Asian Traveller January 2010 by Asian Traveller

Vol. 3 • No. 4 • Januar y 2010

Inside 6

this issue

World Tourism on Track for a Rebound in 2010

16 Chidambaram

The global tourist industry should recover strongly in 2010 af ter the economic crisis and the swine flu pandemic produced "one of the most dif ficult years" for the sector, said UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai in a press conference in World Tourism Organisation.

State Tourism Departments, Stake Holders Urged to Help in Povert y Alleviation

The Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja has urged upon the state tourism departments and stake holders to explore all possible ways for poverty alleviation through tourism. She was speaking at the inauguration of the inter-state regional conference of Tourism Ministers of southern States/UT administrations in Bangalore recently.

Challenges for Global Tourism to be Highlighted at FITUR 2010

11 Uttarakhand Tourism Rams For ward 11 Guwahati to Host Thai Festival

Domestic Travellers Are the Mainstay of Tourism in India

While the foreign tourist arrivals are subject to various ex ternal factors that are beyond our control, the domestic travellers continue to be the mainstay of national tourism Industry", said Union Tourism Minister of State Sultan Ahmed.

12 Bruised Asian Travel Industr y Recovering Slowly Asian travel demand will close five per cent down for 2009 in part due to sharp declines in travellers from South Korea. Longhaul destinations such as Europe are being hit hardest as Japanese, Chinese, Indians and Thais also choose to stay home or travel within Asia.

13 New Web Platform for ASEAN Travel 20 India Tops Macau's Tourism Charts 24 Kerala Tourism to Have 'Tourism Awards Day' from Nex t Year 10 Questions

First Person

14 Signs are Encouraging for Tourism in India: Kumari Selja Tourism in India has already started showing signs of early recovery from the impact of global economic meltdown and in December 2009 tourist arrivals grew substantially by 21 per cent registering a grow th of over eight per cent over the arrivals in December 2007 which was a year of high grow th.

JANUARY 2010

N.C. SOMAIAH

ABINASH MANGHANI

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p 19 Cover Photo Courtesy: Tourism Australia

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editor ’s note

A Editor & Publisher Group Editor Vice President & CEO Executive Editor Consultant Editors

ne thing about a new calendar year is that it provides everyone with an opportunity to start things anew. As per Roman mythology January has its god in the two faced Janus, who is also the god of beginnings and endings. Thus January is the right time for new beginnings. Tourism industry is badly in need of a good start - if not a new one. The past year has not been a great one for the world economy in general, and for tourism in particular. The recovery from the economic downturn every one was hoping for did not happen. The challenges that global tourism faces as result of in the ongoing economic crisis as well as other natural and man made calamities are the points being discussed in every forum. As UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai has pointed out in Madrid recently "The results of recent months suggest that recovery is underway, and even somewhat earlier and at a stronger pace than initially expected". United Nation's World Tourism Organisation's annual World Tourism Barometer also suggests international tourist arrivals are likely to grow by three to four percent. According to the report business and consumer confidence has picked up. There is also a scope for a revival among source markets which were hard hit in 2009 such as the Russian Federation or the UK Major international events that will take place in South Africa (FIFA World Cup), Canada (Winter Olympics) and China (Shanghai Expo), are expected to create potential extra travel demand. Although prospects have improved, 2010 will still be a demanding year. It was a result of many countries taking immediate and adequate steps to avert further damage and actively implementing measures to mitigate the impacts and stimulate recovery which helped the tourism industry world over to stay afloat. "Although we expect growth to return in 2010, a premature withdrawal of these stimulus measures and the temptation to impose extra taxes may jeopardize the pace of rebound in tourism" warns Taleb Rifai. So, as rightly pointed out by UNWTO 2010 promises to be a 'year of transformation', and provides several upside opportunities, while naturally not eliminating downside risks.

G. BIJU KRISHNAN Editor & Publisher editor@mediastepsindia.com ASIAN TRAVELLER

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Publication : : : : :

G. Biju Krishnan G. Gopakumar* M. P. Sreekumar Lerbin T. K. A.G.K. Kumar Om Prakash Sahgal Photo Editor : Retheesh Kariyam Art Editor : Amal Prasad Editorial Team : R. Parameswaran Smitha R. Director (Marketing) : Vinu V. Nair Director (Finance) : K. Harikrishnan Legal Advisor : Adv. G.S. Prakash Financial Advisor : B. Prasad G.M-Nor th : Wg. Cdr. V. K. Gangal Sr.Mgr. Tamilnadu : P. Deenadayalu KSA Sam Mathew, Tel: 00966-505150513 London Abdul Najeeb, Tel: 0044-7769940391 UAE Sanjeev S. L., Tel: 00971 508914709 Kuwait Mariam Titus, Tel: 00965 6638670 New Delhi V. K. Gangal, Tel: 09871180498 Mumbai Mahesh Nair, Tel: 022 32499989 Bangalore Sandeep Viswanath, 09845179243 Chennai Nisha J., Tel: 09841008588 Hyderabad K.S. Johnson, Tel: 09441236010 Dehradun P. Mohandas, Tel: 09719055472 Madurai P. Deenadayalu, Tel: 09843129535 Ernakulam M. P. Sreekumar, Tel: 09447118694 Thiruvananthapuram Vinu V. Nair, Tel: 09745444177 Administration Jaya Rajeshwari, Soniya S., Vidhu Krishna, Jayesh All communications to: Media Steps India, TC-27/1741, PERA-66, Vanchiyoor PO, Thiruvananthapuram–695 035, Kerala State, South India. Tel: +91-471-6540888, 2574411, 09447 555 222 info@mediastepsindia.com, w w w.mediastepsindia.com Regd. Of fice: Media Steps India, TC-27/1915, MBRRA 70, Mathrubhoomi Rd., Thiruvananthapuram–695 001, Kerala State, South India. Mumbai Of fice: Media Steps India, Unit 9 & 10, Sardar Pratap Singh Industrial Estate No. 2, LBS Marg, Bhandup West, Mumbai-400078, India Tel.: +91 22 32499989 Hyderabad Office: Media Steps India, # B-305 & 309, Vasudha Apartments, Quthbullapur Road, New Jeedimetla, Hyderabad-500 055, AP, India Tel.: +91 40 23080750, +91 40 23176966, +91 40 23176996, Fax: +91 40 27535260 Chennai Of fice: Media Steps India, 6/4, Sangeetha Gardens, 19th Street Ex t, Jai Nagar, Arumbakkam, Chennai - 600 106. Tel: +91 44 42640531 Edited, Printed & Published by G. Biju Krishnan and Printed at M/s. Safire Of fset Printers, Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu for Cristal Printers, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala State, South India. Reg No.: KERENG 01910/11/1/2006-TC New Reg No.: KERENG / 2007 / 28719 RNI Reg. No.: 101276 The news items and Adver tisements published herein have been collected from various source, which are considered to be reliable. Readers are however requested to verif y the facts before making business decisions using the same. No par t of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission from the Publisher. All rights reser ved. Copyright © 2008 *Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

JANUARY 2010

over view

World Tourism on Track for a Rebound in 2010

he global tourist industry should recover strongly in 2010 af ter the economic crisis and the swine flu pandemic produced "one of the most dif ficult years" for the sector, said UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai in a press conference in World Tourism Organisation. Grow th returned to international tourism in the last quarter of 2009 contributing to better than expected full-year results, according to the latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. According to annual World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals fell by an estimated 4.0 per cent in 2009 but should rebound to grow by 3.0 to 4.0 per cent in 2010. It said grow th in the sector returned in the last quarter of 2009 contributing to better than expected fullyear results, led by the AsiaPacific and Middle East regions. "Still, 2009 is considered to be one of the most dif ficult years that tourism has seen for a long time", said Taleb Rifai. "The global economic crisis aggravated by the uncertainty around the A(H1N1) pandemic turned 2009 into one of the toughest years for the tourism sector", said the UNWTO Secretary-General. "However, the results of recent months suggest that recovery is underway, and even somewhat earlier and at a stronger pace than initially expected", he added. Experience shows that tourism earnings generally follow the trend in arrivals quite closely,

even if they suf fer somewhat more in dif ficult times. Based on the trends through the first three quarters, receipts for 2009 are estimated to have decreased by around 6 per cent. While this is unquestionably a disappointing result for an industry accustomed to continuous grow th, it can also be interpreted as a sign of comparative resilience given the ex tremely dif ficult economic environment. Against the backdrop of both the upturn in international tourism figures and overall economic indicators in recent months, UNWTO forecasts a grow th in international tourist arrivals of bet ween three per cent and four per cent in 2010. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has just recently stated that the global recovery is occurring "significantly" faster than expected. By region, Asia is expected to continue showing the strongest rebound, while Europe and the Americas are likely to recover at a more moderate pace. Grow th is expected to return to the Middle East while Africa will continue its positive trend benefiting from the ex tra boost provided by the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. These improved prospects are confirmed by the encouraging steep rise in the UNWTO Panel of Exper ts' Confidence Index for 2010, despite persistent uncertainties regarding the global economy and the operating environment for tourism.

Challenges for Global Tourism to be Highlighted at FITUR 2010 he challenges for global tourism in the current economic situation will be the focal point at the FITUR 2010 which will be held in Madrid, Spain from January 20-24. UNWTO activities will build around this, without losing sight of long-term sustainability commitments outlined in the UNWTO Roadmap for Recovery. FITUR 2010 also sets the stage for two innovative tourism initiatives Investour and FITUR Green.

JANUARY 2010

Perspectives and responses for stimulating the recovery will bring together a diverse representation of the global tourism sector to examine and debate solutions following recommendations in the UNWTO Roadmap for Recovery, such as 'How to understand the market and respond rapidly'. The Roadmap is a set of strategic guidelines that were endorsed unanimously at the 18th session of the UNWTO General Assembly (October 2009) in the midst

of a the global economic downturn. The Roadmap sets out how the travel and tourism sector can recover from the global downturn, support global economic recovery and play a lead role in the Green Economy. UNWTO has joined together with FITUR and Casa Africa to promote sustainable tourism development in Africa and will hold the first edition of the Forum on Tourism Development in Africa "Investour" at FITUR

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Madrid. This event recognizes the potential of the African continent as a destination for tourism investment, as well as the importance of this investment for socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation. This forum seeks to mobilize Spanish tourism investment in Africa thus contributing to sustainable development across the continent. African destinations will have the opportunity to present their proposals to potential investors. ASIAN TRAVELLER

incredible india

State Tourism Departments, Stake Holders Urged to Help in Povert y Alleviation he Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja has urged upon the state tourism departments and stake holders to explore all possible ways for poverty alleviation through tourism. She was speaking at the

change in the livelihood of local communities and elevate their economic status. This is what the "responsible tourism" model aims to achieve. She said, tourism plays an important role in most developing as well as developed countries as the main-and sometimes the only- means of economic and social development on a sustainable basis, with meaningful linkages to other productive sectors, such as agriculture and handicrafts. Travel and tourism accounts for 11 per cent the world's GDP, 8 per cent world's employment. Indian tourism has been declared the fastest growing, at about 8 per cent, by leading tourism Kumari Selja organisations including Union Minister for Tourism World Tourism Organisation inauguration of the interand World Tourism and state regional conference of Travel Council. Tourism Ministers of "The true potential of southern States/UT tourism lies in responsible administrations in Bangalore practices on both the recently. The Minister said, demand and supply sides of tourism to her should be all the tourism chain, enabling inclusive and bring in visible an effective response to

climate change. This is closely interlinked with inclusive growth through sustainable community participation", she said. "This 'sustainable' tourism route has been adopted by the ministry of tourism in the innovative Rural Tourism Project, by strengthening skilled rural artisan communities in association with United Nations Development Programme. We already have 153 Rural Sites selected under this initiative and the results have been encouraging." Tourism is an important engine for economic growth and the Ministry has launched the "Hunar Se Rojgar" programme to create employable skills in hospitality sector under the Capacity Building Scheme. The programme started simultaneously across the country in Institutes of Hotel Management and Food craft institutes. The Skill Development Programmes started under "Hunar Se Rojgar" will offer

short but quality training courses covering Food & Beverage Service and Food Production. The programme has targeted the youth of weaker sections of societies who are interested in joining the hospitality industry and are in need to acquire skills facilitating employment. Linkages with the industry are also being forged so that the youths coming out of this training programmes are gainfully employed. The Conference was convened by the Union Ministry of Tourism to discuss among other things, Rationalization of luxury tax, issues to facilitate seamless travel in Inter-State Circuits, Tourist security and safety, Broad basing of hospitality education and training and initiation for skills training in hospitality sector.

Arrivals to India Show Upward Trend

he Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja has said that it was heartening to note that in spite of several bottlenecks faced by the global tourism industry and India the tourism, arrivals into India is showing a grow th trend. During Dec 2009 the Foreign Tourist arrivals in India saw an 21 per cent increase over the same period in 2008. The future looks bright and we expect the buoyancy to return in the sector she added. According to the Minister the recently introduced 'Visa on Arrival' scheme for five countries namely Singapore, Finland, New Zealand, Luxemburg

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and Japan will give a tremendous boost to inbound tourism as it has sent positive signals to the source

from visitors of Commonwealth nations as an incentive to boost declining number of Foreign Tourist

markets. She added. At the same time the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) is likely to waive of f 50 per cent of the Visa fee charged

Arrivals (FTAs). This is part of its ef fort to incentivise tourism to India for the Commonwealth Games to be held in October this year.

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According to the minister one of the biggest marketing successes has been the "Incredible India" campaign. This campaign is now eight years old and continues to be the mantra for at tracting foreign visitors. The creative ideas used in the campaign have been very popular and won several accolades globally. The State governments have also been in successful in building sub brands but the sub brands can be leveraged ef fectively if used along with the Mother Brand "Incredible India". Kumari Selja urged upon the states to use this mother brand while marketing world wide for larger impact.

JANUARY 2010

incredible india

Domestic Travellers Are the Mainstay of Tourism in India hile the foreign tourist arrivals are subject to various external factors that are beyond our control, the domestic travellers continue to be the mainstay of national tourism Industry", said Union Tourism Minister of State Sultan Ahmed. He was speaking at the inauguration of the Road Show for Domestic Tourism in Bengaluru. The show was organized to focus the tourism attractions of Southern Indian States including

Union Territories. "Domestic Tourism is an important engine for promoting National Integration and taking this cue the Union Ministry of Tourism has been attaching great importance to the development of Domestic Tourism in the country", said the Minister. "Domestic tourism also continues to show encouraging trends, with the availability of greater disposable income and affordable holiday packages, tourism in India is increasing steadily. Wide

publicity and tremendous awareness about the diverse products have inspired people to travel to different regions", he added. He urged upon the States to capitalize on the trend to maximize arrivals to their destinations. "This segment can certainly counter the negative impact of the global meltdown and give the required fillip to the economy". The Union Ministry is organizing domestic Road Shows in collaboration with private sector participation in North, South, West,

Sultan Ahmed Union Tourism Minister of State

Central, East and Northeast Regions of the country. The first Road Show on the Eastern and North Eastern Region was successfully organized in Kolkata in August last year and this is the second such event.

National Award for Best Wellness Center Instituted

he Union Tourism Ministry has taken a number of steps to ef fectively market tourism in the country. Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme has been ex tended to provide financial incentive to Approved Domestic Tour Operators who participate in tourism trade events. MDA scheme has also been ex tended to medical tourism service providers as well as wellness tourism service providers for par ticipation in

overseas events. Union Tourism Minister of State Sultan Ahmed talked about this on the sidelines of the Road Show for Domestic Tourism in Bengaluru "The Ministry of Tourism has highlighted wellness in a big way through publicity and promotional activities", he said. "Considering the impor tance of this segment the Ministry of Tourism has instituted a new category of award for Wellness Centers in the National Tourism awards.

Adventure Tourism has immense potential for grow th. For experiencing the dif ferent types of adventure tourism right from rock climbing, river raf ting, para gliding, mountaineering and under water diving, the Ministry has sanctioned several projects to dif ferent States during last four years". He said the Industry in Southern India should take steps to promote the adventure tourism in their region and constantly strive to diversif y

the tourism products. The Minister said, in a major move to encourage more and more Travel Industry Ser vice providers to seek recognition from Ministry of Tourism, the guidelines for approval of Inbound Tour Operators have been rela xed in terms of Space requirement and also manpower employed. He expressed the hope that the Tour operators will make use of this rela xation.

Incredible India Road Show in Johannesburg

ndia Ministry of Tourism has organised an Incredible India Road Show in Johannesburg on January 12, this year to coincide with the passing of the Queen's Baton to promote Commonwealth Games 2010. During this event 10 Double Decker Buses wrapped in Incredible India images were flagged of f by M.Mashabane, Minister of International Relation and Cooperation, Government of South Africa along with Vikram Doraiswamy, Consul General of India and T.S .Darbari, Joint Director General, Commonwealth Games Organising Commit tee. This event was followed by

JANUARY 2010

presentations on Incredible India and the Commonwealth Games and a taste of Indian music and dance. The dinner which followed was highlight of the evening as the cuisine represented various regions of India. The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Government of South Africa complemented on this mega promotion and spoke highly of India- South Africa relations and India's Tourism products. More than 200 persons belonging to a cross section of African Travel Trade and Media were present during the function.

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The Minister of International Relation and Cooperation, of South Africa, M. Mashabane along with the Consul General of India, Vikram Doraiswamy and the Joint Director General, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, T.S .Darbari, at the Incredible India Road Show

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wildlife

World Wildlife Fund Travel Program Announces 2010 Tours

orld Wildlife Fund's Travel Program has announced its 2010 tour schedule, adding new multi-sports trips and family tours designed to get travelers up close and personal with wildlife. Since 1983, World Wildlife Fund has taken curious travelers on wildlife-viewing expeditions throughout the world. The new 2010 of ferings reflect ever-increasing interest by travelers in unique destinations in which to enjoy their favorite outdoor sports and activities, as well as trips which of fer families - of ten three generational - opportunities to make lasting memories. Among the highlights of the 2010 World Wildlife Fund (W WF) travel schedule: More Active Adventures - These

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multi-spor t itineraries provide travelers with the opportunity to snorkel, kayak, trek, hike and camp in wildlife rich landscapes. New this year is a beach-based trip to Mexico's Baja peninsula - a camping/kayaking/snorkeling adventure in Espiritu Santo. This trip joins W WF's existing lineup of trips which include climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, trekking in Nepal, hiking through Patagonia and snorkeling throughout Indonesia's Raja Ampat Archipelago. More Family Tours - A new family tour to China highlights both culture and nature - including giant pandas at two

wildlife centers, and provides lots of opportunities for young travelers to meet Chinese children. The popular Tanzania Safari for Families is back this year. Both China and Tanzania family tours - perfect for grandparents, parents and children - are timed for summer-break. Another tour, Costa Rica for Families, allows families to spend the winter break in one of the world's most family friendly eco-destinations and includes zip ride lines through a cloud forest and a visit to a volcano. Wildlife of India Tour 2010 is the of ficial Year of the Tiger, and W WF will once again

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of fer its ex traordinary journey to India, which includes explorations of three national parks that are havens for the magnificent Bengal tiger. In addition to these trips, W WF of fers dozens of other destinations through its partnership with the tour operator Natural Habitat Adventures. Since 2003, W WF has partnered with NHA because of its commitment to environmentally friendly travel. NHA was the world's first tour operator to go completely carbon neutral by of fset ting emissions through investments in alternative energy projects in the developing world. Among Natural Habitat Adventures' many departures in 2010 are trips to the Galapagos Islands, one of the world's foremost wildlife destinations; Arctic Canada, where the majestic polar bear wanders across the tundra near Churchill; and the pine forests of central Mexico, where the Monarch but terflies spend the winter.

JANUARY 2010

personality N C Somaiah, in his career spanning over 15 years, has worked in various capacities at Oberoi hotels, Oakwood and Radisson before joining The Leela Kempinski Kovalam. Tell us about your hotel and its USP's The Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach is top of the line luxury resort in India of fering world class hospitality ser vice. We have embarked on fulfilling our honorable chairman, Capt. C.P. Krishnan Nair's dream - The Leela brand would provide hospitality excellence, with the "Essence of India" to the most discerning guest. The Resor t has carved a niche for itself in the global leisure map in the last four years of operations. Stemming out of high standards of performance and international benchmarking, the resort prides itself in providing its guests a remarkable Leela experience which is stylish, comfortable and truly global. A dazzling new level of luxury seduces the international traveler at The Club - Hotel within a Hotel - at The Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach. Built upon the ocean front with dramatic water vistas, the waves breaking against the black rocks upon which it stands, The Club is a new-age, design destination with hi-style fundamentals that simply sizzles with attitude. Modern sensibility and timeless classics produce an elegant lifestyle statement. While the interiors of The Club have been designed by Carl Ettensperger and the landscaping has been designed by Bill Bensley, the entire conceptualization of the project from room set-up to public areas and sof t furnishings to layout and colours is the brainchild of Madhu Nair, Director on The Leela Board. Sophistication is spelt in the way the service design weaves itself seamlessly through The Club's wine and food of fering, its Butler Service, its architecture, design and technology. The Club of fers a global culture while maintaining its ethnic Indian core. How do you position the hotel in the market? As mentioned earlier, The Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach is a luxury of fering in terms of both product and service for the high

JANUARY 2010

end global traveler. It has made a mark for itself and is marketed as a destination in itself both for leisure and MICE segment. The hotel's marketing strategy is mainly directed toward these t wo segments. However one of our greatest marketing tools is 'word of mouth'. How impor tant is a hotel in developing a destination? Today the top end hotels in exotic locations have become destinations in themselves. Hotels are the most important aspect when a destination is developed. The best of locations with the most historical monuments cannot become a world class destination without a top end hotel. I can confidently say that The Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach, along with the vision of our Honorable Chairman, has been instrumental in put ting Kovalam on the world map. The Leela Palaces and Resor ts have represented Kerala all over the world in every single travel mart. Today Kovalam is positioned as a high -end luxury destination, thanks to our ef forts. Could you tell us about your background ? I come from the neighboring state of Karnataka, from South Coorg. Being from an army background, got an opportunity to visit a few places in India. Af ter finishing my college in Bangalore, was luck y to be selected for the Oberoi School of Hotel Management. I would rather put my career in hospitality to chance, however it has grown on me and I love every moment of it. In a careering spanning over 15 years, I had the opportunity to work in various capacities at some of the finest Oberoi hotels including The Oberoi Bangalore and the stunning The Cecil Oberoi in Shimla. My last t wo assignments include a shor t stint at Oakwood Premier Prestige in Bangalore and Radisson Noida. Tell us about your experience so far. Working in hotels; each day is a

new experience. Each day introduces you to new people and new challenges. There have been some ups and downs, but it has been fun all along. My best moments in my career has been the simple moments of life, when I read a positive comment card or when an employee goes beyond the call of duty to satisf y a guest. In the course of my career, I did have the opportunity to interact with some of the most famous personalities of the world, but nothing beats a happy guest. What plans immediate and long term - do you have? My immediate plan would be to maintain the high standards set in the hotel and then to raise our own benchmark to the nex t level. Where would you like to see yourself, say, 10 yeas from now? I'd be very much alive and kicking and still with hotels. I try hard to live in the present to best of my ability and leave the rest to unfold as it would happen. Tell us about your family. I am married to Nirupa and we have t wo sons 10-year old Chirag and three-year old Mayur Tell us about your hobbies ? I love outdoor sports - cricket and swimming. I also like to read and watch movies and enjoy long drives in my SUV. Which is your favourite destination? Nothing specific - enjoyed my trips to Singapore, Paris and Las Vegas each have their own charm, but my favorite would be my hometown - Coorg.

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N.C. SOMAIAH General Manager The Leela Kempinski Kovalam

ASIAN TRAVELLER

indian panorama

500th Anniversar y of

Krishnadevaraya's Coronation at Hampi

he 500th anniversary of the coronation of Sri Krishnadevaraya, who ruled the Vijayanagara Empire, will be celebrated in a grand manner with all the pomp and grandeur at Hampi in Bellary, Karnataka, from January 27 to 29, 2010. As part of the celebrations the state government plans to launch a theme park depicting the past glory of the kingdom. Besides a 25-f t tall bronze statue of Sri Krishnadevaraya, the erstwhile emperor of Vijayanagar who is considered on par with Ashoka

Samudra Gupta and Harsha Vardhana, is also being planned as par t of the theme park. The park would be established on the lines of Akshardham temple complex on the banks of the Yamuna in Delhi, said Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, af ter a celebration commit tee meeting, in Bangalore. A commemorative stamp and coin would be released on the occasion, though it is yet to be approved by the Central depar tments of philately and finance. The state government has set apar t Rs 15 crore for the grand celebrations.

Uttarakhand Tourism Surging For ward

s part of the aggressive race in developing tourism attractions, Ut tarakhand Tourism has sanctioned projects worth Rs 545.97 crore for developing infrastructure. In the light of the Kumbh Mela, the temple towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh is focused as the as the biggest Spiritual Tourism destinations. The state government has sanctioned projects worth Rs 545.97 crore for creating new infrastructure. Of this amount, Rs 408.50 crore has already been allotted. The state government has sanctioned Rs 48.54 crore for building 15.54 km of new roads, Rs

80.14 crore to upgrade old roads, Rs 58.85 crore to renovate the hill bypass and Rs 58.85 crore to build nine new bridges across the River Ganga. The state government is also building 73.50 km of approach roads to the shrines from the Shiva Temple at Harki-Pauri and the Brahma Kund - the area where the Shahi Snans (holy dips) have commenced. The tourism department also organized a training camp for adventure sports for students to achieve overall development and become fearless to respond to emergency situations. Organized

by the tourism department of the state, the ten-day adventure sports camp imparts training in rock climbing, rappelling, trekking, burma bridge, commando net and river rescue. These camps helped the students in the all round development, about teamwork, cooperation and coordination. Ramesh Pokhriyal, Chief Minister, Ut tarakhand said, “We are making it one of the biggest cultural showcases to tell the world that Haridwar is the seat of Spiritual Tourism in India. Our focus this year is to put

permanent tourism infrastructure in place. Save-the-Ganga mission is the civic and religious foundation of the 2010 Kumbh Mela.” “The exercise to roll out permanent infrastructure is a collective ef fort bet ween the Centre and private parties so that the town can host mega religious festivals. We have managed to put 80 per cent of the infrastructure in place. Only 20 per cent is yet to be completed. The new infrastructure includes a modern car park, foot bridges and a net work of arterial roads connecting Har-ki-Pauri to the neighbouring shrines and residential areas,” he added.

Guwahati to Host Thai Festival

13-day long Thai celebration will be held in Guwahati in India as part of the 17th International Guwahati Trade Fair (IGTF). The fair, being organized by the Industries and Trade Fair Association of Assam (ITFAA) in collaboration with DC (Handicraf ts), Ministry of Tex tiles and NSIC, will showcase the rich sociocultural heritage of Thailand. During the celebration Guwahati will turn into a miniThailand.

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"Our relationship with India, the North-East in particular, is growing. We want to cement this further," said Tharadol Thongruang of the Royal Thai Embassy in India. "For us, it was a small beginning four years back when we participated

first. But now things have changed. There is a tremendous interest among the Thais to take part in the fair", he added. There would be 40 Thai stalls put up at the fair, which would be graced among others by Krit Kraichitti, Thai ambassador to India. Thai boxers, traditional dancers, chefs and senior of ficials from trade, tourism and the Thai Airways will participate at the fair and help cement the relationship between Thailand and the India.

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JANUARY 2010

trends

Bruised Asian Travel Industry Recovering Slowly sian travel demand will close five per cent down for 2009 in part due to sharp declines in travellers from South Korea. Longhaul destinations such as Europe are being hit hardest as Japanese, Chinese, Indians and Thais also choose to stay home or travel within Asia. Travel demand for 2010 is likely to pick up, but spending is likely to lag at around 2005-2006 levels. Prospects for 2010 will be greatly determined by any return of consumer confidence in Japan and China. These are just some of the key trends highlighted in the latest ITB World Travel Trends Report,

commissioned by Messe Berlin, the organisers of ITB Berlin, and compiled by IPK International. The ITB World Travel Trends Report find ings show that Asian travel demand averaged a more than a 10 per cent decline January-June. However, some market recovery has been recorded since July 2009, indicating that the Asian travel industry is over the worst. IPK forecasts of a total-year decline of five per cent. Even within Asia, the once high-flying low cost airline sector suffered in 2009. Despite rock-bottom airfares, the sector has experienced capacity cuts, which resulted in lower seat availability and, inevitably, rising airfares. According to Dr Martin Buck, DirectorCompetenceCenter Travel & Logistics, at Messe Berlin, the big question now is, how sustainable are the first signs

of recovery in Asia? "Analysts are divided," he said. "Some see a second dip into recession. Others think government stimulus packages have got us through the worst of it. The price of oil and the threat of H1N1 are unknown factors." "The report predicts a modest increase in outbound trip volume for Asia, but expenditure and yield levels will still be at pre-2008 levels. Within Asia we can still expect to see shorter, cheaper trips, closer to home and at off-peak times," he added. The report also predicts that, globally, business travel will stay flat, with many companies saying they had introduced stricter travel policies. One consequence is likely to be a rise in the price of economy tickets as airlines losing money at the front end of the plane raise economy class tickets to compensate.

Dr Martin Buck Director-Competence Center Travel & Logistics, Messe Berlin

The findings in the ITB World Travel Trends Report were based on the assessments of 60 tourism experts from 30 countries, on a special IPK International trend analysis undertaken in leading source markets, and on core data supplied by the World Travel MonitorÂŽ, recognised as the largest ongoing survey of global travel trends in some 60 source countries.

Medical Tourism to Become USD 2.4bn Industr y in India

market research repor t has said that medical tourism in India is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry, despite the slowdown in economy. According to the repor t quoted by India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), a public-private partnership bet ween Ministry of Commerce and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) medical tourism, which encompasses spa, is estimated to grow 29 per cent bet ween 2009 -12 and become a USD 2.4 billion industry by 2012. According to the IBEF in addition to the existence of modern medicine, indigenous medical practitioners are providing their services across the country at more than 3,000 hospitals and 7, 26,000 registered practitioners catering to the needs of the traditional Indian healthcare. The report also said that a number of Indian hotels will tie up with professional organisations in a range of wellness fields to enter the wellness services market.

JANUARY 2010

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ASIAN TRAVELLER

asia pacific

New Web Platform for ASEAN Travel high-tech travel website, SoutheastAsia.org, will serve as the anchor for a new destination marketing campaign for Southeast Asia. That's the claim being made by the signatories of a tripartite alliance between

Singapore-based Wego, the ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) and the Bangkok-based ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) Project. When launched on 25 January

the site will allow users to research, plan and book multiple destination trips to and within the 10 member countries of ASEAN. SoutheastAsia.org will also offer a special section for travel agents and others in the travel trade. Travel suppliers are being encouraged to submit content. The ACE Project is funded by United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) Regional Development Mission Asia. ACE aims to help ASEAN enhance the integration and competitiveness of its travel and tourism sectors. "One of our strategies for enhancing

the competitiveness of ASEAN tourism is to encourage more travel suppliers to participate online to take better advantage of regional integration and marketing efforts," said ACE Project Director R. J. Gurley. “We want SoutheastAsia.org to be the new ‘go-to’ site of choice for anyone interested in travel to Southeast Asia,” said Felix Cruz, ASEANTA's Chairman and Vice President of Marketing Support for Philippine Airlines. “It is part of our strategy to raise awareness of Southeast Asia as a desirable regional destination relative to Europe, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean.”

Nepal Visitor Figures Up NSW Announces ore good news for Nepal with total visitor arrivals for December 2009 up by 4.4 percent year-on-year. Figures released by Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) also reveal that visitor arrivals by air for 2009 rose by over one percent compared to 2008. Last month saw robust growth of over 50 percent in visitor arrivals

ASIAN TRAVELLER

Parramasala Festival

from China. Nepal is proving to be increasingly he New South Wales attractive for European Government, travellers. Australia has December saw a rise of over 10 percent compared to announced a new week-long the same month in2008, with Indian Festival in Parramatta called 'Parramasala' - The Australian Festival of South Asian Arts in Western Sydney. Parramasala - the Australian Festival of South Asian Arts is an exciting international festival to be held annually in the centre of Parramatta City. This inaugural festival in 2010 will begin development of the concept, with the festival expanding to reach its full Italy up over 30 scale by 2012. This festival percent. PATA's Adventure Travel and follows the NSW Government's plan to Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart establish a round-table meeting of Ministers, opens in Kathmandu on February 2nd with agencies and Indian leaders to address the safety an impressive line-up concerns of international of international students and the Indian speakers.

• 13 •

community. Playing on the Hindi word masala, which means mix, Parramasala will be held in November during a highlight of the Indian calendar, Diwali, the Festival of Lights. The festival will showcase Indian art, music and film in Parramatta's streets and laneways. The programme will be held in November 2010 for

about five days and it will principally feature Indian arts drawn from mainland India, the Indian diaspora and Australia. In addition to the arts programs in the festival, Parramasala will include sporting and business activities. The full arts program for the 2010 festival will be released in September 2010. JANUARY 2010

exceltur

Signs are Encouraging for Tourism in India: Kumari Selja ourism in India has already started showing signs of early recovery from the impact of global economic meltdown and in December 2009 tourist arrivals grew substantially by 21 per cent registering a growth of over eight per cent over the arrivals in December 2007 which was a year of high growth. India's Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said this at the 5th Tourism Leadership Forum on the "Prospects & Challenge of Tourism Recovery for 2010/ 2011" held in Madrid, Spain. She informed the gathering that one of the reasons for the tourism sector in India not being impacted as much as rest of the world was the good performance of the Indian economy. "In spite of the global economic recession in 2008 and 2009, Indian economy has

continued has continued to have good growth. India's GDP in 2008-09 grew by 6.7 per cent. During AprilSeptember, 2009 India's GDP has seen a growth of seven per cent, whereas the global economy is estimated to have a negative growth in 2009", she added. The minister said the quantum jump in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the Hotel & Tourism sector in the years 2008 and 2009 is also indicative of the positive scenario. Most of the major international hotel chains including Starwood, Hilton, Carlson, etc. have either already come to India or are in the process of doing so. These factors, coupled with the performance of in-bound tourism in India the last few months, are very encouraging for tourism in India. With the global

economy too showing signs of recovery, the international tourism can be expected to revive worldwide. The other high profile participants at the forum were, Christopher Rodrigues, Chairman of the British Tourism Board, Zhu Shanzhong, Vice Chairman of China National Tourism

5th Exceltur Tourism Leadership Forum

Prime Opportunit y to Debate Tourism's Future

inisters from nine major tourism generating and receiving countries, government of ficials, the heads of the two principal worldwide tourism organizations, and the presidents and CEOs of eight of the biggest tourism groups and companies in the world have assembled in Madrid, Spain along with prominent Spanish businessmen of the sector, leading figures in finance and renowned economists to discuss the future of tourism. Co-organized by Exceltur and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with the special collaboration of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the Forum will discuss the ef fects of the current crisis and the keys to economic recovery at the global, European and Spanish levels. UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai and Sebastián Escarrer, Chairman of Exceltur and VicePresident of Sol Meliá, presented in Madrid the fif th edition of the Exceltur Tourism Leadership Forum, which the two entities are co-organizing at the Palacio de Congresos de Madrid. With the title "Prospects and Challenges of Tourism's Recovery for 2010/2011", this Forum acquires a tri-level dimension for the first time as it addresses issues from the global, European and Spanish perspectives thanks to a top-flight list of speakers and a programme of topics of international scope, thus constituting an event that is unprecedented in Spain and that will probably be unsurpassed in Europe in 2010.

JANUARY 2010

• 14 •

Administration, Charles Petruccelli, President of American Express Global Travel Services, Michael Frenzel, Chairman of TUI, AG, Geoffrey Kent, Chairman of World Travel & Tourism Council and Angela Grerekou, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of Greece.

Award for PATA Chairman

hornsiri Manoharn, Chairperson Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has been chosen as the 2009 National Outstanding Person's Awards in Thailand. The award was given to Manoharn who served with distinction as Governor of the Tourism Phornsiri Manoharn Authority of Thailand, was made by the National Identity Board, Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office. ASIAN TRAVELLER

tamilnadu traveller

Chidambaram

For the Concsecrated Dr. S BHAKTHAVATCHALAM

believed that their penance at tained fruition with the revelation of Shiva's cosmic dance by hidambaram, one of the Lord Nataraja on the auspicious renowned temple towns Thai Poosam day. of Tamil Nadu is located It is one of the panchabhoota in the east-central part of Tamil sthalam - representing five basic Nadu. The Nataraja Temple, the elements. The presiding deity of hallmark of the place is the the temple is represented by air, ancient and renowned shrine one of the five elements of the dedicated to Lord Nataraja (God universe and is known as Akasa Siva in the form of a Cosmic Lingam. This temple has five Dancer). It is also one of the few halls, of which t wo-the Kanaka temples where Siva and Lord Sabha and the Chit Sabha-have Govindaraja Perumal (Vishnu) gold-plated roofs. The main icon are enshrined under one roof, making it one of the few temples of Nataraja is in the Kanaka Sabha. One of the significant where both the Shaivite and aspects of the temple is that Vaishnavite faiths coexist. It is there is no image of god in the one of the five Shaivite mukti Chit Sabha, which houses the sthalams, the other four being Akasa lingam. The Nrit ta Sabha Kalahasti, Kanchipuram, or the Hall of Dance is the most Tiruvannamalai and beautiful and remarkable of the Tiruvanaikaval. five halls, built in the form of a The place is spiritual as well chariot on wheels drawn by as historic as it is known for horses. There are 56 pillars in cultural significance. the hall depicting the 108 poses Chidambaram also called Thillai of Bharat Nat yam, the classical which literally means the sky dance of Tamilnadu. The Deva permeated by an atmosphere of intelligence and wisdom. Accord- Sabha was the Hall of Festivals and the Raja Sabha, which is a ing to legend, it was once a thousand-pillared pavilion, was forest of Thillai, a mangrove species of trees. There was once the Celebration Hall of the Pandyas and Cholas who a small shrine on the banks of a tank. The saints Vyagrapada and gathered here af ter every victorious campaign to thank the Patanjali are said to have Lord. Devotees symbolize Lord worshipped at this shrine, now Shiva's Ananda Tandava as the called Thirumoolanathar. It is

JANUARY 2010

five divine acts of creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealment, and gif t of grace. The Vaitheeswaran temple near to Chidambaram is also a popular Shiva temple dedicated to Vaidyanatheeswarar. The people believe that a bathe in the holy water of the siddhamirtham tank can heal the diseases. The main temples around Chidambaram apart from the Nataraja Temple are the Poombuhar(40 kms), Pichavaram(16 kms), Gingee(132

favourite of lord Shiva. The festival comes af ter the rains in the foggy season and falls on the day of Thiruvathirai in the month Marghazi when the Moon is in full orb. This is well brought out by a verse in Paripadal. Tirunavukkarasar and Tirugnanasambandar have ecstasically sung the charm of Thillai Nataraja moving car procession. Ani Tirumanjanam is held in the month Ani for 10 days. From the 1st to the 8th day, the festival

kms), Gangaikondacholapuram (50 kms), Srimushnam(45 kms) and Vaitheeswaran Koil(24 kms) The Nat yanjali festival is one of the prominent cultural festivals of the region held at the 'Prakara' of the temple in the time of Mahasivaratri. Prominent dance performers from different parts of India come together on the same platform in the month of February. Marghazi Tiruvathirai and Ani Ut tiram are the two great temple festivals are celebrated for Nataraja Murthi. The Marghazi Tiruvathirai is held on the day of Thiruvathirai, which is the

idols Somaskanda, Sivananda Nayaki, Vinayagar, Subramanyar and Chandesvarar being the five Deities (Pancha Murthis) are taken round the streets every day in silver and golden vehicles. On the 9th day, for the Car festival the prime Nataraja, Sivakami, Subramaniyar and Chandesvarar, the five deities go round in 5 cars. Manickavachagar's Mukti Day on which Manickavachagar with five Deities are taken round the streets, Appar's Liberation Day conducted in Chittarai and Sambandar's Salvation Day are some of the other main festivals of the place. The temple town of Chidambaram is located 58 km south of Pondicherry and 250 km south of Chennai on the way to Tiruchirapalli. The place is on the railway main line and is connected by rail with Trichy, Madurai and Chennai. Bus routes connect this town to various places in Tamil Nadu.

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ASIAN TRAVELLER

accolades

Captain Nair Conferred The Hall of Fame Award at HIFI 2010 he Hotel Investment Forum India has selected Capt. C.P. Krishnan Nair, Chairman of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts for the prestigious Hall of Fame Award. The honour has been conferred on Captain Nair at a glittering ceremony held in Mumbai recently. The award is in recognition of Capt. Nair's outstanding business practices, leadership qualities and for raising the bar for the industry with his achievements. Speaking on the occasion, Jim Burba, President of Burba Hotels

Network and the host to the event, said, "Capt. Nair remains an inspiration to aspiring hoteliers and his contribution to the industry, philanthropy work and community investment truly represent what the HIFI Hall of Fame was designed to honour." Capt. Nair in his reply said, "This award highlights the friends, family, peers, business associates and all those who have stood by me and believed in my dream, and contributed so immensely to the culmination of this moment."

Capt. C.P. Krishnan Nair, Chairman, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts was conferred the prestigious Hall of Fame Award at the Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) 2010. The award is a recognition of his outstanding business practices, leadership and achievements in the hospitality sector. Seen in the picture are Vijay Thacker, Director Horwath HTL India and Jim Burba, President, Burba Hotels Network.

Bangkok Convention Centre Gets Green Globe Certification

angkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld has achieved the prestigious Green Globe Benchmarked Silver status under the globally recognised Benchmarking programme. This programme recognises Bangkok Convention Centre's commitment to operating to the

world's highest environmental standard. In achieving Benchmarked Silver status, Bangkok Convention Centre commit ted to

Yukio Hatoyama, Prime Minister, Japan being welcomed by Captain C P Krishnan Nair, Chairman, Leela Group during a pan-Asian lunch hosted by The Leela Kempinski Mumbai for the visiting Japanese delegation. Japanese Prime Minister, his wife, , The Indian Ambassador to Japan Hemant Krishan Singh and a host of corporate VVIP's were also present on the occasion.

benchmarking its energy and water consumption, total waste production and community commitment; along with implementing an integrated environmental and social policy. Green Globe is the worldwide Benchmarking, Certification and performance improvement system assisting international organisations to at tain sustainability. Bangkok Convention Centre is a unique concept - a new, state of the art Convention Centre, fully integrated with a five star hotel and world class shopping and entertainment facilities.

ASIAN TRAVELLER

PATA Seeks New Face of the Future

ATA is inviting recommendations for its Face of the Future Award. Each year this award is presented to an exceptional young leader in travel and tourism who has exhibited initiative and leadership in the implementation of tourism as well as demonstrated commitment to the sustainable development of the Asia Pacific Travel Industry in line with PATA’s mission. The 2010 PATA Face of the Future Award will be presented at the Association’s Annual General Meeting on 25 April at the Borneo Convention Centre in Kuching. The prize includes air travel and accommodation to attend IMEX in Frankfurt and to join the IMEXMPI Future Leaders Forum and Gala Dinner. An individual is eligible to enter the 2010 PATA ‘Face of the Future’ Award if he or she is aged 35 and below as of 24 April 2010; works for a PATA member organisation in good-standing or is undertaking post-graduate travel and tourism studies at a PATA member educational institution. Entries, no later than 12 February, to: parita@PATA.org.

• 17 •

JANUARY 2010

column

f you want, you can! Can you? Yes, you can! Conditions do not make life; only decisions! Born poor is a condition, becoming rich is a decision. Being illiterate is a condition but becoming literate is a decision. Parents are conditions but friends are decisions. Conditions do not decide our life but only decisions do condition our life. Conditions just reveal what we are in and what our circumstances are. Orville and Wilbur were bicycle repairers by their early condition but then they wanted to make something that could go faster than a cycle, something that could probably fly like a kite or a bird. V DURAIKKANNAN They experimented with their own

foolscap paper, fold it into two, write down t wo columns like 'Why I Cannot Do' and 'How I Can Do' on either side and star t listing the various reasons under the respective headings. Needless to say, you will come with hundred and one reasons for why you cannot do something. And understandably you will struggle hard to drum up the possibilities for the second column. But possibilities are there. The moment you manage three, stop the exercise, tear the other half of why you cannot do and trash it and start working on the remaining half - the three things, the three ways that would help you at tain your

Orville and Wilbur Wright...

...and their flying machine

bicycle mounting another wheel on the handlebars, free-spinning with t wo metal plates - one flat and one cur ved. While pedaling fast, the Wright brothers could measure the air resistance which eventually led to their ultimate invention, the aircraf t! Ray Kroc, the maker of McDonalds' said 'To be successful you must be daring, be first, and be dif ferent!' Daring is the key. Everything worth achievable is always challenging. Whenever faced with a challenge or hardship, follow the Rule of Three. Take a

JANUARY 2010

Only action will. You can put a sugar cube into your cup of plain tea. But unless you stir it, the tea will still remain sugarless. Life is also like that. You ought to stir, you ought to get up and go! Get up and go and in order to be a go-getter! You have wanted, you have started, you have slogged and still the results may elude you. Patience is the key. You will get your reward eventually. It is like a bank deposit. Whatever you are depositing is already into your credit. Some returns are quick and some returns take longer. The a xiomatic truth is that the longer the gestation, the banking the larger is the return! The American actor and singer

objective! Everything begins as a dream. Dream of becoming the star per former; dream of becoming No.1! Once you have dreamt of becoming a star, becoming the hero, immediately star t Eddie Canter get ting up and start going at it. Mere dreaming with no matching action is dangerous and within no time your dream will turn into a nightmare! That is why a goal is called a dream with a time-limit! Mere planning or a wishful thinking is not going to make anything better.

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Eddie Canter ('Banjo Eyes') aptly said: 'It takes t wenty years to become an overnight success!' The Japanese electronic giant Matsushita Group, more famously known as National Panasonic now, is reputed to have not just Plan A and Plan B, but a corporate planning for the nex t five hundred years. That is the mark of a master vision. When we know where we have to go, the journey becomes easier and quicker. Even others would make way for you. The ABC of Paul Coelho success is just the reverse of it - CBA: 'Conceive, Believe, Achieve!' 'When you really want something, the entire universe will conspire to fulfill your desire' - Paul Coelho

ASIAN TRAVELLER

hospitality

personality

Fortune Opens Select Regina at Candolim, Goa Abinash Manghani, Head - Sales & Marketing, Fortune Park Hotels Limited

y primary rationale for choosing a career with hospitality sector was to find a vocation which would of fer challenges and opportunities for travel. The travel and tourism industry of which hospitality is a component has tremendous grow th potential in India and we are beginning to see the changes in our society whether it be the grow th of Civil Aviation and development of world-class Airports in the country. Hospitality is also in a grow th phase. But India has only barely scratched the surface, the coming decade or two promises to be ex tremely interesting and challenging. I joined ITC Ltd. in the year 1987 and rose to become Marketing Manager, ITC Maurya Sheraton, New Delhi in September 2000. During 1992-94 I completed my MBA at AIM, Manila (Philippines) on a scholarship where af ter I rejoined ITC Ltd. Af ter completing successful stints as Sales Manager (Northern Region) and as Sales & Marketing Manager of the then Welcomgroup Chola and Park Sheraton in Chennai, I was posted as the Marketing Manager of the Groups' flagship hotel in the Capital the ITC Mauruya Sheraton. In 2000-2004 several MNCs had opened their operations in India and infrastructure development has since been identified as a grow th sector. Colliers Jardine (a joint venture of Colliers International, Canada and Jardine Matheson) had also opened their of fices in India of fering Real Estate Advisory services. I worked in the Real Estate Consulting sector with Colliers Jardine bet ween 2000-2004 as their General Manager for their Delhi Operations. I rejoined ITC Welcomgroup in 2005 as their Head-Sales & Marketing of For tune Park Hotels and have since worked in Corporate Head Quarters overseeing Branding, Sales & Distribution. Today For tune Hotels manages 31 hotels and approximately 2500 rooms in 28 cities across India. I am married to Poonam Manghani who is a travel professional and since the birth of my two sons Shahan and Rehaan, is a devoted homemaker. Work today involves ex tensive travel so in my free time over weekends, my time is spent between family and friends, eating out, activity time with the kids. I try to keep fit by using the gym, swim, and most recently have star ted to learn golf. I also keep in touch with my friends in other countries and cities through facebook and the like. I read English fiction and non fiction with Indian authors like Vikram Seth and Arundhati Roy. I plan to read Chetan Bhagat as he has been getting some great reviews. I used to be a fan of Graham Green but recently English fiction has been less of an influence. In non-fiction, I sometimes read books on management and am

ASIAN TRAVELLER

currently reading "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell. Music is soul food for me so I gravitate towards such places quiet easily whenever I travel. My tastes are quite eclectic from The Beatles to Modern Jazz. I am also a great fan of Andrew Llyod Weber and recently saw "The Phantom of the Opera" in London. Tennis is a favourite sport and think very highly of spor tsmen like Pete Sampras and Roger Federer - cool and detatched. I also think very highly of India's Cricket captain M S Dhoni for showing exceptional leadership qualities apart from being a great sportsperson. I like to travel and of late as a family we have been doing hill stations in India and sunny beach spots in nearby countries. Since we opened our hotel in Goa recently, I plan to take the

family there soon. We also plan on doing wildlife resorts this season. My work philosophy is - If you do something, do it well. I also believe that success is a by-product of passion and dedication, in short: "You must plan to work and work to plan". All work and no play make Jack a dull boy - So have fun as well. Talking about role models, there are no surprises. Barack Obama with his amazing oratory and hard working ethic is one. He symbolizes hope to many beyond the shores of the US. In the domestic sphere Sonia Gandhi for her elegant handling of power, Manmohan Singh for being a very strong " weak" Prime Minister and Shiela Dixit for changing the face of New Delhi. Amir Khan is a great source of inspiration as a "thinking man's" filmmaker with fantastic ideas and a grip over his medium. I am confident that India is entering a golden phase of grow th which includes tourism and travel. The hospitality industry has fantastic grow th prospects and I plan to be at the forefront of this change.

â&#x20AC;˘ 19 â&#x20AC;˘

or tune Park Hotels Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of ITC Ltd, has announced the opening of its 31st property, For tune Select Regina in Candolim, Nor th Goa. This elegant property has a carefully craf ted blend of contemporary style and traditional aesthetics to provide premium accommodation for visitors. For tune Select Regina, owned by Acron Hospitality Pv t Ltd, the hotels division of Acron, is professionally managed by Fortune Park Hotels Ltd, and is designed from the greenfield stage to comply with the Foreign Tour

Operators' Association specifications. Speaking on the occasion, Pawan Verma, Senior Executive Vice President, ITC Ltd.-Hotels Division, said, "We will be expanding our presence in key markets with our dif ferent brands of For tune Hotels in accordance with market demand. We are all set to launch our new properties in Hyderabad, Thane and Gandhinagar in a couple of months." Suresh Kumar, President, For tune Park Hotels Ltd, said, "With the launch of Fortune Select Regina we will be able to redefine service standards available to the leisure traveller in Goa." "For tune Select Regina reinvents the hospitality experience for holiday visitors to Goa," said Dr. John Brit to, Director, Acron Hospitalit y Pv t Ltd. For tune Select Regina has been created with a careful blend of contemporary and traditional elements to provide elegant, premium accommodation for its guests. The property has 102 well appointed rooms with a selection of 70 deluxe rooms, 25 luxury rooms, six suites and one room for dif ferently abled visitors.

JANUARY 2010

indian panorama

India Tops Macau's Tourism Charts hen the going gets tough, the tough get going," goes the adage. Typically, the Indian travellers, despite the storm clouds of the recession that loomed

globally, continued to globe trot. Macau has reaped the dividends of the trend. In a year when the tourist arrivals from most source countries declined, the number of Indian tourists travelling to Macau in these tough times grew by 31 per cent over 2008 (jumping from 82,369 to 107,513): the only country to show a double digit growth. Significantly, India had also posted a growth of 80 percent in 2008 as compared to 2007. Indeed in the last seven years (since the Indian office of the Macau Government Tourist Office became operational), the number of Indian tourists visiting Macau has grown by a whopping 1500 per cent. Sanjeet, General Manager, Macau Government Tourist Office, India, attributed this

success to the policies of the head office in Macau and the support of the travel industry in India which spared no effort in promoting the destination. Globally too, the last month of 2009 saw an encouraging revival in the number of tourists arrivals into Macau. While the minuscule territory was not immune to the recession that hit the world economy in 2009, the impact was not as acute as initially projected. Not really all that surprising. Macau may be a blip on the rump of Mainland China but the former Portuguese colony has much to offer to the tourists. Suitably located in the South China Seas, it spoils one for choice: great cuisine and shopping; a fascinating blend of European and Oriental cultures and quiet retreats.

It's the popular playground of Asia and Mainland China, the latter accounting for just over 50 per cent of all visitors.

India Tourism Looks Up to CWG 2010 for Revival

India Post, Thomas Cook Join Hands to Provide Travel Services

ndia Post, the world's largest Postal network and Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL), India's largest integrated travel and travel related financial services company, have entered into a mutually beneficial and long term relationship to provide Foreign Exchange and travel related services through the Post Offices. Under the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed in January this year Foreign Exchange and Travel Bureaux will be established within the Post Offices to offer on-site Foreign

ourism sector of India which was hit by terror threat, swine flu scare and hike in airfares in the recent past is looking up to Common Wealth Games 2010 to reverse the trend. The number of foreigners visiting the country has dropped by six percent in 2009 despite the 'Visit India 2009' scheme launched by the Indian government of fering several concessions to woo tourists. While 45.41 lakh foreigners visited the country during January to November 2009, the number was 48.45 lakh in the same period the previous year. In the month of November 2009, the number of foreign tourists was 5.18 lakh as against 5.32 lakh in 2008.

JANUARY 2010

Exchange, Insurance and Travel Products support to India Post customers. This partnership will ensure availability of two strong brands to the customer, especially tourists, and provide them with a legitimate source for undertaking foreign exchange and travel related transactions. Moreover, TCIL would be able to extend its services to locations where India Post is present, thus reaching out to a higher number of customers. This in turn, would make available easy access to customers for Foreign Exchange

â&#x20AC;˘ 20 â&#x20AC;˘

Services. In the initial phase, FX and Travel bureaux will be established in five Post Offices of Delhi. A Raja, Union Minister for Communications and IT formally launched the services in New Delhi. Radhika Doraiswamy, Secretary, Department of Post; Ludger Heuberg, Chairman, TCIL and Madhavan Menon, Managing Director, TCIL were also present on the occasion. ASIAN TRAVELLER

aviation

Etihad Launches iPhone Application for Guest Members

tihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has launched a new Apple iPhone application for members of its award-winning loyalty programme, Etihad Guest. It is the first application of its kind to offer real-time loyalty points redemption for its users. The application, available free to download and use from the Apple iPhone store, will provide Etihad Guest members with an innovative and userfriendly tool designed to assist them manage their accounts and stay informed about the latest Etihad

ASIAN TRAVELLER

Guest promotions. The new iPhone application will allow members to redeem their points immediately for any of the more than 700 products from the Etihad Reward Shop, benefit from channel-exclusive promotions, check the latest partner promotions, view their account information, browse a list of all programme partners and read general programme information. The enhancements form part of a broader digital strategy for the airline, which will offer customers a range of services and information via mobile devices.

â&#x20AC;˘ 21 â&#x20AC;˘

Paramount Airways, Join Hands with Budget Rent-a-Car

aramount Airways, India's premium business class airline, has announced a strategic alliance with Budget Rent-a-Car. This alliance will benefit members of Paramount's frequent flier privilege programme-Paramount Royale.

Paramount Royale now has additional product benefits. Commenting on the development M. Thiagarajan Managing Director M. Thiagarajan, Managing Director, Paramount Airways Paramount Airways said, "Paramount Airways today commands one of the highest load factors and one of the most prestigious product offerings in the Indian skies. In our commitment to reward our loyal customers, this strategic alliance with Budget Rent a Car is another way of bringing ease of travel, convenience and comfort that complements the Paramount experience and extends far beyond air travel.

JANUARY 2010

rest of the world

New York Most Popular U.S. Tourist Destination ew York City was the most popular tourist destination in the United States in 2009 for the first time since 1990. The 45.25 million tourists exceeded projections, declining just 3.9 percent from 2008 versus the 10 percent expected. A 3.2 percent increase in tourism, with an estimated 46.7 million visitors, is expected in 2010. This was announced by Michael R Bloomberg, Mayor, New York City, Robert C. Lieber, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and George Fertitta, CEO, NYC & Company. Employment in the leisure and hospitality sector has fully rebounded and surpassed pre-recession levels. New York City remains the most popular destination in the nation for international visitors with 8.6 million international tourists in 2009 – twice as

many as the nearest competitor, Los Angeles. The Mayor made the announcement at the Greenhouse Cafe in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where he was joined by New York Hotel & Motel Trades Council President Peter Ward, and Bobby Daquara and John Keegan, co-owners of the Greenhouse Café in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, a participating restaurant in NYC & Company’s upcoming “Restaurant Week” promotion. “Over the past eight years, our efforts to make New York City an even more exciting place to visit have helped produce a record number of tourists and create thousands of jobs,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “We expect that 2010 will be a year of recovery, and we will continue to find new

ways to promote the City to all travelers,” said said George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company, the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York.

people are currently employed in the leisure and hospitality industry in New York City – surpassing the 307,000 employed in late 2007 and marking the highest November

Michael R Bloomberg, Mayor, New York City, Robert C. Lieber, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and George Fertitta, CEO, NYC & Company at the “Restaurant Week” promotion

New York City surpassed Orlando in total visitors in 2009 after finishing second in 2008. The City remains on track to achieve its goal of 50 million annual visitors by 2012 despite the effects of the global recession. Approximately 311,000

employment level on record. The gains in employment touched all areas of the sector with employment at food service/restaurants and bars growing by 1.1 percent and employment in hotels growing by 2.6 percent compared to 2008.

Hong Kong Ready to Welcome Chinese New Year his year, Chinese New Year’s Day falls on Valentine’s Day making the celebrations extra special. Festivities include flamboyant flower markets, a spectacular night parade, floats displays, stage performances, fabulous fireworks and lively sporting events, plus plenty of other attractions.

The Chinese New Year celebrations run from 8 to 21 February, allowing visitors to discover all the wonderful events and attractions synonymous with Hong Kong. Make sure you join the party and dress up in a festive outfit or accessories and join in all the fun and excitement with the locals as they celebrate this superb festival. JANUARY 2010

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vibrant gujarat

PPP Model VC Funding Planned in Gujarat T

he Gujarat government is toying with the idea of set ting up Rs 500 crore venture capital funds through Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to invest in tourism related infrastructure in the state, according to reports in various media. Investments will in hotels, resor ts and for developing tourist sites. The state government has already invited Expression of Interest (EoIs) for the proposed venture which would be a 50:50 partnership bet ween the state government and private companies and the partnership is likely to be finalised by end of this month. In 2009, the state government had signed around 150 MoUs wor th Rs 60,000 crore for development of tourism and aviation sectors. The investment will be made over the nex t t wo to three years. The projects include building of hotels, resorts and developing aero strips.

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Gujarat to Develop Buddhist Heritage Site

ujarat government has planned to develop a historic Buddhist heritage site in the state, with an aim to attract tourist from within the country and abroad. Jay Narayan Vyas, Tourism and Health Minister, Gujarat informed that the site includes the museum in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History in Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, where a casket containing ashes of Lord Buddha is kept. The state expects tourists and pilgrims from China, Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and other parts of the world.

JANUARY 2010

kerala traveller

Kerala Tourism to Have 'Tourism Awards Day' from Next Year

rom nex t year onwards, September 27, international tourism day, will also be the 'Tourism Awards Day' in Kerala. Starting from nex t year the state tourism awards will be distributed on September 27, said Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Minister for Tourism, Government of Kerala. The awards function would be a bigger and grandeur event. He was speaking at a function organized in Kochi to give away the state tourism awards for the year 2007-2008. From next year there would be awards for responsible tourism practices, destination management and tourism friendly village, he added. The minister who presided over the function also said that Kerala has recorded a 17 per cent grow th in tourist arrivals during the last season, as compared to the year before. Union Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas who inaugurated the function said that tourist arrivals to

Kerala, Karnataka and Goa were growing faster than to the erst while tourist hubs like Delhi and Rajasthan. Among the States, Kerala has become a model to the rest of India because of innovative

projects to woo tourists, he added. KTDC Chairman Cherian Philip, Kochi Mayor Mercy Williams, Kerala Tourism Director Dr V Venu IAS, Kerala Tourism Director M Shivasankar IAS, Dinesh Mani MLA,

Dominic Presentaion MLA, KTM Chairman Riaz Ahmed, ATE CMD E M Najeeb and Austin Varghese were also present on the occasion. Awards were given away to winners in 29 categories.

Kerala Tourism, Google Tie up

erala Tourism has tied up with Google to promote tourism through search and banner advertisements on the search engine. This is the first time a state tourism department is partnering with the global search engine for such an advertisement campaign. A four-member highlevel team from Google, led by its Business Head, Narasimha Jayakumar was in Kerala recently. They met stakeholders in the tourism industry and conducted workshops for them in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. According to Kerala Tourism website Narasimha Jayakumar, Business Head of Google India has said that the three-month campaign for Kerala Tourism that

JANUARY 2010

star ted in the middle of November received tremendous response. "It is now possible for somebody sit ting in Britain, the U.S.A., Canada or India doing a Google search on something related to tourism to have Kerala Tourism's website link appear on the right side of the page along with the search results". A click on that link would lead the person to get all information on Kerala Tourism, he added. The latest online campaign par tnering Google has begun at a

time when Kerala was slowly opening to its annual tourist season. As an outcome of this new initiative, Kerala Tourism stands to get information on responses at real time. The campaign is expected to increase the number of visitors to the Kerala Tourism website by 40 percent. At tending the workshop organized by Kerala Tourism in association with Google, the Minister for Tourism, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that the par tnership with Google to provide

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increased online presence for Kerala Tourism would go a long way in promoting the interests of stakeholders in Kerala. Expressing his views, Dr. Venu V IAS., Secretary, Kerala Tourism said that the ongoing par tnership of Kerala Tourism with Google- a leader in search engine technology would certainly provide a targetoriented presence for Kerala Tourism on the Internet. Director, Kerala Tourism, M. Sivasankar opined that Google has set its own standards as a leader in search engine technology and it is of immense significance for Kerala Tourism to have them as partner in our ef forts to capture the at tention of Internet users in a sustained manner.

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kerala traveller

Kerala Tourism Brands Rajdhani Express

n one of the biggest campaigns of its kind "Chalo Kerala", Kerala Tourism has decided to use the Hazrat NizamuddinThiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express to showcase the many attractions the state has to of fer to tourists from across India. The ex teriors the 17 coaches of the train which connects Kerala and India's capital will carry images of Kerala's main tourism attractions like backwaters, houseboats, beaches, wildlife and art forms creating a spectacular imagery on a 'moving canvas'. The south bound Rajadhani trains have been taken inorder to reach out to the af fluent families and business travellers. The wrapping on the trains will have about 750 metres of vinyl graphics about Kerala, using the latest digital printing technologies. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Minister for Tourism, Government of Kerala

said "Kerala is the first tourism destination to use train branding to promote the state in what will be one of the most visible and high impact campaigns ever under taken by Kerala Tourism". This would be one of the biggest branding exercises ever to promote a state as a tourism destination, said a press release from Kerala Tourism. The travelling showcase is expected to reach out to more than 30 million people across 10 states, including Delhi, Ut tar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala itself. Kerala Tourism believes this is a very ef fective way to promote its brand message as the wrapped

carriages have "complete dominance for space and at tention". Dr V Venu, Secretary, Kerala Tourism said "In terms of eye-balls, around 85,000 commuters use the

"It will be impossible for commuters to ignore an ex terior montage of endless holiday possibilities, from adventurous to indulgent, all fun and engaging,

plat forms on a daily basis and the Chalo Kerala campaign is a great way to reach out to this captive audience".

while waiting for their train," said M. Sivasankar IAS, Director, Kerala Tourism. The campaign will continue till June 2010.

JANUARY 2010 Travel & Tourism Fair, Chennai, India

January 8-10

Travel & Tourism Fair, Bangalore, India

January 15-17

Fitur, Madrid, Spain

January 20-24

Nagaur Fair, Nagaur, India

January 22-25

Hospitality World 2010, Mumbai, India

January 21-23

ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), Brunei

January 21-28

SATTE, New Delhi, India

January 28-30

FEBRUARY 2010 Travel & Tourism Fair, Mumbai, India

February 6-8

Travel & Tourism Fair-Delhi, India

February 11-13

Goa Carnival

February 13-16

BIT, Milan

February 18-21

IT TE 2010, Mumbai, India

February 18-20

India International Travel Mart, Cochin India

February 19-21

India Travel Mart, Chandigarh

February 20-22

IITE, Vijayawada, India

February 26- 28

Elephant Festival, Jaipur

February 28

MARCH 2010 ITB Berlin, Germany

JANUARY 2010

March 10-14

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ASIAN TRAVELLER

variety

Send-off Given to Biswajit Chakraborty

Which is the only number in the English language that has as many letters in it as it denotes? Burj Dubai is going to be the tallest structure in the world (2,684 feet). What does 'burj' mean? What is the meaning of the soap brand name Camay? 4. 5. 6. 7.

Burj Dubai

Which city is known as the Rubber Capital of the World? What is the origin of the car brand name Cadillac? What is a boomburg? Which is the shortest of the four gospels in New Testament?

Biswajit Chakraborty, who was going to Mumbai as General Manager, The Leela Kempinski, Mumbai was given a hearty sendoff by the tourism and hospitality professionals in Thiruvananthapuram.

Cadillac

Starbucks calls it large cup of tea as 'Venti'. Why? 9. What is the currency of Israel called? 10. Who is Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo?

Biswajit Chakrabor ty has been appointed General Manager of The Leela Kempinski, Mumbai, India

Compiled by DEEKAY

Send in your answers to info@mediastepsindia.com with TYKC28 in the the subject line. Answers should reach us before the 30th of this month.

N.C. Somaiah has been appointed General Manager of the Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala, India

Answers to TYKC 27 1. Because 'enteron' approximated the Greek word for 'intestines', 2. That is Thai for 'mother of all rivers' (Mae Khong), 3.Chile, 4.Gin (believed to induce abortions), 5. Eskimo - Eater of raw flesh & Inuit - The people, 6.Turkey, 7. Buddhism, 8. Lebanon, 9. Dec 07 (foundation day of International Civil Aviation Organization), 10. Bats

Anil Reddy has joined iViaWorld, the leading B2B travel technology company based in Bangalore, India as Project Head

TYKC 27 - WINNER Prakash Royan has joined Nandhana Grand, Bangalore, India as Corporate General Manager

Sooraj Soma Sundar Santi Nagar, Mira Road, Mumbai

One all-correct entry will get

John Abraham has joined Bramma Hotels & Resorts Kerala, which has proper ties in Cochin, Munnar and Wayanad as General Manager.

Free Stay at Le-Meridien, Kochi

[ 2 nights and 3 days for two ]* Nestled amongst 25 acres of coconut groves and backwater rivers, Le Méridien Cochin Resort & Convention Centre sits at the heart of one of India's most naturally beautiful cities, Kochi. This prestigious landmark houses 5 floors of luxurious accommodation for international business and leisure travelers. The 151 spacious rooms and suites, most with breathtaking views over the manicured gardens and the backwaters. * Conditions apply

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Bijoy Mathew has joined Kumar Palace, Punalur, Kerala, India as General Manager

JANUARY 2010

album

Best Tour Operator (Handling maximum Number of Tourists) Travel Corporation (India) Private Ltd.

Best Tour Operator (Maximum Foreign Exchange Earnings) The Great India Tour Company Private Ltd.

Best Tour Operator from Kerala : Vivekananda Travels Private Ltd.

Best One Star Hotel: Periyar House, Thekkady

Best Two Star Hotel: Hotel Samudra, Kovalam

Best Three Star Hotel: The Marari Beach, Alappuzha

Best Four Star Hotel: Uday Samudra Liesure Beach Hotel, Kovalam

Best Five Star Hotel: Taj Residency, Kochi

Best Five Star Deluxe Hotel: Le Meridien Resort & Convention Centre, Kochi

Best Heritage Hotel: Coconut Lagoon, Kumarakom

Best Approved & Classified Ayurvedic Centre: Somatheeram Ayurvedic Hospital, Chowara

Best Approved & Classified Houseboat Operator: Rainbow Cruises, Alappuzha

Best Motel : Motel Araam, Kayamkulam

Most Innovative Project in Tourism: Kerala Travels Interserve Ltd., Varkala

Best Hotel Manager : H. Raja Gopaal Iyer, General Manager, Uday Samudra Liesure Beach Hotel, Kovalam

Most Eco Friendly Tourism Project : The Marari Beach, Alappuzha

Best Tourism Hotel Management Institute : Oriental School of Hotel Management, Vythiri

Most Kerala Friendly Overseas Tour Operator: Jayasree Travels & Tours, UAE

Best Tourism Police : Sathyan C., Kannur City Police Station

Best Marketed Tourism Product : Uday Samudra Liesure Beach Hotel, Kovalam

Best Performing DTPC : DTPC Alappuzha

JANUARY 2010

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