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Commission unites associations The recent orders by the MoCA mandating commissions had provided some respite to the travel agents. However, the biggest challenge for the travel agent fraternity is to settle the quantum of commission as directed in the orders with the respective airlines. VIVEK SETHI
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he three travel agents’ associations, namely, TAAI, TAFI and IAAI, are expected to play an important role in getting commissions back. Naturally, three different associations would think differently. However, the commissions could only be assured if these associations either collectively, or in their
own ways, are able to determine a respectable quantum of commission with the airlines. Fortunately, all associations are open to work jointly with any body that supports the cause of commissions to travel agents. But, the road is not simple and only time will tell, if they can jointly rewrite the history of agents’ commissions. presents a status on strategic updates on TAAI,
TAFI and IAAI, and how would they like to bring about the quantum:-
IAAI As per Biji Eapen, President, IAAI; a major battle has been won, which establishes commissions as a legal right. “Now, the battle that is left is to determine commissions. These are apt conditions for the travel agents’ community to come Contd. on page 6
Iqbal Mulla
Praveen Chugh
Biji Eapen
President, TAAI
Vice President, TAFI
President, IAAI
We are open to work with any association supporting travel agents’ crusade to restore suitable commissions
We are open to work with any travel association, possessing the dedication to safeguard travel agents’ interests
If we are all together, no power on earth can delay or refuse our right to commissions
Conventions call for serious business Fun & Party
4%
40%
23%
Information & Knowledge
Meeting New People
33%
Networking
recently conducted a poll asking the industry, “Why do you attend trade conventions?” The results highlighted that a majority of the attendees gain from the information and knowledge dispersed at the convention. While networking and meeting new people were not far behind but embracing new industry trends and being updated with the latest happenings remain the key intention. Surprisingly, our industry does not like to party much at a conference and this remained the least popular choice.
ASSOCIATIONS
TAAI DAILY 2013 – DAY 2
TRAVTALK
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Knowledge growth need of the hour According to NM Sharafudeen, Vice President, TAAI, the challenge today is to create new manpower in the industry and then make it more trained and skilled. M E G H A PAU L
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hile most conventions are conducted as stand-alone events, TAAI is going that extra mile by clubbing the Congress with ITTE.
N M Sharafudeen Vice President, TAAI
The move to merge the Indian Travel Congress with ITTE will provide a great networking opportunity for TAAI travel agents The theme of this year’s convention Congress 2013 is ‘Connect. Co-operate. Collaborate’ which is too apt. Giving the travel agents that extra push for making new connections is the need of the
UNESCO for Spice Route Project The UNESCO’s backing for the Spice Route Project by the Kerala government came after two days of meetings and presentations at the UN agency’s headquarters in Paris in November 2013. The Kerala Tourism’s ambitious plan to bring the ancient Spice Route back to life for helping modern day travelers tread the path used by traders and explorers two thousand years ago.
hour, NM Sharafudeen, Vice President, TAAI pointed out. ITTE, this year, spans approximately 1,000 square metres, comprising approximately 35 to 40 stalls. “The Expo will witness participation of major tour operators, travel agents, state tourism boards and NTOs, along with
travel technology providers. The move to merge the Indian Travel Congress with ITTE will provide a great networking opportunity for TAAI travel agents who may not otherwise be able to network with such a broad spectrum of people from the travel industry,” he stated.
According to the Vice President, the challenge today is to create new talent. “We need to increase manpower in the industry and then make this manpower more trained and skilled,” he suggested. In a bid to fill the gap in this employment ratio, TAAI has
also tied up with TRS Skills Academy. The Academy is committed to provide skills, knowledge and behavior training services in the travel, tourism, aviation and hospitality industry through development of professional certification programs encompassing all career
stages from front line to executive level with leadership responsibilities. In the last two years, TAAI has also appointed trainers for skill development and knowledge enhancement of its members. This has received an overwhelming response, he added.
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ASSOCIATIONS
TAAI DAILY 2013 – DAY 2
Prince Charles in Kerala
TAAI NR new team to engage more Rajen Sehgal, Chairman, TAAI NR feels the need to create a strong lobby for discussing issues pertaining to travel agents and ensure that if the need arises, their voice is also heard inside the Parliament. for discussing issues pertaining to travel agents. In my tenure, our team will surely focus on inviting Parliamentarians and political leaders so that, if the need be,
TT B U R E AU
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AAI Northern Region is reinventing itself post the selection of the new team on basis of the elections held on 8 August 2013. The new team comprises Rajan Sehgal as Chairman, Neeraj Malhotra as Hony Secretary and Gaurav Dogra as Hony Treasurer. The new team office will resume office post TAAI national election.
Prince Charles, and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, chose to spend his 65th birthday at Kumarakom Lake Resort. After a day spent traversing through the traditional and renowned spots of Kochi, the royal couple set off to unwind on the serene backwaters of Kumarakom
“Travel agents today have so many difficult issues. Diminishing commissions; onset of weekly payments and the difficult global economic scenario are among the major evils. Today, the travel agents can only stay relevant, if their issues are addressed in due course of time,” said Sehgal. “I have been involved with TAAI NR for over 15 years and have also served three terms as its hony sec-
have been focussed on our principals and have kept discussing our issues with them. We shall continue doing so. But, time has now come that we should also
Rajen Sehgal Chairman, TAAI NR
Diminishing commissions; onset of weekly payments and the difficult global economic scenario are among the major evils retary. I feel there is a further need to create a strong lobby
Neeraj Malhotra
Gaurav Dogra
Honorary Secretary, TAAI
Honorary Treasurer, TAAI
our voice is also heard inside the Parliament,” he added. Moreover, Sehgal feels that TAAI NR should get more engaging with media that will help them create favorable representations for travel fraternity. “We
work closely with media both the mainstream and the trade media. It will help us create a favourable image of travel agents and get all our just demands addressed faster,” said Sehgal.
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COVER STORY
Commissions: Associations’ common concern Contd. from page 1
together and collectively pitch for commissions above five per cent. We can gradually get even more than five per cent.” In a recent press communiqué, IAAI again said, “The quantum of commission has to be decided with consultation between airlines and intermediaries taking into account various commercial factors such as the market conditions, cost of the infrastructure, establishments and the statutory definition of "tariff'. Legally, we have made claims to all airlines who have adopted zero commission/transaction fee system, or a very low commission coupled with transaction fee, and have requested them to change over immediately to the earlier system of agency commission at 5 per cent (on gross fare), as was prevalent in India before November 2008.” “Our delegation had met the Director General (DGCA) and Secretary, MoCA twice in October respectively and briefed the situation and
shall be apprising the Civil Aviation Minister within a couple of days’ time, Further, we are re-processing the imminent case in the High Court of Kerala for a permanent solution and looking forward for a directive to the Regulator to execute and enforce the law, wherein on basis of MoCA orders, the Solicitor General of India (representing the Civil Aviation) had been asked to submit the Affidavit regarding compliance within three weeks. We will certainly appreciate if our esteemed associations, including TAAI and TAFI, could also join hands to support our national move on this common cause. If we are all together, no power on earth can delay or refuse our right to commissions,” it added.
TAAI “We have always stood and worked for travel agents. Commissions are a right, which has also been reflected in the recent orders of the MoCA. We will not leave any stone unturned to ensure that agents get adequate
remuneration from airlines. The voluntary shutdown in May had sent across a clear message that the time has come and agents will not be appeased without adequate remuneration. After all, it’s not only the big agents, but scores of small and mediumsized agents, whose existence has been threatened by
the zero-commission regime,” said Iqbal Mulla, President, TAAI.
still on to get commissions back,” he added.
“We are open to work with any association that supports the agents’ crusade for restoration of suitable commissions. However, we don’t stop, or write letters to claim credit, while our crusade is
As per Praveen Chugh, Vice President, TAFI, “We are glad that MoCA had directed that ‘Commission’, ‘Transaction Fees’, ‘Convenience Fees’, or any other terms used for the pay-
TAFI
Excerpts from MoCA orders It is clearly stated here that that the term ‘Commission’, ‘Transaction Fees’, ‘Convenience Fees’, or any other terms used for the purpose means the same, i.e. payment of remuneration to the intermediaries for the services rendered by them and therefore, all these terms are treated as ‘Commission’, mentioned in the existing Rule 135 of Aircraft Rules, 1937 as a part of tariff to be determined by airlines. All these forms of levy of fees as remuneration to be the intermediaries for the services rendered by them for issuing tickets to
passengers on behalf of the airlines are services permissible under the existing rules provided these are shown as part of Tariff within the definition of Tariff and no amount will be collected from the consumers over and above this. Further, Rule 135 (1) requires airlines to determine the tariff which by definition includes commissions. Rule 135 (2) requires airlines to display a single consolidated fare and give its break up also for the consumer’s benefit. It is clear that the statutory position under Rule 135 (n) clearly requires airlines to deter-
mine tariff in accordance with law, including commissions payable to agents. The existing law requires airlines to display total fare and its components. However, it is made very clear that as per the rules, DGCA cannot lay down quantum of commissions payable by airlines to agents. It is entirely up to the airlines to take a decision in this regard in consultation with intermediaries taking in to account various commercial factors such as the market conditions, the cost of the intermediary’s establishment, etc & statutory definition of tariff.
ment of remuneration to travel agents their services rendered by them are to be treated as ‘Commission’. The commissions should reflect in the tariff, and airlines should compensate the agents for costs the latter had incurred for selling the airlines tickets. I would like to submit here that the commissions so based must depend on the percentage, instead of being based on a flat-fee mode. The cost of air tickets varies and hence the agents should be compensated on basis of the percentage of the value of air-ticket.” “Our association has been in overdrive, meeting various government agencies and airlines. The details of the meetings can’t be revealed at this point. However, we are shortly going to make some important developments known at an appropriate time. We are also open to work with any travel agents’ association, or travel agents who possess the same dedication to safeguards agents’ interests,” he added.
‘We need to market Sikkim well’ C Zangpo, Secretary, Tourism & Civil Aviation Department, Government of Sikkim, talks on how the Greenfield airport coming up in Pakyong will help make Sikkim more accessible to all. P EDEN D OMA B HUTIA How are you promoting Sikkim among tourists?
So far this year, we have received 3.5 lakh tourists in Sikkim. We need not promote Sikkim as such, but the fact is that we are now trying to show people what we have to offer them. Sikkim has everything to offer to tourists - mountains, lakes, religious spots, you name it and we
have it. The state is also a trekkers’ paradise and we have got great places for adventure tourism. We have started with rock climbing and mountain climbing. We are streamlining the adventure tourism sector; trek routes have been opened up and we have made every basic amenity available to tourists. Besides these, we also have trained personnel for guiding tourists in various adventure-related activities.
What then, are the roadblocks in promoting a state like Sikkim? Here, we need to admit that marketing and publicity are what we need to focus on to promote Sikkim. We have not been able to market the state very well. In most of the areas, people are not even aware of where Sikkim is. Some of the tour operators that I met recently told me that people often come back
asking if Sikkim is in Darjeeling. Hence, ignorance is a major roadblock and we are trying to educate people by promoting the place in a much larger way. And that’s not all, we want to market Sikkim globally and make everyone aware what the state has to offer to tourists. Also, we are now trying to work with the Ministry of Tourism to promote the Contd. on page 24
C Zangpo Secretary, Tourism & Civil Aviation Department, Government of Sikkim
Ignorance is a major roadblock and we are trying to educate people by promoting the place in a much larger way
GUEST COLUMN
‘B&B in the open market’ With the depreciating value of the rupee combined with high air fares, the tourism industry is unsure of what the coming year has in store. Bed and Breakfast (B&B) accommodation is a viable alternative to the conscious consumer.
T
he luxury industry is worth approx £77 billion and is now truly global. Despite this boom, the current trends have cast a shadow on it and there are warning signals of a coming impasse. Questions are being increasingly raised about ethics and adverse impact of tourism on ecology and environment. Overconsumption is becoming a mark of exhibitionism and is being replaced from conspicuous to conscientious consumption. Commercial establishments and hotels will need to re-look at products. Hence Bed and Breakfast (B&B) accommodation is a viable alternative to the conscious consumer who appreciates the concerns of depleting resources. B&B units have been exposed to competition from star hotels and have to compete in the open market for sourcing as well as tapping markets.
similar facilities as are available in regular hotels in tariff range which is approximately 25-30 per cent cheaper as there is exemption from levy of Luxury tax and applicability of commercial rates on electricity & water bills in B&B accommodations.
G G Saxena MD & CEO Delhi Tourism (DTTDC)
none of the 13 tourists staying in B&B units felt aggrieved on any issue related to stay. As many as 23 per cent tourists desired homely
Why B&Bs are successful N
What B&B owners have to do The B&B owners may choose tourists from particular country as per their choice and may change their unit and decoration, etc according to the preferences of such guests from that country. At present, economics of B&B scheme of Delhi is unviable. Now, the question arises whether incoming tourists prefer B&B stay over the conventional accommodation available in regular hotels. A survey was conducted between June to December 2012 by DTTDC on this aspect. Response from 210 foreign & domestic tourists was received. The important findings were that 27 per cent of the surveyed tourists were not satisfied with service offered at the place of stay in Delhi but
Inspite of such advantages, B&B scheme of Delhi is not picking up. There is hardly any individual or concerted efforts for its publicity, promotion and marketing. In fact, the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India and Delhi Government should give extra incentives on promotion of the B&B scheme. This will help in solving the problem of shortage of
N N N
N
B&B units have been exposed to competition from star hotels and have to compete in the open market for sourcing as well as tapping markets Now, the question arises whether incoming tourists prefer B&B stay over the conventional accommodation available in regular hotels. A survey was conducted between June to December 2012 by DTTDC on this aspect. Response from 210 foreign & domestic tourists was received The important findings were that 27 per cent of the surveyed tourists were not satisfied with service offered at the place of stay in Delhi, but none of the 13 tourists staying in B&B units felt aggrieved on any issue related to stay. As many as 23 per cent tourists desired homely care.
care. The survey also revealed that, on an average, the tourists coming to Delhi prefer to spend up to ` 4,045 per night for an average stay of three-four days. All these desirable elements will certainly be available in a B&B accommodation. An added advantage of B&B stay, nevertheless, is that tourists get
budget accommodation without any further acquisition of land and development of infrastructure and draining out non-renewable resources of energy, thereby earning ‘carbon credit’ by Delhi Government. The writer is GG Saxena, MD & CEO, Delhi Tourism (DTTDC). Excerpts
Indian air traffic grows at 11.5% y-o-y The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger
traffic results for October 2013. While international passenger demand was up 6.9% in October this year compared to the year-ago, the domestic travel demand rose 6.0% in October compared to a yearago, largely
driven by strong traffic growth in developing markets. IATA stated that India’s airlines experienced doubledigit growth as traffic leapt 11.5% in October compared to a year ago. Airlines have experienced substantial volatility in traffic and it is likely that the increase is a result of unusually low volumes a year ago rather than growth in October.
NTO
TAAI DAILY 2013 – DAY 2
TRAVTALK
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Canadian Signature Experiences for India The Canadian Signature Experiences (CSE) Collection comprises over 100 products throughout Canada, of which approximately 20 products are available for sale and ready for travellers from India. T T B U R E AU
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he India office of the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) officially launched the Canadian Signature Experiences (CSE) collection in the giant South Asian market. Siobhan Chretien, Regional Managing Director, Emerging Markets, Americas/Asia, Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) says, “More and more of our key accounts are hearing from clients who want to visit Canada.
The CSE collection will help us promote Canada by showcasing Indian travellers what they can enjoy in our beautiful country”. The CSE programme is an ideal way for the travel trade to sell Canada, especially in India, where the rapidly expanding affluent middleclass population is expected to pass the 500-million mark by 2025. That segment will then hold 60 per cent of the country’s purchasing power. The statistics are reinforced by data from CTC’s Tourism Snapshot 2012 YearIn-Review where Indian consumers spent $173 million on their Canada travels last year, a 6.4 per cent increase. Keeping this in mind, CTC India is now targetting cities such as Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru, in addition to Mumbai and New Delhi. “The CSE Collection is made of over 100 products and experiences throughout Canada, of which we have selected approximately over 20 products that are available for sale and ready for travellers from India to Canada. There are products across Canada, hotel chains, experiences like taking the railway, to very unique experiences in the wilderness like polar-bear watching. It offers a great medley of adventure; unique,
exotic and compelling experiences that will surprise Indian visitors,” says Chretien. Chretien explains that there is a procedure wherein owners and operators of the companies must apply to become a CSE member. “There are very rigorous criteria involved and the ones
that are being promoted for India are experiences the Indian travel trade are already selling to the travellers. We have a group of individuals who review that process. There are many criteria - How long have you been in
(L-R:) Stewart G. Beck, Canadian High Commissioner to India; Siobhan Chretien, Regional Managing Director, Emerging Markets, Americas/Asia for Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) and Guldeep Singh Sahni, President, OTOAI.
the field? What makes you compelling and unique? There are lots of attributes to fit into the criteria and these are then reviewed and scored accordingly,” she explained. CTC does a lot of agent-training
programmes. As Chretien says, “The travel trade programme is the biggest element of the work that we do within India. This will be an important component of the Canada specialist programme. We have a sales team who travel throughout India training agents.”
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NEWS
Fiji grows 30% from India After recording 30 per cent growth from India in 2012, the tourism board aims touching a bigger figure by launching a series of marketing initiatives. A NITA J AIN
F
iji, which is one of the most exotic destinations for Indian honeymooners and FITs, is recording immense growth from India. According to Pranav Kapadia, India Representative, Tourism Fiji, Global Destinations; the year 2013 was excellent for Fiji in terms of both numbers and awareness. He said, “On the whole, the value of packages that Indian travellers opt for did fall around the period when the INR depreciated vis-a-vis the USD. However, Fiji is a long-haul, exotic destination and the segment of travellers who opt for Fiji are not affected much by the current economic factors. We
Pranav Kapadia India Representative, Tourism Fiji Global Destinations
have seen an approximately 30 per cent growth in our visitor arrivals from India.” According to him, the Indian outbound market is growing at a rapid pace. “Additionally, the mindset of Indian tourists is changing and they are now seeking newer, more exotic destinations. Currently, due to limited airline capacity to SE Asia, Africa & Australasia,
Currently, due to limited airline capacity to SE Asia, Africa & Australasia, the full potential of our outbound tourism cannot be exploited the full potential of our outbound tourism cannot be exploited,” adds Kapadia. It
is now intending to achieve a growth rate of 15 per cent in visitor arrivals from India and also increase the number of nights as well as spend in Fiji by Indians. The biggest challenge is to convince the Indian travellers and set Fiji apart, says Kapadia. Talking about the marketing and business strategy for 2014, Kapadia said, “In 2014, we plan to invest more tactical campaign with tour operators & travel agents across various media – print, online, radio & TV. We will continue hosting agents & media fams.”
Highlights of 2013 Positive factor which boosted the tourism sector– Our marketing efforts over the last 3 years have been very successful & Fiji is become popular among the leisure & honeymoon segment of the Indian outbound. Also since this year
there is increased connectivity into Hong Kong from Mumbai, Kolkata & Hyderabad. Negative factor which deterred the growth – Increase in airline taxes & surcharges have affected numbers to Australasia
Agents felicitated in Delhi Air France-KLM, along with Delta AirLines, hosted an evening of cocktails and dinner to appreciate and thank the small and medium agents in New Delhi. Present at the event were Rajat Kumar, Regional Sales Manager, Air France – KLM – Delta and Jason Philip, Commercial Manager – Indian subcontinent.
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FAMILY ALBUM
Scaling the peaks of tourism for 777 Days
In a major step towards establishing India as a round-the-year destination, the Ministry of Tourism has designed a campaign, ‘777 days of Incredible Indian Himalayas’ to spread awareness around the globe that 73 per cent of the Himalayan range lies in India. It was officially launched on World Tourism Day in New Delhi and again at WTM in London.
AGENTS
Pushing for NE tourism Expecting a healthy 2014 for the North East, Parivaar India has experienced a good number of inquiries and steady business conversions through a wide range of product offerings for every segment of traveller. which frankly speaking. we managed moderately and emphasise to do better ahead. On the other hand, the MOT is doing a great job in promoting this region and developing tourist infrastructure.”
TT B UREAU
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ith the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) turning every stone to popularise and bring ‘North East India’ in limelight for tourism in domestic and global markets, the region’s seven states are recording growth in tourist arrivals. MOT has committed in promoting the region, and over the years, has successfully convinced number of travel companies and operators to promote the region. One of the travel companies in Mumbai – Parivaar India Tours specialises in North East India and has seen a rise in tourist inflow this year. Through a wide range of product offerings for every segment of traveller, the company has experienced good number of inquires and steady business conversions. Talking about the performance for this year, Abhijit Chalke, Director, Parivaar India said, “Considering the (present) low profile status of the heavenly 7 sisters of Northeast India, the response was quite satisfactory this year. The overall tourist movement in the NE has increased considerably and our efforts in dedicated promotion of NE are being rewarded steadily.” Adding further about the trends and challenges, he
Abhijit Chalke Director, Parivaar India
This year, we experienced a lot of queries, especially for Assam & Meghalaya. Mostly, tourists tend to visit these states as the accessibility & infrastructure is better
He informed that currently, the biggest challenge is the availability of quality hotels in North East India region. “However, cities like Guwahati, Shillong and Kaziranga have now developed themselves for tourists and have quality offerings for travellers. The room inventory is very low and poses a lot of problems, though. There are numerous opportunities which we foresee in these incredible destinations & with MOT promoting the region, I think the next year would be really good.”
Opening the Gates said, “This year, we experienced a lot of queries, especially for Assam & Meghalaya. Mostly, tourists tend to visit these states as the accessibility & infrastructure is better, while for other states like Arunachal, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram; that’s still a problem, as we face operational difficulties in these states. The most challenging job is handling the client professionally in these destinations;
N MOT is committed in
promoting the region, and over the years, has successfully convinced a number of travel companies and operators to promote the region N The biggest challenge is the availability of quality hotels in the North East region of India
Haryana for convention facilities Haryana has proposed to develop heritage hotels by converting forts and integrated tourism parks on PPP mode. An integrated resort is also being proposed at the Madhogarh Fort in Haryana with private sector support. The Haryana government is setting up convention and conferencing facilities around the existing tourist complexes of the state.
Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister, Haryana, said that the state has also identified EcoTourism, MICE Tourism, Medical Tourism and Golf Tourism as major segments of travel for promotion in the state. Hooda, who was inaugurating the second convention of Hotel & Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI) in Gurgaon, said the state government has proposed to develop heritage hotels by converting forts, amusement parks and
integrated tourism parks on public private partnership (PPP) mode. An integrated resort is being proposed at Madhogarh Fort in Haryana with private sector support as well, he revealed. Currently, Haryana Tourism operates 42 tourism complexes with accommodation facilities. A new Institute of Hotel Management is being set up in Bhamboli village in Yamuna Nagar and is likely to be inaugurated in 2015. The state government has also commissioned convention centres at Surajkund, Tilyar Lake, Rohtak and Bhiwani and the work for the same at Hodal and Dharuhera has also been completed.
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TAAI DAILY 2013 – DAY 2
Made for India website Bollywood pulls in Tahiti The growing importance of the Indian market The tourism board has recently launched an online has necessitated Turkish Tourism to launch its destination specialist programme for the Indian travel India-specific website for travel trade and tourists. trade. reports more… P EDEN D OMA B HUTIA
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he Turkish Culture and Tourism Office recently launched its India-specific website www.turkey-
Ozgur Ayturk Counsellor Outbound Tourism Turkey
tourism.in, specifically for the Indian audience. Culture and Tourism Counsellor, Turkey, Ozgur Ayturk, says, “We had been using our global tourism portal goturkey.com for our Indian market, but we wanted something specific for Indian travellers and the travel trade through which even they could benefit.
This India-specific website will give detailed information according to the expectations of the Indian travellers and the travel trade community. The information that you get here will be different from what you’d get in the other websites.
The content of the website is based upon our experiences and the recommendations of the travel trade community.” He says that the India-specific website was necessitated by the fact that India is an important market for Turkey. Ayturk informs that they will very soon include an online training module for the Indian travel trade as well in the website. He says that the website will be accessible for downloading e brochures, videos, hi-resolution pictures, special events and news pertaining specifically to the Indian market, which will include both B2B and B2C clients. When asked how different the India-specific website will be from the previous website, Ayturk says, “Information about the destinations will be more or less the same, but when it comes to special contests and special trainings, those will be different.”
A N I TA J A I N
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sually, national tourism boards adopt Bollywood as a marketing tool to establish their brand among Indian travellers. Tahiti Tourism becomes the first NTO in
Robert Thompson Director Tahiti Tourisme
India which is attracted by Bollywood. First, celebrities like Abhishek, Aishwarya Rai Bacchhan and Hrithik Roshan visited Bora-Bora– one of the popular islands in Tahiti for shooting. Then, Indian travellers began inquiring about
the island nation. Due to rise in queries from the Indian travel trade, Tahiti Tourism turned its focus to India and have started recognising it as one of the best potential tourism markets of the future. According to Robert Thompson, Director, Tahiti Tourisme;
India is proving to be an excellent potential market for the island nation as more and more high-end Indian travellers are opting for Tahiti for honeymoon, vacations, family holidays and even incentives. During his recent visit to India, Thompson met select travel agents who are currently selling Tahiti to Indian travellers. He said, “After few popular Bollywood couples opted for Bora Bora islands, we were pulled into
the Indian market as the number of queries was increasing. We are not looking at a mass market, but we are focussing on the creamy layer of the market which is looking at quality holiday experience.” The tourism board has recently activated its global online training programme for the Indian travel trade. Over 100 travel agents from India have already registered for the same. The tourism board will, in return, publish the name and contact details of the specialist agent on their website for India region. Elaborating on the training programme, Thompson said, “Currently, only Bora Bora islands are popular in India, but we want to offer choices to travellers by adding islands like Moorea which have excellent beaches, hotels and even Indian Contd. on page 20
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TAAI DAILY 2013 – DAY 2
New terminal at Goa airport A new integrated terminal building was inaugurated at Goa airport by Ajit Singh, Minister of Civil Aviation. The new terminal building, capable of handling domestic and international operations, offers facilities like passenger boarding bridges, CUTE enabled check-in counters, in-line compatible baggage handling system, software-based building management system, elevators and escalators. With an investment of US$ 55.2 million (Rs 345 crore), the terminal building can handle 2,750 peak hour passengers at a time. In 201213; Goa airport handled 1,208 charter flights, an increase of 45 per cent over the year 2011-12.
MOT’s gift for foreign tourists Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, talks to about the ministry’s initiative for attracting inbound tourists that will remove language barriers and make them feel more at home. A few excerpts… Dewan says, “We want to expand this to one walking tour in every state of the country even if the state doesn't figure in the top 35 destinations of the country.
P EDEN D OMA B HUTIA
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alking about the Ministry of Tourism’s joint initiative with WoNoBo, which presents a unique way to navigate through Indian cities based on a number of interesting themes, Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism says, “This will help remove all language barriers; you’ll have no trouble finding your way and you can travel anywhere in the country without a guide.” The service is presently available for 12 major Indian
of their rank in terms of tourist footfall - domestic and international - then we'll start more than one walking tour in those states, like UP and Rajasthan.”
We want to expand this to one walking tour in every state of the country even if the state doesn't figure in the top 35 destinations of the country
Parvez Dewan Secretary, MOT
cities and will soon be expanded to 54 cities. Talking about the expansion plans,
Once we cover every state chronologically in the order
Dewan was talking on the sidelines of the
launch of Walking Tours, a joint effort of the Ministry of Tourism and WoNoBo.com.When asked to comment on the proposal of Visa-on-Arrival being extended to 40 countries, Dewan did not comment but said that it is a Ministry of Home Affairs issue, though not before adding, “I don't like the figure 40, why not the whole world?” He also shed light on the significance of domestic market growing in India.
Inbound to work miracles for tourism As Indian inbound gets more promising, experts say it’s an opportunity to earn foreign exchange to help further stimulate growth sentiment in our country. speaks to veterans to know more about the industry. growth sentiment our country.”
VIVEK SETHI
I
ndia is climbing back with steady improvement in Index of Industrial Production, capital market and consumer confidence. In fact, many captains of the industry believe that the little dent in the form of fear of the Indian growth story losing steam has paid off very well. “India will remain as the most dynamic growth story among the emerging economies. The recent apprehension that Indian growth story will fizzle out, has yielded many positive announcements and agility in the policy making process,” said Arjun Sharma, Co– Chairman, CII National Committee on Tourism & MD, Le Passage to India.
in
The FICCI’s recent survey also points out that the present times are challenging, but growing number of
Jyotsna Suri Vice President, FICCI and CMD, Bharat Hotels
that India has become over 20 per cent more attractive on account of depreciation in Indian Rupee, if we have to stimulate growth in the
tourism, which is a marked improvement and shows growing improvement,” said Jyotsna Suri, Vice President FICCI and Chairperson & Managing Director, Bharat Hotels.
46% of close to 500 respondents from the industry feel confident of foreign tourist arrivals going up in the coming six months stakeholders in the tourism industry now feel that there is a surge in inbound tourist arrivals in 2013. “It is indeed
the year will be very fruitful and we will end the year with over 20 per cent growth,” Madhok said. Arup Sen, Director, Special Projects, Cox & Kings also believe that the forthcoming season will offer good returns. “The winter of 2013 is expected to be much better
Vikram Madhok, Vice Chairman, PATA-India Chapter and MD, Abercrombie & Kent India
Arjun Sharma Co – Chairman, CII National Committee on Tourism & MD Le Passage to India
“Today, when you look at India, everything is back and looks as promising as before; be it the IIP, capital markets, or our tourism sector,” he added. Echoing similar views, Subhash Goyal, President, Indian Association of Inbound Tour Operators and Chairman, STIC Travel Group said, “We have to spread the message inbound section. It’s like a silver lining that can be used to earn the coveted foreign exchange to help further stimulate
heartening to note that 46 per cent of close to 500 respondents from our industry felt confident of the foreign tourist arrivals to go up in the coming six months. An equal number of respondents also feel there would be no impact of the slowdown over the next six months on
committed to the plans and targets we’ve set ourselves for India Inbound season 2013-14. Our current initiatives include aggressive promotion and engagements across stakeholders to not just neutralise, but also gives a strong reassurance,” said Surinder Singh
has set up aggressive targets in the luxury inbound space that they operate with considerable ease. “In the first three months of the present year, we are about 10 per cent below target. But, the booking trend for September onwards is very positive. In fact, we strongly believe that
Today, when you look at India, everything is back and looks as promising as before than 2012. We expect growth in our inbound segment,” said Sen. Thomas Cook India is also committed to its bullish plans on the season ahead in 2013. “We are strongly
Dipak Deva Vice Chairman, WTTCII and CEO, Destination Management, India & South Asia, Kuoni Destination Management
Growth opportunities emerging in the CIS countries and Latin America are commendable Sodhi – Senior Vice President & Head, Leisure Travel (Inbound), Thomas Cook India. Contd. on page 20
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TAAI DAILY 2013 – DAY 2
Tahiti lures Indians Contd. from page 16
restaurants. Through this specialist programme, agents would get a better understanding of our destination and would be able to sell Tahiti in a better way. Moreover, there is a need for product awareness in the market. Most travellers still think we are in Europe as Tahiti is a French colony. It’s important to make the travellers understand that we are not in Europe.” He also extended an open invite to agents who will be attending TRENDZ 2014 in New Zealand to come and visit Tahiti. “We don’t have the budget for the Indian market at the moment as its still at a nascent stage. However, we understand the potential of the market and thus are ready to organise fams for agents visiting New Zealand.” Tahiti is around four hours away from New Zealand, and is well-connected through multiple airlines.
Air Costa spreading wings across India The airline is expanding fleet size and will soon launch a mobile booking app. It already connects Vijayawada, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Jaipur and Ahmedabad and will soon add other destinations in the country. TT B UREAU
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ir Costa, the first regional airline from Andhra Pradesh, is aiming to have a total fleet size of 25 aircraft by 2018 with an investment of close to USD 100 million. A flagship venture of the LEPL Group, Vijaywada, the company has
decided to strategically lease-in its fleet in the initial phase due to lower acquisition cost and the flexibility in approaching the market. Launched in midOctober 2013, the airline already connects Vijayawada, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Jaipur and
Ahmedabad and will soon add other destinations in the country. It intends to redefine the experience of flying by offering convenient schedules with comfortable seating space. Air Costa mission is to occupy a prominent niche in the growing air-travel market linking the metros to the Tier II & III cities in India. Air Costa provides early morning connection and day return flights to Tier II and III cities and is not competing on the major trunk routes served by most other airlines. Comfortable and modern, the airline’s fleet has been
highly praised by the travel fraternity and passengers alike. Passengers can travel without the cumbersome "Middle seat" and enjoy the luxury of a wider aisle with a larger view of the sky at 41,000 feet.
Growth Strategy Air Costa has a clear cut operational strategy that was designed after rigorous analysis and understanding of various economic, regulatory and business factors. Under-served and lessercompetitive routes such as those between bigger and smaller cities, have the biggest demand in terms of potential RPKM (Reads Per Kilo per Million) and Air
Costa’s foray into these untapped market will help reap higher yields. With favourable government policies and passenger projections, air travel in India is poised to grow steadily making it the third largest aviation market in the world. Air Costa’s timely entry into the market will allow it to capitalise on this surge in demand. Government’s initiative to modernise many of the Tier II and III city airports is indeed a huge boost to the airline’s strategic expansion plans. Pricing will be a key differentiator and Air Costa will follow a flexi- fare system which is dynamic and market driven. Contd. on page 24
India becomes more attractive Contd. from page 18
Further suggesting a fresh ray of hope, Sen said, “Most hotels and service providers are quoting in INR, and thus mitigating any exchange fluctuation risk. Nevertheless, with the rupee devaluating to the US Dollar, the American market will get a natural impetus owing to increased purchasing power of the dollar.” Here, Sodhi is quick to add that the FTOs should pass on reasonable benefit to their Indian counterparts keeping in mind that the inputs costs are going to rise. “Unarguably, the fall in rupee has made tour packages a lot more affordable. However, in some cases, foreign agents may increase their profit margins and hence only pass on the limited benefits to the customer. The depreciation in rupee hikes fuel prices which will result in commodity prices shooting up. The currency movement creates uncertainty in the market with trade margins taking a hit, in case of an appreciation,” said Sodhi.
with Asia,” said Dipak Deva, Vice Chairman, WTTC-India and CEO, Destination Management, India & South Asia, Kuoni Destination Management.
Vikram Madhok Vice Chairman, PATA-India Chapter and MD, Abercrombie & Kent India
The booking trend for September onwards was very positive. We expect the year to end with over 20% growth But, the rupee depreciation can also create a ‘mirage effect’ and distract the inbound industry, which is fighting global and domestic odds to grow its FTAs. Because, the fall in value of rupee will in one way enhance revenue earnings, when computed in rupee terms. “The inbound space is still a long way off the highs it had scaled in
Subhash Goyal President, IATO & Chairman Stic Travel Group
India has become over 20 per cent more attractive on account of depreciation in the Indian Rupee 2007-08 before the crisis. The core source markets that used to give us business are still suffering. Leading economies in Europe, except the likes of Germany, France and UK are still recovering. Here, many countries including Spain and Italy are yet to show strong signs of recovery. Although the conventional source markets are taking time to recover. However, the growth opportunities emerging in the CIS countries and Latin America are commendable. The same bullish sentiment is the case
“It will be a commendable task if the industry could end up with double-digit growth. Here, one also needs to clearly define growth in terms of visitor arrivals and revenues. If, the dollar stays beyond 60 levels, there will be automatically incremental growth in terms of revenues, while same pace is not likely to be seen in terms of visitor arrivals. We can talk about any number of world heritage sites, the UNESCO heritage sites, world-class hotels, state-ofthe-art airports. But mere infrastructure is not enough to bring tourists to a country,” added Deva. According to Deva, Visa Liquidity in addition to air-liquidity is one of the most important aspects that ensures increase in visitors arrivals to a country. India had grown air-inventory in the recent past, which is now growing at a desirable pace. To leverage, India now needs to enhance visa liquidity. “Presume, if next week I need to go to Turkey. My office will get me an online visa in literally speaking no time. These are the initiatives that differentiate between the countries that want to generate tourist
Arup Sen Director, Special Projects Cox & Kings
The winter of 2013 is expected to be much better than 2012. We expect growth in our inbound segment
arrivals from the rest. In the Indian context, we have, to some extent, address several issues related to visa. However, if we are not going to take facilitative steps like illustrated, we will never reach our true potential in terms of inbound tourism,” said Deva. “Today, people do not want any hassle on a holiday. As of today, our visa processes need to further gear up to meet the tourist’s expectations for a hassle-free visa
Surinder Singh Sodhi Senior Vice President & Head Leisure Travel Inbound Thomas Cook India
We are strongly committed to the plans and targets that we’ve set ourselves for India Inbound season 2013-14 experience, without any undue delays,” he said. “The recent extension of VoA facility to five new ports including Goa and Kerala are the right steps. Earlier, we used to face a peculiar situation with our Finnish clients. Over 50 per cent of them come on charter flights to Goa. But, they so far couldn’t avail VoA in Goa, although Finland was included in the VoA scheme in 2011,” he added.
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RESEARCH TALK
India: Still a long way to reach the peak Average Daily Rate ADR, or Average Daily Rate of a hotel, represents the average rental income per paid occupied room in a given time period. From 2009 to 2012, the ADR of Indian hotel rooms have remained fairly steady, fluctuating between $138-$139, except touching a high of $145 in 2010.
Purpose of Visit Through 2009 to 2011, there has been significant change in the motivations of people coming to visit India. From an all-time high of 58%, the leisure traffic has dropped to 24% in 2010, and 26% of the total international visitors in 2011. On the other hand, VFP has risen from 18% in 2009 to 28% in 2010, and a respectable 25% in 2011. But the biggest gain has been in business travel. From a lowly 15% in 2009, it went up to 19% in 2010, and jumped to 23% in 2011.
Tourism Receipt Comparison Even with 0.06% of the total international visitor arrivals, India has earned a respectable US$11.13 billion in tourism receipts in 2009, going up to $17.74 billion in 2012. When compared to its South Asian compatriots, India leads. But when it comes to its tourism peers in Southeast Asia, India has a lot of catching up to do. Thailand has seen its tourism receipts spike from US$14.88 billion in 2009, to a staggering US$ 31.65 billion in 2012. Even Malaysia stays ahead of the game, nudging ahead with US$ 18.36 billion in 2012. The good news is, India is catching up.
Revenue per available room
Visitor Forecast Comparison In its region, India is the king. When compared to its South Asian neighbours (Sri Lanka and Maldives), India stands head and shoulders above the rest. For 2013, India’s visitor arrivals, according to PATA forecasts, stand at 7.45 million, going up gradually to 10.09 million by 2017. To this figure, Sri Lanka and Maldives get a fraction of India’s tourist arrivals.
Occupancy Rate
RevPAR, or revenue per available room, is a performance metric in the hotel industry, which is calculated by multiplying a hotel's average daily room rate (ADR) by its occupancy rate. It may also be calculated by dividing a hotel's total guestroom revenue by the room count and the number of days in the period being measured.
RevPAR Comparison between India, Sri Lanka & Maldives
Since 2009, India’s occupancy rate in hotels has risen steadily, albeit for a slight slump in 2011. From 59% in 2009, the occupancy rate of hotels rose steadily to 61% in 2010. Unable
to maintain the rise, the occupancy rate slid by a percent the next year. But in 2012, hotels rose to the challenge to have an overall occupancy rate of 63%. Source: IHG
AGENTS
TAAI DAILY 2013 – DAY 2
TRAVTALK
23
‘Travel insurance a ‘must have’ product TrawellTag, one of the leading providers of global assistance and travel insurance in India, has ventured into a rigorous training programme for travel agents across India to impart aggressive training to them. T T B U R E AU
U
nder ‘Travel Agent Engagement Programme’, the company recently organised a one-day training session for 50-60 travel agents in Ahmedabad and Chennai and will organise such programmes in more than 13-14 cities across India in the coming months. Taking a more holistic approach, the one-day certified training programme will build skills, improve quality, educate agents about travel insurance and medical assistance along
Dev Karvat Managing Director, TrawellTag Cover More
with helping them understand the importance of crossselling for bottom-lines and profitability, informed Dev Karvat, Managing Director, TrawellTag Cover More. Designed especially for the front-staff who deal directly with end-travellers, the training programme is more interactive and knowledge-based. Karvat said, “Currently, we work with close to 5500 agents through our 60 offices across India. While interacting with our distribution partners, we observed that many travel agents don’t have much information about travel insurance and also that they face challenges while selling it to end travellers. Thus, we thought of organising training programmes instead of just doing product seminars. Through this certified training programme, we will empower them with a product which is potential enough to earn healthy revenues for
them. Travel insurance is a small but ‘must have’ product in the travel package.” The company plans to have three different levels of ‘Travel Agent Engagement Programme’. Post level one, the company will track conversions of the travel agents who attended the pro-
gramme, and based on that, they will invite them for level two and level three. When asked what happens when an agent completes Level three, Karvat chuckles, “Unlike tourism boards who offer fams to agents for completing certain levels of training programmes, we don’t have any
incentive for completing level three!” TrawellTag Cover More also plans to partner with other national associations like TAAI, TAFI, IATO, OTOAI, etc and regional travel associations, besides partnering with domestic airlines, to offer TrawellTag Cover More services.
Key achievements • • • • •
Covered over two million travellers globally Global annual revenue approached ` 2100 crore, almost 20 per cent up on the previous year Entered into strategic partnership with Cover-More, travel insurance and medical assistance company As a group (Karvat Group), paid almost ` 4000 crore in travel insurance claims over the past 10 years Provided medical assistance to more than 42,000 people
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‘Agents provide greatest yields’ With an impressive turnaround strategy and a well-planned marketing campaign after 10 years, Malaysia Airlines is back with a bang. India continues to stay important for the airlines to plan rapid expansion. D E V I KA J E E T
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K UA LA L U M P U R
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rom $2.2 billion losses in 2011 to $104 million profits this year, Malaysia Airlines has had the perfect turnaround plan. With a new business plan, changed attitude and more strategic arrangement, the airline is moving forward and investing in their services. Malaysia Airlines also joined Oneworld this year and has now increased its reach to 880 destinations. “From having a marketing mix that was tactical to now introducing one which is more strategic, we are investing equally on our brand presence and marketing spend,” says Dean Dacko, Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing, Malaysia Airlines. The new campaign was introduced in July in Malaysia
Dean Dacko Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing, Malaysia Airlines
and has been introduced in India market as well. “The notion was that we were virtually absent as a brand in India, but now we are being well-recognised,” adds Dacko. A major strength for the airline has been its engagement in the digital space. They created different country pages on Facebook. The India page is a very interactive one. The goal
Costa to launch mobile booking app Contd. from page 20
Air Costa has a proven and user-friendly website wherein tickets can be booked online - www.aircosta.in. Facility is provided to book tickets through the company’s call centre by IVRS. Tickets can also be booked through authorised travel agents and web portal. Ticketing offices are open at every operating airport. To cater to the growing smart
Fast Fact N Air Costa received its
initial “Air Operator Permit” (AOP) for commercial operations on September 18 , 2013 and was officially launched on October 14, 2013. The airline started commercial operations on October 15, 2013.
phone user base, Air Costa will shortly launch its mobile booking application. The airlines also plans to have a dedicated Engineering complex at Gannavaram Domestic Airport for MRO purposes. Along with the benefits accruing due to fleet rationalization by operating one type of aircraft, Air Costa has adopted time tested industry’s best practices to increase its profitability such as Maximising Aircraft Utilization, Quick Turnarounds, Disciplined Cash Flows, Stringent safety measures, High Standards of Training, Innovative Cost Control Techniques, Strict enforcement of SOPs, Thorough Network Research, Passenger Friendly Approach and Excellent Service Quality. Air Costa’s focus is on Safety, On-Time-Performance (OTP), and Prompt service as the key levers to business sustenance while redefining air travel to non-metro cities and providing a “happy flying” experience to all onboard Air Costa.
Moving forward, we continue to invest, support and recognise that the travel agent is an absolutely key element to our success
behind this is to react and not take away the business from the travel agents. “The reality for us is that the travel agent community is significant and the most important distribution channel. Moving forward, we also continue to invest, support and recognise
that the travel agent is an absolutely key element to our success. They provide us with our greatest yield,” he adds. India is strategically very important for the airline in its global expansion plan and they continue to support the travel fraternity with airline commissions in order to expand in this market. Dacko adds, “India stands as a huge opportunity to grow and have more revenue generation. We are investing more in the Indian market and are looking to expand our team, grow our resource and invest more in our brand building exercises.” Malaysia Airlines is planning to increase capacity to the six Indian destinations it caters to. It will start its double daily flights to Delhi and Mumbai soon. The airline is also increasing its network to one or two new destinations in India.
“75 per cent of our business comes from agents and we will continue to invest in our travel agent partners. We believe that the commission is important for the agents and it’s about sharing as they add value to us,” says Dacko.
The airline’s key strategy especially for next year is to expand its network, try to fly to new places and also increase its frequency in the marketplace. “Our new attitude is that we will aggressively compete. We will continue to be competitive.”
Malaysia Airlines and the India market O India is strategically very important for the airline in its global expansion plan O The airline continues to support the travel fraternity with airline commissions in order to expand in this market O India stands as a huge opportunity to grow and have more revenue generation O The amount of audience looking to travel is huge in India O The amount of capacity competition will continue to grow O The airline wants to achieve more success aggressively O It is very excited about India and is investing more in the market O Malaysia Airlines is planning to increase capacity to the six Indian destinations it caters to O It will also start its double daily flights to Delhi and Mumbai soon
Sikkim caters to all tourists Contd. from page 6
Buddhist Circuit in Sikkim. Once we are able to work this out, we intend to have more tourists. Sikkim, as a place, caters to all types of tourists, be it those looking for luxury or tourists who are on a budget holiday. We are also trying to promote the folktales of Sikkim, through which we are trying to familiarise people with the history of our state.
Do you think better air connectivity in the region will help promote tourism in the state? Definitely, air connectivity can help promote tourism in the state. We are coming up with a greenfield airport. We expect the airport to be operative by March 2015, and the deadline for completion is December 2014. This airport will be at Pakyong, which is around 30km from the capital city of Gangtok and since Pakyong is centrally located, it is easily accessible from all parts of Sikkim. However, this airport is only meant for
ATRs and not Boeings. We are trying to get flights from Kolkata and Patna to Gangtok. We are also requesting the government to operate international flights from Pakyong to nearby places like Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
How helpful has the International Tourism Market (ITM) in Guwahati proved to be for Sikkim? The impact of our participation at the mart was not very apparent right away, but we know that subsequently it'll help promote tourism in Sikkim.
How focussed is the state government on tourism?
Tourism is the topmost priority of the state government, as it not only promotes the state, but also creates job opportunities for the youth. We have also come up with a different logistic approach by introducing the concept of homestays. Here, we market our own indigenous local cuisine, so people can get a taste of a different kind of food.
Has the unrest in Darjeeling district affected the flow of tourists in Sikkim? Thanks to the cooperation of the State and the Central Government, we have been able to keep connectivity up. The Darjeeling district is our lifeline as tourists have to pass through there to be able to reach Sikkim.
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AGENTS
Partners of Roam1 profit by 17% In a survey conducted by the internal research wing of Roam1 Telecom, it was found that the travel agents who partnered with Roam1 to sell international roaming sim cards as a value added service to their existing travel customers have managed to augment their existing income by an average of 14 per cent (the range was between 10-17%) in 2013 until the end of Quarter 3. TT B U R E AU
“W
e expect our income to rise further with the Holiday travel season in Quarter 4,” said Darshana Vyas, who runs her own boutique travel outfit in Gujarat. The highest increase in income was seen by travel agents in the metro cities of Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai since a large majority of international travellers hail from urban cities but even states like Kerala that have a number
of outbound travellers to the Gulf and states like Rajasthan and Gujarat which have a number of export businesses, managed to do quite well. “Earlier, we had partnered with another wellknown international roaming firm which sold post-paid connections. There were quite a few incidents where the phone bills came out to be way higher than the entire trip cost of the customer! Incidents such as these spoilt my relationship with my long-term clients. This made me switch telecom partners,” lamented a rueful Darshana. “Customers getting exorbi-
tant bills are a regular story. Sometimes their calls drop because the network of the card is not very reliable. All this affect our business relationships. Hence it is very important that we select a company that has transparent roaming solutions to partner with,” mentioned Sajjan Singh, an executive working for a Jaipur-based travel agency who handles customer grievances. “We encourage our partners to rate our performance in terms of our products and services with respect to our competition and give us honest feedback. We have revised our products and developed some technologicallyadvanced features based on their feedback,” said Manpreet Singh, CEO and Managing Director,
Kerala woos French market Kerala Tourism presented the natural beauty of ‘God’s Own Country’ on the artist’s canvas at the International French Travel Mart (IFTM) Top Resa, the largest travel and tourism fair in France, to woo visitors from the state’s second biggest market abroad.
Roam1 Telecom. “I would recommend that before choosing a partner, the travel agents ensure that the roaming company doesn’t own any conflicting businesses (like travel insurance). They should audit the offerings from various firms and suggest only the best to the customer.” “I see a huge earning potential for our channel partners in the next 2 years not just based on selling our sim cards but also by retaining the customer loyalty owing to increased customer satisfaction,” he emphasises.
Income Up N The highest increase in income was seen by travel agents in the metro cities of Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai
10-point roadmap by FICCI A FICCI-Roots Research study on ‘Domestic Tourism in India’ was released at the 3rd edition of Great Domestic Tourism Bazaar. It states that the target of 1,450 mn domestic tourist movements by 2016 could be achieved if the 10point package of measures is adopted in earnest. The key
suggestions of the report were: * Community involvement * Safety & security * Training and education, up-selling * Leveraging technology, increased marketing initiatives * Policy reforms and infrastructure development.
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TAAI celebrated 60 anniversary in Istanbul th
takes its readers back to its last convention organised in Istanbul, Turkey. TAAI organised its diamond jubilee (60th) Indian Travel Congress, Convention & Exhibition at Hotel Green Park, Pendik in Istanbul, Turkey. Over 1,500 delegates attended the Convention. The 60th Convention and Exhibition coincided with the 60th year of Turkish Indian Tourism Council, which created a platform for fostering bilateral trade relations among the travel trade fraternity of India and Turkey.
Vikramajit Chairman SanJeet Editor & Publisher Deepa Sethi Editor-in-Chief
Editorial Ratan Kr Paul Vivek Sethi Megha Paul Devika Jeet Anita Jain News-Editor Peden Doma Bhutia Desk-Editor Archana Sharma Sr. Sub-Editor Hritvick Sen
Marketing Gunjan Sabikhi Harshal Ashar Aarti Nagrath Karishma Khanna Manish Singh Shovan Kanungo Priyanshu Wankhade Amit Sarkar Gaganpreet Kaur Rishika Karra Elizabeth Rani
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