Asian Traveller - November 2008 by Asian Traveller

CONTENT Vol. 2 | No. 2 | NOVEMBER 2008

Travel Industry a Force to be Reckoned With

World Travel Market has opened its doors to nearly 50,000 senior industry management and over 5,500 exhibitors from over 200 countries and regions put on a spectacular show of colourful and eye-catching stands.

Business Tourism to Boom in Asia According to prediction comes from Euromonitor International in the World Travel Market Global Trends Report 2008, Asia is expected to profit from a boom in business travel.

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

: : : : : : : :

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

: : : : :

AUSTRALIA

: Bandana K. Prasad 0061-892757447 : Vladimir Harizanov 00359-36186565 : Sam Mathew 00966-505150513 : Abdul Najeeb 0044-7769940391 : Bob A. Rex 00960 7776212 : Sanjeev S. L. 00971-501640549 : Mariam Titus 00965-6236120 : 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 : A. R. Azeem 09745444133 : M. Sreekumar : Sheeba S. Jaya Rajeshwari Vidhu Krishna

BULGARIA KSA LONDON MALDIVES UAE KUWAIT NEW DELHI MUMBAI

9 Rica Bueno, Head Team Asia Pacific, Department of Tourism, Philippines

9 Peter Rohan Malik Representative in India, Macau Government Tourist Office

15 Rick Matkowski Manager, Eastern Hemisphere Tourism Australia

BANGALORE CHENNAI HYDERABAD DEHRADUN MADURAI

ERNAKULAM

YUNNAN TOURISM, WB TOURISM SIGNS MOU

KOLKATA THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

10 Questions

MOT ASKS TOUR OPERATORS TO PROMOTE NEW TOURISM CIRCUITS

INCREDIBLE INDIA OUTDOOR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN IN TOKYO

PARAMOUNT EXPANDS FURTHER INTO THE WESTERN REGION

WELCOMHERITAGE SIGNS SIX MORE HERITAGE PROPERTIES

SOUTHERN SPLENDOUR

ASIAN DESTINATIONS POPULAR AMONG INDIAN TRAVELLERS

31 Page

KERALA TRAVELLER

AS I TRAVEL V Duraikkannan Photo Courtesy: Thailand Tourism

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

Publication

Circulation 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

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 © 2008 *Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

EDITOR’S NOTE

he economic crisis through which the world is passing through is getting murkier by day and if the experts are to be believed the situation will get worse before recovering. Although there are many uncertainties as to how long the current crisis will continue, and how deep its impact will be on disposable incomes and business and consumer confidence in different markets, the travel and tourism industry is optimistic. Past experience has shown that travel & tourism always rebounds from cyclical downturns - sometimes even stronger than before. But one should acknowledge the fact that the current crisis is far more serious than a terrorist attack or a war or an outbreak of a disease. As Jean-Claude Baumgarten, President & CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council has pointed out during the recently held World Travel Market in London, “it's going to be a very different world out there when we do see the end of the current crisis.” He has rightly observed that it is more critical than ever before and the public and private sectors should work together in partnership to address the challenges and try to find solutions. The governments should provide a supportive policy framework to help stimulate demand and ensure that travel and tourism industry continues to generate employment and alleviate poverty in emerging markets, as tourism remains an undisputed economic growth engine for rich and poor nations alike. In the opinion of the industry watchers once the crisis moves from the financial economy to the 'real' economy it will present various consequences to the travel and tourism sector. At the same time the industry is not at a stand still. International arrivals up to the end of August this year has registered a steady increase of 3.8 per cent on an annual basis. As far as individuals are concerned, it is clear that those who have suffered a sharp downgrading of assets will be inclined to reduce consumption, including their spending on transport and leisure. But people are still travelling, though they may have cut short on their vacation plans from a couple of weeks to a couple of days. The need to travel, to engage in leisure, to go on holidays, is so deeply ingrained in the minds of people that consumers do whatever they can to continue to do so. Hence once the recovery starts, there is likely to be a huge pent-up demand. As Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General, World Tourism Organization, said “When the time comes, tourism will contribute to the revival of the economy as a whole.” The governments world over should realise this and take appropriate steps to support the travel and tourism industry-which is the biggest generator of wealth and employment - at this hour of crisis.

G. Biju Krishnan Editor & Publisher

Tough Year Ahead for Global Industry: Fiona Jeffrey he global travel and tourism industry is an incredible force to be reckoned with – regardless of what the financial tsunami decides to throw at it, said Fiona Jeffery, chairman of World Travel Market. Speaking at the opening ceremony of WTM 2008 at ExCel in London, she told Government Ministers, Ambassadors, trade association and tourism chiefs that the global industry is robust, diversified, innovative, entrepreneurial, and, in most cases, financially sound. “We have to face the fact that in some parts of the world in 2009 - certainly here in Western Europe – less package holidays will be sold and those that are, will undoubtedly increase in price,” she added. “It’s vital that these economic headaches do not mean the industry loses sight of other major industry challenges such as sustainable development, global warming and poverty reduction. They cannot, nor should not, take a back seat - regardless of the current situation. By anyone’s standards this has not been a normal run-of-the-mill year for the industry or, for that matter, the world”, continued Jeffery. “But to address these problems, I believe we should look to the remedy that most governments have signed up to in order to restore order in the financial sector. Just as they have agreed a global approach to address the meltdown, this is a time - perhaps more than ever before - for the international travel industry to seek a global approach, and demonstrate co-operative leadership,” she said.

Verbatim

“

Recession and shutdowns are a bit like heart attacks. Shocking and unwanted. Worrying for you – and for the family. But they are curable. Grit your teeth, take appropriate government action and the chances are that long term you’ll come out the other side in good shape for the future.

”

Francesco Frangialli Secretary-General World Tourism Organization

ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008

WORLD VIEW

Travel Industry a Force to be Reckoned With orld Travel Market has opened its doors to nearly 50,000 senior industry management and over 5,500 exhibitors from over 200 countries and regions put on a spectacular show of colourful and eye-catching stands. Fiona Jeffery, chairman of World Travel Market, said: "The global industry is showing itself to be robust, diversified, innovative and resilient. We feel that World Travel Market can make a positive contribution to helping businesses plan ahead and identify new markets and revenue streams." The World Travel Market Global Trends Report, released on the opening day, highlights some of the new developments that are succeeding in today's market, such as hospital tourism and home exchange and other new pricing models that offer

Forecast Forum, the UNWTO Minister's Summit, WTM World Responsible Tourism Day (WTM WRTD), a live interview with Ed Fuller, CEO Marriott Hotels and the BBC's Stephen Sackur, the WTM Global Economic Forum with keynote speaker, Prof Dr Norbert Walter, Chief Economist Deutsche Bank Group, an extended

Responsible Tourism programme and exhibitor to exhibitor networking initiatives. In 2008 World Travel Market has attracted more travel technology exhibitors than ever and produced the most comprehensive programme of conferences and seminars to help businesses get to grips with the latest from the digital world. Staging an industry first with its EyeforTravel @ WTM Conference on mobile technology, World Travel Market held two additional technology conferences about future trends and online content and conversion. In addition there was a two-day Travel Technology @ WTM seminar programme from Genesys about making the most of the web, which included a presentation from the Google travel team.

Travel Industry Urged to be Creative and Innovative

UNWTO Launches Tourism Towards 2030

ravel and tourism in Asia Pacific must be creative and innovative in the fight to overcome the global economic downturn. That's the hard hitting message given to 450 delegates at a conference on the 'Revitalization of Tourism and Confronting Crisis' in Chengdu, China (PRC) recently. Dr Taleb Rifai, Deputy Secretary-General of the UNWTO, told delegates that it was 'not a time to shrink or retreat but rather a time to invest'. "We must be innovative, creative and flexible and recognise that the industry has a proven resilience to major disasters," he said. CNTA Chief Shao Qiwei told the conference that improved risk management policies will help the industry to better overcome crises and challenges. Referring to the devastating earthquake in Sichuan province last May, he said that investment in infrastructure, accelerated recovery programmes and greater private sector engagement will all benefit the region's tourism industry. The PATA-supported conference was organised jointly by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, China National Tourism Administration and Sichuan Provincial People's Government. Speakers included Hong Kong Tourism Commission King-chi Au, Caroline Beteta, CEO of the California Travel and Tourism Commission and Professor Dai Bin from the China Tourism Academy.

NWTO launches its new long-term research programme UNWTO Future Vision: Tourism Towards 2030. The study will forecast international tourism growth through the year 2030 and identify key actual and future trends and their impact on tourism development. It will combine industry data with the views of UNWTO members, tourism practitioners, trends experts and academics around the world. This initiative will update the previous Tourism 2020 Vision, which has become the definitive global reference on the future of tourism. Tourism Towards 2030 will provide a comprehensive view on the global and regional future tourism scenarios which will assist UNWTO members and other stakeholders in the formulation of their tourism development and marketing strategies. The study will be officially presented at the upcoming UNWTO General Assembly in October 2009. "Tourism Towards 2030 is a cornerstone of our view of the future", said UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General Geoffrey Lipman. During this time of global economic uncertainty it is easy to take your eye off the longer term future. To do that would be a mistake in a sector that requires global cooperation and forward planning on a uniquely large scale", he added.

freebies to lure traffic onto the latest travel websites. It also identifies new buoyant sectors such as Latin American long haul travel, backpacking in the Middle East and business travel. This year these included the WTM Global Trends Report launched at the

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

WTM

Business Tourism to Boom in Asia ccording to prediction comes from Euromonitor International in the World Travel Market Global Trends Report 2008, Asia is expected to profit from a boom in business travel. With a forecast compound annual growth rate of nine per cent over 2007-2012 business tourism to Asian destinations is expected to welcome 80 million business visitors by 2012. According to a Travel Mole report, the shift in Business Tourism to Asia is expected to further increase demand for Business Class seats on flights between Asia and US/European business hubs.

Major established airlines, such as British Airways, are considering introducing long-haul Business Class only flights to tap into the burgeoning market for corporate travellers between Asia and

US/European cities, according to the Euromonitor International in the World Travel Market Global Trends Report 2008. "If such flights prove popular enough, airports that service Business Class only could be set up in key Asian cities, reducing the time required for business travellers to clear immigration and customs," says the report. The report says the ongoing US sub-prime crisis has hurt many

investment banks and financial institutions badly, notably Citigroup and UBS, forcing these companies and others to look towards Asia for growth. "Asia accounted for an estimated 80 per cent of global growth in key financial institutions in Quarter One of 2008, and offers an alternative source of revenue as liquidity and investor confidence dries up," said the report. As a result, key financial executives are undertaking more frequent business trips to major Asian destinations, especially business hubs such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Shanghai and Mumbai. "During these trips, business travellers attempt to build upon and court investment from the cash-rich region, which has taken on a more critical role in the face of financial turmoil across the globe. As executives and management from Western Europe and North America travel to Asia in greater numbers, opportunities to cater to this group of top-end business travellers and meetings and incentive travel activities will increase," the report predicts.

India Tourism Wins Award at WTM 2008 ndia Tourism has won the prestigious World Travel Award 2008 for its role in developing and promotion of 'Responsible Tourism'. Sujit Banerjee, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, received the Award. Earlier The Incredible India stand at WTM 2008 was inaugurated by Sujit Bajernee, Secretary, Union Ministry of Tourism. The inauguration was also attended by Malladi Krishna Rao, Minister for Tourism, Puducherry, Leena Nandan, Jt. Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, along with various trade partners, media and visitors. The Ministry of Tourism, India has been regularly participating in WTM by setting up an India Pavilion, with participation of State Governments and the Travel Industry as co-exhibitors. This year too, an area of 756 sq. mtrs. was been taken for the India Pavilion and 77 co exhibitors including 16 State Governments and 61 Travel Agents / Tour Operators / Hotels /

followed by a gastronomic journey Tour Operators of UK and other Airlines set up stalls there. through India. Jagdish Chander, Coinciding with the World Travel Travel and Media partners to Director India Tourism, London said interact with the movers and Market 2008, The Ministry of shakers of the Travel Industry from the high standards of visitors, the Tourism also undertook a major exhibitors had some excellent both the Government and the Incredible India campaign in Print networking opportunities during Private sector. This evening was a and Outdoor Media like Cabsand these difficult days of Credit crunch fun-filled eve with an excellent the Metro in London. The Custom House Tube station which leads to cultural Bhangra experience and economic showdown. the Excel for the World Travel Market boasted with prominent Incredible India branding with a very large banner and other smaller ones thereby filling the station with Incredible India. An Incredible India Eve on the November 11, at The Guoman Tower Hotel was the icing of the Sujit Banerjee, Secretary- Tourism, Government of India formally inaugurates the Incredible cake when an India stand at World Travel Market (WTM) 2008. Malladi Krishna Rao, Minister for Tourism, ideal opportunity Puduchery and Leena Nandan, Jt. Secretary - Tourism are also seen. was given for the

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

India Pavilion at WTM 2008

FACE TO FACE

Philippines Beckons Indian Travellers Rica Bueno, Head Team Asia Pacific, Department of Tourism, Philippines spoke to Asian Traveller about the tourism scene in Philippines, its marketing strategies and various related aspects. Excerpts from the interview:

Rica Bueno

Which are the main markets for the Philippines? For the Philippines the first market is Korea followed by Nor th America, Japan, China, Australia and from Europe it would be from the UK and Germany. We are getting good tourist traffic from Russia too. India is our new market. How important is the contribution of tourism to the economy of Philippines?

It was not one of the major industries in the country till recent times and now the tourism and leisure has really grown. And for the last three years we have been getting a lot of tourists and correspondingly the revenue has also increased. In fact the contribution for the country's economy has doubled. What is you marketing strategy for India? We have appointed a marketing representative in India after identifying India as a potential market for the Philippines. We are organizing fam tours for the media in India along with the agents and the Bollywood producers to look at the Philippines as potential location for film shooting.

What are your plans to attract Indian travellers? We are working very closely with the Indian travel industry as one of the main challenges that we are facing is the lack of awareness. People have heard about the Philippines, but they do not know what to watch there and do for a holiday. They don't know more than the capital Manila. We are trying to create a lot of awareness among the consumers and making sure that a lot of media activities, more and more publications carry news and write-ups that highlights Philippines as an attractive tourism destination. Because it is a beautiful, unexplored, untouched destination with some of the best beaches in the world. The people there are

Macau Plans More Promotional Activities Macau is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and, like Hong Kong, benefits from the principle of "one country, two systems". Macau is a unique destination or that preserves a multicultural heritage alongside state-of the art tourist facilities and a full calendar of festivals, sports competitions and special events all year around. Peter Rohan Malik, Representative in India, Macau Government Tourist Office, spoke to Asian Traveller about the marketing strategies of Macau. Excerpts from the interview:

Peter Rohan Malik

On Main Markets The main markets for Macau Tourism include the mainland China and the others from the Southeast Asian countries. If we look at India as a whole we are doing about 30 40 per cent more than the last year. This year from January to June itself we have recorded an increase of 110 to 112 per cent. In the last month we had a steady growth of 88 to 90 per cent. So if we talk about the Indian market the crowd is really rock-

ing and that's why we are here. The primary objective is to make India know about Macau as a MICE destination which is a thrilling, captivating destination which also has an amazing nightlife along with the likes of casinos. On marketing strategies We have a few, but we are looking for more markets. We have two offices in India - one in Delhi and another in Mumbai. We are also looking at various other smaller markets like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Jaipur etc. We have been conducting workshops in Delhi and Mumbai. In every new market we let the agents there grow with us and have them facilitated with all the in-

formation they basically need for Macau. There are various things we do. We have done car rallies this year along with movie promotions, brandings, magazine advertisements, agency branding. We have started the radio taxi promotion for Delhi and Mumbai which has been found good. We just finished the Macanese food festival in Delhi. It was a ten-day long festival for which we had three chefs flown down from Macau and organised a Macau food fest at the Le Meriden, New Delhi. It was a joint effort by the Le Meriden and the Macau Government Tourism staff which was a hit. On the challenges With regard to the new markets,

very friendly and the biggest advantage is that they are English speaking which makes it very comfortable for Indian tourists. In Philippines we have casinos, beaches, good shopping options, great nightlife, and all the Indian consumers consider important. We work closely with tour operator and make sure that they include Philippine itineraries and we support a lot of joint advertising programs, so that they carry out more and more packages. We are also working closely with Bollywood so that we would like some Indian films to be shot at the Philippine lands so that the destination attains some exposure. What is your message to Indian tourists? Please come to Philippines. It is beautiful, easy to access, unexplored and very well priced. A lot of people come over there for long stays as we have a lot of adventure. The place has one of the best snorkeling and diving sites, beautiful marine life. People with special interest also come here.

most of them are growing, with the media and the people spreading the word of Macau as a destination. A couple of years ago most of the people were not aware of the destination. With billions of dollars pumped into the place for the hotels and others, it is becoming the Las Vegas of Southeast Asia. I can't think about the numbers because last year we had about 27 million people coming to Macau. Now sky is our limit. Macau tourist office also has various other facilities for the events which are the other options. There are also various other hotels which has very good MICE facilities to offer. On special plans We are working closely with airlines, tour operators and travel agents. We come out with advertisements in newspapers and magazines. We try and make thematic advertisements whereby we can look at all the events that are happening around the year like the fireworks display festivals held recently. It is a year round destination although we had some typhoons and rains in May, June and July.

ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008

Q & A

RAINER STAMPFER REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER FOUR SEASONS HOTEL BANGKOK, THAILAND

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

Tell us about your hotel and its USPs. Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok is located in the heart of the shopping, entertainment and business district. With its hand painted silk murals, ceilings, wall panels and carefully selected antiques, the hotel provides a strong sense of place. Thai, Japanese and Italian restaurants are complemented by an elegant Steak House as well as Aqua, a patio lounge to see and be seen. The lap pool on the second floor is the largest in the city. How do you position the Hotel in the market? What is your marketing strategy? As any Four Seasons Hotel around the globe, we always emphasize on the service quality over anything else. Having been operating for over 25 years, we are well established with the leisure and corporate traveller alike. Our privileged location, spacious guestrooms and a wonderful array of restaurants give us a competitive advantage. Our hotel features the only ballroom with daylight, "garden views" and an outdoor terrace in Bangkok. How important is a Hotel in developing a destination? What has Four Seasons done in this regard? Hotels can undoubtedly play a crucial role in the development of up- and coming locations. When we opened our Four Seasons Hotel on the island of Nevis, we added this Caribbean get away to the traveller's map. We built a school and touched most people's life on Nevis. We are by far the largest employer. When we opened our property in Chiang Mai nearly 15 years ago, visitors from all over the world came to experience the cultural North of Thailand for the first time. Our Tented Camp in the Golden Triangle was just voted "Best Hotel in the World" by the readers of Conde Nast Traveller; recognition which brings great attention to this region. Could you tell us about your background and how did you come to the industry? From relatively young age, I was fascinated by the idea to be able to "travel the world" and to get exposed to different cultures, languages and people. My initial interest in the hospitality industry was likely a little naive but after gathering some first experience at a hotel in Southern Bavaria, I knew quickly that I'd enjoy this line of business. So, once I had graduated from business school in Munich I decided to pursue a "hotel career". I applied for an entry position with Hyatt International and received

my first posting in Hong Kong. I was incredibly excited! Tell us about your experience so far? Is there an unforgettable moment in your career which you can share with us? I consider myself blessed having had a chance to work with very inspiring individuals in most attractive and fun places around the globe. There are many unforgettable experiences "Hosting" the negotiations resolving the wartime claims against the German industry with Madeleine Albright at our hotel in Berlin. Spending two days with the then German Chancellor Helmut Kohl during his state visit to Jakarta. The Academy Awards with a large number of nominees and winners making the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles their home. What plans - immediate and long term - do you have? I anticipate for my family and me to stay in Bangkok for many years to come. We are tremendously enjoying this vibrant city with its kind and hospitable people. We have four beautiful properties in Thailand and it is truly rewarding to work with our teams in the various hotels and resorts. Where would you like to see yourself, say, 10 years from now? I have come to learn that life provides you with plenty of surprises. But, to dream for a moment -somewhere by a lake in Northern Italy, enjoying the rich life style that region has to offer. With by then likely more than 20 years in Asia and the US, it would also feel nice to be closer to my family in Germany again. Tell us about your family? I am the proud father of three most beautiful and charming girls. My wife and I met 12 years ago while I was living in Jakarta. In Boston, our first daughter was born. Her sister joined us in Los Angeles. And, our baby girl was born in Singapore; just half a year ago. I suppose I should be well entertained for the coming twenty years and beyond... What are your hobbies and other interests? Spending as much time as possible with my family is a priority. Otherwise - having a quiet Sunday morning reading a few papers and a good book is great joy. I am passionate about sports - Golf, Tennis, Skiing. My wife and I have been collecting art for many, many years - on a modest scale but with much enthusiasm. Which is your favorite destination ? Impossible to just name one. The Amalfi coast, particularly, Ravello is hard to beat for its incredible beauty, fabulous food - Italy for its style. In Asia, Koh Samui and the Japanese countryside to relax; Hong Kong and Bangkok for their vibrant and colorful city life. Los Angeles is MY west coast destination - blue skies all year round. And, naturally, the gentle hills around the Lake of Constance in Southern Germany where I grew up.

INDIAN PANORAMA

Yunnan, West Bengal Signs Tourism MoU the similarities in culture and ethnicity. As part of the MoU, West Bengal Tourism Directorate and WBTDC have also planned to make the state more available for Chinese tourists. Manabendra Mukherjee, Minister for Tourism, West Bengal said that the state would develop the China Town area of Kolkata and include it under the Destination Development Scheme. Yunnan has the largest ethnic diversities in China and that will be one of our highest selling points. With large Yunnan golf courses and natural hot MoU is aimed at building a mutual springs, Yunnan focus on tourism products like Lifestyle Tourism, bond on tourism practices, exchange and understanding. Yunnan Leisure Tourism, Sports Tourism Tourism plans to cash in on tourism and Experiential Tourism. opportunities in Kolkata and East India considering the short distance, newly launched air link and unnan Provincial Tourism Administration (Yunnan Tourism) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with West Bengal on tourism exchange. The

"Targeting these products at leisure tourists, Yunnan Tourism also sees potential of MICE segment when it comes to tourism exchange with India, especially Eastern India," said Yu Dingcheng, Director General, Yunnan Provincial Tourism Administration. China Eastern Airways, which re-started its operation from Kolkata last month, currently operates with four flights a week to Kunming. According to a China Eastern Airways official, depending on the growth in traffic, the airline may increase the flights to seven per week.

West Bengal

Kalka-Shimla Rail Line Dedicated as World Heritage Site he century old Kalka - Shimla rail section has been formally dedicated as world heritage site to the nation. In a ceremony held at Shimla recently R Velu, Minister of State for Railways and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal accepted the inscription certificate from the UNESCO. The centuryold rail route was accorded the World Heritage status by the UNESCO in July this year. Velu unveiled the inscription plaque at Kalka railway station and a postal cover was also released on the occasion. The minister laid the The four storey stone arch gallery Bridge No 541 foundation stone of a rail museum to be built in the memory of Baba Bhalku who guided the then British engineer to survey the rail route which became operational in 1903. The 96-km-long rail line passes through 102 tunnels, 988 bridges and 917 curves, many of them are as sharp as 48 degrees. The longest tunnel near Barog is 1143 metre. The four storey stone arch gallery Bridge No 541 near Kanoh is an engineering marvel and a photographer's delight.

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

MPTDC Undertakes Projects at Pachmarhi and Bhopal adhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC) has undertaken two development projects at Pachmarhi and Bhopal. At Tava Dam near Pachmarhi MPTDC plans to deploy two new houseboats, one motorboat and operate a cruise. A resort at Dela Wadhi near Bhopal, comprising of a total of 30 rooms including Swiss Cottages, will be promoted as an Ecotourism product. Both projects are funded by MPTDC and expected to be completed soon and are aimed at increasing the flow of international and domestic tourist to the destinations.

HP to Introduce Helicopter Taxis ith an eye on the high-spending adventure tourists the Himachal Pradesh government is planning heli-taxi services in tribal areas of the state. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting recently. "The tourism department will invite technical and financial bids for the introduction of tourist helicopter services in various tourist resorts," said Manisha Nanda, Tourism Secretary, Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh attracts tourists from around the world, especially from Israel, Germany, Britain and several other European countries, not only for nature-based activities but also for exploring historic and ancient monasteries. Last year, more than 8.8 million tourists, including

339,000 foreigners, visited the state. KulluManali has emerged as a favourite tourist destination. Last year, around 100,000 foreign tourists visited that area.

INCREDIBLE INDIA

MoT Asks Tour Operators to Promote

New Tourism Circuits n continuation with its dialogue with the stake holders in the tourism sector in India to assess the impact of global meltdown, the Ministry of Tourism has held a meeting with Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) and Hotel Association of India (HAI). The seven member IATO delegation was led by its President, Vijay Thakur. During their meeting with the Secretary, Tourism Sujit Banerjee, the members of the delegation expressed their concern on the ongoing global financial crisis and assured the Ministry that they wouldl work in close cooperation with the Government to meet the challenges in the coming

months. The Tour Operators welcomed the suggestion given by the Tourism Secretary to the hoteliers of slashing room tariffs. They said reduced room tariffs will send a right signal to the traveller coming to India from across the globe.

Tourism Ministry Suggests Tariff Reduction

Incredible India Outdoor Advertising Campaign Launched in Tokyo

he Government of India has suggested hoteliers to slash room tariffs by 10 to 15 per cent to meet the challenges posed by the global economic meltdown in the tourism sector in India. The suggestion was conveyed by the Secretary Union Ministry of Tourism Sujit Banerjee to the members of the Federation of Hotels & Restaurants Association of India (FHRAI) when they called on him recently. The meeting was organised to assess the impact of global meltdown in the tourism sector in India. The five member FHRAI delegation comprised of Vivek Nair, Vice Chairman, Leela Group; Rajindra Kumar, Hotel Taj Ambassador, Delhi; Salim Sherwani, Sherwani Hospitalities Ltd; Dr. Sunil Gulati, Uttarakhand Hospitality and Major Harish Sud, Secretary General, FHRAI. The Secretary, Ministry of Tourism assured the delegation that the ministry wouldl extend all possible assistance to the hotel industry for safeguarding its interest and its growth in the country.

he second phase of the Incredible India outdoor advertising campaign in Tokyo has been launched by H. K. Singh, Ambassador of India to Japan launched recently by flagging off the first public bus wrapped in Incredible India images. This public bus will ply for two months in the fashionable and trendy quarters of Tokyo from Shibuya to Roppongi. This launch was followed by an India Evening attended by major opinion makers, media personalities and a cross section from the tourism and travel industry. A Yoga performance by Japanese artists from the Indian Cultural Center provided another vignette of tourist attractions in India. The impact of the Outdoor Advertising campaign already yielded significant increase in bookings received by the travel industry from this market. Japan is prime tourist generating market for India and in 2007 we

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

Sujit Banerjee urged the tour operators to promote international as well as domestic tourism in a big way and focus on new circuits such as Puri - Bhubaneswar Konark, Amritsar Kurukshetra - Haridwar, Nasik

- Aurangabad - Nanded and Dwarka - Gir - Diu at par with Golden Triangle circuit of Delhi - Agra - Jaipur. In his meeting with Hotel Association of India (HAI), Banerjee reiterated his suggestion to slash room tariffs by 10 to 15 per cent to meet the challenges posed by the global economic meltdown. The suggestion was conveyed to the President of HAI Priya Paul when she called on him. The HAI delegation urged the Tourism Secretary to pursue the matter of delinking of hotels from real estate and taking steps to boost liquidity of hotel construction activity in the country.

received 1, 46,000 tourists, including repeat visitors from this market. It is expected that in the coming months this figure will increase further. Outdoor advertising as well as organizing of mega promotional events is the strategy

adopted for East Asian Markets. On 15th December 2008 an Incredible India Golf Tournament is being organized in Tokyo followed by launching of a subway train wrapped in Incredible India images in Seoul, South Korea.

FACE TO FACE

Down Under Eyes Indian Travellers Tourism Australia is a statutory authority of the Australian Government, which promotes Australia as a tourism destination internationally and domestically and delivers research and forecasts for the sector. Tourism Australia brings together the collective skills and knowledge of four separate organisations: the Australian Tourist Commission; See Australia; the Bureau of Tourism Research and Tourism Forecasting Council. The main objectives of Tourism Australia include influence people to travel to Australia and persuade them to travel throughout Australia. Rick Matkowski, Manager, Eastern Hemisphere, Tourism Australia spoke to Asian Traveller about the various plans and strategies Tourism Australia is planning. Excerpts:

Rick Matkowski

On the main markets In this part of the world, India and China are the two markets for Australia Tourism. China is a larger base and India a comparatively smaller one but with very good quality. In a global perspective the UK, Europe, America, New Zealand and Japan are very good markets with a half a million people and a major marketing hub. India has a good place among the markets coming up. The style of the Indian traveller is a much matured one as well as demanding. On Contribution of Tourism to the Economy It is a very important one. Tourism creates jobs. It is a great export

earner to the Australian economy. It is the second highest export revenue earner after mining. On the Main Products and Attractions For the Indian market the first one is the Experience of Australia. The Great Barrier Reef, the Ayers Rock, the gold coasts, the non crowded beaches etc. We don't have masses of people because we are a big country with a small population. The Indians can also go to the different cricket grounds which they see only in television. There is quite a diversity from the natural experiences which is mostly sought by the families from India

travelling to Australia. They love to go to the barrier reef and to see traditional things. The natural experiences and the icons are the sort of things that attract the Indian traveller. They like a soft drive, go to the theme parks whereas the honeymooners get into the islands and opt for more luxury. On the Marketing Strategy As because Indian market is a growing one, we are working with the

industry in India and we are conducting a programme - Aussies Special Programme - which is educating the travel agents and tour operators on what the Australia has to offer. It provides a training platform for the travel agents to educate themselves. At the same time we are working with the airlines like Qantas, Singapore Airlines etc. who operate services to Australia to provide consumer campaigns in the market place selling great honeymoon or family holiday packages. On Indian Tourists The Indian tourists are very welcome in Australia. They can feel at home because both the people have an affinity towards each other. We have a multi cultural population and the Indian food has been in the Aus-

tralian palette for a long time. Now it has become a second nature to the Australians to have the Indian food. The friendliness and the passion of cricket as well along with many other factors are bringing the countries closer in the travel pitch.

MoT Initiates Development of Four Mega Destinations ndian Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned integrated develop ment of four mega destinations/circuits in the country as part of its development plans during the second quarter of 2008-09. They include (1) Hampi World Heritage Site, Karnataka (2) Heritage Tourist Circuit in Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh (3) Ganga Heritage River Cruise Circuit, West Bengal (4) Gangtok Mega Destination, Sikkim. These projects to be completed within 2 to 3 years will greatly enhance visitors' experience in the mega destinations and circuits. Hampi world heritage site has immense potential as a cultural destination. The project of Rs.3283.58 lakh sanctioned by the ministry includes improvement of surroundings

of the destination, illumination of historical buildings, sound and light show, solid waste management, creation of public conveniences, improvement of last mile connectivity, construction of rural haat and construction of stage/arena for cultural performances/music festivals. Kadapa which has historical links with Hampi also has several historical and cultural sites. The project sanctioned for development of heritage tourist circuit in Kadapa district at a cost of Rs. 3692.89 lakh includes creation of tourist facilities around important temples, dams/ reservoirs and forts. The Ganga Heritage Cruise circuit offers a unique experience of river cruise and visits to historical settlements along the banks of Ganga in

West Bengal. This project of Rs.2042.35 lakh includes creation of jetties, beautification of river fronts, illumination of monuments, development of parking areas and construction of tourist reception centres at Belur, Barrackpore, Serampore, Chandannagar, Hooghly, Nabadwip, Mayapur, Plassey, Behrampur, Murshidabad-Lalbagh and AjimganjBaranagar. Sikkim, as one of the emerging major tourist destination The project of Rs.2390.70 lakh sanctioned for creation of tourist facilities at taxi stand, development of view point, beautification of ridge road, development of millennium park and construction of tourist facilitation centres at Gangtok will meet the growing demand for better tourist facilities in this hilly state.

ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008

COLUMN

ormer President of CocaCola, Donald R. Keough has authored an excellent book titled 'The Ten Commandments for Business Failure'. It is a remarkable 'How Not To' manual among thousands of 'How To' series on business success, management, and leadership. The Ten Commandments are: 1. Quit Taking Risks 2. Be Inflexible 3. Isolate Yourself 4. Assume Infallibility 5. Play the Game Close to the Foul Line 6. Don't Take Time to Think 7. Put All Your Faith in Experts and Outside Consultants 8. Love Your Bureaucracy 9. Send Mixed Messages 10. Be Afraid of the Future Keough adds one more commandment as bonus at the end of these ten: 'Lose Your Passion for Work - for Life'. Just add the following two more to this list and your 'Package for Failure' is now total and failure-proof! Use Wrong People. Use People Wrongly. The renowned French mathematician Andre Weil pointed out the logarithmic Law of Hiring at work: "First rate people hire other first rate people. Second rate people hire third rate people. Third rate people hire fifth rate people." This is mostly true. While a section of bosses dread people more knowledgeable than they are, there is another section of bosses that nurture and bask in the coterie of yesmen keeping them as their lieutenants. This reminds me of a cute story. Once King Akbar imported a horse from Arabia at a huge price. The price was ridiculously high for the steed. However, when the king lauded the supremacy of the horse to his minister Birbal, Birbal also

V DURAIKKANNAN

chanted its praise. He said it was a great horse. But the very next day when Akbar realized that the horse was not worth its price, he cursed that it was a useless horse. He consulted Birbal as to what he felt. Birbal vehemently denounced that it was an old, no-good hack. His remark made the king think twice. A flummoxed king asked how come he had changed his assessment overnight. Birbal answered: 'Oh, mighty king! My salary is paid by you and not by the horse!' It really will feel glorious to have yes-men around. But beware of them! They are not worried about you. They are just worried about them. And you are keeping such wrong people next to you and around

Donald R. Keough

you. That is nothing but disaster in the waiting. As to using people wrongly, I can very immediately think of one of my previous airline companies I worked for. They had this weird wisdom of suddenly switching and upgrading their airport managers into sales managers. In the bargain, they would very effectively lose a good airport manager and get a very

Dick Cavett

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

Andre Weil

bad sales manager. Perhaps that explains the doddering state of the company apart from the spiraling cost of aviation fuel and other variables. Dick Cavett rightly said that it is a rare person who wants to hear what he does not want to hear. People look over the need and the necessity of a

Warren Buffet

devil's advocate. They fail to remember the fact that in a regatta or the boat race the coxswain or the helmsman always sits opposite the rest of the rowing members. The very opening line in the foreword to the 'Ten Commandments' by Warren Buffet, the legendary investor who happens to be a longtime friend and neighbor of Keough in Omaha should serve as a constant reminder to every man who aims forsuccess in his business and life: 'It has been an article of faith for me that I should always try to hang out with people who are better than I.' The same thoughts are echoed elsewhere in the book by Keough that the decisions in any organisation should be always taken by the person with the best information rather than by the person with the most power!

WTTC

WTTC hosts Human Resources Symposium in Delhi fter the successful discussions in the conference organized in Shanghai in January, the World Travel and Tourism Council, in association with the WTTC India Initiative, brought together leaders in the field of human resources on recently to discuss employment issues facing India in the coming years. Jean-Claude Baumgarten, president of WTTC, and Radha Bhatia, Chairperson of WTTC's India Initiative, presided over the gathering of public and private sector leaders in the fields of Hospitality and Travel, Technology and Research, Government, Education and Business Consulting. Contributions were made by the director general of the Ministry of Tourism Government of India, Ernst and Young, Emirates, Oberoi Hotels, Mandarin Oriental, Unisys, Six Senses Resorts and Spas, Jet Airways, Taj Hotels, UEI Global and the Indian School of Business. Recommendations from the Symposium were presented to a selected group of business leaders, members of the Indian Government, MPs and Senior Civil Servants at the WTTC's India Initiative Retreat in Khajuraho from September 5 to 7. Following

these discussions, more detailed Incredible India campaign has been in recommendations will be made to the marketing the country on an international scale. Government of India. Jean-Claude Baumgarten stated that, The seniority and professionalism of the HR function inside organizations has to be substantially improved, and there needs to be a coherent and long-term campaign to improve the quality of education in the hospitality industry." Without real leadership from government and businesses, he declared that, "growth in the industry would be compromised, with damaging consequences for job creation and the economic development of the country." John Guthrie, who organized both the Shanghai and Delhi events for WTTC, also emphasised the importance of employees having sufficient levels of fluency in the English language. For administrative, supervisory and managerial roles it was essential, as well as for front line positions. Jean-Claude Radha Bhatia With regards to growing numbers of Baumgarten international visitors, basic comprehension "There needs to be a transformational of the language gives employees more change in the way that government and confidence and more opportunity to businesses promoted employment in the progress their careers, developing important Travel and Tourism industry. The campaign life skills and, over time, helping to ensure to market employment opportunities has that managerial roles will be filled by Indian to be as passionate and imaginative as the nationals rather than expatriates.

Travelport to Co-sponsor WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards ravelport Ltd., the parent company of the Travelport group of companies announced that it will co-sponsor The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) 2009 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards (www.tourismfortomorrow.com). The awards, under the stewardship of the WTTC, are presented annually and are aimed at recognizing best practices in responsible and sustainable tourism demonstrated by organizations and companies within the global Travel & Tourism industry. The winners and finalists will be honored at a special recognition ceremony at the WTTC 2009 Global Travel & Tourism Summit. Travelport CEO and President, Jeff Clarke will be in attendance to honor and address the winners and finalists in the award categories, which include Destination Stewardship, Conservation, Community Benefit, and the Global Tourism Business Award focusing exclusively on sustainable tourism at the larger corporate level to further demonstrate that best practices can encompass businesses of any scale. An independent panel of judges, including some of the world's most authoritative experts of sustainable development and a stringent application process involving on-site verification visits by these experts, has earned the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards growing levels of respect among the travel industry, governments and the international media.

CCEA Clears Creation of Institutional Infrastructure for Tourism Education n a significant decision, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), Government of India has approved the proposals of the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) seeking to enlarge the scope of its scheme that provides for creation of institutional infrastructure necessary for hospitality and tourism specific education. This revision of the scheme had become necessary to meet the growing demand of the industry of trained manpower. As per the assessment of the MoT, the industry requires about 2.03 lakh trained persons annually. The supply as against this is fractional of about 12,000 persons from all the institutes in the country. The introduction of the hospitality education will be through ITIs, polytechnic institutes, government colleges, universities, Public Sector Undertaking (PSUs) and vocational schools, provided for in the scheme currently will be an important step ahead to bridge the gap in demand and supply of manpower. This approved scheme provides for the setting up of 19 new state IHMs and 25 state Food Craft Institutes during the 11th Plan. To overcome the acute shortage of trained personnel at skill level, it has been stipulated that, the state IHMs will also conduct craft courses alongside the three-year degree course.

ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008

HOSPITALITY

A Novel Hospitality Junction

in room, Minibar, 4 Mbps WiFi and cabled internet access, IDD telephone and satellite cable TV. The premier floor rooms overlooking pool spans twenty six square meters comes with a host of amenities suited for the business traveler including many complimentary services. The Hotel which is connected to Hyderabad International Convention Center is a world class, state-of-theart venue - the first of its kind in

small meetings of 50 people to large scale eventsfor 5000 . Novotel Hyderabad also provides facilities for small luncheon meetings to training sessions and large conferences. The Granite, the Sunset Room and the Boardroom can hold 276, 80, 8 guests respectively. The hotel restaurants provide excellent options for dining. The Square offers fine dining, with an international a la carte selection and a multi-cuisine buffet, along with fine wines and beverages.

30 minutes drive from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. The different options for accommodation here are superior rooms, premier floor and suites including junior, executive and deluxe suites. The rooms have contemporary dĂŠcor with flexible work areas in ever y room. Each room comes equipped with an electronic safe, auThe Deli shop is a self service dible smoke alarms, LCD TV screens, South Asia. It has been conceived, sprinkler in room, safe deposit box designed and created to handle take away outlet which offers home made snacks. La Cantina, the Mexican specialty restaurant serving Mexican delicacies in a per fect ambience is another specialty of the ovotel Hyderabad has becomes the first property in Hyderabad to get Green Globe property. The Elaborate beverage certification under the global Certification programme. The global programme recognises menu, comprises selection of quality Novotel Hyderabad's commitment to operating at the world's highest environmental standard. wines, spirits,liquours, aerated Green Globe is the global benchmarking and certification programme for sustainable Travel waters, internationally acclaimed and Tourism. The Novotel Hyderabad was assessed according to eight performance criteria cocktails and a range on non that will guarantee, among other things, better waste management, less pollution, and energy alcoholic beverages.The daily and water consumption control. After a benchmarking phase of six months, the Novotel Hyderabad buffets, Saturday barbeques and the was audited in order to obtain Green Globe certification, and will undergo the same process Sunday brunch are the other every year in order to guarantee that the criteria are maintained. specialities.

ovotel Hyderabad lo cated in Hyderabad's IT and Business district is connected to the Hyderabad International Convention Centre; one of South Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest convention centre having state of the art exhibition, meeting and convention services. Hyderabad is also one of the major centres for business, information technology, biotechnology as well as a fascinating tourist destination. Novotel Hyderabad has 288 spacious rooms with all modern comforts for business and leisure travel. The hotel, spread over 15 acres is

Novotel Hyderabad Green Globe Certified

Indonesia's New Focus on Marine and MICE Tourism ndonesia's tourism industry remains confident, according to I. Gede Pitana, Director of Interna tional Promotion at the Indonesia's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He told a ITB Asia press con ference in Singapore: "The [global financial] crisis will probably affect our target of seven million international travellers this year. However, we should still be able to achieve a growth of over 20 per cent with 6.5 to 6.7 million tourists." Pitana said that Indonesia had invested a lot in new infrastructure and these efforts were starting to pay off. He cited close to 11,500 classified hotels with over 255,000 rooms, 10 world-class convention centres each able to receive up to 5,000 delegates, and 450 first-class shopping centres, which make the country an attractive destination for Singaporeans, Chinese or Malaysians. The Indonesian government will extend its Visit Indonesia Year 2008 campaign into 2009. However, new promotions will be more centred on marine and MICE tourism. "We have a unique natural and historical heritage. We have over the years gained recognition from the scuba dive market for our exceptional coral reefs. We also have over 50 national parks and nine UNESCO listed-world heritage sites," said Pitana. The tourism director also said that Indonesia is not only Bali. He beseeched the tourism industry: "Look beyond Bali please. And discover the amazing diversity of our land."

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

HOSPITALITY

industan Beach Retreat, a beach hotel in Kerala’s emerging beach tourism circuit, Varkala, is perhaps the only resort to enjoy so much proximity to the sea. With 27 well appointed rooms, each one with a spectacular sea view, it lets you experience the sea at its best. An exotic seafood restaurant on the roof top, a multi cuisine restaurant overlooking the pool, a pool side barbecue and a roof top conference hall with sea view are an offer. Ayurvedic treatments, backwater cruises, heritage tours and ‘Shraadh’ pujas for departed souls on the legendary Papanasam Beach (believed to absolves one of sins) and vast pristine beaches make it an enjoyable holiday that lets you experience the art of slowing down. Varkala is also renowned for its 2000 year old Janardhna Temple, the Sivagiri Mutt – the final resting place of Sri Narayana Guru, a great social reformer of Kerala, the Nature Cure Centre, the mineral water springs on the beach and the legendary Papanasam beach where lakhs of people conduct shraadh for departed souls every year are close to the resort. www.hindustanbeachretreat.com

Hindustan Beach Retreat

Leisure by the Reefs

K.P. Anil Kumar Managing Director

Ajith Nair General Manager

ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008

AVIATION

Paramount Expands Further Into Western Region aramount Airways has launched daily flights Kochi to Pune via Chennai and from Chennai to Goa. The inagural flight from Chennai took off on October 22 and the Kochi Pune flight was launched on November 12. Commenting on the launches Thiagarajan, MD, Paramount Airways said, "I am sure this direct connectivity to Goa will be met with great reception as we are offering business class comforts to this holiday destination. As part of our expansion strategy we have launched the Cochin - Pune sector which we believe will help our foray into the western region and we hope to replicate the success that we have achieved in the Southern market". The Paramount Airways offering of brand e-jets along with all the trappings of luxurious seat recline, ample leg space between seats and an ethnic signature cuisine will ensure that the airline is competitive and attracts discerning passengers. This pampering experience has enabled the airline to notch up 26 per cent market share in the Southern skies, which it hopes to replicate in the Western sector.

Paramount also has an in-flight shopping of branded products "Paramount Botique" with prices lower than market rates. A lucky dip scratch card has also been introduced for passengers to win products including televisions & refrigerators.

Passengers can book their tickets on the website by selecting their seat and menu while requesting any other special requirements. Or they can contact their travel agent.

Sarovar Hotels, IndiGo Airlines Announce Marketing Tie-up

Viva Macau Joins Hands with Venetian Macao Resort

arovar Hotels and IndiGo Airlines, a low-cost domestic airline, re cently announced a marketing tie-up to offer customers the ben efit of hassle free travel and stay. Through this tie up, Sarovar Hotels will sell combined holiday packages, which will include airfare, room, sightseeing, all meals, cruise and transfers. Economy category travellers will be targeted. The inaugural package for Goa is Rs 5999 (from Delhi) and Rs 4799 (from Mumbai) per person, per day. This package is valid till March 31, 2009. Sarovar Hotels, which has 35 properties across India, will also extend special room and F&B (excluding alcohol) rates for all IndiGo passengers that can be availed upon production of boarding pass. These offers are all valid from November 15, 2008 to September 30, 2009. According to Faisal Rahman, Group Marketing Manager, Sarovar Hotels and Resorts, "We have entered into a multi-dimensional tieup with IndiGo Airlines, which will be mutually rewarding. This joining of hands is to offer tourists a complete solution, with a judicious mix of everything. The tie-up will benefit tourists as they will now be saved the hassle of finding a good place to stay at a convenient price." As part of the alliance, Sarovar and IndiGo will cross-sell and cross market their services with the objective to achieve maximum impact. Lazylagoon Sarovar Portico Suites in Baga, Arpora, Goa will provide a special holiday offer.

iva Macau Airlines, Macau's only international low-fares airline joined hands with Asia's largest integrated resort Venetian Macao Resort and world-famous Cirque du Soleil to launch attractive air-hotel-show packages for Australian travelers. The special VIVA/ Venetian/ZAiA packages are available at Macau's only travel portal Macau.com till January 15, 2009. Four packages are offered from 2nights-3-days to 5-nights-6-days for travel period between February 1 and June 30, 2009. Each package includes: Roundtrip airfares, inclusive of airport taxes and surcharges, between Sydney and Macau on economy class with Viva Macau Airlines, accommodation at The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, with choice of Royale Suite or Bella Suite, ZAiA by Cirque du Soleil B Reserve ticket with an option to upgrade. Viva Macau's Australian CEO Con Korfiatis said, "We are excited about these packages that offer a brand new experience for Australians to visit the new Macau, Asia's newest and most exciting destination for leisure, entertainment, cultural experience, shopping, and international shows and events." "Travellers on these packages are going to experience the best in Asia by staying in a five-star suite at Asia's largest integrated resort The Venetian Macao and watching the world famous and newest Cirque du Soleil show in its first permanent 1800-seat showroom created only for Macau. Combined with the comfort and friendly service of Viva Macau Airlines, Macau's only international low fares airline offering the only direct flights between Sydney and Macau, this is an incomparable travel experience and incredible value," Korfiatis added. For package details and reservations visit www.macau.com.

The airline has recently launched daily flights from Cochin to Ahmedabad & Goa through the Chennai hub providing connectivity to these key markets. The airline has also launched its frequent flyer programme "Paramount Royale" which is designed to offer myriad benefits to passengers. Besides routine upgradation and mileage redemption facilities, the program would also offer golf memberships, spa experiences and invitations for major cultural programmes for its members. Frequent flyers can now enroll themselves with the newly launched frequent flyer program "Paramount Royale" by registering online with www.paramountairways.com. All mileage earnings as per eligibility will be automatically logged to the passenger's account.

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

WTM 2008 ALBUM

Album

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

WTM 2008 ALBUM

ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008

HOSPITALITY

Welcomheritage Signs Six More Heritage Properties ists continues unabated, and yoga, meditation, topography, cuisine and craft, all continue to amaze guests with their diversity.” However, heritage hotels also have to face great challenges. They are leisure driven and seasonal in nature and being located in rural areas, there are problems of infrastructure, connectivity and skilled staff. The way ahead is for owners to update their properties to suit the requirements and needs of today’s modern customers. “Our Marketing Mantra is ‘Circuit Tourism’ of a defined circuit, which offers a better and more varied experience in a limited time frame. Thus better cars, better roads, better connectivity and communication, will all help to boost Heritage Tourism - which is not just about a hotel or a destindia’s fastest growing chain of heritage hotels & Resorts, nation, but about a Total Experience,” added Rakesh Mathur. WelcomHeritage, a joint venture between ITC and Marudhar Hotels of HH Jodhpur, has announced six new additions to the chain. With these additions, the WelcomHeritage chain goes up to 60 properties, spread across 19 states in India. In Uttarakhand is WelcomHeritage Bob’s Place located at Nathuakhan in Nainital District. In Rajasthan there are three properties, WelcomHeritage Singhasan Haveli at Mandawa, WelcomHeritage Lallgarh Palace at Bikaner and WelcomHeritage Koolwal Kothi at Nawalgarh. The fifth property is WelcomHeritage Camellia Resorts at Santiniketan in West Bengal and the sixth, WelcomHeritage Raobagh Palace Charkhari, Bundelkhand. According to Rakesh Mathur, President, WelcomHeritage, “Our selection of properties is based primarily on location since a property must ei- Rakesh Mathur, President, WelcomHeritage, Pawan Verma, Senior Executive Vice President, ITC Hotels, H.H. Gaj Singh Ji, Maharaja of Jodhpur, Sunil ther be in a tourist destination or must form part of a travel circuit. The Sikka, Marketing Head & Business Development, WelcomHeritage and N.R. growing interest and curiosity about Indian traditions among foreign tour- Datta, Chairman, Camellia Group with Tapasi Datta

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

SOUTHERN SPLENDOUR

Boom Time for Tamil Nadu Tourism f there is one place in the country which seems to be unaffected by the current global economic meltdown it is Tamil Nadu. The tourist season has just started and the arrival of foreign visitors has shown an upward trend already. According to statistics made available by Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, 5.25 lakh foreign tourists have landed in the city in the last three months against 3.72 lakh during the same period last year. This is a 20 per cent increase. In terms of numbers, between August and October the number has gone up by 1.53 lakh, though the peak season for south

India, particularly Tamil Nadu, has just started and will go on till mid-January. A majority of foreign tourists are from the US, the UK, Italy, Singapore and Malaysia. On an average, they spend 21 days visiting various places of interest. Mahabalipuram, Thanjavur and Kanyakumari top the list. TTDC has organised tour-guiding training programmes for youth. It has also developed a 'tourist-friendly' autorickshaw system with a view to attracting more foreigners to the state. Even the number of domestic tourists visting the state has gone up from 30.93 lakh (both local and international) in October last to over 59 lakh last month alone. Likewise, the revenue generated from the 25 hotels run by TTDC has also gone up with the revenue touching Rs. 31.35 crore in the last 10 months, while it was only Rs.24.75 crore in the same period in 2007.

Karnataka Eyes High-end Tourists arnataka State Tourism Development Corpora tion (KSTDC) plans to target all segments of tourists, including those from the high-end, instead of confining to the budget tourists. With this in mind the state has allocated Rs 15 crore - Rs ten crore for hotel upgradation and Rs five crore on adding new tourist coaches - to improve the infrastructure. According to an agency report Vinay Luthra, Managing Director, KSTDC said, "the focus is going to be all encompassing now, taking all tourist segments including the middle-income and high-end instead of confining ourselves to just budget tourists." The bus tours organised by the

KSTDC will now target the budget, the middle-income and also the premium tourists providing choice to the tourists. To make travel "most comfortable" for the tourists, the KSTDC will be buying four new volvo buses and a fleet of 12 other hi-tech coaches, both air conditioned and non air conditioned. For those who want to tour and move around in the garden city, 100 KSTDC af filiated taxis will operate from Bengaluru International Airport by the end of this month. These luxury AC taxis will be electronically metered and will have

AP to Focus on Adventure, Eco tourism

all the hi-tech facilities including the Geo Positioning System (GPS) and call centre facilities to ensure complete safety and security of the passengers, said Luthra. Out of the 16 hotels run by the KSTDC in the state, at least 12 hotels in important tourist places will be upgraded and refurbished with additional facilities

ndhra Pradesh plans to rely on inno vative products such as adventure and eco tourism, while focussing on its core strengths of temple and Buddhist circuits. The State has also decided to set up the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) and medical tourism opportunities in a big way by setting up two bureaux. These bureaux would consist of stakeholders from the respective industries. Making a presentation to the media at the recently held Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) conference in Hyderabad,

by the end of this financial year. The hotels which have already been upgraded are those in Nandi Hills (near Bangalore), Kamalapur (near Hampi), Bhagamandala and Madikeri in Kodagu district and also the hotels in Mysore which are housed in heritage buildingsadded Luthra.

Lakshmi Parthasarathy, Principal Secretary (Tourism), Andhra Pradesh, said the Government was taking up a major adventure tourism project near Vikarabad. It is also utilising the Eastern Ghats and Horsley Hills to promote adventure and eco tourism. Jayesh Ranjan, Managing Director, AP Tourism Development Corporation, said the corporation would turn the Kolleru Lake into a birdwatcher's paradise. The State is also finalising a proposal to develop infrastructure on the lakh site to attract bird-watchers, he added.

ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008

TRENDS

cent). Nature and the environment (62 per cent), culture and art (53 per cent), safety (50 per cent) and hygiene (48 per cent) are the most important considerations for travellers when selecting their next travel destination. According to the Nielsen

rank high on Indian travellers' shopping list. With its growing popularity and penetration in India, the Internet has fast become one of the most popular sources of information on destinations for close to half (48 per cent) of those surveyed, behind travel agents and tour operators (56 per cent). Other popular sources are newspapers/ magazines (38 per cent) and recommendation from others (23 per cent). However, conventional channels remain popular when it comes to making actual holiday bookings. While 12 percent of Indians make their bookings through online travel agents, a majority go through regular travel agents or tour operators. One fifth of travellers would also book directly through friends/relatives at the destination country.

Outbound Travel Monitor, Singapore will be the most common travel destination for Indians (24 per cent) in the next 12 months, followed by Dubai, Australia, and Malaysia, each at 17 percent. On an average, Indians spend nearly USD 1,789 per person per leisure trip. Other than travel and accommodation, Indians spend mostly on global branded goods. Accessories, electronics, local souvenirs, fine gifts, fragrances and fashion also

"While booking over the Internet is becoming more popular, visiting a travel agent for direct and personal interaction is still important and preferred by many Indian consumers," said Pant. The 'Nielsen Indian Outbound Travel Monitor' conducted face-to-face interviews with 2,000 males and females aged 18 and above, who had travelled outside of India in the last twelve months and who had stayed at least two nights away from home.

Asian Destinations Popular Among Indian Travellers ith growing disposable i n c o m e s , increasing numbers of Indians are travelling abroad for leisure and business. Asian countries are their most popular destinations according to the Nielsen India Outbound Travel Monitor 2008, conducted in partnership with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). “A consumption-driven economy coupled with a population keen to explore the world, India is well positioned for a booming travel and tourism industry,” said Vatsala Pant, Associate Director, The

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

Nielsen Company. “As our survey reveals, most of India's outbound travellers hail from urban centres, they are well educated and well informed about the world and are eager to learn more through international travel.” Sightseeing tops the list for nearly two thirds (64 per cent) as the main reason for Indians travelling abroad, followed by exploring a new country for close to one half (47 per cent). About a quarter travels overseas for a change from their daily routine or to de-stress, to have a good time, and for visiting family and friends. According to Oliver Martin, Associate Director - Strategic Intelligence Centre, PATA, “As one of the world's most populated nations and with a rapidly expanding middle class, India offers huge potential as an outbound market supplying millions of potential travellers, PATA is projecting a relatively strong growth rate for India's outbound travel in the coming two years.” Accounting for 72 per cent of the most recent leisure trips and 63 percent of business trips, Asia is the most popular destination for Indians when heading overseas. Other regions such as Europe attract a greater percentage (18 per cent) of Indian travellers for business rather than pleasure (14 per

KERALA TRAVELLER

Kerala CM Demands

More Central Aid Dr. V. Venu IAS Secretary, Kerala Tourism

ourism is an industry that is extremely vulnerable to economic uncertainty- for the simple reason that most travel and tourism involves discretionary expense. The current economic slowdown in US and Europe, experts say, will take its toll on tourism destinations worldwide, and initial feedback from the trade signal a 20 per cent dip in arrivals to Kerala, as people around the world are putting their travel plans on the back burner. However, Kerala Tourism is bracing up for this fall. A tactical plan is in place and we are continuing with our relationship building and marketing exercise in association with the industry. We are also keeping our communication channels open. An important part of our strategy is to concentrate more on domestic tourism. We have already kicked off road shows in the Indian metros and are all set to move to Tier II cities. This apart, we are also spreading our reach to newer markets like Australia, Sweden and Singapore. Last month, Kerala Tourism conducted road shows at Stockholm in Sweden as well as at Sydney and Melbourne in Australia - all of which were marked by an impressive trade turnout from the region. Kerala Tourism also participated in the first-ever ITB Asia held at Singapore and consolidated its presence in Italy at the TTG, Rimini. From 9/11 to SARS and tsunami, Kerala Tourism has proved its resilience during crisis situations in the past and I am sure that our timely strategies and Kerala's strong brand equity will see us through this one as well.

A Picture of Neglect

erala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan has demanded more Central aid for the tourism sector in the State while saying that Kerala had emerged as one of the best tourism destinations in the world. According to him, as per the latest report of the World Tourism Organisation, Kerala has beaten Turkey which was considered to be a paradise for tourists, in attracting tourists. He was speaking at the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the Pathiramanal Eco-Tourism V S Achuthanandan Project at a public function Kerala Chief Minister at Muhamma in Alappuzha. Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, Kerala Agriculture University Vice- Chancellor K R Vishwabharan, District Collector V K Balakrishnan, Tourism Secretary V Venu and District Panchayat President R Nazar were also present at the function.

Kerala Pavilion Fails to Attract Visitors at WTM sually it is Kerala - the God's Own Country - is the toast of any Incredible India pavilion in any travel fair. But this year at WTM 2008 the Kerala pavilion simply failed to attract visitors. "It was a disaster" said Sanjay Sharma, General Manager, Le Meridien, Kochi, who had set up a stall at the Kerala pavilion, while speaking at a trade meet organised by the Kerala Government recently. Almost all participants

A Kerala Tourism Department owned airconditioned bus which was used by KTDC to take tourists for city rides lays neglected at the KITTS premises at Thycaud in Thiruvanathapuram. Now KTDC is using hired vehicles to take visitors for sight seeing in and around the city, as this AC bus is getting crumbled away.

who attended WTM agreed with this. People who paid a hefty sum to get a space in the pavilion got no return for the amount they had spent. The main reason for the pavilion not getting visitors, according to the participants, was that Kerala section was tucked away at a far corner of the India pavilion. Many industry people are of the opinion that from next year Kerala should go for a separate pavilion of its own.

ASIAN TRAVELLER NOVEMBER 2008

KERALA TRAVELLER

Kerala Sets Up Working Group to Study the Impact of Global Recession erala Government has set up a working group to study the impact caused by the global financial crisis on Kerala tourism. The committee comprises four representatives of resorts in the State, three representatives of tour operators, one each from the travel media, houseboat and home-stay sectors. The Director, Tourism; Managing Director, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation; Director, Ecotourism; and Managing Director, TRKL have also been included in the working group. The working group will meet in the first week of December and submit its report to the government. Speaking to the media at Thiruvananthapuram, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Minister for Tourism,

Kerala said that certain sections of the tourism industry in the State have been hit. These sections are those which are depending on tourist arrivals from countries affected by the financial meltdown. “The tourist flow from Scandinavian countries has increased while number of tourists from certain other countries has decreased. So, the Government has decided to appoint a working group comprising representatives from various tourism sectors including tour operators, travel agents, restaurants and so on, to study the issue,’’ the Minister said. The Minister said that in order to attract more domestic tourists to the state, effective promotional campaign would be held across the nation. For this, brochures portraying Kerala tour-

ism’s highlights will be brought out in Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Minister for Tourism, different lanKerala guages. The State Government and the tourism industry would jointly give advertisements on Kerala tourism if required. “Though the prices of petroleum products have decreased, the airline companies have not reduced the ticket rates yet. This has led to a decrease in the chartered flights coming to the state. So the State Government would ask the Central Government to take immediate steps to tackle this problem,’’ the Minister said. “Besides, the State Government would ask the Railway Ministry to allot special bogies for tourists in trains,” he added.

Getting Ready for Christmas and New Year

@ Leela Kovalam

@ Taj Green Cove, Kovalam

ith Christmas and New Year just a few weeks away, preparations are in full swing in all hotels. Cake - Mixing has become an 'annual ritual' in all high-end hotels in which the hotel staff, guests in the hotels and invitees take part. At Leela Kempinski, Kovalam Biswajit Chakraborty, General Manager, led the team. At Taj Green Cove, Kovalam, Surinder Singh the General Manager of the hotel and Sarath Sasi, Dy. Sales Manager, Taj Green Cove, Kovalam along with special invitees including Praveena, film and television actress and G. Biju Krishnan, Managing Editor, Asian Traveller took part in the ceremony.

Sanjay Kaul IAS, District Collector, Trivandrum inaugurates the new corporate office of Cosmos Tours and Travels. P.S. Chandrasenan, Managing Director, Cosmos Tours and Travels is also present.

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

I N D U S T RY

WINDOWS

VARIETY

DECEMBER 2008 International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM 2008), France

December 13 - 14

JANUARY 2009 ASEAN Tourism Forum, Hanoi, Vietnam

January 5-12

India Outbound, Mumbai

January 8-10

Monte Carlo travel Market, TBA Monaco

January 9-11

Camel Fair, Bikaner, Rajasthan

January 10-11

Kite Festival, Jaipur, Rajasthan

January 14

TTF OTM, Bangalore

January 16-18

Holiday World Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

January 23-25

FITUR Madrid

January 30 - February 03

Austrian and Central European Travel Business (ACTB), Austria

January 25-27, 2009

FEBRUARY 2009 Destination London, England

February 5-8

TTF OTM, Mumbai

February 7-9

TTF OTM, New Delhi

February 12-4

AIME, Australia

February 17-18

Taj Mahotsav, Agra, India

February 18-27

BIT Milan

February 19-22

IITM, Cochin

February 20-22

MARCH 2009 ITB BERLIN, Berlin, Germany

March 11-15

1. Who is an open-collar worker? 2. What is the meaning of the name Penang, the Malaysian state? 3. Which airline does not fly on Saturdays as a religious rule? 4. What does the name Roosevelt mean?

Constellations

Penang City, Malaysia

5. Which is the longest word with just one vowel in it? 6. What is the largest lake in England? 7. How many constellations are there in the sky?

8. What is the chemical name of the 'truth serum'? 9. How many trains do run on an average in India in a day? 10. Mabuhay (Welcome) is the in-flight magazine of which airline?

Indian Railway

Compiled by DEEKAY

Send in your answers to info@mediastepsindia.com with TYKC 14 in the the subject line. Answers should reach us before the 30th of this month. Answers of TYKC - 13 1. Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop, 2. Irish for 'knowledge', 3. The folds of elevations and grooves in our brain, 4. Pegasus clipped to Asus (to move up to the top-end of any alphabetical listing , from P to A), 5. Japanese for 'Rising Sun', 6. Nike, 7. Bartender, 8. Mohammad Hatta was the first vice president, 9. Echo from Echo Bay Technology Group, 10. Whirlpool

TYKC 13 - Winner Ghulam Samdani, General Manager, Hotel Muthoot Plaza has been promoted as Regional Director (South) of the Sarovar Group of Hotels. As the Regional Director, he will be in charge of seven existing properties in three states (Karnataka, Pondicherry and Kerala). In addition, he will also be supervising eight upcoming hotel projects in these states.

Kristof Kauffmann Lange Strasse Stuttgart, Germany

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

Dr. J. Prem Chand, Sr. Faculty Member of Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Kovalam, Trivandrum, Kerala has been awarded the Certification Accredited Management Teacher in the area of Hotel and Tourism Management by Centre for Management services of All India Management Association, New Delhi.

NOVEMBER 2008 ASIAN TRAVELLER

[ 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