujjain, famous for its temples and Shivpuri, famous for its tranquil forests. The marble rocks at Bhedaghat are a glittering splendour that cannot be missed. Situated on either sides of river Narmada, the cool quiet and sparkling marble rocks are sure to take your breath away. Udaygiri Caves, a group of rock-cut cave sanctuaries will mesmerise you. The ruins of the Brahmanical shrine at Vidisha dedicated to lord Vishnu show the known use of cement in India and are the oldest know Brahminical stone structure.

MP’s tourism circuit is well connected by rail and road. Airports are situated in Bhopal, Gwalior, Khajuraho, Jabalpur and Indore. Madhya Pradesh also offers air taxi services, Holiday on Wheels and cruises. Accommodation is easily available for every budget.

Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation operates accommodation units across the state.

Ujjain

Marble Rock, Bhedaghat, Jabalpur

Bhimbetka Caves

New MD for MPSTDC Raghwendra Kumar Singh has taken over as the new Managing Director for the Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC).

As Managing Director, Singh talked about the need to work with efficiency so that all the ongoing projects under the State Tourism Department can be completed within stipulated time. He also highlighted that the department should work progressively so that it can further excel in its performance by implementing the strategies to increase the tourist influx to the State.

Moti Masjid, Bhopal

Orchha

Maheshwar

38 TRAVTALK

STATISTICS

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

India clocks 6.29 million FTAs As per the recent provisional data released by the Ministry of Tourism, the Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during 2011 were 6.29 million which showed a growth of 8.9 per cent.

Monthwise Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India, 2010-2012 T T B U R E AU

Month 2010

T

he growth rate of 8.9 per cent in 2011 for India is better than UNWTO’s projected growth rate of 4-5 per cent for the world in 2011 and in line with 7-9 per cent for Asia and the Pacific.

The Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE)

FTAs in India, 1997-2012 Year FTAs in India Percentage % (in million) change over the previous year 1997 2.37 3.8 1998 2.36 -0.7 1999 2.48 5.2 2000 2.65 6.7 2001 2.54 -4.2 2002 2.38 -6.0 2003 2.73 14.3 2004 3.46 26.8 2005 3.92 13.3 2006 4.45 13.5 2007 5.08 14.3 2008 5.28 4.0 2009 5.17 -2.2 2010 5.78 11.8 2011 (P) 6.29 8.9 2012 3.24 7.4@ (Jan-June) (P)

January February March April May June July August September October November December Total Sub total (Jan-June)

568719 552152 512152 371956 332087 384642 466715 422173 369821 507093 608178 680004 5775692 2721708

Foreign Tourist Arrivalss (FTAs in India) 2011(P) 2012(P) Percentage % Change 2011/2010 2012/2011 623885 681282 9.7 9.2 635527 677472 15.1 6.6 550051 622658 7.4 13.2 437792 452239 17.7 3.3 355333 371678 7.0 4.6 412336 432128 7.2 4.8 513853 – 10.1 – 444548 – 5.3 – 401995 – 8.7 – 562873 – 11.0 – 636762 – 4.7 – 715364 – 5.2 – 6290319 3237457 8.9 – 3014924 3237457 10.8@ 7.4@

P: Provisional @Growth rate over January-June, 2011 and 2010 Source: (i) Bureau of Immigration, Govt. of India, for 2010, (ii) Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, for 2011 and 2012

•

Better Than The Best The growth rate of 8.9 per cent in 2011 for India is better than UNWTO’s projected growth rate of 4-5 per cent for the world in 2011 It is also in line with 7-9 per cent for Asia and the Pacific The Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) in US$ during 2011 were $16,564 million with a growth of 16.7 per cent The growth rate in FEE in US$ terms in December 2011 over December 2010 was 8.3 per cent,

The growth rate of 5.2 per cent in December 2011 is higher than 4.7 per cent growth rate observed in November 2011

Facts and figures of Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) •

FEE from tourism in Rupee terms during 2011 were ` 77,591 crore with a growth of 19.6 per cent, as compared to the FEE of ` 64,889 crore with a growth of 18.1 per cent during the year 2010 over 2009.

•

The growth rate in FEE in US$ terms in December 2011 over December 2010 was 8.3 per cent, as compared to the growth of 3.2 per cent in December 2010 over December 2009

•

FEE from tourism in terms of US$ during 2011 were $16,564 million with a growth of 16.7 per cent, as compared to $14,193 million with a growth of 24.6 per cent during the year 2010 over 2009

(P) Provisional, @ Growth rate over Jan-June, 2011.

Source: (i) Bureau of Immigration, Govt of India for 1997-2010 (ii) Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, for 2011 & 2012

in US$ during 2011 were $16,564 million with a growth of 16.7 per cent, as compared to $14,193 million with a growth of 24.6 per cent during the year 2010 over 2009.

Facts and figures of Foreign Tourists Arrivals •

FTAs in December 2011 were 7.15 lakh as compared to FTAs of 6.80 lakh during December 2010 and 6.16 lakh in December 2009 •There has been a growth of 5.2 per cent in December 2011 over December 2010 as compared to a growth of 10.4 per cent registered in December 2010 over December 2009 Contd. on page 40

40 TRAVTALK

STATISTICS

IATO DAILIES 2012 – DAY 1

Foreign exchange earnings up by 19.6% Contd. from page 38

Top 10 Source Countries for FTAs in India in 2011

Percentage share of Top 10 Countries for FTAs in India in 2011

S. No. Source Country

USA

Others

15.97%

39.02%

UK

12.57%

Bangladesh Australia

2.96%

Japan

Malaysia

3.01%

3.46%

France

3.76%

Canada

Sri Lanka

4.05%

Germany

6.34%

4.85%

4.02%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

FTAs Percentage (in million) (%) (P) Share

USA UK Bangladesh Sri Lanka Canada Germany France Malaysia Japan Australia

1.004 0.791 0.399 0.305 0.255 0.253 0.237 0.218 0.189 0.186

15.97 12.57 6.34 4.85 4.05 4.02 3.76 3.46 3.01 2.96

Total of top 10 countries

3.837

60.98

Others All Countries

2.453 6.290

39.02 100.00

(P) Provisional Source: Bureau of Immigration, Govt of India for 1997-2010

Monthwise Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) (in US$ Million) from Tourism in India, 2010-2012 Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Total Sub total (Jan-June)

FEE from Tourism in India (in US$ million) 2010# 2011# 2012# 1215 1434 1209 1013 951 1020 1163 992 1015 1175 1448 1558 14193 6842

1273 1684 1227 1290 1124 1213 1603 1264 1208 1424 1566 1688 16564 7811

1681 1729 1559 1305 1023 1158 – – – – – – – 8455

Monthwise FEE (in US$ Million) from Tourism in India, 2010-2012

Percentage % Change 2011/2010 2012/2011 4.8 32.1 17.4 2.7 1.5 27.1 27.3 1.2 18.2 -9.0 18.9 -4.5 37.8 – 27.4 – 19.0 – 21.2 – 8.1 – 8.3 – 16.7 – 14.2@ 8.2@

# Advance Estimates, @ Growth rate over January-June 2011 and 2010 Source: Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, for 2011 and 2012

37.62 lakh FTAs from Jan-July 2012 • FTAs during the period January-July 2012 were 37.62 lakh with a growth of 6.6% as compared to the FTAs of 35.29 lakh with a growth of 10.7% during January-July 2011 over the corresponding period of 2010.

• FEE from tourism in, dollar terms, during January-July 2012 were US$ 9967 million with a growth of 5.9%, as compared to US$ 9414 million with a growth of 17.6% during January-July 2011 over the corresponding period of 2010.

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