CONTENTS PULLMANTUR CRUISES Spanish way of Cruising
Vol 8 No 10 NOVEMBER 2013 Pages 44
Chairman of the Board
Viveck Goenka
Tropical Caribbean
Editor
Reema Lokesh*
St.Romana G St..LuciaG Barbodas G Martinique G St.Kitts G Tortola 2013-2014
Assistant Editor
Steena Joy Associate Editor
Sudipta Dev CONTENT TEAM Mumbai
Kahini Chakraborty Rituparna Chatterjee New Delhi
Niharika Shukla Kolkata
Joy Roy Choudhury MARKETING Deputy General Manager
Harit Mohanty Chief Manager
Emmanuel Fernandes Manager
Sunil D'costa
TIME FOR
GROWTH (20) MARKETS
05
PHTPB TO DEVELOP INTERNATIONAL BORDER TOURISM
08
MAHARASHTRA TOURISM TO START SEA PLANE OPERATIONS IN NOVEMBER
CIRCULATION
MANAGEMENT
24
Mohan Varadakar PRODUCTION General Manager
B R Tipnis Manager
Bhadresh Valia Layout
Ratilal Ladani, Kiran Parker
12
Asst. Art Director
Surajit Patro Chief Designer
Pravin Temble
DUBAI CALLING ENTERPRISING TRAVEL AGENTS ASSOCIATION IS ORGANISING ITS FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION IN DUBAI
Includes Charter Flight Madrid-Caribbean-Madri (Dominican Republic)
Sailing Period November 2013 – April 2014
KOREA TOURISM AIMS TO ATTRACT TWO LAKH INDIAN TRAVELLERS BY 2015
EDGE
LIFE
Senior Graphic Designerr
Rushikesh Konka Photo Editor
Sandeep Patil Express TravelWorld Reg. No.-MH/MR/SOUTH156\2013-15 RNI Reg. No.MAHENG/2005/15993 Printed by The Indian Express Limited and published by Ms Vaidehi Thakar on behalf of The Indian Express Press, Plot No. EL208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai - 400710 and Published from Express Towers, 2nd Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400021. (Editorial & Administrative Offices: Express Towers, 1st Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400021) Editor Reema Lokesh*
30
INTERVIEW WITH SASI KANCHARLA OF HONEYWELL AEROSPACE
32
TOP OF THE WORLD AN ALL-WOMEN AGENCY SPECIALISING IN ADVENTURE TRAVEL AND OUTBOUND TRAINING
P04: EDITOR’S NOTE P33: APPOINTMENTS P41: WEEKEND
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EDITOR’S NOTE
November’s Nuance
T
he trend of hosting association conventions on foreign soil seems to be rather well established. It proves to be a perfect plan and a fruitful proposition for international tourism boards to meet their objective by showcasing their destination to a catchment crowd, in turn hoping to increase their inbound numbers from India. November end, early December will witness two associations, ETAA and OTOAI, host their conventions on international soil, in Dubai and Philippines respectively. The plan seems to be rather clear - it is all about showcasing a destination in all its finery to its members, who in turn will work as brand ambassadors and business partners to promote and sell the region. Around the same time, CII’s tourism committee is also going all out to host an international tourism fest with an objective to developing bilateral relationship between domestic stakeholders and foreign counterparts, and attract investments in the tourism and hospitality sector. From international food festivals to golf, from chef events to dance festivals, this event looks promising, at least on paper. Interestingly, it is not the established domestic states that are playing host to the event but a new kid on the block, namely Chandigarh and its surrounding areas, which will be introduced to the delegates. IATO as an association too has been instrumental in opening up new areas and cities
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4 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
“The plan seems to be rather clear - it is all about showcasing a destination in all its finery to its members, who in turn will work as brand ambassadors to promote and sell the region”
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of India for its delegates by hosting its annual conventions across potential tourism zones in the country. Further, the months of November and December seem to be all about meetings and greetings for the travel fraternity as WTM 2013 also opens doors early November. Recession, downturn and challenges do affect tourism and participation, but shows such as WTM and ITB bring back the enthusiasm and also help put business into perspective. The very magnitude of the shows and networking opportunities that they provide help stakeholders learn and unlearn simultaneously. New businesses and ideas spring up while established formulas could be rewritten. Similarly, our cover story in this issue focuses on the still unexplored time share business. Our story articulately highlights the segment’s second coming. In the last few years the sector has witnessed a growth of 50 per cent and has generated 1.7 millions jobs in the country. The future growth of the industry will be marked by setting up of resorts in undiscovered locations with great tourism potential that will create regional job opportunities and positively impact the local economy.
REEMA LOKESH Editor editorial.etw@expressindia.com
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PHTPB to develop international border tourism Focuses on highlighting the state heritage Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai
ing a fundamental link with the past and a foundation for future planning.”
PUNJAB HERITAGE and Tourism Promotion Board (PHTPB) is planning to develop the international border tourism connecting three joint check posts along border namely, Attari (Amritsar), Hussainiwala (Firozpur) and Sadqi check post in Fazilka district. This circuit will showcase varied themes like war memorials, unique border lifestyle, remnants of Sikh and Mughal period monuments and natural sites. The board has also introduced three products related to
The tourism department is also in the process of restructuring and restoring some of the other heritage monuments across the state the heritage of the state - Viraasat-e-Khalsa art museum in Anandpur Sahib, Patiala heritage walk and the Amritsar hertiage walk. The tourism department is also in the process of restructuring and restoring some of the other heritage monuments across the state. Speaking exclusively to Express TravelWorld, VB Kumar, IFS, executive director, PHTPB said, “It is an important milestone in the city’s efforts to preserve, protect and promote its royal heritage resources, and is vital for provid-
5 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
To promote Bollywood tourism, Punjab has signed a Memorandum of Understand-
ing through PHTPB with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). The en-
gagement output will be the structure for the Film Policy based on governance model,
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Ganpatipule to host National Sand Art Festival in Jan 2014 International sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik plans to open world's first sand art park in India Akshay Kumar Ratnagiri GANPATIPULE is all set to host a National Sand Art Festival in January 2014. This festival would be jointly hosted by JSW Foundation, a social development division of JSW group of companies and Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) along with international sand artist, Sudarsan Pattnaik. This festival would be the first national sand art festival in the western coast of India. At the prima facie level, the festival would be hosted for three to five days where more than 20 national sand artists would make sculptures with different themes. Before the festival, Pattnaik will organise a two day workshop for local artists to encourage sand art in India. Promoting the local culture and tradition of Maharashtra is one of the key focus apart from promoting cleanliness of the beaches. Speaking exclusively to Express TravelWorld, Pattnaik said, “In India we do not have two or three beaches, we have an entire coastline. A National Sand Art Festival can be efficiently be used to increase tourism. More than 20 sand sculpture artists will be present at this festival. Due to such events, all over the world people would know about Ganpatipule and tourism will increase. There must be many beach activities like sand art festival and kite festival.” “We have already started an international sand art festival in Konark called 'Konark festival', during the five days of the festival we have seen a footfall of five lakh people visiting from around the world. I have plans
6 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
A National Sand Art Festival can be efficiently used to increase tourism. More than 20 sand sculpture artists would be present in this festival to host many international festivals in other parts of the country,” he added. There are also plans to open the world's first sand art park in India, where many sand sculptures would be created inside a park and the climate will be controlled for its durability. This sand art park will also have sand sculptures of famous personalities from around the world just like Madame Tussauds. Speaking about where this park would be located, Pattnaik said, “I have proposed this idea to many states, but whichever state gives me the opportunity will be the venue for this park.”
Recently, JSW Foundation in a tie up with the department of tourism, Government of Maharashtra and Pattnaik, had held a demonstration of sand art technique and sculptures in support of the beautification of beaches at Ganpatipule. The theme for the sand sculptures was ‘Women Empowerment’. The sand art demonstration was held at Ganpatipule beach. Speaking on the occasion, Sangita Jindal, chairperson, JSW Foundation said, “ Pattnaik once again proved the creative genius he is with beautiful sand sculptures. The cause of women empowerment was wonderfully brought out
by Pattnaik and his team. JSW Foundation has always been associated with various art forms and supports various causes which help in uplifting the society.” Pattnaik said on the occasion, “I would like to thank JSW Foundation for creating awareness by bringing sand art into the mainstream and also pushing amateurs into the mainstream of sand art designing and sculpting. I hope this event inspires the young minds of India and encourage people to take up this amazing art form. It was a wonderful experience working on the pristine beaches of Maharashtra.”
Continued from pg 5
PHTPB to develop international border tourism business model, objectives and permissions. “Punjab can form integrated hub for film shooting and film production given to the immense potential for setting up a Film Institute and Film City, and showcasing numerous historical and religious monuments located in this region, through the medium of films.” The board is implementing various tourism-development projects. Apart from projects PHTPB is providing training and skill development facilities for traditional artisans and other stakeholders. He also informed that, “Punjab has major wetlands namely Harike, Kanjli and Keshopur which have been recognised as wetlands of international significance. Some of the rare species of migratory birds are spotted during winters as per survey conducted by a professional team from the forest department. To streamline this segment of tourism, Punjab had commissioned a study for the design of ecotourism maps for wetlands of Punjab to facilitate better appreciation of the natural heritage.” Elaborating on rural tourism, Kumar mentioned, “We see rural tourism in Punjab as a sustainable development driver especially for rural livelihood. PHTPB has taken the lead in identifying the Ropar Rural Tourism Cluster of four villages, based around the unique rural natural heritage of Sutlej river in Ropar wetlands Ramsar site, and duly endorsed by the two principal tourism industry associations, IATO and ADTOI.”
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Maharashtra Tourism to start sea plane operations in November Steena Joy Mumbai MAHARASHTRA TOURISM will be starting sea plane operations in the second week of November. The first flights are scheduled to be from Juhu to Aamby Valley near Lonavla. This was announced by Chhagan Bhujbal, minister of tourism, Government of Maharashtra recently. Bhujbal said, “The seaplanes will use our lakes or dams to land and take off,” further adding, “We want to introduce new products like adventure tourism, hot air ballooning etc. We have recently signed agreements with Que-
bec and Japan to boost inbound tourism numbers from these countries. The New York Times Square Diwali event was a huge success which was attended by nearly five lakh people. So we need to publicise our products to bring the tourists in.” Bhujbal was speaking at the launch of a joint initiative between Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), Sky Waltz and Rainbow Riderss who are introducing hot air balloon safari in Mumbai, Pune and Lonavla. MTDC managing director Jagdish Patil, Sky Waltz top executives Samit
Garg and Jai Thakore were present at the official launch. Sky Waltz is the first and the
largest licensed and approved commercial hot air balloon operator in India, authorised
by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Government of India. The company is already operating hot air ballooning in Rajasthan since 2008. The company will operate two flights daily. The entire experience will be of three hours including filling the air in the balloon and a guided tour of the balloon for enthusiasts and will cost `12,000 per head. Presently, Sky Waltz has a fleet of seven hot air balloons. According to Garg, over 15,000 people have enjoyed hot air ballooning with the company since its entry into India.
Three resort development projects in Andamans await environmental clearances Steena Joy – Mumbai ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO), a government enterprise of the Andaman and Nicobar administration, has lined up three resort development projects that are in the final stage of environmental clearances. Speaking exclusively to Express TrvaelWorld, Pervaiz Mohammed, general manager, ANIIDCO informed, “We are awaiting the environmental approval for all the three projects. Once we get the go ahead, work on the projects will start and they are expected to become operational in two years' time.” The three projects which will be implemented through private sector participation, include development of a
8 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
There is definitely a demand supply gap as far as good quality, high-end accommodation is concerned. There is a shortage of rooms especially during peak season beach resort at Havelock Island jointly with Indian Hotel Company (IHCL). The world class beach resort will have villas, a specialty restaurant, banquet facilities, health club, spa, water sports facility, etc. ANIIDCO has also entered into lease agreement with CGH Earth for development of another beach resort at Long Island. The proposal is
for the construction of a fivestar resort including an Ayurveda centre, diving centre, eco tour centre, yoga centre, art studio, library, etc. The third project is with Soma Enterprises for development of a beach resort at Neil Island. The proposal is for the construction of a fivestar boutique resort with villas including private swim-
ming pool, restaurant, stateof-the-art gymnasium laced around a fresh water lake, water sports facility etc. “Andamans has the potential to develop as a world class tourism destination. Setting up of these projects by leading hotel chains will boost tourism in the islands,” said Mohammed. “There is definitely a demand supply gap as
far as good quality, high-end accommodation is concerned. There is a shortage of rooms especially during the peak season that is from October to March,” he added. ANIIDCO already operates Megapode Resort - a threestar hotel, Megapode Camping Resort and an IATA approved air ticketing agency. Megapode Resort is spread on an area of 7.5 acres having 23 rooms and 10 cottages, with a multi-cuisine restaurant and conference cum banquet hall. The corporation has also leased a water sports facility at Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex, Port Blair to Ocean Blue offering facilities like jet skiing, speed boat ride, etc. ANIIDCO has also invited Expression of Interest (EOI) for development of a shopping complex cum multiplex and hotel in Port Blair.
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Go Discover Abroad offers voluntourism Niharika Shukla – New Delhi GO DISCOVER Abroad, an online and offline travel agency started by the founders of Volunteersolutions.com, is offering travellers with an option to volunteer in a country and travel at the same time. Being a three to four month old company, Go Discover Abroad offers flexible schedule, unique destinations, customised holidays and accomodation choices. “We provide seven destinations under the volunteer and travel option. These destinations include Costa Rica, India, Nepal, Kenya, Peru, South Africa and Thailand. Each destination enables the traveller to choose from a different project to volunteer for. The programme involves people coming from different countries volunteering as a group. This not only provides for a cultural interaction but also gives travellers a chance to know about other traveller's experiences. The minimum time period is one week. Even though this is a niche segment we are developing at a fast pace,” said Saurabh Sabharwal, CEO and founder, Go Discover Abroad. He further added, “This concept today is also very safe for women and till date we have received 80 per cent of single women travellers. Most of the people engaging in this kind of travelling are NRI's and Indians. Also, we are helping 300 girls receive education through our volunteer project in a village in Northern Ghana.” Other than this the company also offers different types of holidays such as beach holidays, cultural holidays, spa and wellness holidays, historic tours, special fairs and festival tours, spiritual and pilgrimage holidays, and adventure destinations can be customised as per requirement. The adventure packages include activities
9 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
such as biking holidays, paragliding, safari tours, trekking, water sports holidays and wildlife tourism. Sahil Sabharwal, co-founder,
Go Discover Abroad said, “Our facilities include looking at everything, from booking of flight and accomodation to on arrival requirements of the trav-
eller. Our entire team is present at the destination to look into any issues of the volunteer travellers. We also provide visa on arrival which many people do
not know about. Our website is a Geo-targeted website enabling customers from different parts of the world to use it according to their requirements.”
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Cyclone Phallin plays havoc with Odisha hospitality sector Sudipta Dev Mumbai ODISHA'S HOSPITALITY sector, particularly hotels and resorts in the coastal areas of the state have suffered severe damage as a result of Cyclone Phallin. JK Mohanty, chairman, Odisha Hotel Association informed that following the directives of the government, hoteliers had vacated all their beach properties as a result of which many lives were saved. Mohanty, who is also the CMD of Swosti Group of Hotels, mentioned that his properties had to witness large scale cancellation of conference bookings due to the panic factor.
The government support that hoteliers are looking at are - active promotion in the domestic market; soft loan to hotels and the industry to refurnish properties which have been affected; banks should extend term loan payment period by two quarters. Pointing out that a fool-proof system of business has to be developed to save the industry from the after-impact of natural calamities, Harihar Patra, director-Marketing, Toshali Resorts International said, “Every businessman associated with travel and hospitality sector should develop their business model such as hotel construction, operations, marketing, etc, so that even if
Every businessman associated with travel and hospitality sector should develop their business model so that even if natural calamities occur they make themselves insulated financially without great losses natural calamities of severe scale occur they make themselves insulated financially without great losses.” The tourism season that starts with Durga Puja has
been badly affected. “Massive evacuation by the state government, disconnectivity by air and rail services and excessive media publicity on damages before and after the
cyclone has created a panic among travellers who generally visit Puri and other destinations in huge numbers during the festival seasons of October and November. Visitors will either postpone their travel to the eastern region or look for some other destinations,” stated Patra. He mentioned that a lot of preparatory work by hoteliers and travel operators who were eyeing for the upcoming season has got disturbed, “Now cash-flow into the sector will squeeze which will adversely affect the earning and employment of all those people and their families associated with tourism business.”
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Club Med Guilin launched in China ETW Staff Mumbai CLUB MED RESORT called Club Med Guilin was recently launched in Guilin, China. The launch of the new property was celebrated through a Grand Opening Spectacular event organised from September 23-25, 2013 at Club Med Guilin. The two-day global event also celebrated the recently announced milestones regarding Club Med’s global development strategy that will see the French brand accelerate its growth in fast-developing travel markets such as China. The event was attended by more than 300 international guests from Greater China, South East Asia and Pacific, Europe, South Africa, Is-
rael, Brazil and Australia. Henri Giscard d'Estaing, chairman and CEO of Club Med was joined by GT Tsao, owner of Club Med Guilin. Under the theme ‘Where Nature Meets Art’, invited guests were treated to the unique Club Med spirit. Guests explored the 46-hectare resort and its Modern Sculpture Park, signature restaurants, bars and the limestone cave. They also took part in Club Med Guilin’s array of cultural and sport activities, including a wine tasting class, guided bike rides in nature, and relaxing tai chi and yoga sessions. Excursions to explore more of the region included a trip to Li River and a performance of Impression Show Liu San Jie by film director Zhang Yimou.
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Korea Tourism aims to attract two lakh Indian travellers by 2015 Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai AFTER RECEIVING 90,000 Indian travellers from JanuarySeptember 2013, Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) is focusing on targeting leisure and MICE segment from India. The organisation is expecting about 1.2 lakh Indians travelling to Korea this year. Jae Sang Lee, director New Delhi office, KTO said, “There is a huge business opportunity from the MICE segment. We have worked with the Indian travel trade to develop Korea tourism product packages and FIT programme. By 2015 we expect to attract two lakh Indian travellers to Korea.” KTO recently organised a two-city roadshow in Delhi and Mumbai in order to promote the destination's tourism offerings. The Korean
travel trade that attended the roadshow included Jane Tour & DMC; Kim’s Travel; Bosuk Tours; and US Travel. According to a market survey done in Korea on Indian travellers, it was estimated that normally leisure travellers'
length of stay is 13 days and MICE travellers' stay is for seven-eight days. “Yet we see more business potential in MICE travellers than leisure in Korea. KTO will organise incentive roadshows in India in the coming months and will conduct
training programmes and workshops in Mumbai in November and December for the Indian travel trade to make them destination specialists. It is also planning to introduce online training programmes for the travel trade,” Lee added.
As part of its marketing initiative, the organisation is looking at tapping Bollywood tourism. “We want Indian producers to shoot in Korea which can open good opportunities. The government of Korea and Korean Embassy have asked Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan to come in as the goodwill brand ambassador, and the actor has accepted the proposal. In this way we are targeting the Bollywood industry to come and shoot at the exotic locations of Korea and they can also avail the incentives provided by the government. For the niche market, the organisation is also keen to promote the famous theme parks - Everland theme park and Lotte World. Universal Studios in the US is also keen to develop another theme park downtown of Seoul,” he informed.
Japan expects 70,000 Indian tourists by year end Rituparna Chatterjee – Mumbai JAPAN NATIONAL TOURISM Organisation (JNTO) is expecting a footfall of 70,000 Indian tourists by the end of 2013. Japan saw 50,900 Indian tourists coming into their country from January to August 2013, which is a 13 per cent increase from 2012 which saw 45,033 tourists coming in during the same period. Among the top 18 countries visiting Japan, India's position as a source market is 17 in terms of the number of visitors and 14 in terms of percentage of growth reflecting the potential for further growth. The recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Maharashtra Tourism and Wakayama Prefecture with the objective to promote, strengthen and expand
12 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
Yoshinobu Nisaka
tourism, agro food processing and local enterprises is expected to raise the numbers further. Yoshinobu Nisaka, governor, Wakayama Prefecture stated, “The MoU is just a starting line to promote many tourists from Mumbai to Wakayama Prefecture and gradually with time Indian tourists to Wakayama Prefecture will increase. Also we will
The MoU is just a starting line to promote many tourists from Mumbai to Wakayama Prefecture and gradually with time Indian tourists to Wakayama Prefecture will increase act as a gateway for tourists to go to Maharashtra as it has great sightseeing locations. Travel agencies should either take people to Wakayama Prefecture or to concerned areas like Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara etc including Wakayama.” Speaking about the reasons for India's lower position as a source market, Norihiko Sakurai, director – tourism exchange division tourism bu-
reau, Wakayama Prefectural Government stated, “One issue is the VISA, which is an obstacle for the Indian travellers visiting Japan. Other issues are the high airline cost from India to Japan, the long distance of flights, and the less availability of direct flights going to Japan. Since the price of yen is weaker than the dollar, we expect more people to come into Japan.”
Japan's biggest source markets are the Asian counties, the US (fourth position) and UK (eighth position). South Korea has the highest numbers with 1,779,800 tourists coming in for the period January to August, 2013 as compared to 1, 345, 376 tourists for the period January to August, 2012 (32.3 per cent increase). Russia was at the bottom of the list with 39,800 tourists coming in for the period January to August, 2013 as compared to 30,177 tourists for the period January to August, 2012 (31.9 per cent increase). Strikingly, China showed a decline from 1,129,385 tourists for the period of January to August, 2012 to 839,700 tourists for the period of January to August, 2013 (-25.7 per cent decline). Statistics: Japan National Tourism Organisation
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France looks at strengthening collaboration with Indian filmmakers Targets education tourism also Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai THE CONSULATE General of France in Mumbai is looking at strengthening their collaboration with Indian filmmakers to open up France as a preferred destination for shooting films. Speaking on this, Jean Raphael Peytregnet, consul general, Consulate General of France in Mumbai stated, “There is a lot of collaboration happening between French and Indian filmmakers. For instance, the Hindi film 'The Lunchbox' was co-
produced by ASAP Films, a French production company. We recently found that a lot of Indian filmmakers are going to other European destinations like Switzerland and Spain. So a lot of efforts are being taken to make France more attractive by simplifying the visa application process. The Indian filmmakers don't need a working visa but can avail a special visa allowing them to shoot in France. ” France is also offering Tax Rebate for International Productions (TRIP) to help reduce the production cost of
Jean Raphael Peytregnet
films. TRIP entitles the filmmakers to a 20 per cent rebate when their spending crosses
one million euros for 40 days of shooting in France. Furthermore, student exchange programmes between film schools in India and France are also being encouraged. “We have a very famous cinema school called 'La Femis', which has a student's exchange programme. From 2011 to 2013, there had been approximately 10 Indian movies shot in France and we are looking forward to increasing that number,” opined Alexandre Gelbras, head of French film, TV office and digital content, French Embassy in India.
Apart from film students, France is also targetting Indian students to study engineering and business in France. “India is a technology driven country so we want to attract the best engineers and technological students in India to study in France. The Indian students come to France to study in two specific fields – engineering and business because these courses are mostly taught in English. In 2013, we had over 1200 Indian students and we would like to increase the numbers further,” revealed Gelbras.
Tourism Australia to consolidate their Aussie specialist programme Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai TOURISM AUSTRALIA is looking at further consolidating and building upon their Aussie specialist programme by introducing three new modules by next year. The Aussie specialist programme which is an online course for travel agents, aims at equipping them with adequate knowledge and skill to sell Australia to their clients. Currently the programme has 19 modules and will increase to 22 with the inclusion of three more modules. The three modules will be - food and wine, luxury lodges and the 'Great Walks of Australia' – a new product that is being launched through the module. These three modules will be for the existing Aussie specialist agents. At present, the
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November 2013
Currently the programme has 19 modules and will increase to 22 with the inclusion of three more modules. The three modules will be - food and wine, luxury lodges and the 'Great Walks of Australia' Nishant Kashikar
programme has 815 Aussie specialist agents with 2200 travel agents yet to complete the programme. Tourism Australia is also aggressively promoting Australia through associations with travel agents and airline companies. Elaborating on this, Nishant Kashikar, manager – India for Tourism Aus-
tralia stated, “We are building consumer demand and creating attractiveness and awareness for the destination by associating with 20-30 television channels and continuing our association with Masterchef. Our partnership with airlines including Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Air India will be wrapped up to launch package
fares. Air India will be starting their direct flights to Australia, and Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines will increase their capacity to Australia. 'Dream Time', a flagship trade event of Tourism Australia is being held in December this year. We are having co-operative campaigns with travel agents like Kuoni India, Mercury Travels, Ke-
sari Tours and Kulin Kumar Holidays. We are also trying to work with other online partners like Make MyTrip.com, Yatra.com and TUI Travel PLC.” Till June 2013, 166,000 tourists came into Australia, which was a four per cent increase from 159,400 tourists in December 2012. “Despite the economic slowdown, the leisure arrivals was up by 15 per cent and then spent was up by 16 per cent since there were more direct flights and the Australian dollar was also relatively stable as compared to other foreign currencies,” Kashikar explained. Through these promotional activities, Tourism Australia is looking at welcoming 175,000 tourists by this year end, which would be an expected nine per cent increase from previous year.
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India an emerging source market for China Niharika Shukla – New Delhi A RECENT BOOST in tourism exchange and cooperation between China and India has led to an increase in Indian travellers visiting China. The tourism sector in China has seen continuous growth since past three years. The total visits from India to China, from January to July, 2013 were 399,400, an increase of 13.77 per cent over the same period of last year and the visits from mainland China to India were 85,000, an increase of about 11.3 per cent over the same period of last
year. Speaking on the tourism exchange between China and India, LI Qianguo, deputy director, China National Tourist Office said, “India is an important emerging source market for China. For the first half of this year, Indian arrivals to China increased by more than 10 per cent. It is very encouraging considering the current global travel trends (the international arrivals increased only about five per cent from January to July, 2013). China and India are more closely connected with each other through travel and tourism. CNTO, New Delhi will organ-
For the first half of this year, Indian arrivals to China increased more than 10 per cent. It is very encouraging considering the current travel trends ise more promotional activities in India including travel fairs, seminars, FAM tours to further tap the Indian market. A new road show of China Tourism will be organised next year.
Further talking about his association with the travel agents in India, Qianguo added ,“The Indian travel agents mean a lot to us. For both group and individual tourists, the travel agents can
give immense support. I have always kept myself associated with independent travel agents and the associations of Indian travel agents, such as IATO, TAAI. For the recently concluded road show of China Tourism in Bengaluru and New Delhi, TAAI-Karnataka, IATO (national), SFTO-India extended support to China Tourism.” Some of the destinations being promoted by China include - Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. New destinations such as Xi’an, Guilin, Chengdu, Suzhou and Hangzhou are expected to attract more Indian tourists.
Whisky and golf top attractions for Indian visitors in Scotland Sudipta Dev Mumbai INDIA ALONG with China is a key emerging market for VisitScotland. As many as 18,000 Indians visited Scotland in 2012, their spend was up by over GBP 5 million. “We have also noticed that the Indian consumer spends a lot more, that is GBP 300 more than the average international visitor, so in terms of revenue they are very important as a source market,” said Vineet Lal, international marketing manager – Long Haul and Emerging Markets, VisitScotland. He was in India recently as part of the sales mission which coincided with the Queens Baton Relay in Delhi, a precursor to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year. Lal mentioned that there are certain brands in Scotland that resonates well with the Indian demographics. For instance, golf and whisky is fundamental to the tour of Scotland. "Scotland is the home of
16 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
whisky. You can visit over a hundred distilleries within Scotland. There are several whisky trails. There are 550 golf courses, including places like St Andrews which is a hallowed turf for golf lovers,” he added. Golf is of interest across the board - for both leisure as well as the MICE segment. "Having spoken to the travel trade in Bengaluru, New Delhi and Mumbai, it is clear that the Indian traveller is ready to try new experi-
ences,” stated Lal. An important part of VisitScotland's efforts in this market are the SCOTSagents. 50 SCOTSagents recently graduated in Mumbai. The total number of SCOTSagents in India is 1800, the largest worldwide after the US. “The SCOTSagents training programme increases the professionalism and product knowledge of Scotland amongst the travel trade fraternity. There are six online seminars. It's a
way of increasing product knowledge and sell Scotland better and inspire confidence in the consumer,” said Lal. The year 2014 is very significant for Scotland in terms of tourism. The Commonwealth Games is taking place in Glasgow from July 23 to August 3, 2014. “India hosted the games the last time, so the Queen's Baton Relay began it's journey from New Delhi recently. We are hoping
the lure of the games will provide visitors an impetus to come to Scotland. The travel trade in India can buy packages from the games' travel office for their clients,” informed Lal. The whole of 2014 is themed as 'Homecoming Scotland' with a calender of events - the Ryder Cup will take place in September 2014, the Whisky Festival will take place in May along with other events and festivals.
MARKETS
TCEB expects 10 per cent growth from India MICE market in 2014
VIA Rail deluxe product to target India market Sudipta Dev Vancouver IN MAY 2014, VIA Rail Canada will introduce a new deluxe product, which according to Ryan Robutka, senior manager, sales and marketing – Americas, VIA Rail will be a good fit for the Indian market. “India is an emerging market for us. We have representation in India now and that helps us in working with tour operators, training and press outreach. The numbers from India are small but growing. It is a market that we have identified is important for us and we are looking to build the momentum,” said Robutka, adding that one of the things that VIA Rail is excited about in the Indian market is the deluxe product. Initially the route for this product will be from Vancouver to Jasper, in 2015 there are plans to extend the same from Vancouver to Toronto. “The cabins will be larger and more contemporary. Though the train will be the same there will be larger separate new cars. There will be in-
dividual washrooms with shower, flat screen televisions with video on demand, and of course concierge service,” stated Robutka. In the weeks leading up to that trip, the concierge will contact the travellers and ask if they need anything prior to getting on the train and also help them with sightseeing tours, etc. Alcohol would be included in the trip and there would be wine tasting and cheese tasting. The level of service will be personalised. There are other trains catering to the niche travellers. For example, the train that goes to Churchill and Manitoba is of interest to adventure travellers. “People go to Churchill to see polar bears, to swim with beluga whales and look at the Northern Lights. Another train goes through northern British Columbia, Prince Rupert to Jasper and Alberta, which is for nature lovers - they do whale watching, grizzly bear tours, fishing tours and then go to Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies,” informed Robutka.
VIA Rail Canada was created by two different railway companies that operate freight lines in Canada. In the late seventies when airline travel was becoming more popular they shed their passenger network and the federal government took over the operations. Since then VIA Rail Canada has grown into a company that specialises in two types of travel - in eastern Canada people rely on train network to travel between Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa and Toronto as an alternate to flying. There is economy and business class, and is much cheaper than the airlines. The longer haul trains go from Toronto to Vancouver and takes four nights and three days to go across five provinces. There are two classes of service - economy and sleeper plus class (first class service). "We would say that our first class product is a premium product, which has a casual Canadian twist to it. It is not pretentious, but welcoming,” concluded Robutka.
Sudipta Dev Mumbai THE NUMBER of Indian MICE travellers to Thailand have almost doubled from 2008-2009 to 2012, which saw almost 80,000 Indian MICE visitors to the country. Almost 65 per cent of MICE travellers to Thailand are from Asia, and within this number India tops the list. “India is the biggest source market in Asia with 26.8 per cent of MICE travellers. China is number two followed by Japan and then Korea,” stated Vichaya Soonthornsaratoon, director, Meeting Incentive & Convention Department, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB). She added that India is becoming TCEB's first tier destination for doing marketing, and is one of the focus countries for promotions. In 2014, TCEB is expecting 10 per cent growth in terms of revenue from this market. “The demand and potential is there, with the increase in number of flights between both countries, this growth is achievable,” said Thanabodee Hemsuchi, regional manager, Meetings Industry Department, TCEB. Many MICE groups are from tier II and tier III locations across India. "We have been receiving groups from places like Coimbatore, these
are smaller groups but with high yield. What growth we have achieved is with the help of repeat customers. Almost 60 to 70 per cent customers are repeat, they always want to upgrade their experience and are willing to pay more for better value,” mentioned Nitin Sachdeva, marketing manager, India Representative Office, TCEB. There are a few MICE Series destinations in Thailand that are promoted in the market, for instance Bangkok, Pattya, Phuket, Chaing Mai and Koh Samui. Thailand as a destination has already been attractive to Indian travellers – it was popular for leisure and MICE came later. “The hospitality market in Thailand is geared up for big groups from India. Many hotels have Indian chefs and train their staff for handling Indian delegations. Our hospitality sector is alert about preparing themselves for large Indian groups,” mentioned Soonthornsaratoon. She points out that one MICE group is different from one another. “There are often tailor-made programmes, in Thailand service is quite flexible, we talk to the customer first and then see how can we support them - from cultural performances to creating events for them,” concluded Soonthornsaratoon.
17 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
MARKETS
Tourism Malaysia looks at increasing arrivals to Legoland
Lama Express Visa service debuts in three Indian cities Sudipta Dev Mumbai
Sudipta Dev Mumbai FROM WALT Disney World in Florida to Universal Studios Singapore, destination theme parks have always been a great attraction for Indian families travelling overseas. Legoland in Malaysia is the recent exciting inclusion in the list. Located in Iskandar Malaysia, the sixth Legoland theme park in the world is a joint venture by IDR Resorts and Merlin Entertainments. “We want to promote Malaysia as a fun place for the entire family and welcome Indian families to celebrate the year-end festivities with us at Legoland. We have observed that many Indian families travel with their children with theme park and shopping as an important must-do in their customised itinerary. They prefer to spend less time in travelling and more in shopping and family entertainment,” said Manoharan Periasamy, director, Tourism Malaysia. Legoland offers 40 rides, shows and displays of the famous Lego bricks of Denmark. There are seven themed areas of attractions for all ages, for in-
18 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
Manoharan Periasamy
stance The Beginning, LEGO Technic, LEGO Kingdoms, Imagination, LEGO City, Land of Adventure and MINILAND (the centre piece where Asian landmarks have been recreated using more than 30 million Lego bricks). One of the highlights of the park is the world’s biggest Death Star model. It is made from 723,150 pieces of Lego bricks. “From LEGO experiment centres to rollercoasters, the park is a day-long voyage of discovery for all the family. We look forward to working more closely with the travel trade and other partners here to increase arrivals from India to Legoland this year and in coming years. Malaysia is strongly perceived to
be a real value for money destination in India and we will continue to be a favourite with the Indian traveller,” stated Periasamy. Apart from Legoland the other products that Tourism Malaysia is focused on for the Indian market are - Sanrio Hello Kitty Town (opened in October 2012, located in Puteri Harbour Theme Park, first theme park outside Japan); helicopter tours (available at major tourist destinations, namely in Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi and Sabah); Sabah and Sarawak; wedding and honeymoon segment. Periasamy reminded that in 2014, Malaysia will celebrate its fourth Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) with the theme 'Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia'. “The VMY 2014 promotional campaign has started this year with a series of year–long special events and activities leading to VMY 2014. It will contribute to the government’s target to receive 36 million tourist arrivals and RM 168 billion in receipts by 2020, as outlined in the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan (MTTP) 2020,” mentioned Periasamy.
AFTER SUCCESSFULLY introducing Lama Express Visa service a year ago in GCC nations and few other countries like CIS and China, Lama Tours is now focused on tapping the vast opportunities in the Indian market. A few months back the service was introduced in Delhi, with Mumbai and Bengaluru following next. Lama Express Visa service is for visitors who travel to visit their families and friends in Dubai and do not want to take hotel accommodation. “We are starting with Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru as the first three sectors. Eventually we will enter the tier II locations, and cities like Chennai, Kolkatta and Hyderabad,” said Kulwant Singh, managing director, Lama Tours. The cities will have offices for Lama Express Visa service. "Now it is time for us to open this service in India and capture the huge potential here. The number of visitors from this part of the world is increasing to Dubai. This kind of service will add on a lot to the flexibility of the working patterns of the agents in India,” opined Singh. The time for the approval of visa is three working days. However, according to Singh, the time factor can be less than that, particularly for those who request for urgent service. Pointing out that the first six months of this year has been very good in terms of Indian visitors arrivals to Dubai, Singh mentioned that he expects an excellent Di-
Kulwant Singh
wali and year-end business. “At Lama we are fully geared to handle the upcoming season. There are a lot of special packages for Diwali for the Indian visitors, with many extras, freebees and value add-ons like adding water park in Abu Dhabi in the Ferrari World ticket. The water park is a great attraction. We are in discussion with the Dubai Calendar, which is the events department in Dubai, to bring more concerts to Dubai. Agents and public in India can book their packages accordingly, for instance Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone concert in December or international concerts like that of Madonna,” concluded Singh.
MARKETS
South West Germany shows a higher average stay as compared to other countries ETW Staff Mumbai THE STATE of Baden Wuerttemberg in Germany witnessed a 6.5 per cent increase in travellers from India between January to August, 2013. Total number of visitors from India reached 16,000 with an average stay of 6.2 days per visit totaling 100,800 overnights from India. These number are expected to increase further with 150,000 to 170,000 Indian visits expected to come to South West Germany by the year end. Speaking on the increase in the number of tourists, Hector D'Souza, India
head, Southwest German Tourist Board and president, L'Orient Travels stated, “This is the highest percentage recorded from a single country as compared to tourist arrivals from other international countries.” Indian tourists also seem to stay for the longest number of days and have shown high spending power in South West Germany. Though South West Germany is currently being promoted as a winter destination, it is also being positioned as a destination for film tourism. “We will soon be introducing the film tourism facility for filmmakers. That will happen by the end of
November. We will be identifying the locations for film shoots and we will be providing simplified formalities for shooting films.
The Black Forest is one of the best places for the film fraternity,” he opined. Currently South West Ger-
many has 390 online specialists across India and 1200 registered agents. The Germany Consulate in collaboration with VFS Global is planning to open visa application centres across four locations in India – Ahmedabad, Goa, Mumbai and Pune by the beginning of 2014. This step was taken in response to the increasing demand for Germany as an outbound tourism destination in India with an aim to boost tourism in Germany and offer quick services during peak occasions. D'Souza stated, “Germany gives around 50,000 visas annually with only two per cent visa rejection.”
TECHNOLOGYTO PLAYAPIVOTALROLE IN THE TRAVELINDUSTRY ETW Staff Mumbai IN THE FUTURE technology will become an integral part of the travel fraternity in 95 per cent of the cases. Even offline travel companies will use technology in automating the back office processes like contracting, enquiry handling, costing and accounting. Through technology the travel industry can help reduce cost of operations, reach wider markets, improve customer satisfaction, maximise revenues, minimise mistakes, reduce infrastructure cost, offer larger choices to customers, reduce time and effort in customisations, reach closer to the customers, reach their supplier and guests across multiple communication methods, monitor assets, trends and markets and help in better supplier contracting. Travel companies that will
adopt technology will find huge potential to expand their business domain and achieve higher profitability as they will tend to keep their operation cost lower even at thinner margins. They will easily achieve scalability of suppliers and clients at the same time and have manageability and monitor-ability of the business in their hands. According to Neelkanth Pararath, managing director, CRS Technologies India, Travel agents/tour operators' traditional approach combined with technology can attract more business, increase customer satisfaction, ensure delivery of exceptional service, and provide superior return on investments. In major cases, if a travel agent or tour operator has to be at par with the market changes then he has to go in tune with technology. In today’s world before planning a vacation, guests do a market research on the in-
MoCAvindicates IAAI's stand on commission ETW Staff Mumbai MINISTRY OF Civil Aviation (MoCA) has vindicated IAAI's (IATA Agents Association of India) stand on commission. K N Shrivastava, secretary - MoCA, Government of India, has ruled that airlines are bound to pay commission to travel agents as per Rule 135 of Indian Aircraft Rules 1937. The ruling came out as an official order highlighting the continuity of
ternet to know more about their itinerary, hotels and activities. Apart from this they also like to make different types of changes
the order dated March 5, 2010 and disposed the appeal filed by Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) on transaction fee. Shrivastava clearly stated that the quantum of commission has to be decided mutually by the principal and the agent. The airlines currently give five per cent commission to the cargo agents. Many airlines give five to nine per cent commission in various other countries.
in the itinerary before actually booking a package. With the current technology infrastructure available with
most of the travel agents/tour operators, this kind of package customisations become a time taking process, which also has the threat of losing the guest to bigger agents who are well equipped with technology. Many travel agents have moved from normal websites to showing a detailed itinerary of packages available in a particular destination, but the real task is customisation for the displayed packages. Most of the agents work with different technology for their various needs like collection of payments, customisation of packages, online publishing of packages, hotels and other services, but there is no integrated platform to perform all these functions or requirements. While selecting a technology partner, an agent has to check for the scalability of the solution to suit the current demand, future expandability, reliability and security.
19 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
cover )
TIME
for
Growth Though still at a nascent stage, the vacation ownership segment in India is perceived to be a sunrise sector with high growth potential that is being driven by domestic tourism. BY SUDIPTA DEV
20 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
(
THE MAIN FOCUS
O
ne of the high growth segments in Indian travel and hospitality industry, the vacation ownership segment also happens to be a recession-proof sector. With the number of timeshare resorts in the country growing by over 50 per cent in the last six years, according to the All India Resort Development Association (AIRDA), it is a sunrise sector within the tourism industry and a great driver of domestic tourism. While 3,50,000 families subscribe to timeshare products in India, the estimated market size exceeds 3.5 million. Growing at a CAGR of 18 to 20 per cent in the last five years, this growth is expected to accelerate in the future. “We hope with the projected growth rates the timeshare industry will provide up to 20 per cent of the hospitality accommodation inventory in the country in next 20 years. This market will be further expanded by an increased range of vacation ownership products,” states B S Rathor, chairman, AIRDA. To accelerate growth in the industry, AIRDA looks at government support in terms of incentivising timeshare resort projects in the exotic regional destinations to promote economic activity, generate new jobs and create wealth in these areas – hitherto not explored. Other issues are development of tourism infrastructure, last mile connectivity, communication, security arrangements, trained and accredited tourist guides, taxi operators, etc, to attract tourists. A recent survey by AIRDA to study the impact of economic value addition of the vacation ownership industry in India presented many important findings – while the economic impact is
ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TIMESHARE IN INDIA `700,000 million, the industry has created 1.7 million jobs. “The overall economic impact works out to 0.9 per cent of the country’s GDP. The future contribution of the timeshare is expected to be much higher, with more impetus to the timeshare industry by the government,” says Rathor, pointing out that the timeshare
1.7
Jobs created
MILLION
industry needs to be nurtured by proactive and enabling government policies. For instance, the approved guidelines for classification of hotels state that hotels, in project or operational stage, will not be allowed timeshare inventory. “This has become an obstruction in the way of investments in hotel projects which
0.9
of the country’s GDP
%
envisage having timeshare inventory. AIRDA is working on the issue with the ministry of tourism and hotel associations and hope the matter will be resolved,” adds Rathor. A significant development in recent years has been the notification by MoT of the approved guidelines for the classification of
As per American Resort Development Association (ARDA) statistics the timeshare industry supported US$ 69 B of economic output to the US economy in 2009, 465,800 jobs, over US$ 22 in salaries, wages and a substantial amount of tax revenues.
timeshare resorts in India. Only AIRDA affiliated resorts are eligible for the classification process. The large population of aspiring holiday-makers offers an untapped potential to the timeshare industry. The fact that the penetration of vacation ownership is very low among the 100 million upper middle class in In-
21 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
Market Size
3.5
cover )
MILLION
The large population of aspiring holiday-makers offers an untapped potential to the timeshare industry. The fact that the penetration of vacation ownership is very low among the 100 million upper middle class in India makes this segment a very attractive proposition for resort owners and developers
“Vacation ownership is a mature business” Pali Badwal MD, RCI India
“Our occupancy levels are not affected by economic cycles” Ramesh Ramanathan, MD, Sterling Holiday Resorts (India)
“We have been uniquely responsible for creating the place” Rajiv Sawhney MD and CEO, Mahindra Holidays
22 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
dia makes this segment a very attractive proposition for resort owners and developers. World leader in vacation ownership, RCI currently has a portfolio of 110 resorts in India. Pali Badwal, MD, RCI India says, “Vacation ownership is a mature business and in our global experience we have seen that there are two key factors that drive long-term growth. One, developer relationship and two, market development. The key is driving customer value.” He believes that in the current scenario, when the economy is going slow, vacation ownership can be an excellent business option for resort owners and a great investment from the customer’s perspective. Need for governance and regulation being critical factors for the industry, RCI is working closely with AIRDA and other partners in maintaining a regulatory body for better governance and management in the sector. “This along with self regulation, as many of our resort owners already practice, will help us shape the future of the industry as a whole. Everyone benefits as a consequence. We have experience of growing the category in countries with similar characteristics to India like Latin America, South East Asia, among others. This global experience and best practices we hope would help us and our partners overcome challenges as it may be," says Badwal. Evolving trends The last few years have seen significant evolution in the timeshare sector in India – this ranges from enhanced experi-
ences that new age global travellers seek to setting up of timeshare resorts in undiscovered locations which have not been on popular tourist map. “Current and future growth will be in unchartered territories and undiscovered locations with great tourist potential - where timeshare activity will contribute to local commerce, employment and economic activity,” states Rathor, adding that there is visible changes in the delivery models of timeshare experiences – it is no longer just the location, but value adds around the holiday such as golf, trekking, river rafting, jungle safaris and new-adventure sport. Another significant trend is the concept of mixed-use of timeshare resorts with hotels and vice-versa. Rathor feels that the timeshare landscape in India will see radical changes with the advent of the global brands who would like to participate in India’s growth in the coming decade. Almost all major global hotel chains - Marriott, Starwood, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, and others have timeshare in their inventory. The vacation ownership industry in India is in its second avatar and is delivering quality products at market-friendly pricing, avers Param Kannampilly, CMD, Concept Hospitality. “The emphasis is on delivering quality experiences rather than rapid expansion and fund raising,” says Kannampilly. He foresees an increasing number of independent resorts with inventory above 50 rooms allocating at least 25 per cent of their inven-
“The industry will provide up to 20 per cent of hospitality accommodation” B S Rathor Chairman, AIRDA
tory to timeshare. “This approach essentially guarantees good yielding, year-round business. We have used this model with excellent results in our earlier projects and are considering it at our upcoming Jodhpur resort project,” he says, adding that the Indian timeshare industry will grow and reputed hotel industry players will enter it because it is an alternate means of financing of the industry. Concept Hospitality has built the Lotus Suites in Goa and the VITS hotel in Mumbai using the timeshare model. According to a recent research report, the most popular length of holiday stay amongst Indian travellers was seven days indicating that Indians do in fact take their vacation time seriously. Badwal points out that whilst long holidays seemed to win favour amongst the majority, even shorter breaks such as four and three days were equally popular amongst Indian travellers implying that people
were tending to break away from the ‘one annual break’ habit and would rather look forward to taking several breaks in a year of a shorter duration. This is a positive development for the vacation ownership industry. Strategic expansion Taking into consideration the developing needs of the young urban traveller, timeshare companies formulated their strategy for future growth / expansion. Club Mahindra that currently has 2500 rooms, plans to add a thousand more to the inventory by March 2014. “We are in an expansion mode and we are looking to grow within India. We are currently looking at eastern India, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh,and Kerala. Although we have six locations in Kerala, we could do with more,” says Rajiv Sawhney, MD and CEO, Mahindra Holidays. The company is also looking at expanding in Goa where it already has 350 rooms across two properties. A resort is being built in Kanha, Madhya Pradesh and Virajpet in Coorg. There is also a project underway in Naldehra in Shimla. “Last year we expanded to Bangkok and Dubai because of low cost carriers covering neighbouring countries and making them economically closer. Since Sri Lanka is equally close and is easy for families to visit, we are looking at expanding there also. Based on the experiences with Bangkok, we will look at something else in Thailand. However, it is not on our active
( radar for now,” mentions Sawhney. He does not forget to add that it was Mahindra Holidays that put places on the tourist map like Kumbhalgarh in Rajasthan, Munnar in Kerala, Coorg in Karnataka, which did not exist as tourist destinations before Club Mahindra went there. “So we have been uniquely responsible for creating the place and the experience we offer,” he asserts. Sterling Holiday Resorts (India) the oldest timeshare operator in the country, currently has an inventory of 1512 rooms with plans to add another three-four resorts in the near future. “Since our core business is vacation ownership, our occupancy levels are not affected by economic cycles and we are actually seeing year-on-year growth,” states Ramesh Ramanathan, managing director, Sterling Holiday Resorts (India). He acknowledges that the evolution of the product is in line with changing consumer holidaying patterns and aspirations. “The Indian consumer of today is more discerning and seeks to explore a wider range of destinations and new holiday experiences. There is also an apparent shift from annual vacations to multiple short breaks with family and friends. This implies that a vacation ownership company has to be in a position to deliver memorable holidays in full-service resorts located in a wide array of destinations. In this connection, it is important to note here that Sterling enjoys a huge competitive advantage in terms of its 19 resorts in India’s scenic holiday destinations, large inventory and 15 additional sites it already has, which will enable it to grow rapidly along with the industry,” adds Ramanathan. A recent entrant, Magic Holidays has a target of acquiring one property a month in India and one in every quarter internationally. The company has 38 properties worldwide including places like Kaziranga, Corbett, Chail, Bhimtal,
THE MAIN FOCUS
“The emphasis is on delivering quality experiences” Param Kannampilly CEO, Citrus Check Inns
KEY STATISTICS
■ India
■ Worldwide
Total no. of companies operating: 52
Total no. of resorts: 5,200
Total no. of timeshare resorts: 104
Owner households: 9.3 million
Total owner households: 3, 50, 000
Owner residences: 200 countries
Annual turnover: `7000 million
Resort locations: 120 countries
Source: All India Resort Development Association
Bageshwar and in international locations like Auckland, Thailand, New York and North Carolina. Apart from this there are eleven upcoming properties. “For us at Panoramic, the differential starts with our ownership of picturesque properties in India, and strategically, across the world. I’m also talking about aspirational markets such as the US, on the one hand, and locations such as New Zealand, known for its beauty and charm,” says Hitesh Kshatriya, COO, Magic Holidays. The company is looking at buying properties in Coorg, Durgapur, Goa, Jaipur, Kumarakom, Mangaon, Munnar, Neral, Panvel, Pune, Tadoba, and Tehri. Internationally they are looking at Phuket in Thai-
land for the coming quarter. Another young company, Citrus Check Inns, has adopted the strategy of building its inventory first and then enlarge its membership base. The company has eight existing hotels with another signed recently. “We have committed money upfront, ownership of the resort is very important for a uniform experience. The sales and membership has been up by 35 per cent over last year. Our target is the average 40-year-old who needs to go for a holiday every year with his family,” says Gaurav Pallial, CEO, Citrus Check Inns. The current inventory of Citrus Check Inns is 500 plus keys that can sustain 150,000 members. “If you look at the biggest players like Club
Mahindra they have 92 per cent occupancy, while hotels have 62 per cent occupancy. There is a captive audience,” points out Pallial. One of the key challenges for the industry is developing the right manpower. With a focus on creating employable human resources for the timeshare sector Citrus Check Inns has tied up with a hospitality education institution. AIRDA has also worked closely with IHMs to introduce a Timeshare module in the IHM syllabus so that more job opportunities would be available.
(With inputs from Steena Joy and Rituparna Chatterjee)
“The differential starts with our ownership of picturesque properties” Hitesh Kshatriya, COO, Magic Holidays
“Ownership of the resort is very important for uniform experience” Gaurav Pallial, CEO, Citrus Check Inns
23 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
CONVENTION SPECIAL
DUBAI CALLING With the Enterprising Travel Agents Association ( ETAA) organising its first international convention in Dubai from November 29-December 2, Karl Dantas, chairman emeritus, ETAA says that the convention is his dedication to Kamlesh Amin and speaks about the vision of the association and the challenges that lie ahead. By Kahini Chakraborty
24 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
T
he journey of Enterprising Travel Agents Association (ETAA) began in 1995 when Naveen Advani and a few other non-IATA travel agents started meeting and later Kamlesh Amin and Karl Dantas were requested to join the core group and be a part of the think-tank for putting together an association to represent the interest of non-IATA retail agents. Reminiscing about the journey, Karl Dantas said, “We kept meeting once a month for almost a year putting together various kinds of points asking various people from the industry what were their needs and after getting that core group from 10 to 30 people together, we started trying to put together a constitution, that is called Memorandum and Articles of Association. And then it was decided that we would register ourselves as a company under section 25A as a not-forprofit body. I credit Advani for starting this entire initiative.” When ETAA got their constitution put together and wanted to make an application to the Registrars of Companies (ROC), there was a need to call for a meeting of the promoters. “The association's first meeting was held in 1996 at the Radio Club where over 100 people participated and a vote on a secret ballet on names for the association was done. Because as per the ROC you are required to give four names for the company,” he added. As the ROC process for finalising the company name takes six months to a year, ETAA was registered in 1998. Talking about the challenges faced as the president of the association, he opined, “The journey has been good so far in the industry as people were enthusiastic initially but unfortunately due to the mentality in the travel trade the other associations did not like the idea of ETAA coming into place and was laid up for over a year. There was a lull in ETAA for about four years. But both Amin and myself bounced back in 2009 and revamped the association and in a matter
When the zero commission issue took place, it was relevant to ETAA as we knew that IATA will be irrelevant at the end of the day. There will soon be a time when all IATA and non-IATA agents will be integrated. Our vision has come true
DUBAI IN YOUR PALM What is the theme of the convention this year? Why did you choose Dubai as the destination for your first international convention? The theme of the convention is 'Dubai in your palm'. Dubai is a well known destination and has been advertised very well. Besides it is a short haul from India and is Naveen Advani, president, ETAA also affordable. DTCM has given us a good sponsorship which has helped us to subsidise our members. How many delegates are expected to attend the convention in Dubai? We are expecting 320 delegates to attend the Dubai certification programme which will be held offline for the members. DTCM conducts the certification programme usually online but they are doing it offline for our members for the first time. Could you inform us on the business sessions which will be held at the convention? We do not believe in organising business sessions. There will be a gala dinner on the first day while the second day will have the certification programme and the third day our sponsors will showcase their products with networking session. What benefit will the members have from this convention? What are your expectations from the convention? It is for the first time that a foreign authority body has seen potential in non- IATA members. Our members will get first-hand experience of the destination along with gaining the Dubai certification programme so that it is easier for them to sell Dubai. After the convention, I am sure the footfalls to Dubai will increase.
Karl Dantas
Kamlesh Amin
of four years we now have 527 members. Over the years, the business evolved and the industry changed. So even when the zero per cent commission issue took place it was relevant to ETAA as Amin, Advani and myself read between the lines and we knew that IATA will be irrelevant at the end of the day. There will soon be a time when IATA and nonIATA agents will be integrated. Our vision has come true.” While fondly remembering his colleague, he said, “Amin was a very unique person in the industry. After he came back from his illness he realised that there was a total vacuum of people with knowledge. So rather than going back to his original business of ticketing and packaged tours, he became one of the few Mumbai city tour guides listed on Lonely Planet as he had limitations because of his health. While doing his ticketing and packaged tours through someone else he created a unique niche for himself. He continued to help the industry whether it was ETAA or non-ETAA members and also dedicated his time to the association.” It was Amin's suggestion that Karl Dantas be conferred with the Chairman Emeritus title. “When I retired in February this year, Amin had suggested that I be conferred with the Chairman Emeritus title, which I had not accepted as I wanted to withdraw myself from the travel industry.
He kept requesting me to accept the title, and I had asked him for time to think over it. But he passed away suddenly in April this year and as a mark of respect I decided to re-dedicate my life for another six months for ETAA in honour of Amin. Right now I have gone back to the daily affairs of ETAA and help them in organising the convention. But I don't do anything with the industry anymore. I am only guiding ETAA members because Amin is not around. But to fill a void of two people is impossible. So if he was alive, I would have not need to do this. This international convention is my dedication to Amin.” On his expectation from the convention, he expressed, “After we announced the convention on September 30, 2013, in 24 days our membership went up to 96 , which is 35 per cent increase in membership. What is surprising is that not all have joined to come to Dubai because only half (45-50 people) of them are coming for the convention. These people have joined us because they want to know more about the association and industry, as I went to Nagpur, Indore and many other places talking to people about ETAA. ETAA has lagged behind because of lack of organisational power, but we are now growing and we the retail non-IATA agents and the retail IATA agents have come in as allied members.”
25 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
CONVENTION SPECIAL
The maiden voyage Vineet Gopal
26 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
Riaz Munshi
Guldeep Singh Sahni
With its first annual convention in Philippines, Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) hopes to add a new destination to the portfolio of outbound Indian tour operators and to open a new level of partnership between the sovereign island country and India. By Rituparna Chatterjee
O
utbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) is holding its first annual convention this year at Manila in Philippines. The convention will be held from December 1 – 4, 2013 at the Solaire Resort & Casino in Manila with the theme 'Changing Face of Indian Outbound'. Riaz Munshi, vice president of OTOAI and managing director of N Chirag Travels, has been appointed as chairman of the convention, and Vineet Gopal, joint secretary of OTOAI, and managing director of Engee Holidays (a unit of Engee Tours & Travels) is vice chairman. OTOAI is expecting to address various national and global issues of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry through its business sessions. “We will be addressing the future of Indian outbound industry. We will be looking at various aspects from domestic as well as international perspective. Also we will be discussing issues related to the industry like recognition by the government of India, taxes and changes expected in future,” stated Guldeep Singh
Sahni, president, OTOAI, and managing director of Weldon Tours & Travels. The business sessions will also cover other aspects of the travel trade, “We have witnessed a huge increase in India outbound and through the business sessions we will be talking about marketing strategy also,” opined Gopal. All these discussions would be covered through six business sessions
plore. The decision for choosing Philippines for their maiden convention was also driven by the objective of opening a new level of partnership between Philippines and India. “We have been looking at a destination which will benefit from the convention by receiving a noticeable and sizeable number of tourists after the convention. The destination should hold
spanning across two days (three sessions a day) and will have international and national speakers giving an overall perspective of Indian and international tourism. Apart from discussing various issues relating to the outbound travel trade, the association also hopes to introduce Philippines to its members and give Indian travellers another new destination to ex-
value for the participants. It should be a destination for all segments of travellers like honeymooners, families, singles, youth, MICE, couples etc,” explained Sahni, adding, “We expect a new level of partnership between India and the Philippines' tourism industry. We will have pan India tour operators coming onto one platform and creating a common cause.”
Through this convention the association also aims at increasing the inflow of Indian tourists to Philippines through the platform of OTOAI which is also the core message for the convention. “Currently there are 50,000 Indian arrivals to Philippines and through this convention we expect the footfalls to increase. Philippines will be showcased to the travel trade through a FAM trip to islands like Boracay, Palawan and Cebu,” said Gopal. Adding to this, Sahni stated, “OTOAI is the platform where all the countries who want high numbers of tourists from India can do their promotions. India's outbound tourism can impact the Gross Domestic Product of countries who attract visitors from India. Hence the future of India's outbound tourism is bright.” Regarding the unique aspect of OTOAI's maiden convention, Munshi explained, “The convention is going to be more interactive and will focus on how to take the Indian outbound tourism forward. This convention will help to educate the members on how to do business, it will motivate
them and will open more opportunities to them.” The convention is expected to host approximately 250 delegates. Since OTOAI's inception in December 2011, it has achieved a targeted membership base of over 2000 members and regional chapters across India. The association follows the vision of recognising travel management as a profession with a recognised body of knowledge and with a well established and practiced code of ethics and standards of professional conduct. Their future strategies involve creating and sourcing relevant information for their members, connecting with members through technology, advocating effectively for members and markets, and solidifying and extending their global presence. OTOAI's objective has been to lead the travel industry in India by selling travel through effective representation, shared knowledge and collaboration with stakeholders. OTOAI also seeks to create a retail travel marketplace that is profitable, growing and a rewarding place to work, invest and do business.
27 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
CONVENTION SPECIAL
Connecting in Chandigarh Keeping in mind the needs of the tourism and hospitality industry, consumer expectations and interest of various stakeholders, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Northern Region is all set to host the first ever CII Tourism Fest 2013 in Chandigarh – a three day international event bringing all sectors of the industry together to discuss various issues and boost tourism. By Niharika Shukla
W
ith an aim to meet the challenges of the tourism and hospitality sector, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Northern Region in partnership with all the northern state governments is organising the CII Tourism Fest 2013 to increase and attract tourism and investment to make a greater contribution towards the country's GDP. The CII Tourism Fest 2013 is being held from December 5 – 7, 2013. According to Arjun Sharma, chairman, CII Tourism Fest 2013 and managing director, Le Passage to India, in 2012 the tourism sector contributed US$ 6.6 trillion to the world economy, creating 300 million jobs and US$ 800 billion investments. India accounts for 0.06 per cent of the world’s tourism share which speaks volume on the scope for business. There is a continuous need for
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innovation, sustainable growth and tourism policies to be developed in this sector,” he said. The three day fest will include international food festival, golf tournament, international dance festival and international chef's meet apart from a Chief Minister's Forum, conferences,
sessions and expositions. In the Chief Minister's Forum, the chief minister of northern states and the minister of tourism, government of India will be discussing issues such as synergisation between Central and State government; inter state tourism infrastructure development; issues
related to finance and taxation; future road map; and other important issues. The forum will then be followed by the inaugural session. The major focus and objective of the conference will be to create an ideal platform for the tourism and hospitality fraternity to explore business opportunities and develop bilateral relationship between domestic stakeholders and foreign counterparts; to attract investments and create jobs in the tourism and hospitality sector; to organise focused sessions by the state government highlighting initiatives; to discuss investment policies announced by the participating states; to give an opportunity to the investors to raise their concerns with the tourism minister/secretaries of the participating states; to enable the holidaying population of the region to reach out to new destinations around the world;
to engage the people of the region towards overall development of the industry; and to promote rural tourism, natural tourism, wedding tourism, agriculture and organic tourism. The event is expected to host 5000 attendees which will include participants from international countries like Philippines, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada and Turkey. Within India the participating states will be Punjab, Gujarat, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, Puducherry, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The visitors profile would include domestic travel agents and tour operators; Central and state government tourist officials; delegates from IATA, PATA, ADTOI, ATTOI, TAAI, ETAA, IATO, UNWTO, FHRAI and HRANI; industry experts from the hospitality and tourism sec-
tor; and international business delegates of various tourism boards and embassies. The key highlights of the fest would include a paper on Seamless Tourism presented by KPMG; CII Golf Tourism Cup to be held at Forest Hill Resort, Mohali; international dance festival on Global Peace, Harmony and Connect to be held with the theme ‘Dance your way to God’; CII Chef's Meet at Parade Ground and the Chief Minister's Forum. One on one business meetings and post event tours will be organised for the delegation from countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Germany, Finland, Philippines and China to give them an idea of the region with a major focus on eco, rural and winter tourism. Talking about the CII Tourism fest 2013, Guldeep Singh Sahni, president, OTOAI (Outobund Tour Operators Association of India) said, “One of the key reasons for organising the event in Chandigarh was because currently most of the customers travelling abroad are not only coming from metros but also from tier II and tier III cities. With this kind of a development it seemed important to highlight such cities by organising such events. Also Chandigarh being one of the cities located in the heart of the
northern region of the country is easily accessible with good infrastructure suited for all categories. Even though today inbound tourism and domestic tourism have a lot of scope, outbound tourism will be the one facing maximum growth. Challenges such as visa issues, price variations and confusion of taxes needs major attention due to lack of clear government policies. The tourism industry needs
STEPS UNDERTAKEN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY Arjun Sharma
to find out solutions to these issues.” Chandigarh has attracted an average of 8,29,093 domestic tourists and 33,629 foreign tourists during 2008-09. This has created an immense opportunity for the hospitality and tourism industry to witness a continuous growth since then.
■ Upgradation of Chandigarh airport to international standards is under implementation with the first step of transfering 8.5 acres land to AAI ■ Nehru Centre for Performing Arts is being set up in Sector 34. Chandigarh will also have the facility of an international convention centre and theatres ■ Rejuvenation of the City Centre, Sector 17 is being undertaken through multi level parking, relaying of the floors of main plaza, creating provision of tourist information centres etc ■ A Botanical Garden is being developed on 178 acres of land in Sarangpur, which will consist of 15 botanical sections and other features to promote eco tourism. ■ Three lakes, two along Patiala ki Rao and one along Sukhna Choe are being undertaken, as a part of environmental related initiatives ■ Completion of Sub City Centre in Sector 34 will further boost the commercial activity of the city ■ A state of the art Entrepreneurs Development Centre is coming up on a 1.5 acre plot at a cost of `16 crore, which will have plug and play facilities for upcoming entrepreneurs
29 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
TECH TALK
‘Green technologies will take aviation into the next decade’ Honeywell Aerospace has a long history of pioneering innovation in the aviation sector. Sasi (Sunny) Kancharla, customer business leader, Honeywell Aerospace India talks about the company's ground-breaking development in green technologies, particularly the recent Electric Green Taxiing System. By Sudipta Dev
What have been your most recent and important product innovations for the airline sector? Innovating the global inflight connectivity experience for airlines and consumers alike has been a priority for us. Last year, we signed an agreement with satellite provider Inmarsat to deliver in-flight connectivity services to business, commercial and government customers around the world. We are currently developing technologies, such as Honeywell’s high speed Ka-band connectivity solutions for Inmarsat’s forthcoming Global Xpress service expected in 2015, to support India’s future connectivity needs. Kaband connectivity will give passengers unprecedented in-flight consistency and speed on all types of mobile devices including tablets, smartphones and laptops. It will allow consumers to do everything from real-time social media updates to video conferencing and multi-media presentation development virtually anywhere in the world, and with an expe-
30 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
rience similar to being at home or in the office. Which are the most pathbreaking green technologies you are developing for the airline industry? The innovation, efficiency, financial and environmental savings that green technologies bring, will take the aviation industry into the next decade and beyond. One of our most recent innovations in this area is the new Electric Green Taxiing System (EGTS) which is coming out of a joint venture between Honeywell and Safran. EGTS will improve airline operating efficiency during taxiing, and cut fuel consumption by up to four per cent each flight cycle. EGTS allows pilots to cut the engines while taxiing an
aircraft with virtually no noise, thanks to an electric motor powering the aircraft’s under-wing wheels. An aircraft is able to push back autonomously, and then taxi between gate and runway without engaging the main engines by using the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) generator to power electric motors in the main landing gear. Each of the wheels is fitted with a control system, giving pilots total control of the aircraft’s speed and direction during taxi operations. In addition to reduced fuel burn, the system will generate further savings by reducing engine and brake wear, and minimising the risk of damage to engine turbines from foreign objects on the tarmac. Once the EGTS taxing system makes its entry into service as a forward-fit
for new aircraft in 2016, we estimate that fuel savings alone could be as high as US$ 200,000 per aircraft per year for airlines. Some information about your R&D facilities in India. Our Honeywell Technology Solutions (HTS) Lab in India has been in operation for over 16 years, and with more than 200 patents and 2000+ disclosures, a significant portion of the global division’s research, design and analytics/engineering work happens at the Bangalore facility. Currently, our engineers are working on the latest next-generation avionics, navigation and safety systems, and mechanical products for Indian and global initiatives. Aside from this, we have nearly 100 manufacturing, en-
Once the EGTS taxing system makes its entry into service as a forward-fit for new aircraft in 2016, we estimate that fuel savings alone could be as high as US$ 200,000 per aircraft per year
gineering and service sites worldwide that offer OEM quality product engineering expertise. We also have global field service engineering teams strategically deployed to assist our airline customers with any technical support required during line maintenance and troubleshooting. What kind of tie-ups do you have with airlines for product development? At the 2013 Paris Air Show, and in partnership with Safran, we announced our EGTS to include Air France. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will enable Air France to analyse the potential technical, operational and financial benefits of EGTS taxiing system. In turn, Air France will provide valuable assistance by refining estimated savings of the system and quantifying other operational benefits. Air France's aircraft utilise a number of heavily used airports, and the EGTS taxiing system can provide a decisive economic advantage at these airports, while also reducing emissions and noise in the terminal envi-
ronment. From early analysis, Air France expects to save the equivalent of several per cent fuel burn per cycle based on its current operations, for its fleet of 120 plus short and medium range aircraft. Further, Emirates and Honeywell joined forces in the development, testing and certification of two new safety solutions, SmartLanding and SmartRunway. Both are simple software upgrades to Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) and SmartRunway is the next generation of Honeywell’s runway awareness and advisory system (RAAS). SmartLanding and SmartRunway are now in use across Emirates’ fleets of Airbus 330, A340 and Boeing 777 aircraft. Which are the new age solutions you have introduced in the industry for passenger safety and convenience? From the runway to the sky, Honeywell is committed to delivering cutting edge technology that ensures the safety and security of passengers at all times. During flights, Honeywell’s IntuVue system enhances awareness during bad weather for pilots by using 3-D volumetric scanning and pulse compression technologies to create a data repository on the weather. Pilots frequently encounter adverse weather and this technology helps the pilot safeguard passengers. For runway safety, our SmartRunway system improves situational awareness on the taxiway and runway by providing timely aural advisories and graphical alerts to the flight crew advising them of their position during taxi, take off, final approach, landing and rollout. Also, Honeywell’s SmartLanding technology is designed to help reduce the risk of a runway excursion by providing timely alerts to crew members when the aircraft is approaching the runway too high, too fast or is not configured properly - common components of an unstable approach.
THE BENEFITS OF SINGLE ENGINE TAXI OPERATIONS
SmartRunway and SmartLanding both rely on an EGPWS, which serves as an independent monitor of an aircraft's position relative to surrounding terrain to prevent potential conflicts. With these technologies, Honeywell is well-equipped to offer world-class solutions to provide the highest level of safety for consumers while travelling.
Emirates and Honeywell joined forces in the development, testing and certification of two new safety solutions, SmartLanding and SmartRunway. Both are simple software upgrades to Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS)
31 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
SPOTLIGHT
W
HEN KAVITHA REDDY set up Basecamp Adventures in 2009, it was more by coincidence than design, that her team turned out to be an all-women one. A qualified mountaineer from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Reddy has scaled several challenging peaks in the Indian and Nepal Himalayas. “I was working in the corporate world for over 14 years and wanted to do something different, since I loved outdoors/adventure, the idea of Basecamp Adventures sounded interesting and adventurous,” she says, pointing out that while her core team of guides (qualified mountaineers, adventure specialist, outdoor trainers) are women, the adventure programmes are for everyone. It is however not surprising that more women adventure buffs prefer to join the events organised by the company. There is however no specialised services for women trekkers. “We treat them equally, since the groups are lead by women the women trekkers feel more comfortable, understood and are encouraged to take to trekking,” mentions Reddy. Everest Base Camp treks are mostly organised in the month of October. The best view of Mount Everest is visible from Kala Patthar. Basecamp Adventures organises adventure activities across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and China. Weekend adventure activities like trekking, rafting, rock climbing and scuba diving activities are mostly concentrated in Karnataka, AP, TN, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra. The longer duration expeditions stretch all through the Himalayas. “Our uniqueness is in our methodology, we do end-to-end of the event on our own and no part get outsourced or sub-contracted, we do hire support staff locally but under the supervision of our core team. We plan our event calendar much in advance and only prefer
32 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
Top of the world An all-women agency specialising in adventure travel and outbound training, Basecamp Adventures has been organising 'the mother of all treks' – the Everest Base Camp trek, for a growing number of enthusiasts, many of whom are women trekkers. By Sudipta Dev smaller groups of 10-15 per batch, we do not get into the volume game and focus on quality and in providing a great experience for the participants,” mentions Reddy. Explaining about the growth that her agency has witnessed in the last few years, Reddy states that she has always focused on India as a market, and the most visible growth is in the increase in the number of younger people seeking adventure activities. “Be it adrenaline rush or endurance more and more people are taking to adventure, the trend also shows that many women have taken to adventure travel like never before. Majority of Indian travellers were pilgrims and holiday goers, but there has been a 25 per cent increase in adventure travellers,” she adds. Reddy believes that with the country growing younger and a much stronger Indian economy and higher disposable income the adventure space will stand to gain over the next three-five years.
Though her agency is completely focused on outbound training and adventure travel/events, Reddy plans to add more options of holidays and extend the holiday packages covering more states and countries. “We are now exploring tie-ups and are networking with several players in the tourism space. We are also looking at adding more location for weekend adventure trips as a getaway for the city to the wild,” she informs. Reddy acknowledges that with increased accessibility and information people are exploring more places in India than ever before, many state tourism departments have identified the potential of the local markets/travellers and are building infrastructures and facilities to suit this need. “Globally there is a huge upsurge in women adventure travellers and many countries have come up with women specific packages offering a vast range of adventure and travel options and we see that trend catching up in India too,” she affirms.
MOVEMENTS VUSACOM MANOJ GURUSAHANI has been appointed as president of Visit USA Committee (VUSACOM). His main objective is to promote the United States as the top destination for Indian tourists, working closely with the US embassy
and consulates all over India. Gurusahani's main focus area is to promote MICE and edutourism to the United States and to open Vusacom chapters in Gujarat and Kolkata to service the north east region.
GoAir GoAir has appointed GIRISH NAIR as chief commercial officer. Nair has been working in the aviation sector for the last 13 years with focus on
Le Meridien, Bangalore SURESH BADLANEY has joined again as vice president – operations at Le Meridien Bangalore. With over 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry, he started with East India Hotels in the year
1970. Subsequently he worked for ITC Hotels, starting with the pre-opening team of ITC Maurya, New Delhi. Badlaney successfully accomplished transforming Holiday Inn, Bangalore to Le Meridien in the year 1996. He was GM of the property for 14 years. He was also given charge of opening aloft brand in India and successfully opened aloft Chennai, Bengaluru and Coimbatore.
Kuenzle was the co-founder of Asian Trails in 1999 and became the group managing director in 2007. He will assume his new responsibilities as of January 1, 2014.
Diethelm Travel Group Diethelm Travel Group has appointed JAMES RAMAGE as group managing director, sales and marketing. Ramage's primary responsibility will be to drive sales and marketing initiatives whilst strengthening partnerships and revenues worldwide. Ramage has almost three decades of experience in the travel and hospitality industry having worked with Starwood and Marriott hotels managing sales and marketing teams in Europe, Australia, China and Thailand.
British Airways British Airways has appointed JONTY BRUNNER as regional general manager for
brand management, marketing strategy and business development. Previously, Nair was the assistant vice president, head of marketing and aviation contracts with Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) where his primary focus was business development and formulating marketing strategy for the airport.
LAURENT KUENZLE has been appointed as chief executive officer of Asian Trails and Kuoni Destination Management, Asia Pacific.
Gold Coast Tourism has appointed ASHISH BHANDARI as business development manager - India. Bhandari will be responsible for leading the organisation’s strategy to promote Gold Coast as a leisure and business events destination for Indian travellers. Previously Bhandari served as an associate director of hotel sales for outbound marketing India, working across all trade industry channels for the past five years.
Freer has more than 15 years of marketing and management experience, working in Auckland, Sydney, Los Angeles and London. He joins Tourism Fiji from London where he was working for Tourism New Zealand as regional marketing communications manager, with responsibilities for North America, the UK and Europe.
Travelport
Asian Trails and Kuoni Destination Management, Asia Pacific Asian Trails and Kuoni Destination Management, Asia Pacific has appointed LUZI MATZIG as chairman with effect from January 1, 2014. Previously Matzig was the chief executive officer in the same company. In his new role, Matzig will continue to advise the management team of Asian Trails with broad-based expertise in strategic and business development.
Gold Coast Tourism
Japan and Korea. Brunner will be based in Tokyo and is set to replace Vishal Sinha, who oversaw the airline’s Japan and Korea operations for the past five years. Brunner has been with British Airways for five years, working in various capacities.
Tourism Fiji Tourism Fiji has appointed KEN FREER to the newlycreated role of director of global marketing, based in Fiji.
Travelport has appointed MOHAMAD ISLAHUDIN ABDULLAH as general manager for Malaysia. Abdullah takes over the role from Jason Ong, who has been promoted to commercial director Asia to manage the partnerships with Travelport’s Worldspan and Galileo GDS distribution partners in the region. As the general manager for Malaysia, Abdullah will be responsible for driving business growth and leading commercial operations across the region.
Pegasus Solutions Pegasus Solutions has appointed BILL ROSE as chief information officer. Rose joined Pegasus in 2010 with more than 25 years of technical IT experience. As senior vice president of IT Global Services, he has overseen en-
terprise architecture and quality assurance, product management, infrastructure and operations, and reservation systems development.
FRHI Hotels & Resorts FRHI Hotels & Resorts (FRHI), the parent company of luxury and upper upscale hotel brands Raffles Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, has announced the appointment of ALEXANDRA BLUM as vice president, public relations. Blum will be responsible for developing and leading the company’s global public relations strategy and will also have complete oversight of the hotel group’s external communications activity.
33 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
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Club Med... More happiness than you can imagine!
P
eace and calm or thrills and spills, fun and frolic with your family or discovering the world with your friends, whatever your idea of happiness is, you will find it at Club Med. Club Méditerranée, popularly referred to as Club Med, is a French holiday resort company, which has a chain of 80 unique resorts located at prime, exotic destinations across the globe, designed to bring a sense of tranquility to the body, mind and soul. This is exactly what you need to get away from your daily grind, vacation in style and have an exclusive travel experience. Our premium all-inclusive holidays includes everything you can possibly think of to make the most of your holiday -gorgeous location,
choice of accommodation, all meals, unlimited beverages, host of sports activities, specialized kids club, daily entertainment shows and so much more. The allinclusive formula is elegant, generous and à la carte, where you can savor every moment with absolutely no danger of going over budget.
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Indulge in international gourmet fare and a choice of more than four or five different cuisines besides local specialties served in a large buffet spread offering a range of delicacies to suit every taste. Enjoy the choicest of unlimited beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, served along with light bites all day long. Our chefs ensure everyoneleaves feeling delighted and pampered with their gastronomical experiences. Being worlds biggest sports clubs offer an amazing range of activities from snorkeling, sailing to skiing to flying trapeze to windsurfing. The list of activities is endless where you can take your pick from a wide range of sports/activities on land, water and air. Try a sport that fires your imagination, in total safety & expert tuition, and discover a whole new world of thrill! Leave your child at the Children’s Club with facilities designed to care for your child’s end-to-end needs. Our certified GOs (Guest Organizers) engage and care for your child while you are away at the spa or at a romantic meal with your partner.
The core value of this chain is ‘happiness’, hence, you may find a touch of heart warming service at every corner of the property, in every meal and with the Guest Organisers or GOs. Our enthusiastic and friendly GOs heartily welcome guests into a truly global and multicultural environment. Your clients would thank you for offering such an unique product where they can discover the fine art of holidaying and find what ‘heaven on earth’ really feels like. The most popular resorts amongst Indian clientele are Kani, Maldives,
Bintan & Bali, Indonesia and Phuket beach resort. The other options in Asia are our nature resort in
Cherating, Malaysia or luxurious La Plantation D’Albion, Mauritius. Whether your customer is looking for a romantic getaway to celebrate a special occasion, or simply planning a family vacation, there is no place else you’d rather be. For sales enquiries, call our India team at +91 22 2605 7828/32 or visit www.clubmed.co.in to check out the exotic Club Med properties all around the world.
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weekend
E V E N T S
COOKING INITIATIVE Beacon Holiday hosted a cooking session for 20 young
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY Karan Anand, head of relationships and supplier
adults from Magic Bus as part of their CSR initiative held at APB Cook Studio in Mumbai
management, Cox & Kings India, Amanda Barnett, account manager Asia Business Events, Gold Coast Business Events and Ajay Seth, head, Outbound MICE, Cox & Kings at an an event for leading corporates at 212 Bar and Grill in Mumbai to showcase the potential of Gold Coast for corporate events
EMPOWERING WOMEN Bird Foundation organised its first ‘WE’ conference at
A BOATING CEREMONY Venkatesan Dhattareyan, assistant director general
Dusit Devarana in New Delhi to highlight the role of empowered women in empowering the larger society
travel trade - Ministry of Tourism, Government of India at the inaugural ceremony of www.Bookhouseboats.com, an online venture of Aqua Tourism Ventures for the online and offline sales of houseboats by tour operators
DIWALI IN SINGAPORE The Little India’s 25th Diwali celebrations, a
LEARNING CURVE Dragonair recently conducted a workshop for the travel
marketing campaign of Singapore Tourism Board, being held at Serangoon Road in Singapore
trade in Kolkata to mark the commencement of an extra service between Kolkata and Hong Kong bringing the total number of flights between the two cities from four to five flights per week
41 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
weekend
E V E N T S
GO GOA Pamela Mascarenhas, deputy director of administration, Department of Tourism, Government of Goa welcomed the passengers of Goa’s first Russian charter flight ‘Anex Tour’, a new charter flight by Thomas Cook, which arrived at Dabolim airport, Goa
WALKING FOR A CAUSE Kuoni India employees participated at the Help Age India Walkathon held at Marine Drive in Mumbai to celebrate International Day of the Elderly
HIGH ALTITUDE Sky Waltz, a hot air ballooning company in association with Government of Maharashtra and Rainbow Riderss announced the launch of Hot Air Ballooning in Lonavala
ALLURING INCENTIVES Cotai Strip Resorts Macao along with Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central introduced the DreamWorks Experience package for the guests at Cotai Strip Resorts Macao
CULTURAL FIESTA Meira Kumar, speaker of Lok Sabha inaugurated the first edition of Banaras Utsav, the art and cultural festival of Vanarasi held at Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith
42 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2013
REGD.WITH RNI UNDER MAHENG/15993/05, MH/MR/SOUTH-156/2013-15 PUBLISHED 11th OF EVERY MONTH AND POSTED ON 12, 13 & 14 OF EVERY MONTH POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE.