Asian Traveller May 2009 by Asian Traveller

CONTENTS Vol. 2 | No. 8 | MAY 2009

Face to Face

World Tourism Facing Economic Crisis and Influenza Threat

International tourism demand has deteriorated further due to the impact of the global economic recession.

7 Monalisa Goswami ACS, Director of Tourism, Government of Assam

ATM Concludes on an Optimistic Note

ATM 2009 has ended with senior industry figures predicting the region would defy current global economic conditions to buck world-wide trends and international downturns in travel to record solid growth.

Assam Banking on Nature

26 Thomas Chandy

Destination

20 Woman of the Month

Page

15 16

MANAS BID TO REGAIN HERITAGE TAG

22 25

DENTISTRY IN THE TIME OF CRISIS

KERALA TOURISM JOIN HANDS WITH JET AIRWAYS

THE SOUNDS OF KERALA TO HIT RADIO WAVES IN KEY METROS

AS I TRAVEL V Duraikkannan

10 Questions

TRAVELLER’S NOTE BOOK Florian Mayer

HO CHI MINH CITY Sara Stefanini Page

MAY 2009 ASIAN TRAVELLER

Cover Photo : Florian Mayer

Publication

Managing Editor Group Editor Vice President & CEO Executive Editor Consultant Editor Photo Editor Art Editor Editorial Team

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Director (Finance) Legal Advisor Financial Advisor G.M-North Sr.Mgr. Tamilnadu AUSTRALIA

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BULGARIA

KSA

LONDON

UAE

KUWAIT

NEW DELHI

MUMBAI

BANGALORE

CHENNAI

HYDERABAD

DEHRADUN

MADURAI

ERNAKULAM

KOLKATA

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Administration

G. Biju Krishnan G. Gopakumar* M. P. Sreekumar Lerbin T. K. Dr. Madhav Manoj Retheesh Kariyam Amal Prasad R. Parameswaran Smitha R. K. Harikrishnan V. N.Gopalakrishnan Nair B. Prasad Wg. Cdr. V. K. Gangal P. Deenadayalu Bandana K. Prasad 0061-892757447 Vladimir Harizanov 00359-36186565 Sam Mathew 00966-505150513 Abdul Najeeb 0044-7769940391 Sanjeev S. L. 00971 508914709 Mariam Titus 00965 6638670 V. K. Gangal 09871180498 Mahesh Nair 022 32499989 Rohil Kumar A. B. 09844001625 Nisha J. 09841008588 K.S. Johnson 09441236010 P. Mohandas 09719055472 P. Deenadayalu 09843129535 M. P. Sreekumar 09447118694 Anurag Sinha 09830015667 M. Sreekumar 09745001001 Jaya Rajeshwari Soniya S. Vidhu Krishna Nujum

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, www.mediastepsindia.com Regd. Office: Media Steps India, TC-27/1915, MBRRA 70, Mathrubhoomi Rd., Thiruvananthapuram–695 001, Kerala State, South India. Mumbai Office: 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, Andhra Pradesh, India Tel.: +91 40 23080750, +91 40 23176966, +91 40 23176996, Fax: +91 40 27535260 Chennai Office: Media Steps India, 6/4, Sangeetha Gardens, 19th Street Ext, Jai Nagar, Arumbakkam, Chennai - 600 106. Tel: +91 44 42640531 EDITED, PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY G. Biju Krishnan and Printed at M/s. Safire Offset Printers, Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu for Cristal Printers, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala State, South India. Reg No.: KERENG 01910/11/1/2006-TC EDITOR: G. Biju Krishnan The news items and Advertisements published herein have been collected from various source, which are considered to be reliable. Readers are however requested to verify the facts before making business decisions using the same. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission from the Publisher. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2009 *Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

EDITOR’S NOTE

he recent out break of influenza has come as a big blow to the world tourism industry which is staggering as result of the ongoing world economic meltdown. But it is of great relief to the travel and tourism world that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has not recommended travel restrictions at this point (See Below Edit section). It is true that the tourism sector has faced crises (which included terrorism, epidemics and war) many times in the past and has emerged stronger and healthier. The current economic juncture, however, seems different. This crisis is truly global and its parameters are still in many ways unclear. It is against this background the UNWTO has increased its efforts to provide its members with the necessary support on a consistent basis to endure these challenging times: The Tourism Resilience Committee (TRC) of UNWTO provides a framework for better market analysis, collaboration on responses and medium-term policymaking. UNWTO has urged the governments to "put tourism at the core of their stimulus packages - jobs and trade are engendered through a strong tourism sector, as well as business and consumer confidence in travel which can play a big part in economic recovery." Another suggestion from the part of UNWTO with a long term perspective is to place tourism at the forefront of the transformation towards the Green Economy; contributing with carbon-clean operations, jobs in environmental management and energyefficient constructions. UNWTO's Roadmap for Recovery will lead to a unique positioning of the sector with respect to the economic crisis, its role in the stimulus programme, in the recovery, future sustainability and competitiveness of tourism. The industry should accept the fact that "the crisis is real, significant and transforming and must take every action to shore up defences, so that it can weather the storm and emerge on the other side when the good times return - as it surely will. As suggested in the UNWTO's Roadmap for Recovery "the players in the sector must recognize that the measures we need to take now will require unusual action because of the complex, interconnected and dynamically unfolding nature of this crisis. The future operating patterns for global economies will be vastly different from the past: the very nature of consumerism will have changed and so will be the markets and prospects. It is time for innovations and bold action.

G. Biju Krishnan Editor & Publisher

Below Edit

No Rationale for Travel Restrictions he World Health Organisation (WHO) issued information relating to travel restrictions, providing reasons why it does not recommend travel restrictions related to the outbreak of Influenza H1N1 virus. The WHO's rationale is that limiting travel and imposing travel restrictions would have very little effect on stopping the virus from spreading, but would be highly disruptive to the global community. Today, international travel moves rapidly, with large numbers of individuals visiting various parts of the world. Limiting travel and imposing travel restrictions would have very little effect on stopping the virus from spreading, but would be highly disruptive to the global community. Influenza A(H1N1) has already been confirmed in many parts of the world. The focus now is on minimizing the impact of the virus through the rapid identification of cases and providing patients with appropriate medical care, rather than on stopping its spread internationally. Furthermore, although identifying the signs and symptoms of influenza in travellers can be an effective monitoring technique, it is not effective in reducing the spread of influenza as the virus can be transmitted from person to person before the onset of symptoms. Scientific research based on mathematical modelling indicates that restricting travel will be of limited or no benefit in stopping the spread of disease. Historical records of previous influenza pandemics, as well as experience with SARS, have validated this point. Travellers can protect themselves and others by following simple recommendations related to travel aimed at preventing the spread of infection. Individuals who are ill should delay travel plans and returning travellers who fall ill should seek appropriate medical care. These recommendations are prudent measures which can limit the spread of many communicable diseases and not only influenza A(H1N1).

Verbatim

“

In many ways, hotels are tourism’s frontline. By looking at your occupancy rates and your forward bookings, you can tell just

how well the tourism sector is doing. And because tourism is such a big part of our economy, you can get a feel for how well New Zealand is doing.

”

John Key Prime Minister New Zealand

ASIAN TRAVELLER MAY 2009

WORLDVIEW

World Tourism in the Face of Global Economic Crisis and Influenza Threat nternational tourism demand has deteriorated further due to the impact of the global economic recession. International tourist arrivals declined at a rate of 8 per cent between January and February this year, leaving the overall volume at the same level as recorded in 2007. At the same time, influenza A(H1N1) is starting to affect the sector. Its impact is being closely monitored by UNWTO in close collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). UNWTO follows the WHO's advice as it is the leading UN agency in matters relating to health. WHO does not recommend travel restrictions at this point. Preliminary UNWTO figures for the first months of 2009 indicate a continuation of the negative growth already experienced in the second

half of 2008. Destinations all around the world have suffered from a decrease in demand in major source markets. With the exception of Africa and both Central and South America, who all posted positive results in the range of 3 to 5 per cent. So far, Northern, Southern and Mediterranean Europe, North-East Asia, South Asia and the Middle East are amongst the most affected sub-regions. In this context, UNWTO expects international tourism to decline between 2 per cent and 3 per cent in 2009. Many countries are already developing stimulus measures within their fiscal and monetary packages to mitigate the effects of the crisis on tourism, realizing that the sector can be a key driver of economic recovery. Some destinations are reducing

taxes and improving travel facilitation, recognizing that it is now crucial to remove all obstacles to tourism, especially taxation and over regulation. Others have developed financial systems to support tourism enterprises, maintain/increase employment in the sector and develop infrastruc-

ture. UNWTO encourages others to follow suit. Secretary-General ad interim Taleb Rifai stressed that "One of the major challenges amidst the current crisis is the imperative of not losing sight of the longer-term challenges of poverty alleviation, employment and climate change".

ATM Concludes on an Optimistic Note Airways, who all made their debuts, also made significant space commitments for 2009. The show also saw delegations, led by senior government Ministers, from a host of international and Middle East nations and states, including Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Cyprus, Bahrain, Kenya, Kuwait, Spain, Indonesia, Jordan, South Africa, Argentina, Romania, India, Morocco, Greece, Thailand, the Philippines and Nepal. Reed Travel Exhibitions, organisers of Arabian Travel Market 2009, which ran at the number of destinations such trends and international Dubai International as Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, downturns in travel to record Thailand, Greece, Cyprus, Convention & Exhibition solid growth. Centre said it was pleased with Italy, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Arabian Travel Market the way the event had gone 2009 boasted more than 2,100 Mauritius and Kenya. In addition, a host of firstand was already working on exhibitors and stand-sharers, from 69 countries, including time exhibiting countries, such bolstering 2010's offering. as Romania and Cambodia, as "This year is very much a 70 new-to-market watershed moment for the representatives, as well nearly well as regional and industry as a whole and to see 60 national tourist bodies international carriers including Swiss Airlines, such strong exhibitor and representing six continents, Jazeera Airways and Wataniya visitor numbers here in the including debutants from the rabian Travel Market 2009 the Middle East's premier travel and tourism event has ended with senior industry figures predicting the region would defy current global economic conditions to buck world-wide

MAY 2009 ASIAN TRAVELLER

Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Romania and Nigeria, as well as first-time representation from the Ecuadorian, Slovenian and San Marino private sectors. The four-day event also had increased space uptake from a

Middle East is testament to the region's reputation as one of the world's fastest growing and most dynamic markets. We're very pleased with the reaction to the 2009 event we see it as a very strong platform towards 2010 where we hope to see a complete industry

recovery," said Mark Walsh, Group Exhibition Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions. "We have already begun receiving bookings for next year, which is extremely encouraging, and we have a number of new initiatives debuting in 2010 which will further increase the show's standing as the premier setting for the travel sector to conduct Middle East business."

FACE TO FACE

Assam

Monalisa Goswami ACS

Banking on Nature

Assam is a rich, green land of rolling plains and dense forests and is the gateway to the north eastern part of India. The mighty Brahmaputra River which has its origins in Tibet charts its majestic course through this state. Assam is also the land of eternal blue hills and beautiful rivers. The state is renowned for its tea, rich flora and fauna, the world famous one horned rhinoceros and other rare species of wildlife on the verge of extinction. Barring Africa, there is perhaps no part of the world where such a variety of wildlife exists. Monalisa Goswami ACS, Director of Tourism, Government of Assam spoke to Asian Traveller about the different aspects of Tourism in Assam. Excerpts: How do you position your state in the tourism market? The state of Assam has a lot of potential and it can be rated among the top five tourism states in India. In reality we are not marketing ourselves as much as the other states. So we are in the middle level in the tourism map. I wouldn't include our state in the first or the last segment and would rate five in a scale of ten. What is the role of the state government in the development of the tourism sector? The government plays a huge role in developing the tourism sector. It is the government who gives assistance to the industry's growth in the other states also. What are the innovative tourism products the state has to offer? As you know, Assam itself is a very rich state in terms of scenic beauty, wild life and culture which you may not find in other states of India. In terms of innovative products we have the largest fresh Water mid-river deltaic island, Majuli, which is situated in the

upper reaches of the river Brahmaputra in Assam. That is an area which we want to further develop and market. Then there is the luxury boat which we are trying to bring out in September or October this year which will be catering to the high-end tourists. We hope this will help us putting ourselves in the international map. There some more products in the pipeline. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your state in tourism? In terms of strengths, we have the very basic infrastructure in addition to the natural attractions. For example, we have the one horned rhino which no other country can boast of. That is one of the basic potential that we have and we try to develop. In terms of the scenic wonders, waterfalls, wild life, rivers like Bhramaputra etc. The weakness is that we are not completely aware of our richness. For us it is like a day to day affair. Do you have any joint venture projects with the neighboring states? As of now we are not

thinking of any joint ventures, but we will be trying to do that as the tourists coming here would be more interested to go visit tourist places in the neighboring states also. What kind of tourists do you mainly cater to? We would cater to all types of tourists starting from the up-market travellers. We have private boats taking people to different places, taking them via Kaziranga to the upper Assam districts. We also have budget tourists visiting the Kamakhya and other temples. There are also budget tourists travelling from Guwahati to other places in the North East. We also have large numbers of middle bracket tourists who are aware of tourist attractions of the place. What are the facilities to accommodate the visitors? The options for accommodation here are developing fast. Apart from the government lodges there are many private lodges and resorts coming up. We have seventeen wildife sanctuaries and five national parks which are much more than other

stats could offer. What is the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget allocation for the development of tourism? Government of India and the Assam Government are very much liberal when it comes to support tourism projects. Last year we had a state budget allocation of Rs 23 crores. Although it is not enough for the development of the tourism sector as a whole, it is a good beginning. We also get funds from the Government of India. Which are the main source markets of Assam? We have a good number of European and American tourists coming in. There are also group exchanges in which children coming in from US and UK. All details are made available on the internet. The Lonely Planet has featured us. So those people who want to go to the wilderness - mostly the Europeans - come to our state. What are the USP's of Assam Tourism? The first one is the onehorned Rhino. The mighty river and the entire people of Assam are also a main attraction. ASIAN TRAVELLER MAY 2009

PERSONALITY

HARINDER SINGH GENERAL MANAGER, THE GRAND NEW DELHI INDIA

How did you become interested in hospitality business? After qualifying for the IPS I wanted to make it to the IAS and in the interim explored the possibility of joining the hotel profession for a year as an alternative and ended up joining the Hyatt as Guest

Relations Officer. The hospitality industry had just begun to open up and over years it has grown immensely. What is your current role at your company? As the General Manager,

my role at The Grand New Delhi is to oversee operational setup and over all management of the hotel. I am also responsible for developing strategies in opening the hotel shortly and also to strengthen the hotel's presence in local, national and international market along with the group's extensive growth and expansion plans. What plans - immediate and long term - do you have? My plan is to position and establish The Grand New Delhi as the premier business and convention hotel in the city. I also aim to project the hotel as a contemporary, modern and safe hotel where the services offered to the guests are customized as per current trends and need. As a travel industry professional what is your ambition? I would definitely like to head a larger operation comprising of 3-4 hotels and be responsible for it from the project stage onwards. Who or what has been the greatest influence in your professional life? People. I would not be able to narrow it down to one but many seniors during my professional life who gave me an insight in hoteliering. As woman, what were the challenges you had to face in your professional life? What is your advice to young girls who enter the sector? The challenges in this industry are many and one has

to take it at one's stride as it comes. Long hours, client handling and innovative services and the regular but important challenges. However, it is business models which are most challenging as innovation is a constant factor in our lives whether it is buoyant or a depressed market scenario and, of late, challenges of security when terrorism has become a part of life. I would certainly recommend a career in hospitality industry and also that there is no short cut to hard work and avoid procrastination of anything that you do. What is the secret of your success? Hard work, commitment, thoroughness and to not believe in procrastination. What is your proudest moment in your job? Recognition for my efforts especially in building brand equity of places I worked in.. Tell us about your family. My family has been the most supportive in whatever I have chosen to do. What are your hobbies? I am totally an outdoor person and love to play golf and tennis. I have played tennis at the national level and have won the national trap shooting championship many times. Besides, I have a deep interest in art and delve in oil painting and greatly enjoy traveling the world. Occasionally, I write and have contributed articles to different magazines.

Skål International Celebrates 75th Anniversary ore than 250 tourism professionals from around the world have gathered in Paris on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Skål International. The celebrations started with a sumptuous gala dinner on April 27, 2009 in the Galerie des Fêtes in the French National Assembly. In addition to Skål members and special guests from other international organizations, the gala dinner was also attended by M. Henri Novelli, Secretary of State in charge of tourism, French Government; the Presidents of French/Turkish Parliamentary Friendship Committee, Michel Diffenbacher and Yasar Yakis; Thierry Baudier, Director General, Maison de la France; the Commercial

MAY 2009 ASIAN TRAVELLER

Director of Air France Christian Boireau; and a large number of honorary and past presidents of Skål International.The celebrations continued on "World Skål Day" on April 28, 2009 with a visit to Pere Lechaise cemetery, where a wreath was laid at the tomb of Florimond Volckaert, founder president of the organization and considered the father of Skål. A networking luncheon followed on board the Bateaux Parisiens attended by more than 250 members worldwide. A special plaque was unveiled by the president of Skål International Hulya Aslantas at the Hotel Scribe to commemorate the 75th anniversary.

Q & A

RAJA GOPAAL IYER CORPORATE DIRECTOR UDAY SAMUDRA LEISURE BEACH HOTEL KOVALAM, KERALA INDIA

MAY 2009 ASIAN TRAVELLER

Tell us about your hotel and its USP's My USP is ofcourse the location 15meters from the sea, the largest inventory, the best of facilities with combination of services. Now it has been re-branded as a wellness resort with ayurveda, spa and an in-house dental clinic. The branding is 4 star at the moment and I feel the main USP's are value for money, service to the guests are like a home sure, flexible to the clients and to the agents, more domestic-guestfriendly and a view of the sea from the balcony. How do you position the hotel in the market? Positioning UDS is always a four-star plus hotel with the comfortable pricing. It is a very unique combination; I am popular to the domestic segment as we have done some base level work in the market especially in Gujarat belt. During the offseason the strategy is always promote it as a MICE hotel. We are specialised in banqueting, like the theme dinners, weddings and large banquets. We are very popular in Europe and UK market and we have repeaters coming every year. How important is a hotel in developing a destination? It is important that all managers, property owners and the local tourism body should have a clear strategy to develop the destination. UDS was just 27 room hotel to start with and now it has 200 rooms. We are always selling Kovalam and not UDS. Every year we do fam trips for agents from different states like Gujrat, Maharashtra and Bangalore etc. to Kovalam and then promote the other parts of Kerala too. Could you tell us about your Background and how did you come to the industry? I joined Oberoi, Delhi and worked with them for three years in various food and beverage outlets. With what I earned as salary and the tips getting from there I joined DHMCT Delhi and took night job at Oberoi. It was my personnel manager and my department heads understood and supported me so much, evening I used to go to Bhagathsingh College of commerce for my B.com Degree. May be 3-4 hours sleep for three years 1982-85 and then I joined

Taj group of hotel and worked with them for seven years and resigned as Asst Manager F&B from the Taj. After leaving Taj 1991 I just took over lots of young and new properties. I am with UDS for the last seven years. Tell us about your experience so far? I have been setting up hotels last 16 years and put efforts in many hotels in designing the public areas and the interiors of the rooms etc. I always felt that I will be able to create a niche for myself. What plans immediate and long term do you have? Coming months are tough as I am on the work of restructuring the entire hierarchy for many reasons. Revamping the rooms and the restaurants to get into the five-star category and the training also which will be the most important subject. The hotel is starting its flight kitchen 'Sky Kitchen'. We are also mulling hotel projects in Wagamon and Alappuzha. Where would you like to see yourself, say, 10 years? Yes I am sure my dreams are clear, I will be still working with the same way and with same looks. My energy level will not come down as it is important that you should be fit if you have to make your dream come true. I will be busy setting up my Group of Organisation, setting up a Agraharam kind of wellness resorts and setting up colleges and schools for training hospitality - in Kerala and outside. Tell us about your family? With a wonderful understanding wife, who is the most important factor behind my success apart from my mother (who was my everything), my two beautiful daughters - one in the college and one in the school- it is just a small family but with lots of love and care to share for each other. Tell us about your hobbies and other interests. I love to sing, write poems, songs and books. I am also interested in acting and modeling. I have just cut an album for which I have written lyrics and composed music. This year I am planning to come out with two more books, one on cookery and one on management. Forests and wild life are my passion too. Which is your favourite Destination? Of course India. But I have not seen even half of India yet. My favourite spots are Kashmir and Ladakh. I also like Thailand, Australia and Switzerland.

COLUMN

had never been to a college. Many would not realize that when Shakespeare penned all his 39 plays and 154 sonnets, he had no dictionary by his desk to Samuel Johnson Shakespeare refer to. The first another national poet of ours, ever dictionary of English language Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi. came into existence thanks to Mahakavi ('the Great Poet') was Samuel Johnson only in 1755. And such a prophet and visionary that Shakespeare died in 1616! Just for he sang a paean in celebration of the knowledge of our prudish V DURAIKKANNAN India's independence ('let's academics, the following words danceâ&#x20AC;Ś let's singâ&#x20AC;ŚThat we have were coined by Shakespeare: won our delightful independence!') Abstemious, Besmirch, Dauntless, Divest, Domineering, Dwindle, some three decades before its actual occurrence. The poet died in Frugal, Gnarled, Hobnob, Lacklustre, Madcap, Perusal, Promethean, 1921 whereas the independence Rancorous, Rumination, Sanctimo- came much later in 1947. But what was happening to the poet when nious, Tranquil, Transcendence, he was there around? He lived in Unmitigated A contribution to the learned for penury and died in penury. Today we have universities and colleges learning by an unlearned! named after him. We have endowTamil writer Jayakanthan was ments in his name. But when he mentioning the irony of this at a died, it is said that the number of university gathering: 'You are all reading the books written by us, we flies that swarmed his dead face were more in number than the the unread!' Recently, St Xavier's people who followed his cortege to College at Kolkata was honouring the funeral ground! one of its old students on its The same Jayakanthan, who completion of 150 years of existworships the great poet as his ence. The old student celebrant is 'adarsh purush' or role model, was none other than our national poet mentioning of the apathy of the and Nobel laureate, Rabindranath people: 'They (the people) have not Tagore! But what was Tagore for the then St Xavier School which he realized his importance during his lifetime or even now - most of them joined in 1875? He was just a St Xavier's College, Kolkata Rabindranath Tagore who celebrate his anniversary school drop-out! Strange are the today do not really know whether it and formalizing my appointment as ways the universe chooses to is his birth or death anniversary celebrate its people! a syndicate member. But that was I am always partly pained by the that they are celebrating'. The great the beginning and that was the end poet was born on Dec 11, 1882 announcements of the so called of it. I also really did not bother posthumous awards every now and and died on Sep 11, 1921. about it for a month or so. But Recognize the genius when he then in cinema, music, or literature. when I happened to meet an What kind of recognition is that? For is alive and around for there is a official from the institute at a dire message from the yore: 'The Rotary meeting, I casually checked one thing the man who is being on that. What he told me surprised awarded would never get to know of genius who is not recognized it at all. The very word 'posthumous' during his lifetime will never re-visit me more than hurt. He said that the country he had been there, is self-explanatory: 'post' + 'humus' they had withheld my candidature = 'after' + 'earth', that is after the because I was not an MBA by never again!' myself to qualify for teaching to the burial. A posthumous award only MBA students as per the norm. They were so much embarrassed to betrays the mental opacity of a broach this news that they kept it community, and under the wraps! I could not but help laugh at the its slowness in norms. Year in and year out so many recognizing a genius. candidates are doing doctorates The same and becoming PhDs on ShakeJayakanthan Subramanya Bharathi thing happened to speare. But Shakespeare himself ne of the leading institutes of business management in down South of India once invited me as a guest lecturer for their graduation ceremony. And after a while, the same institute called me up if I could stand in for a scheduled lecturer-trainer who could not turn up for the workshop on organizational leadership for practicing managers organized by them. I was one of the five lecturers for the workshop. Barring me, the remaining four of them were full-time academicians, holding doctorates in their respective fields, and certified trainers. After the event was over, the next day the head of the institution called me up and congratulated that I had been rated the best by the participants in terms of course content and delivery. My visiting the institute among others became a regular affair thereafter so much so at the year-end they proposed that I become their syndicate member. I also acceded and submitted all the papers they required for processing

MAY 2009 ASIAN TRAVELLER

EXPERIENCE

Ho Chi Minh City

Where Past Coexists with Present SARA STEFANINI

Minh does not feel quite as crazy or vast as the Thai city, but it is certainly more developed and ith street markets, food stalls and hoards tourist-friendly than the Cambodian of speeding, honking capital was two years ago. Still, like mopeds mixed in with grand hotels its neighbors, visitors in Ho Chi Minh must haggle over taxi fares and high-end designer shops, the Vietnamese capital of Ho Chi Minh and water bottle prices and fend off pushy souvenir sellers. City is clearly an evolving, fastThe city offers a multitude of changing metropolis. fascinating sites, but it is compact Less than five years ago there were few, if any cars, on the streets enough to be toured in two or three of Saigon, as the Vietnamese have days. One of the most compelling spots is the War Remnants Mucontinued to call the city since it seum, formerly known as the was renamed in 1975. It would Exhibition House of American War have been hard to come by a Crimes. moped driver wearing a helmet, to The museum showcases a slew find a restaurant serving foreign of graphic, disturbing photographs dishes or see a shop selling from the Vietnam War, including international brands. pictures of children disfigured from But today, minivans, sedans the Americans' use of Dioxin, better and sports utility vehicles - new known as Agent Orange, an elderly and old - crowd the city streets Vietnamese woman with a rifle along with motorcycles, and most drivers follow the new law requiring pointed at her head and homes burned to the ground with bodies anyone over 18 to don protective lying nearby. Along the walls of headgear. (Since the Vietnamese hanging photographs are also believe that helmets can stunt quotes from United States soldiers growth, they do not describing their orders to wipe out oblige children to villages, from survivors retelling the wear them). horror they went through and from Near prime researchers explaining the lasting tourist attractions effects of Agent Orange, napalm such as the Reunification Palace and phosphorus bombs and other defoliant sprays. The museum and the War Remnants Museum, it is even displays jars of human embryos disfigured from the also easy to find chemicals. foreign retailers Other rooms show pictures and ranging from Louis Vuitton and La Perla stories from photojournalists who died while covering the war, the soto Mango and called tiger cages used to hold French Connection. Vietnamese political prisoners and These new shops, military equipment such as a UH-1 however, are still helicopters and an M48 Patton surrounded by tank. street-side vendors With eight rooms in all, the selling trinkets, Tshirts and coconuts. museum can take some time to get through and leaves viewers with a In this way, Ho lasting impression of how present Chi Minh falls the war, which ran from 1959 to somewhere in 1975 and resulted in the death of between two other approximately 3 to 4 million Southeast Asian Vietnamese in total, still is in capitals I visited in 2006 - Bangkok and today's Vietnam. While this living memory of the Phnom Penh. Ho Chi

W The city offers a multitude of fascinating sites, but it is compact enough to be toured in two or three days. One of the most compelling spots is the War Remnants Museum, formerly known as the Exhibition House of American War Crimes.

MAY 2009 ASIAN TRAVELLER

war between north and south Vietnam remains prominent, Ho Chi Minh's evolution into a Sara Stefanini modern, developed city is just as palpable. During my four-day trip to the city with friends, I went out to dinner with two 30-something Vietnamese men who had worked with one of my travel buddies four years ago. My friend could not believe how much Duk and Vu, both coffee farm surveyors, had changed over that time. Duk, the more outgoing of the two, now watched Bloomberg News regularly and knew current affairs trivia such as the name of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, drove a spiffy new Vespa and texted non-stop on his mobile phone. When Duk took off on his first trip outside of Vietnam a few years ago, to Indonesia, he carried a suitcase full of food and decided to go home early because it was all too different. Since then, he has visited Europe for work and says that he likes it. Following dinner, Duk and Vu took us to a hip lounge to listen to live music. The bar, and the crowd it attracted, resembled many of the spots in New York City's West Village. Young, trendy Vietnamese, some dressed in casual jeans and polo shirts and others in minidresses and heels, took their seats and ordered cocktails sold for prices comparable to those of a Manhattan pub. The band soon climbed up to the stage and took off with wellknown tunes from American and European artists such as The Killers, Amy Winehouse, Elton John and Alicia Keyes. With the crowd cheering and singing along enthusiastically, it occurred to me that I could easily have been sitting in a bar in any Western city around the world.

DESTINATION

Manas Bid To Regain Heritage Tag MD. SABIR NISHAT anas National Park is making a last ditch attempt to regain its world heritage site tag after faltering again and again to win back the coveted status. The park which continues to wallow in the world heritage site-in-danger list since 1992 following a protracted violent local agitation in 1989, was included in the list in 1985. The move comes in the wake of the park once again failing to make it to the coveted list at Quebec in July last year. Delhi has now sought the help of Bhutan for its preservation. The Centre has informed the World Heritage Committee that the initiative would include setting up a trans-border cooperation programme - a necessity for the survival of several of the larger mammals found in the park. As tigers and elephants need wide ranges to survive, the inclusion of additional undisturbed habitat and their connectivity through ecological corridors have become important for long-term conservation of the park to get it listed as a world heritage site. Talking to Asian Traveller, A. Swargiari, field director of the park, said, "Having a trans-boundary cooperation programme will benefit both sides as we have contiguous area." He said though there is a

working relationship with Royal Manas National Park falling in the Himalayan Kingdom, it needs to be transformed in the form of a protocol. "This trans-border programme is a step in that direction," he said. Spelling out the initiatives taken in recent times to restore the pristine glory of Manas, Swargiari said, "We are now making every bid to win back the world heritage site tag by conforming to the conditions laid down by the monitoring mission."

what is more important is the involvement of the people living in the periphery of the park as well as NGOs in the conservation efforts. There are 57 villages on the immediate periphery of the core of Manas spread across 500 sq.km.. Says Swargiari, "Conservation will be a far cry if the people are not involved in it. The widespread ignorance and feeling of alienation and hostility towards Manas that once prevailed among the locals following Bodo agitation in 1989

species are globally endangered), 42 species of reptiles, 7 amphibians, 54 species of Md. Sabir Nishat fishes and 103 species of invertebrates. It's also a paradise for birdwatchers for it has a stunning selection of avian life. The stunning variety of terrain, splendid landscapes and sparkling rivers offer adventure sports lovers a vast

Swargiari exuded confidence that the park would get the world heritage site tag as the high-level monitoring committee that visited the park to review its status a couple of months back was satisfied with the slew of measures initiated in the past one and a half year towards conservation of the universal values for which Manas was once inscribed on the world heritage list. The strength of forest personnel has been increased. But

leading to wanton destruction of forest and killing of forest personnel and wildlife, is slowly but surely disappearing for good. Today we have been able to enlist the support of local communities for wildlife conservation through ecodevelopment activities and other programmes. And this augurs well for Manas in the days ahead." Situated 176 km north-west of Guwahati, Manas National Park is also a project Tiger Reserve. Other denizens here are the Pygmy Hog, Hispid Hare, Golden Langur, Bengal Florican, Asian Elephant, Tiger, Gaur, one-horned Rhino, Assam Roofed Turtle and Rat Snake. There are 60 species of mammals, 312 species of birds (among which 26

choice of activities. Amongst the popular adventure activities are angling, boating, river rafting, trekking. You can also go jeep safari savouring the scenic beauty along with wildlife. You can stay at the forest bungalow at the picturesque Mothanguri, 22 km inside the deep forest. The area is also a treasuretrove of ethnic diversity and ancient traditions moulded by its geographic setting. The Bodos are the main community of this area with the other inhabitants being the Assamese, Bengali, Nepali and Adivasi. Living in peaceful coexistence since ages these simple, hospitable people are still moored to the traditional lifestyles.

ASIAN TRAVELLER MAY 2009

NEWSLINE

ITTE 2010 to Promote India Globally BM India (a part of United Business Media Limited, which is a leading global business media company)and the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has announced the most eagerly awaited event for the Indian travel trade industry, India Travel Trade Expo, which will be held from 18th to 20th February 2010 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. "It has been a dream of TAAI to promote business opportunities in the Tourism Industry in India and also to protect the interests of our membership at large, by providing a unique platform for networking and to take their business to the next level. This is what we aim to do with ITTE 2010" said Iqbal Mulla, Hon. Treasurer & Chairman Marts & Special Events. "This is indeed a historical moment for all of us when the

nodal travel and tourism association (TAAI) in partnership with the leading global business media company (UBM) has announced the creation of ITTE 2010 - the biggest, best and most unique travel mart and exposition" said Rajji Rai, President, TAAI. "TAAI is India's one of the oldest associations in the tourism sector of the country. Its role in the growth of tourism in India is commendable. By bringing and organising the India Travel Trade Expo 2010 in Mumbai, the TAAI will be contributing in furthering the growth of tourism in India especially at a time when global recession has affected this sector all over the world. This event falls immediately after the 'Visit India

KT, Jet Join Hands erala Tourism and Jet Airways have announced the launch of 'Jet2Kerala', a new domestic travel initiative at the Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai recently. The move is part of its ongoing effort to boost tourism within India to withstand the effects of the global economic meltdown which directly affects the travel and tourism segment. Travelers who wish to avail of

these Jet2Kerala packages may log on to keralatourism.org/jetairways for more information and book the same through their respective travel agents. For all IATA agents registered through Kerala Tourism, the booking request needs to be sent to the Jet Airways Kochi city counters, for the same to be created and the PNR sent to the respective agent.

M Sivasankar, Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala; Dr. Venu V, Secretary (Tourism), Government of Kerala; Sudheer Raghavan, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways and Praveen Balasubramaniam, Deputy GM- Revenue Optimisation, Jet Airways at the launch ceremony

MAY 2009 ASIAN TRAVELLER

Year 2009' and will help in retaining the interest of potential tourists alive to make India as a preferred destination for a visit. I wish this event all the success" said Sujata Thakur, Regional Director Indiatourism, Mumbai. "This country is well-known for its hospitality, and welcomes guests with open arms. India loves to share her rich heritage and culture with her guests, and believes in the philosophy, Guest is God" said Gandhi, Managing Director, UBM India Pvt Ltd. To act as a catalyst and give a boost to the travel industry in the country, UBM India and TAAI are presenting this event in India as their contribution to this booming and upcoming industry. The

objective is to provide the travel trade and visitors a platform which will offer domestic and overseas tourists new vistas of business opportunities. According to the latest Tourism Satellite Accounting (TSA) research released by the World Travel and Tourism Council, India's travel and tourism industry was estimated to have generated approximately US $100 billion in 2008. This figure is expected to go up to almost US $275.5 billion by 2018, growing at an average of 9.4 percent over the next 10 years. Moreover, according to TSA research, travel and tourism is expected to contribute 6.1 percent to India's GDP and provide almost 40 million jobs by 2018. As the financial capital of India, Mumbai features on every India travel itinerary. With good air, road and rail connectivity, the city attracts tourists from all over India and overseas.

Paramount Doubles Services to Kolkata aramount Airways, India's first premium service, all business class airline has announced a second daily service from Chennai to Kolkata following the high demand on its recently launched Kolkata flight. The new daily return will offer increased flexibility and convenience making it ideal for business travellers. The schedule is effective from May 14, 2009. The service will offer connections to Coimbatore, Madurai, Hyderabad, Cochin, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa. After the launch of the second service to Kolkata, M.Thiagarajan, Managing Director, Paramount Airways said, "We are overwhelmed with the response we have received on this sector. Paramount Airways has been able to create a niche in the

market and our product has been continuously contributing to customer delight." "Less than a M.Thiagarajan month ago Managing Director Paramount Airways we had operated our maiden flight to Kolkata and are delighted to be extending our services so swiftly" added M.Thiagarajan Paramount is now set to repeat its successful business model in the north eastern sector. Paramount Airways operates brand new e-jets with luxurious seating; gourmet cuisine with value added services, coupled with the airline's competitiveness has always ensured that it attracts discerning passengers.

PEOPLE

Arvind Jadhav New NACIL CMD rvind Jadhav, IAS, has assumed charge as the new Chairman and Managing Director of National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL). Jadhav was earlier Principal Secretary, Infrastructure Development Department, and Government of Karnataka. Jadhav joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1978 and belongs to the Karnataka cadre. Jadhav has been appointed for a period of three years, the ministry of civil aviation said in a statement. "His appointment will be from the date of his taking over charge and for a period of three years, or until further orders, whichever is earlier," it said. The change at the helm has come in the backdrop of falling market share of Air India even though it is going through a major fleet expansion programme to induct 111 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft over the next few years. The company has sought Rs.2, 500 crore from the government to finance the fleet expansion.

UNWTO Gets New Secretary General r. Taleb Rifai, former Tourism Minister of Jordan, has been elected as new Secretary. General of United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) at the executive council meeting of the organization held in Mali. He has been elected by majority vote in the 31-member council, defeating Dr Jee-chul Oh, President and CEO, Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO). Dr Rifai, formerly the UNWTO's deputy secretary general, will become Secretary General of the world body once his election is ratified by the general assembly of the 155-member intergovernmental body which meets in October 2009. Rifai will take over the reins from Francesco Frangialli and will remain the Secretary General of UNWTO till 2013.

Dr. Taleb Rifai

G. Sudhiesh Kumar Elected KHRA President G. Sudhiesh Kumar (Hotel Sea Face, Kovalam) has been elected as President of Kerala Hotels and Restaurants Association (KHRA). Sudhiesh Kumar is also an Executive Committee Member of South Kerala Hoteliers Federation (SKHF).

ASIAN TRAVELLER MAY 2009

NEWSLINE

MGTO Organises Trade Workshop in Mumbai and Delhi he Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), India has recently organised trade workshops in Mumbai (on April 8, 2009 at Hotel Inter Continental, Marine Drive) and in New Delhi (on April 29, 2009 at Hotel Le Meridien). The aim of the workshop was to educate and update the travel trade fraternity on the existing and upcoming tourism facilities at Macau, apart

from showcasing Macau as a family & MICE destination. The workshop highlighted Macau as an enthralling destination which has something new to offer everyday. The workshop started with a presentation on Macau followed by a question and answer session. Prizes were given away for correct answers. Both the workshops witnessed the presence of leading Indian tour operators. Appropriate use of branding and promotional material created a welcoming ambiance and allowed the tour operators to “Experience Macau” in its true sense. The movie used during the presentation showcased Macau and its most venerated churches and heritage architecture, spectacular hotels which offer excellent meeting and conference options, amazing sceneries which can treat eyes and relax senses. To experience Macau is to experience a whole gamut of wonderful new sensations. Macau is not only a potential MICE destination but also a perfect destination for leisure and family.

The World Luxury Hotel Awards Overall Winner 2008

The lebua at State Tower, Bangkok Hotels in Bangkok. Within a short span from inception, lebua has been bestowed with numerous accolades including the HAPA Signature Luxury Hotel by Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards 2008-10, Overall Best Luxury Hotel with more than 1500 competing Luxury Hotels worldwide at ebua at State Tower is an all-suite luxury hotel the World Luxury Hotel in Bangkok with 358 Awards, Best Business Hotel in the World by EuropeanCEO lavish suites which are the most spacious in their Magazine, UK among others. category. Perched up in the lebua at State Tower, Bangkok is also home to some second tallest tower in Bangkok and located in close of the best award-winning proximity to the Chao Phraya restaurants and bars in the world including Sirocco and River, each suite at lebua offers majestic views of the Skybar, the world’s highest River and the City. The suites open air restaurant and bar, Mezzaluna, Breeze, Distil and feature Bvlgari amenities, Petrossian delights in minibar, Café Mozu all of which are 330 thread count linen and in- collectively called the Dome at lebua. suite cooking option by its Conde Nast accredited Chefs The newest venture by making it unmistakably lebua is a five star luxurious lodge at New Zealand called unique among all luxury

Lake Okareka Lodge by lebua. Nestled by the water’s edge on the tip of a bush clad peninsula, Lake Okareka Lodge by lebua offers its visitors the ultimate in private personalized hospitality. The lodge offers three spacious suites with commanding views

MAY 2009 ASIAN TRAVELLER

accommodating parties of up to nine people. Facilities include living room, library and den, breakfast room, dining room, climate controlled wine cellar, massage and spa room, gym and fitness centre among others. Guests enjoy full

access to the services of a 24 hour butler/concierge and a personal internationally trained chef. Outdoors, a private jetty offers you access to exciting aquatic activities including water skiing, sailing, kayaking, rafting and even trout fishing. Within easy reach are Golfing greens and miles of footpath and biking tracks in the countryside. Whichever property one chooses to explore, the sheer excellence at lebua presents its guests with bountiful moments of pure enchantment weaved into an unforgettable, magical experience.

TAMIL NADU TRAVELLER

Go Elagiri Go Serene Dr. S. BAKTHAVATCHALAM

lagiri Hills, a haven for those seeking peace, solitude and nature is one of the upcoming hill stations in Tamil Nadu. Situated at an altitude of 1410 meters above sea level the place is 163 km far from Bangalore and 240 km from Chennai. The proximity of the place from the metros like Chennai and Bangalore makes it an ideal weekend getaway. The place is still untouched, unlike the conventional tourist destinations. It's peaceful and quiet out here in these remote surroundings. The sound prevailing here is the chirping of birds. The serene air and the climate is the main attraction of the place. It is rather moderate, and an evening breeze that can get a bit chilly especially after a few showers. The place covers an area of just 30 sq km and is nestled amidst four mountains which keep the climate salubrious round the year. Elagiri is a cluster of small villages far away from the madding crowds and the bustling city life. There is no internet, no mobile phones and no deadlines here. The tribal inhabitants of the place peacefully coexist with the flora and fauna. The hills have a fair amount of forest cover. The economy is driven by

MAY 2009 ASIAN TRAVELLER

agriculture. The tribal who live around these parts make their livelihood from the proceeds of agricultural products mainly jackfruit and honey. At Elagiri there are not many activities for the visitors except trekking. The best thing to do is to relax, enjoy the nature or a good book or go on long walks through narrow roads, explore the green surroundings of this green retreat. The main town area of Elagiri Hills is Athanur. It houses all the main centre of activities which is just one long, winding road through the hills, pocketed by isolated villages and thatched dwellings on either side. Ideal for the slow and relaxed weekends, there are some attractions for the travelers here. They include Punganoor artificial lake-cum-park, Jalagamparai waterfalls, Swamimalai trek, Murugan Koil, Telescope House etc. Punganoor artificial lake and park is the most popular place here. The park located by the lake is ideal place for the kids to spent the evenings. Boat rides in the lake is also another pass time. Jalagamparai waterfall is formed at the village of Jadaiyanoor where the River Attaaru falls after running through the valleys of Elagiri. Located 30 kilometers far from the town, it is also one of the favourite places for the visitors. Swamimalai is the highest peak around and the best place to go on a trek. It's an easy trek along a muddy path starting from the eastern side of the lake, which is

about 3 kilometres long. Murugan Koil is the temple dedicated to Lord Subhramanya of the Indian philosophy, where people offer prayers and invoke blessings from the deity. The Telescope House is located uphill which is open on weekends. The Elagiri Hills celebrates Summer festival in the months

TN Tourism Introduces

Cycles in Elagiri s part of their initiatives to promote eco-friendly tourism practices Tamil Nadu Tourism Department has introduced cycling in Elagiri. For this 22 bicycles have been procured at a cost of Rs 20 lakh. The objective is to enable tourists to hire them and sightsee on their own. The project in Elagiri has been introduced in association with TI Cycles on a revenue-sharing basis. "The Nature Club in Elagiri has also supported the Cycle Tourism initiative, which is also aimed at minimising pollution at tourist centres. The cycles are high-end with a gear system and improved safety features," said Rajaram, Commissioner, Tamil Nadu said. Cycling tourism facilities are available at four tourist spots in the state - in Mamallapuram, Yercaud, Kodaikanal and Hogehakal. Plans are afoot to introduce cycles in Ooty in a couple of weeks. The Department is also speeding up infrastructure projects to meet the requirements of tourists in Elagiri. "It is an important aspect because the hill station is likely to attract a large number of tourists when the para-gliding camp begins in June," added Rajaram. Works to the tune of Rs 3.65 crore are being carried out in Elagiri. They include landscaping around the lake, construction of pedestrian path, desilting of the lake, installation of tourist information kiosks, and setting up of an amphitheatre, watch towers and trekking shelters.

of May and June every year, attended by the local village folk from the nearby areas of Vellore District. The government-sponsored event aims to showcase the customs, culture and traditions of the tribal belonging to the areas that fall under Elagiri Hills. Important persons in the government including state ministers, government officials, members of various panchayat unions and local headmen attend the programmes. It is the venue where many of the welfare programs by the government are announced.

TAMIL NADU TRAVELLER

TN Mulls Website in Other Languages he Tamil Nadu Tourism is planning to introduce its website in other Indian languages as the state is becoming popular among tourists in the virtual world. The Tamil version of the site was launched recently and the Hindi, Telugu and Kannada versions are expected to follow soon. The website www.tamilnadutourism.org now has more features including a 24-hour helpline. According to a Tamil Nadu Tourism spokesman the feedback from the tourists showed that tourists were more comfortable in reading about tourist spots and making bookings in their own language. The response to the English website has been tremendous. The site receives 40 to 50 online bookings per day from 70 countries. Tamil Nadu Tourism earned revenue of Rs 138.70 lakh in 20082009 as against Rs 112.38 lakh in previous year. M Rajaram, Tourism Commissioner, Government of Tamil Nadu has told the media that the aim is to market the state to more tourists abroad. The website wills a great to achieve that in a better and userfriendly manner than ad campaigns and

promotions in other media. He said steps were being taken to translate the website into Hindi as the state has been receiving lots of tourists from North India, especially those coming on spiritual tours or for medical treatment. "They will be able to get tourismrelated information better if we have a website in Hindi," he said. Furthermore, a senior official said that the websites were being developed with assistance from the National Informatics Centre and private companies. The experiment can be a forerunner to plans to introduce websites in foreign languages as well.

Apply Online for Platinum, Gold Cards ourists visiting Tamil Nadu can now apply online for platinum and gold membership cards issued by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC). The cards launched as part of the customer loyalty programme almost a year ago will now be tied to a bouquet of discounts and offers. The platinum card costing Rs 5,000 is valid for ten years while the gold card costing Rs 1,000 is valid for three years. Those who pay the membership fee and buy the cards will be eligible for ten20 per cent discounts in TTDC's hotels, restaurants and boathouses. There will also be a ten per cent discount on the tour tariff.

ASIAN TRAVELLER MAY 2009

DENTAL TOURISM

Dentistry in the Time of Crisis Dr. MADHAV MANOJ

flock to some of the hottest dental tourism destinations in order to receive five-star ave you ever heard dental treatment at the phrase "dental unbelievable low prices. tourism?" To most Health Tourism is a people this combination of concept where a patient words doesn't sound too pleasing because the following travels to another country for medical treatment in order to question comes immediately to our minds: what do tourism save costs, or get treatment faster or even to avail better and vacations have to do with medical facilities. cosmetic dentistry? The fact According to the National that they might not be obviously related doesn't mean Coalition on Health Care, more than 500,000 Americans that there is no connection travelled abroad to receive between each other. medical and dental work in Dental care in Europe and 2006. And this is not an America is notoriously expensive. With the economic isolated trend. With fewer NHS dentists around and the crisis wreaking havoc in the costs of private treatment pockets of workers in the rising beyond many patients' West, taking care of one's means, more and more British teeth has become prohibitive. Yet dental care is a core health Citizens are having their teeth fixed abroad. issue. Recent research has Dental procedures are a linked bad oral hygiene and common choice because only inappropriate dental care to about 50 percent of Americans serious health problems such as heart disease and stroke. It have insurance for such care. And those people who are is therefore of prime insured often face stiff dental importance for people to take bills. Insurance plans, good care of their teeth in order to promote their overall typically offered through long-term health. People who live in countries where the life style is expensive have always had the option of flying to another country where consultation prices for health related issues are much lower, this is the case of people who live in the UK, USA, Germany, Japan, etc. Every year, millions of patients from around the globe

employers, require patients to pay a significant share of the costs of procedures beyond standard preventive care and many a dental procedure is does not come under its preview. Most patients from countries like USA and Europe travel to developing countries such as India for treatment because India offers some of the cheapest pricing options of treatment, offers a good holiday, there are no waiting lists or queues to stand in, the doctors are comparable to anyone in the world and finally, language does not pose a problem as most people speak English Teeth implants are normal procedures which can improve your overall look, these can be somewhat pricey in these countries but luckily we live in times when most of the currencies used in these great countries double and sometimes triple the value of other currencies. Dentists can charge $300 to $400 for a Dental Filling in USA and Europe. It costs only $20 to

$40 in Dental Tourism countries. A Root Canal is $3,000 in the West but only $100 to $200 in East. Dentures can cost $1000 overseas but only $200 in Dental Tourism countries. Although the cost difference between treatment in India and Thailand is not much, India, esp Kerala offers what you call a language advantage - a patient would

MAY 2009 ASIAN TRAVELLER

surely prefer a country where English is widely spoken. Also, it is believed Dr. Madhav Manoj that the facilities in India are more suited for International patients. Well, many highly qualified doctors have had some form of training from abroad, especially USA and UK. Indian surgeons and doctors are known for their skill and research throughout the world. Many countries have developed links for speedy treatments in India for their nationals on account of the fact that in these countries one has to wait for extended periods of time to undergo operations. In India, medical treatment is not only fast but also costs a fraction of what it costs in USA or Europe. Even teleconsultancy is available for expert opinion and transmission facilities. Some of the states like Kerala and Goa have already established themselves as destinations for health care and medical tourism. As health care costs skyrocket, patients in the developed world are looking overseas for medical treatment. India is capitalizing on its low costs and highly trained doctors to appeal to these "medical tourists." Even with airfare, the cost of going to India for surgery can be markedly cheaper, and the quality of services is often better than that found in the United States and UK. Indeed, many patients are pleased at the prospect of combining their implants and dental treatment with sun and sands of the famed kovalam beach or a ride in the back waters.

MARKETING

A Thrilling Tale of Indian Journey

Getting Married in Carmelia Haven

ir Travel Enterprises Abu Dhabi along with The Great India Tours Company, Trivandrum has released a concise Incredible India brochure- "A Thrilling Tale of Indian Journey" in association with India Tourism Dubai. The first copy of the brochure was handed over by Venu Rajamani, (Consul General of India) to Divesh Chaturvedi (Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India). E.M. Najeeb, Chairman and Managing Director, ATE Group was also present on the occasion. The brochure traverses through the Forts of Rajasthan, Valleys of Kashmir, Backwaters of Kerala, Golden beaches of Goa etc.

C. Gangadhar, Assistant Director India Tourism, Dubai; M. Sadana, Regional Director India Tourism - East & Western Asia & South Africa; E.M. Najeeb, CMD, ATE; Noordheen Babu, MD Flora Group of Hotels UAE; Venu Rajamani, Honorable Consul General of India and Divesh Chaturvedi- Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

Spa and wellness holidays are offered tailor-made to the discerning traveller. The Great India Tour Company, leisure division of ATE group in India, supports the product and operations. The new venture is expected to bring a lot of interest into promoting India to be a preferred destination in the Middle East. Air Travel Enterprises and Great India Tour Company have been participating in the Arabian Travel Market from its inception to realise their big dream in this market.

armelia Haven, a plantation resort situated at Vandanmedu, Thekkady in Kerala, India offers its visitors an opportunity to get married in traditional Kerala style. Carmelia haven which is perched 4000ft above sea level) is one of the most eco-friendly resort in Kerala. Situated in a 50 acres farm of tea and cardamom plantation the it has honeymoon cottages, tree houses, deluxe cottages and rooms. Carmelia is recommended for those looking for a Plantation Stay experience with a lot of activities or those looking for a stay in midst of Nature in peace. Vandanmedu is the largest producer of cardamom in the world and is also one of its biggest auction centers. For details visit www.carmeliahaven.com

Rohit and Santra from Punjab

Carl Fedric and Jule Ela from UK

The Leela Kempinski Enters Rajasthan

he Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has made its entry into the state of Rajasthan, with the soft opening of The Leela Palace Kempinski Udaipur on April 12, 2009. The celebrations unfolded over two days with the lighting of the auspicious lamp by Shriji, the Maharana Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur, Deepak Parekh, Chairman of HDFC, along with Captain C.P. Krishnan Nair, Chairman of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts. Speaking on the occasion, Captain Krishnan Nair said, "We have built a modern palace hotel, designed by the world renowned architect,

Bill Bensley and interior designer, Jeffrey Wilkes. It is distinguished by its elegance and inspired by Udaipur's royal legacy - truly, a 'Jewel by the Lake'. The Leela Palace Kempinski Udaipur has 80 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites. The strategic positioning of the hotel ensures that each room has a panoramic view of Lake Pichola, as well as some of the most beautiful heritage attractions in the city: the Jag Mandir and the City Palace, which to this day, remains the residence of the royal family of Udaipur - all set against the backdrop of the majestic Aravalli

ranges. The elegant and contemporary interiors of the rooms and suites are embellished with the design and artistry of the region. The local architectural nuances are evident in the quaint corbel door arches and grand domes of the palace. Thekri is an ancient Rajasthani art form where intricately chiselled mirrors are embedded in plaster, and is the predominant theme of the palace's interiors. Gold-leafed floral and paisley motifs, mother of pearl artefacts and inlaid hand-crafted white marble further add to its ornate exquisiteness. The Leela Palace Kempinski Udaipur also

offers its guests a variety of delectable dining options: The Dining Room offers international cuisine prepared with fresh spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables from the palace's organic gardens; Sheesh Mahal is a roof-top restaurant on the lake-side that offers fine dining under the stars, with cuisine from the royal kitchens of India; while The Library Bar is an intimate lounge designed for guests to enjoy their favourite selection of wines and single malts. The Leela Palace Kempinski Udaipur is a modern-day palace with every luxury that you may desire - all under one roof.

ASIAN TRAVELLER MAY 2009

KERALA TRAVELLER

Visitors Galore in Wayanad Secretary, Kerala Tourism

ream season is in full swing in God's Own Country. The exclusive dream season packages have been uploaded on the micro-site www.keralatourism.org/ dreamseason for travellers to browse through and take their pick. As you may be aware, this year, Kerala Tourism has joined hands with Jet Airways to make Kerala more accessible to travellers by offering seats at never before rates in flights to Kerala. A series of national road shows are being held in key

'Dream Season' On t is once again 'Dream Season' period in Kerala, which commenced from April and would be over by September. This is the third 'Dream Season' campaign, where visitors to Kerala could make their choice from a wide range of greatvalue travel packages. Travel packages include those from houseboat operators, resorts, hotels, ayurveda centres and homestays. These packages can be accessed by visiting the link www.keralatourism.org/ dreamseason. For this year's Dream Season, so far 108 service providers have registered with 75 of them ready with their travel package offers. Of the total registrations of 108 so far, hotels comprise 16, tour operators 38, homestays 10, resorts 29, houseboats 6 and ayurveda centres 9. According to Director for Kerala Tourism, M. Sivasankar, the 2009 leg of 'Dream Season' holidays in Kerala that has just commenced, is bound to become a rewarding period for stakeholders and an enjoyable one for travelers; much better than the previous ones.

Indian cities to promote Dream Season. The Chandigarh Road Show held on the 27th of April witnessed a good turnout of trade from the region. April also saw Kerala Homestays making its debut at the South Asian Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE) in New Delhi. Homestays are today key products that propel the tourism industry in Kerala and are increasingly becoming popular, especially among tourists seeking to touch the heart and soul of God's Own Country. This alternative

he Wayanad Wildlife Sanctu ary witnessed a surge in visitors, when it opened in the second week of April after it was closed briefly due to wildfire threat. It is estimated that over 12,000 visitors including nearly 200 foreigners visited the Muthanga and Tholpetty divisions of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in a period of two weeks. The increase in visitors to the sanctuary has been attributed to the fact that summer season offers an ideal occasion to spot wildlife, when many animals including tigers and elephants from neighboring sanctuaries move in to the Wayanad sanctuary, basically in search of food and water and spend time in the Sanctuary.

Dr. V. Venu IAS

tourism product was conceived not just to meet the burgeoning accommodation needs in the State, but also to improve the standard of living of the rural community. Earlier this year, Kerala Tourism had formed an alliance with Mahindra Homestays to market our homestays overseas.

The Sounds of Kerala to Hit Radio Waves in Key Metros ever shy to try a new or innovative idea, Kerala Tourism, has associated with Radio Mirchi to promote the state to listeners in New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bangalore. Four radio jockeys will travel to Kerala for a week and experience the exotic locales of God's Own Country. They will broadcast their experiences to listeners in their respective cities, live from Kerala three times a day. Tourism Director, Sivasankar, flagged off the State's latest destination marketing programme recently at a function held at Kanakakunnu Palace. Listeners will be taken on a tour by their radio jockey who will visit the beaches, backwaters and hill stations of Kerala. They will convey the beauty of the place, the vibrancy of Kerala culture and the exquisite taste of Kerala cuisine. A series of on-air competitions will also be held during the same time, for listeners to win holidays to Kerala. This marketing innovation is designed to boost Kerala's Dream Season in key domestic markets. Dream Season is a campaign targeted at the domestic market to drive visitors to the State during the lean season. Kerala welcomed 75,912,50 domestic tourists last year, a 14 per cent increase from the previous year. Sivasankar said that this was one of many marketing initiatives for the year. "Tying destinations and travel information into the radio program is very popular overseas, but it is a new concept in India. The beauty of a destination is an ideal subject and can be easily communicated to an audience- even without pictures", he added. Earlier this year, Kerala Tourism had a tie up with Star Plus TV to promote Kerala on 'Bidaai', the country's number one TV serial. Several tourist attractions including a trip on a houseboat were featured in six 'honeymoon' episodes of 30 minutes each.

ASIAN TRAVELLER MAY 2009

FACE TO FACE

We Hope for a Better Turn Out Next Season Thomas Chandy MLA, NRI business man, Tourism Entrepreneur and CMD Lake Palace Resort Alappuzha, Kerala, spoke to Asian Traveller at the sidelines of ATM 2009 held in Dubai about the tourism scene in Kerala and his expansion plans. Excerpts: We have not been marketing the property aggressively. The existing customers were the main marketing tool as they spread the word about this new property and people started coming. Now we are marketing the product in an aggressive manner by opening an office in Mumbai. Expansion Plans: As part of the expansion we are bringing up 20 more VIP cottages and a 'live seafood restaurant' which will be ready by Thomas Chandy the next season. We are also going to have road Current Season: The boom which was on in access to the property which is not there at the the 2007 -08 is no longer there, which is mainly moment. We were also trying to bring out new due to the global economic slowdown and packages for the next year by clubbing more terrorist activities like the Mumbai incidents. attractions along with the existing ones. These happened at the start of the tourist USP: The property is geographically well season which resulted in a lot of cancellations, positioned on the eastern side of the Vembanad especially from the foreign tourists. Lake, so that the natural airflow across the lake Business: The property started making profit is channelled through the resort. The testimonifrom the fourth year i.e. the 2007-08 season. als of the VIPs who have visited the resort give

MAY 2009 ASIAN TRAVELLER

the real picture of the resort and the services delivered. With the completion of the additional facilities scheduled for next year, we will be giving the best resorts in Kerala a run for their money. The great advantage is that there is no other resort in the heart of Alappuzha providing five star facilities like Lake Palace. Alappuzha: Alappuzha has become the hub of houseboat tourism as the real attractions of the houseboat journeys is not the lake ride but the cruise along the intricate canals through the countryside in which one can experience the slow paced life of the local folk. Effect of Economic Recession: The global economic recession has affected the travel business to a good extend with a lot of cancellations coming in. The peak tourism season which is on the Christmas and New Year days turned out to be lean ones. We are hoping for a better turn out in the next season.

KERALA TRAVELLER

Gateway to Periyar National Park FLORIAN MAYER

n my travels through India I definitely wanted to check out one of the National Parks. To choose one is not very easy. There are quite a few. In the end I have selected the Periyar National Park in Kerala. The park measures 777 square kilo meters and lies close to the Tamil Nadu border. When you arrive there you have to decide if you want to stay inside the sanctuary or outside in the nearby towns - Kumily or Thekkady. I have chosen a very nice homestay in Kumily. Many of those hotels or homestays were built just behind the National Park`s fence. So you can watch the wildlife inside the sanctuary fairly comfortably from your room or an observation tower. I have seen gaurs, wild pigs and different kinds of deer while I was sitting on my nice little balcony. But of course as a wildlife fan you want to risk a closer look. To do

this you can choose from a wide range of offers. There are several sorts of boat cruises, trekking tours and jeep safaris. You can go trekking for a couple of hours or you can spend up to three days and even more exciting two nights out in the jungle . I went for trekking, boating and a jeep safari. On the three hours trekking trip I have seen different kinds of monkeys, red mungos, wild pigs, different birds even a great hornbill. The boat cruise enabled to see bigger animals like gaurs, samba and barking deer. Best times to do the boating are either early in the morning or late afternoon because over noon most animals hide in the shade taking a rest. The next day I went on a jeep safari. We were four people in the jeep plus our guide. In order not to scare the animals off we rolled down the hills with the engine

switched off while he was leaning out of the jeep searching for animals and steering at the same time. We were quite lucky because one of the first animals we have seen were two big elephants and a calf. Over the day amongst many other things we have seen big prevosts or tricolored squirrels, black langurs, beautiful birds and of course the magnificent nature. If you do not want to get up at five o'clock in the morning every day for some wildlife activity you can spend time visiting spice gardens or trekking through the cardamom hills. If you do not want to leave the nice town at all you can just enjoy the cool climate or go shopping. There are many nice shops where you can buy all kinds of local spices, nice shawls from Kashmir or other souvenirs.

MIR: Taking Liesure to New Dimensions IR Hotels & Resorts is the hospitality vertical of the South India based, INR 150 crore business house 'MIR Group' that has proven expertise in diversified sectors including tourism, real estate, consultancy, international trade, biotechnology, infrastructure and education. MIR Hotels & Resorts manages a chain of resorts, budget hotels

and Krishnatheeram Ayur Holy Beach Resort at Varkala and and Park Central in Kochi. Kayaloram is a 12-room premium heritage backwater resort while Krishnatheeram is a 50-room Ayurveda beach resort, situated at Thiruvambady beach at Varkala. Both resorts are ideally located at destinations that are a rave among foreign tourists. The company proposes to either

Krishnatheeram Ayur Holy Beach Resort , Varkala

and service apartments under the brand and is in the process of acquiring and constructing resorts at potential destinations across India. The company presently operates three properties -including two prime resorts: Kayaloram Heritage Lake Resort at Alleppey

resorts at Munnar and Wayanad in South India. Negotiations are in final stage for developing a resort at Munnar as well as a chain of budget hotels across Cochin. The company has also signed MoUs with leading international brands for setting up budget hotels in Tier II / III cities in South India. MIR Hotels and Resorts has bagged the order for constructing and operating two premium hotels

Kayaloram Heritage Lake Resort, Alleppey

lease or outright acquire a few more properties at other leisure destinations in South India with the singular vision of emerging as one of the major property chain management companies in the country by 2009. Land has been acquired for construction of new

at Bangalore and Jubail at Saudi Arabia. Both hotels will be in the Four - Star category and chiefly operated as business class hotels. The group is expected to complete the Saudi project (with a Saudi partner) towards the end of 2010. The vertical is also in the

process of acquiring a new resort at Kannur, where the upcoming airport has been planned Nishad Menon by the Govt. of GM, MIR Holistic India. A Pvt. Ltd. successfully running hotel at Bahrain has also approached the MIR Group to take

Park Central, Kochi

up the operations and management of their hotel. In 2009, MIR Group has ambitious plans to develop a chain of service apartments at major Tier II and Tier III Cities in India. The Group has also started evaluating a property in the Maldives. ASIAN TRAVELLER MAY 2009

VARIETY

Robert Merrigan has been appointed as Vice President, Property Services (Asia) of Outrigger Enterprises Group which offers management solutions for full service hotels, condominium resorts, time share properties, retail and development projects.

Shabeer Hameed has joined Isola Di Cocco, Poovar, Trivandrum, Kerala, India as General Manager.

1. What is locavore movement about? 2. Which city is known as the Athens of the North? 3. What is the meaning of the name Saatchi (of Saatchi & Saatchi)? 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. TAG-Heuer

Saatchi & Saatchi

What is Q score? What is Uyuni in Bolivia famous for? How was the word 'byte' formed? Who is an e-tailer? What does TAG stand for in the famous TAG-Heuer watch?

9. How long was the Hundred Years War fought? 10. What is the largest office building in the world? Uyuni

Compiled by DEEKAY G. Sudhiesh Kumar (Hotel Sea Face, Kovalam) who has been elected President of KHRA being felicitated at the SKHF Family Meet held at Estuary Island, Thiruvananthapuram recently.

Answers of TYKC - 19 1. Algiers, capital of Algeria, 2. Professional & Business, 3. J, 4. US President's (White House switchboard number), 5. It is a fruit, 6. The moving walkway we find in the airport (the horizontal elevator), 7. Mortimer, 8. Archie (short for 'archives') in 1990, 9. Mark Zuckerberg (at the age of 20), 10. Ganymede ( of Jupiter )

MAY 2009 ATM, Dubai

Send in your answers to info@mediastepsindia.com with TYKC20 in the the subject line. Answers should reach us before the 30th of this month.

May 5-8

TYKC 18 - Winner BITE, Bahrain

May 14-16

Thrissur Pooram, Kerala, India

May 4

JUNE 2009 Asia Luxury Travel Market, Shanghai, China Aviation Outlook India, Mumbai, India

June 15-18 June 30 - July 1

JULY 2009 TTF OTM, Hyderabad

July 3-5 July 11-13

IITM, Bangalore

July 18-20

Teej

July 24-25

IITM, Chennai

July 24-26

MAY 2009 ASIAN TRAVELLER

One all-correct entry will get Free Stay at Le-Meridien, Kochi

TTF OTM, Kolkata

TTF OTM, Ahmedabad

M. R. Patil Shreeji Sector, Ahemadabad, Gujarat, India

July 31-August 2

[ 2 nights and 3 days for two ]* Nestled amongst 25 acres of coconut groves and backwater rivers, Le MĂŠridien 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

ALBUM