CONTENTS
HIMALAYAN PROMISES, BASE REALITY
Vol 9 No 5 JUNE 2014 Pages 36
Chairman of the Board
Viveck Goenka Editor
Reema Lokesh* Chief of Product
Prabhas Jha
(14-18)
Assistant Editor
Steena Joy Associate Editor
8 POINTS OF DISTINCTION n
Finest Cuisine at sea
n
Midsize elegant ships with very high luxury standards
n
Extraordinary high staff-to-guest ratio
n
Youngest fleet in premium/ luxury class cruising
Sudipta Dev CONTENT TEAM Mumbai
Kahini Chakraborty Rituparna Chatterjee Kolkata
Joy Roy Choudhury DESIGN National Art Director
Cruises in 2014
Bivash Barua Deputy Art Director
Surajit Patro Chief Designer
Pravin Temble Senior Graphic Designerr
MARKETS
EDGE
Rushikesh Konka Senior Artist
Ratilal Ladani, Kiran Parker
05
GOA SEAPLANE PROJECT POISED FOR TAKE OFF
06
SPICEJET TO LAUNCH SERVICES TO HONG KONG AND DHAKA
SCHEDULING & COORDINATION
26
Sr.Executive
Rohan Thakkar Photo Editor
Sandeep Patil
FORCE FOR GOOD THE WTTC GLOBAL SUMMIT 2014, WHICH WAS HELD IN HAINAN, CHINA EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AS A ‘FORCE FOR GOOD'
MARKETING Regional Heads
Harit Mohanty - West Prabhas Jha - North Sanghamitra Kumar - East Dr. Raghu Pillai - South
07
NZ PRIME MINISTER TO CONTINUE DIALOGUE ON FTA WITH MODI
Marketing Team
Sunil Dcosta Gunjan Chauhan Baljinder Singh Ajanta Sengupta CIRCULATION
Mohan Varadakar
MANAGEMENT
LIFE
PRODUCTION General Manager
B R Tipnis Manager
Bhadresh Valia 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. EL-208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai - 400710 and Published from Express Towers, 2nd Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400021. (Editorial & Administra-tive Offices: Express Towers, 1st Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400021)
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29
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GUIDING STAR NEW TOURIST GUIDE TRAINING TO BENEFIT TOURISTS WITH DISABILITIES
P04: EDITOR’S NOTE P30 : APPOINTMENTS
NORTH AMERICA 10 TO 24 DAYS Miami – East West Caribbean – San Francisco etc. SOUTH AMERICA 12 TO 22 DAYS Valpariso, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador etc. FAR EAST 16 TO 24 DAYS Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, China etc.
P33 : WEEKEND Oceania Cruises
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EDITOR’S NOTE
Modi matters and more...
W
hat a month it has been for India indeed. It feels like a country that has been rejuvenated, looking into the future with renewed energy. The new shift in power at the centre with the saffron and lotus appeal will definitely add a new flavour and colour to the socio-economic, political and cultural recipe of our great country. Industrialists both large enterprise and SMEs, everyone is looking towards some progressive announcements and the fashionable term of single window clearance actually getting teeth amongst many other elements on the wishlist. The hospitality industry too is all geared to experience the new found enthusiasm that the country is going through. Investors, leaders and analysts in the service industry space are waiting for some path breaking news over time from taxation issues, to licensing, from investor friendly policies to that of getting industry status for a sector that is always perceived as luxury and non-priority. When Modi spoke about the famous five Ts, with tourism being one of them, the tourism and hospitality sector has already got into celebration mode and feels this neglected sector is finally set to get its place in the sun. This enthusiasm is not only being felt in India but interestingly the world is looking at India with renewed energy. My recent meeting with the PM of New Zealand was proof
HEAD OFFICE MUMBAI: Express TravelWorld Sunil Dcosta The Indian Express Ltd Business Publication Division 2nd Floor, Express Tower, Nariman Point Mumbai- 400 021 Board line: 022- 67440000 Ext. 263 Mobile: +91 9821798612 Email Id: sunil.dcosta@expressindia.com Branch Offices : NEW DELHI: Baljinder Singh The Indian Express Ltd Business Publication Division Express Building, 9&10, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi- 110 002 Board line: 011-23702100 Ext. 568 Mobile: +91 9868848013 Fax: 011-23702141 Email id: baljinder.singh@expressindia.com CHENNAI: Gunjan Chauhan The Indian Express Ltd Business Publication Division
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“The tourism and hospitality sector has already got into celebration mode and feels this neglected sector is finally set to get its place in the sun ” The Indian Express Ltd Business Publication Division JL No. 29&30, NH-6, Mouza- Prasastha & Ankurhati, Vill & PO- Ankurhati P.S.- Domjur (Nr.Ankurhati Check Bus Stop), Dist. Howrah- 711 409 Mobile: +91 9831182580 Email id: ajanta.sengupta@expressindia.com KOCHI: Gunjan Chauhan The Indian Express Ltd Ground Floor, Sankoorikal Building, Kaloor – Kadavanthra Road Kaloor, Kochi – 682 017 Mobile: +91 9620601306 Email id: gunjan.chauhan@expressindia.com COIMBATORE: Gunjan Chauhan The Indian Express Ltd No. 205-B, 2nd Floor, Vivekanand Road, Opp. Rajarathinam Hospital Ram Nagar, Coimbatore- 641 009 Mobile: +91 9620601306 Email id: gunjan.chauhan@expressindia.com
enough that the world is waiting to work with India on a new level. He was positive that the long pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will receive a positive push under the new government. The link between tourism and economy was also clearly spelt at the WTTC Global Summit which focused on the economic benefits of tourism and the need to give it the status of importance that it deserves. There is a lot of work that the present government needs to do to give tourism its due. The recently appointed Union minister of state for tourism and culture, Shripad Naik has put forth a robust development for Goa tourism as he comes from the northern region of that state. Interestingly, he addressed the link between employment and tourism and said that the tourism map of Goa will be employment centric. He also touched upon the topic of e-visa and the need to improve connectivity especially on the rail routes. Hinterland tourism, agro tourism, religious tourism would also be a part of his development agenda. We only hope these promises don’t remain just that. Which brings us to our cover story on the Himalayan region - the gap between promises made and the reality. Stakeholders take note. REEMA LOKESH Editor editorial.etw@expressindia.com AHMEDABAD: Sunil Dcosta The Indian Express Ltd 3rd Floor, Sambhav House, Near Judges Bunglows, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad - 380 015 Mobile: +91 9821798612 Email Id: sunil.dcosta@expressindia.com BHOPAL: Baljinder Singh The Indian Express Ltd F-102, Inner Court Apartment, 1st Floor, GTB Complex, Behind 45 Bungalows, Bhopal - 462 003 Mobile: +91 9868848013 Email id: baljinder.singh@expressindia.com JAIPUR: Baljinder Singh The Indian Express Ltd S2,J-40, Shyam GHP Enclave, Krishna Marg, C-Scheme, Jaipur - 302 001 Mobile: +91 9868848013 Email id: baljinder.singh@expressindia.com
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MARKETS
Goa seaplane project poised for take off Akshay Kumar Mumbai ONE OF THE most awaited projects in the Goa tourism industry, the seaplane project, may soon become a reality. The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) is awaiting clearances from the Capt. of Ports for their NOC, permitting the seaplane operations in various waterdromes which have been identified by them. Once the Capt. of Ports will give their nod, the seaplanes may take off within two months. An inhouse feasibility study has already been done by the corporation. The seaplane services in Goa will be operated by Maritime Energy Heli Air Services (MEHAIR) in association with GTDC.
Speaking exclusively to Express TravelWorld, Nikhil Desai, managing director, GTDC and director, department of tourism, Government of Goa, said, “Once the NOC is received, MEHAIR will create the necessary infrastructure at the sites and invite the DGCA for their audit of the location and facilities. This will be followed by a trial landing, approval of SOPs by DGCA and then launch of commercial operations. The starting point is the NOC from the Capt. of Ports. Post the NOC, it will take between 45 days to 60 days for commercial launch.” The routes which the company has proposed so far are connecting the airport with central Goa namely; Dona Paula Jetty, Miramer Beach, Coco Beach and Chapora Jetty.
Apart from these routes the company has plans to connect Mandovi and also central Panjim if permissions are acquired. Phase II of this project which will be initiated after six to nine
months from the launch will connect most of the beachfronts in Goa which are popular with tourists. For the services in Goa, MEHAIR will be deputing a Cessna 208A air-
craft which is an amphibian model and can undertake runway to water operations in the course of the same flight. Speaking about seaplanes as a big tourism attraction, Desai, said, “A seaplane operation anywhere always creates excitement and has a tendency to attract tourists by tapping into their curiosity and thrill seeking instincts. It is a novel concept in India which provides convenience of travel with the excitement of water takeoffs and landings. It will definitely add to the tourism lure of Goa.” “There is no initial investment by GTDC. There will be investment from the private sector. The ballpark figure will be around `15 crore,” commented Desai when asked about the total investment.
Yatra.com mulls on going public Also open to acquisition opportunities on technology side Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai WITH AN AIM to accelerate its growth plans in the India market, Yatra.com has raised approximately US$ 120 million till date, as part of its growth equity round. This includes the latest development wherein the company has raised fresh capital infusion of `140 crore funding from new investors IDG Ventures and Vertex Venture Management Pte. When asked whether the funding could be seen as a pre-IPO round for the company's plan to go public, Dhruv Shringi, co-founder and CEO, Yatra.com told Express TravelWorld, “Going public is a part of a new journey and a maturing step in an organisation's lifecycle. As the current market conditions looks more positive,
the company's business has the scale and size to go public anytime, it's not the issue of us not being ready, it's an issue of us deciding at what point of time do we want to take the next step. We want to time it perfectly and we might want to put certain internal metrics in place before we decide to leap
It is unlikely that we would consider an acquisition outside India
forward. When we get a clear visibility on the benchmark we have set for ourselves and when we feel the market is receptive enough we will decide to go public. For us it's not a question of 'if', it's a question of 'when'.” On the question of any acquisitions that the company could be looking at, Shringi replied, “We are actively looking for opportunities on the technology side, especially in mobile technology. There are also ancillary services that we do consider, but mobile technology is something that we are looking at exponentially growing. India itself is a large enough opportunity so for us we rather concentrate here then expand geographically. Our focus at Yatra.com has always been to go deeper into India as we believe that there is a lot of upside, as far as the Indian
Dhruv Shringi
travel market is concerned. We want to be the dominant player in this market but its unlikely that we would consider an acquisition outside India.” About 70 per cent of their revenue comes from flights and 30 per cent from hotels and packages. With the recent cap-
ital infusion, the company will be using the funds to strengthen its position in the domestic holidays and hotels segment. Yatra.com already provides reservation facility for more than 15,000 hotels across 450 cities in India and over 200,000 hotels around the world. “Our plan is to expand our reach to atleast 25,000 domestic hotels by 2015, and continue to be the OTA with the most number of hotels on offer in India,” he mentioned. The other part where the funding will be used will be on the mobile front. “We want to enhance our product offerings on this front. We will be adding new lines of business on the apps and will be expanding penetration of the apps. Another aspect where we want to focus is to increase our brand presence,” he added.
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June 2014
MARKETS AVIATION
SpiceJet to launch services to Hong Kong and Dhaka Akshay Kumar Mumbai SPICEJET plans introduce services to Hong Kong and Dhaka this year. The airline also plans to take forward its interline alliance with Tigerair and plans to add new destinations to its routes. Speaking exclusively to Express TravelWorld on the latest development, Priti Dey, spokesperson, SpiceJet, said, “We have been mulling to add new international destinations like Hong Kong and Dhaka. We will launch these new routes by this year. Also, SpiceJet has an interline alliance with Tigerair for Singapore.” Presently, the airline operates to four international destinations namely Dubai, Colombo, Kabul and Kath-
mandu. This June, SpiceJet will extend its services to the leisure segment. The airline will increase the number of flights on three domestic routes, for the vacation period from June 3- 30, 2014. Adding on the same, Dey said, “We
are adding more flights on three routes- Delhi-Goa, Delhi-Srinagar and DelhiBagdogra with effect from June 3, 2014. The airline is increasing flights on these routes especially to accommodate more demands for summer vacations. These addi-
tional flights are only effective from June 3, 2014 to June 30, 2014.” In the domestic segment, SpiceJet recently increased its flight frequency between business hubs like Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad. These destinations are in huge demand by
MICE tourists. “We have been expanding our domestic operations by increasing frequency on existing routes where we see demand. Our revamped network offers better connectivity and improved timings, this will help in more convenient same day return,”added Dey.
Jet Airways enhances connectivity between Mumbai and Paris Expanded code share with Air France will offer access to 23 major cities across Europe Sudipta Dev Mumbai
JET AIRWAYS will launch direct flight from Mumbai to Paris on June 26, 2014. The service to Paris will be offered four days a week i.e. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and through A 330-200. The airline has also expanded its code share agreement with Air France to offer better connectivity between Europe and India via Paris and increase the traffic between the
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two countries. For the same, both carriers will use their marketing codes on each other's flights on the Mumbai-Paris route. The expanded code share will offer guests a more varied option to choose from. This code share is already effective since May 25, 2014. Speaking more on this, Gaurang Shetty, senior vice president, commercial, Jet Airways stated, “We are providing complimentary services on the route. Sometimes you have both carriers com-
peting at the same time, so the customer does not get a choice of service. But now on the Mumbai-Paris route, Air France is going to operate flights in wee hours, while we are going to operate in the afternoon. Out of Paris, Air France will operate flights at 10 am, while we will operate at 9 pm. So customers now flying between these two cities will have options to choose from.” The expanded code share agreement will also offer
Gaurang Shetty
guests access to 23 major cities across Europe. “Air France will place its marketing code on the key routes of Jet Airways' domestic network connecting major cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata apart from Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru,” added Shetty. Moreover, the airline is also exploring the option of operating flights to two international destinations like Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh. However, this plan is still at a nascent stage.
MARKETS
NZprime minister to continue dialogue on FTAwith Modi Reema Lokesh Auckland “INDIA CONTINUES to be an extremely important market for New Zealand and we hope to further strengthen ties with India under the new government,” stated, John Key, prime minister of New Zealand and minister of tourism, Government of New Zealand in an exclusive with Express TravelWorld at the ongoing Trenz 2014 in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest international buyer seller tourism meet. The pressing issue between the two countries has been on the ongoing discussion of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and New Zealand is hoping to gain headway in this area under the Narendra Modi led BJP Government. Key added that, “The FTA talk has been rather on a slow track,
with couple of distractions that cropped up from the former government. We are positive about the new change in government in India and the soon to be elected PM of India seems focused on business and I am sure trade between the two countries will strengthen over time.” The PM is also keen to encourage two way traffic between the countries especially though tourism. The budget for tourism was increased considerably in 2013 and the focus on tourism especially high value tourism will continue to remain in focus. The PM has been monitoring the tourism sector rather closely both in terms of product development and, marketing and promotions. Films and cricket have a special significance towards tourism promotion. The PM is positive about the cricket and film ties
between the two countries and he plans to further encourage tourism between India and New Zealand through film and sports tourism especially cricket. “Films and cricket ties are crucial to strengthen tourism,” added Key. The forthcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is being heavily promoted in the region and major promotions are underway to increase sports tourism connection between the regions. The India-New Zealand Film Co-production Agreement has been a worthy initiative. Further, India is also a crucial source market for student education and there exists a bilateral cooperation in higher education, research, skills development, and indigenous education between the two countries. The student population and the population of the Indian di-
Six innovative tourism projects get funding at Trenz 2014
John Key
aspora have been on a rise over the years. The PM also announced investments in setting up convention centres in Auckland and Queenstown to encourage MICE tourism. The question of improving air connectivity between the two countries was also touched upon in the discussion.
Key announced that the government’s tourism growth partnership is investing in six projects to grow the tourism sector in New Zealand. “The tourism growth partnership is investing NZ$3.84 million in the projects in this first round of funding. This is in addition to NZ$23 million from the applicants, giving a total NZ$26.8 million investment in the tourism industry. Investing in a wide range of innovative tourism projects will help the New Zealand tourism industry as a whole – and create jobs in New Zealand,” said Key. Under the tourism growth partnership, the government has made NZ$32 million available over four years to support innovative projects that will create new opportunities and overcome barriers to growth.
A Eulogy to a Legendary Visionary and a Gentleman - Capt C.P.K.Nair Sadness is not a sufficient word to be used to express the feelings and void left by the passing away of Capt Nair, no words can describe the tragedy and grief caused. It is a great loss to humanity and to the hospitality industry.We are all distraught and cannot imagine the grief the family must be going through. Its been about 15 yrs that I knew Capt Nair and in that time I had come to look upon him as my idol and mentor. He single handedly changed the entire perception of the hospitality industry. His approach to the hospitality business was extremely personalised and hands on and he truly brought home the hospitality mantra of " Home away from Home" to all his properties.But above all he was the finest human being I had the utmost privelege of meeting and a true Karmayogi. I have yet to meet a family more humble , rooted and genuine than the Nair family. They are the most diligent and hard working people I know despite their many accolades and successes. Our sincere condolences go out to the entire Nair and Leela family.
Vikrant Urval and Family
MARKETS
MoTaims at employment-centric tourism development in Goa ETW Staff Mumbai WITH AN AIM to chart out projects and initiatives for Goa Tourism, the recently appointed minister of state (MoS) for tourism (independent charge) and culture (independent charge), Government of India, Shripad Naik was in Goa to meet the state’s chief minister Manohar Parrikar and tourism minister, Government of Goa, Dilip Parulekar. Naik, a BJP MP from North Goa who is a part of the cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasised that world-class facilities would
pave the way forward for tourism in the state. “The tourism map for Goa will be employment-centric to strengthen the tourism sector of Goa,” he said. One of the top most priorities on the agenda would be liberalisation of e-visa which will help attract more tourists. Currently, Goa offers Visa on Arrival facility to only 12 countries. Evisa facilities will cover larger number of countries. Naik said, “We have made a proposal of issuing e-visas for foreign tourists. If we liberalise the visa system for foreign tourists, it will help boost tourism in the country.” On improving the connectiv-
ity to Goa, the minister mentioned that the union railway ministry would be approached for starting a fast train from Mumbai to Goa. “We would also initiate the proposal for a luxury train on the lines of Palace on Wheels; this will help attract more high-end tourists into the state,” he informed. This train will also have provision for middle-class passengers. The St. Francis Xavier Exposition which is scheduled to take place in Goa during December is one of the landmark events that attracts large number of tourists to the state. When asked whether Pope Francis
Shripad Naik
would grace the occasion, Naik responded by saying, “The union ministry of external affairs
would be approached to invite the Pope for this event.” During the meeting it was decided to turn this event into a milestone in religious tourism. In addition, Naik revealed that projects to develop hinterland tourism, agro tourism and beach cleaning will be taken up. A new cruise terminal at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), Vasco has also been proposed. “We would like to boost tourism in Goa with high quality infrastructure and also by increasing job opportunities through tourism. This will put us on par with any other international destination,” he remarked.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
'India could become one of the largest travel insurance markets worldwide in the next decade' Pegged at around `4,510 crore in 2013-14, the travel insurance market is growing at the rate of 20-25 per cent annually. Antony Jacob, CEO, Apollo Munich Health Insurance, talks about the company's travel insurance products, marketing strategies and future potential of this segment in India. By Rituparna Chatterjee What travel insurance products do you offer? Apollo Munich has completed six years of operations and we believe that travel insurance is an important product in our portfolio. We keep adding benefits to our existing travel policy – Easy Travel which covers both overseas and domestic travel. For both domestic and international travel, we offer a range of plans based on the nature of travel, duration and destination. Customers have an option of choosing any variant depending on the requirements. We distribute these plans through our partners as well as on our website. For customers travelling abroad, we offer plans based on the countries
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they plan to visit. Also as the healthcare costs vary in each country, our Easy Travel plan provides people with the option to select travel insurance for either the Asia region – excluding Japan and Worldwide - excluding USA and Canada or Worldwide. In the domestic sphere, we offer various segment specific plans to suit travel insurance requirements. What are the marketing strategies of the company? We undertake regular and diversified marketing campaigns to promote travel insurance on the internet as well as through our partners. Both current and prospective customers are offered the option to
increase our focus on promoting the same in the days to come. We would work extensively to engage our customers to address their needs for travel insurance when required with the help of our partners and advisors.
Antony Jacob
buy a travel insurance on our 100 per cent secure online platform. Understanding the growing demand for travel insurance, we are planning to
What is the future potential of this market in India? The Indian travel insurance market is pegged at around `4,510 crore in 2013-14 and the industry is growing at the rate of 20-25 per cent annually. The penetration of travel insurance in the country is low, but given India’s huge population base with a growing segment of travellers, India could become one of the largest travel insurance
markets worldwide in the next decade. We have witnessed an increase in the level of awareness of the importance of travel insurance amongst people in the last few years. Though there is a lot more to be done to increase penetration and acceptance, we must accept the fact that progress cannot happen overnight. It’s a matter of time before travel insurance penetration reaches the desired standards, as a large part of the success of this sector and its players hinge on the awareness levels of consumers. So a collective effort from all companies is necessary to take travel insurance to consumers and increase the travel insurance penetration among travellers.
MARKETS
Mumbai's first floatel to open for public in Sept 2014 MTDC to get 10 per cent from total profit Akshay Kumar Mumbai MAHARASHTRA TOURISM Development Corporation (MTDC) in association with WB International Consultants and AB Hospitality have launched a floating hotel called 'AB CELESTIAL' in Mumbai. The floatel is likely to open up for public by the first week of September this year. The AB CELESTIAL is made and imported from USA and will be docked at the Maharashtra Maritime Board’s jetty in Bandra under the Bandra Worli Sea Link. The company also has plans to launch cruise which will be used for luxury cruising purpose. MTDC will get 10 per
cent of the total profit earned from this floatel. Speaking about the launch, Chhagan Bhujbal, minister of
tourism, Government of Maharashtra said, “I am happy that Mumbai has got such an innovative floatel, which will surely
boost tourism. The Government of Maharashtra is looking forward to many such new tourism initiatives. The AB CELESTIAL has a state-of-the-art three tier restaurant and a 24 hour coffee shop. This floatel will certainly become a huge attraction for tourists.” The AB CELESTIAL is a three tier luxury dinning floatel with a sky deck and will have two multi cuisine restaurants including a club lounge equipped with a 24 hour coffee shop. The floatel is built with an investment of `56 crore and has the overall capacity of 650 guests. The second cruise which will be rented out on charter basis is worth `28 crore and will have a capacity of 125 passengers. Also, AB
Hospitality has plans to launch water sports such as jet ski and sailing post monsoon. Commenting on the further plans in the cruising segment, Satish Soni, joint managing director, MTDC, said, “I definitely feel this project will increase tourism and become a major tourist attraction and we are supporting two more projects like this. We are also planning to form a good cruising policy for Maharashtra. Currently, we are in talks with the Bombay Port Trust and an expression of interest has come up for a cruise from Mumbai to Goa and also some inland cruises in Mumbai. MTDC will launch all these cruises through a partnership.”
MARKETS
'The outbound travel business is on an upward growth curve' Having a strong presence in the outbound and domestic holiday market in India, Cox & Kings is backed by compelling customer offerings, extensive distribution network and a strong brand. The company recently sold its camping division of its subsidiary, Holidaybreak (HBR) to Homair Vacances for `892 crore, as it did not see any scope for expansion in the segment. The proceeds will be used for the company's debt reduction. Peter Kerkar, director, Cox & Kings talks about the company's initiatives to continue growing strongly in what is still a nascent Indian travel market. By Kahini Chakraborty What are your business survival strategies to tide over the highly competitive market? India is quite an interesting market and in spite of the challenging economic environment that we are in, Cox & Kings has demonstrated through its last quarter results that business for us has been quite robust and that’s something that I have been reiterating for the past three years that business for us has been encouraging and we have met expectations. We are the number one outbound tour operator from India. Our industry is highly fragmented and the Indian travel agency landscape is dotted with a large number of small travel agents for whom survival is getting difficult especially with the new BSP settlement kicking in. This has led to consolidation in the market place and we have capitalised on it and expanded our reach. Secondly our network of franchisees, especially in Tier II and Tier III cities, is aggressively contributing to our topline growth. We believe that consolidation exercise will continue and we are looking at double digit growth in our outbound sector going forward. So I think that in spite of there being tough conditions out there, we will continue to benefit by capturing market share. The company's consolidated revenues have gone up in the quarter ended on December 2013 results. What would you attribute this to?
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The company has demonstrated growth across business segments in FY13. Our leisure business in India and other international geographies, education and camping businesses have all seen robust trading. Specifically, our international businesses have done well in the third quarter with Dubai, UK and US businesses showing positive trading patterns. Cox and Kings is looking at getting education brand PGL into India? Your comments? I have always maintained that it is our intention to roll out the education brand in India. Recently, we opened our centre in Australia comprising of 350 beds spread over 200 acres in January 2014. We are actively looking for opportunities in India because the market is huge here, but land acquisition is not an easy task and until I am satisfied that the land acquisition is safe, we will be cautious about a roll out. However, we are pursuing opportunities for our education products both in the UK and Australia. What is contribution of domestic, inbound and outbound travel ? How much do you expect the domestic market to grow? For India business, outbound is around 65 per cent and is the key growth driver for the India business. At a group level, India contributes 25 per cent of the profits and is a critical contributor for the group’s growth plans. As India business
Peter Kerkar
continues to grow in healthy double digits each year, its contribution to overall group profits will only increase. In my view, the potential of the Indian holiday market is immense and as an industry we see tremendous opportunities for the next 10 years. What is the company's business expansion plans in future? Cox & Kings has a strong growth strategy in its two key travel segments – leisure travel and education travel. We hope to continue pushing our boundaries and grow strongly in what is still a very nascent Indian travel market. In India, we along with Ezeego1.com recently formed an alliance with G Adventures, the largest small group adventure travel company in the world that offers socially and environmentally sensitive travel. We will expand our market share in the outbound adventure space. We have also
launched MasterChef holidays in the Indian market wherein all tours feature local culinary experts and many also include time with popular contestants who have appeared on MasterChef programmes across the world. The on-tour experiences would include a combination of a meal along with a cooking demonstration and visits to attractions in the region covering food and wine. We also have some wellrecognised brands in our international geographies, offering premium outbound holiday experience to a niche customer segment in US, UK, Australia, Japan and Dubai. We have two market dominating student travel brands in PGL and NST, operating in the UK, with a steady growth profile. Our student and youth hotel brand 'Meininger' is a unique proposition, currently operating 7000 beds across 16 hotels in Europe. We have an exciting expansion strategy in this business, which would unravel over the next 1218 months. What are the new trends, locations, expectations from travellers? The outbound travel business is on an upward growth curve and we believe that this trend will continue at least for the next 10 years. As per our observations, the market is going regional and there is a demand for community specific holidays. There has been a rise in people opting for short breaks. The adventurous are
constantly looking for newer experiences and tented holidays are now catching on. We are promoting mobile luxury camps, TUTC, 'The Ultimate Travelling Camp' which covers a calendar of destinations and festivals. What is the company's business growth expectations from the upcoming FY 201415? UK is predicted to be the fastest growing economy in the developed world and with over 50 per cent of our revenues coming from this area we expect our growth to be strong. We are seeing a healthy forward booking position in education with over 60 per cent of our revenues already booked for the coming year which gives us a great deal of comfort in terms of going forward. Similarly, in the camping business over 60 per cent of our FY 15 target has already been achieved. We have also adopted a one-brand strategy in camping by combining our Keycamp and Eurocamp. So, overall these two divisions are looking buoyant and these account for nearly 70 per cent of our total EBITDA and as a result we are very positive for the coming year. In India, for the upcoming summer season, we had already pre-launched our holiday packages in the second quarter and we see an uplift of around 15-18 per cent as compared to what we had done in the last year in terms of bookings.
MARKETS
Ethiopian adds Kano as its 81st destination ETW Staff Mumbai Ethiopian Airlines has announced the commencement of four weekly flights to Kano, Nigeria. The flights to Kano will be Ethiopian's fourth destination in Nigeria, in addition to Lagos, Abuja and Enugu. Kano will be the airline’s 49th African and 81st
international destination. The airline will be offering 20 weekly flights to and from four cities in Nigeria, availing seamless and convenient connectivity options for the Nigerian travelling public to the Middle East, Europe, Asia and the Americas. In particular, passengers from Northern Nigeria will be able to enjoy best possible connections,
The flights to Kano will be Ethiopian's fourth destination in Nigeria. Kano will be the airline’s 49th African and 81st international destination
with minimum layover in Addis Ababa, to destinations like Jeddah, Dubai, Cairo, Khartoum, Beirut, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Riyadh and Mumbai. Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO, Ethiopian Airlines Group, said, “We are pleased to reinstate our flights to Kano, which will benefit the travelling public of Northern Nigeria. As a indigenous PanAfrican carrier, we consider our flights to Nigeria and elsewhere in our great continent as part our responsibility to contribute to the development of Africa and to serve as a critically essential vehicle for the flow of investment, trade, tourism, and job creation.”
Captain CP Krishnan Nair passes away ETW Staff Mumbai CAPT CP KRISHNAN NAIR, founder chairman, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts passed away at the age of 92, following a brief illness. Globally recognised as a hotelier, visionary and an environmentalist, Capt Nair is the recipient of the Padmabhushan from the
President of India. For his untiring efforts in environmental conservation, Capt Nair was conferred the Global 500 Laureate Roll of Honour by the United Nations Environment Programme. From a young freedom fighter to an officer of the Indian Army, to pioneering the globalisation of India’s textile industry, and later leading one Captain CP Krishnan Nair
Globally recognised as a hotelier, visionary and an environmentalist, Capt Nair is the recipient of the Padmabhushan from the President of India
of the finest luxury hotel chains in the country, Capt Chittarath Poovakkatt Krishnan Nair’s singularly inspiring life was dedicated to the pursuit of advancement of India.
APSRTC appoints abhibus.com as B2C franchisee ETW Staff Mumbai ONLINE BUS TICKET booking portal, abhibus.com has been appointed by Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) as a franchisee for its B2C bookings. The portal will be now able to sell tickets for the APSRTC network in cities, towns and villages in Andhra Pradesh as well as beyond the state’s borders. APSRTC is currently powered by the online passenger reservation system provided by Abhibus Services India. APSRTC bus tickets inventory will now be available for the first time on abhibus.com apart from being available on apsrtconline.in. Talking about the appointment, Sudhakar Reddy Chirra, founder and CEO, Abhibus, said, “We are extremely proud to be chosen as one of the B2C franchisee for APSRTC. This is a great boost for us at abhibus.com. This takes up our current inventory up from 5.5 lakh seats daily to eight lakh seats and adds up over 9000 bus services. Currently abhibus.com provides bus ticket inven-
tory from over 1500 operators and 15,000 routes.” “Bus travel is one of the oldest and most economical ways to travel across the country and our aim is to revolutionise this space with meaningful and cuttingedge offerings and services. We intend to add
This takes up our current inventory up from 5.5 lakh seats daily to eight lakh seats more services for our customers so that they don't need to go to multiple sites anymore to book their bus tickets. We aim to simplify the entire process and provide more and better search results every time consumers search for their next bus,” he added.
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Tourism industry lauds new government's pro-tourism stance With the declaration of the 16th Lok Sabha Election results on May 16, 2014, the tourism industry has every reason to be happy. For the first time, the government has included tourism into the core of its manifesto. With the new BJP Government, the tourism industry is expecting a huge reform
Veena Patil, founder and managing director, Veena World
Rajeev Wagle, managing director, Kuoni Travel Group India
Madhavan Menon, managing director, Thomas Cook (India)
Vijay Kesavan, CEO, Musafir.com
Rajiv Vij, MD & CEO, Carzonrent (I)
“Tourism ke acche din aane wale hain (good days for tourism are here). On the result day itself, I had posted on FB the following 'This was the moment I was desperately waiting for and I think we all were waiting for'. Now let Narendra Modi govern our India with sincerity, honesty and capability. We now have a person who knows tourism and has converted Gujarat's Rann of Kutch into an attractive tourism destination. Modi has already declared that, 'this government will pay more attention to the tourism sector'. We must have a focused tourism minister who will work like a CEO and make the sector potentially rich, more aggressive and vibrant on the world tourism map.”
“I am very happy as for the first time in history, tourism has been included in the government's manifesto. As we all know unemployment is the main issue in India and tourism is a fuel for employment generation. Also, I am glad that the Government of India is taking various steps to boost tourism like; making the visa regime easy and increasing the number of countries for visa on arrival. If these steps are followed up with good investments by the government then nothing can stop India from becoming one of the best destinations in the world.”
“The new government’s pro-tourism stance is indeed welcome and its leaders recognising the powerful role of tourism in employment generation and as a growth driver, augurs well for the sector as a whole. We are hopeful of prioritisation towards key issues like safety and infrastructure; also swift implementation of electronic travel authorisation/e-visa. Political stability coupled with focus on economic growth and social development will generate increased leisure and travel business opportunities, vital for the travel and tourism industry. Transport, especially air travel, will see positive impact and we are optimistic that it will open new avenues both within India and overseas.”
“For the growth of tourism sector, a politically stable government is crucial. With a steady government in India, we are positive to witness excellent reforms in tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors in the coming times.There is a need for infrastructure enhancement, improved economy and uniform tax reforms to boost leisure and business travel within and outside the country. It’s good to see that the rupee has gained strength in the last few days and we are hopeful that it will become stronger, fuelling outbound travel and domestic aviation growth. This is the right time to enter the industry and is perfect for a growing company like Musafir.com which plans to invest `100 crore in the next three years.”
“We would like to congratulate the new government. We are looking forward to a stable and decisive government that addresses the dominant concerns of inflation, rupee depreciation and development. We are hopeful that the government will make some favourable announcements for the organised car rental services sector benefiting the end consumer as also the service providers who are part of the necessary infrastructure of cities and are a testament to progressive development in all parts of the world.”
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IITC looks at introducing MBA in Tourism Management Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai WITH AN AIM to cater to the growing demand for MBA in tourism among students interested in entering the travel space in India, India International Trade Center (IITC), a Mumbai-based vocational educational institute, is looking at introducing MBA in Tourism Management for a period of 16 to 19 months. The course, will cost anywhere between `200,000 to
`225,000 and will come with an IATA certified course and an internship. The course might launch anytime this year. Speaking on this development, Vikrant S Urval, director, IITC stated, “We will probably be starting an MBA course in Tourism Management since there is a demand for the same among students. But we are not able to finalise it since we are trying to analyse whether there will be demand among the industry employers. We will try to market the prod-
uct as an added advantage to the student's career, but not in terms of boosting their salary.” Presently, the institute offers courses in International Airlines & Travel Management, Airline Cabin Crew Training, Hotel Management, International Air Cargo Management, Aviation & Tourism Management along with IATA training programmes – Foundation Level I, Consultant Level II and Cargo Introductory Course - and corporate training programmes.
The quality of students is not up to the mark Moreover, the institute is also opening two new centres, one at Sanpada, Mumbai in July followed by the other in Kolkata this year. Presently, IITC has eight centres in Mumbai, along
with centres in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Pune. They also have 50 faculty members – a combination of full-time and visiting faculty - across all centres. Speaking on the challenges faced in the travel education space and the industry in general, Urval opined, “The quality of students entering the travel space is not up to the mark. Plus, the attrition rate is also high and hence the industry should focus on giving performance based incentives.”
Aquasail adds Goa kite-surfing to its portfolio Akshay Kumar Mumbai MANY MULTINATIONAL organisations as well as Indian companies are going the unconventional way and companies catering to MICE are now experimenting with niche products. Aquasail, a Mumbai-based sailing company, organises team building events for the corporates, wherein first the team members are trained to sail, then the group is divided into different teams and are made to compete against each other in a sailing competition. Aquasail also organises meetings and
conferences on yachts, though this trend is still to catch on. Shakeel Kudrolli, founder and managing director, Aquasail said, “We have done across 200 programmes for the MICE segment. We have clients across every field like consultancy agencies, advertising, pharma companies, media organisations, etc, both multinationals and Indian companies. We have specialised in understanding the needs of the corporates and delivering it to them through customisations. Usually, the corporates want to do group activities and we have the right products for everybody's requirements.
We cater to big as well as small groups, right from a small group of 12 to a huge group of 400.” Aquasail has around 80 boats under eight different cat-
egories spread across three destinations. The company operates from Mumbai, Mandwa in Alibaug and has recently added Goa to its portfolio. The com-
pany is also planing to launch kite-surfing in Goa this October. Kite-surfing is a surface water sport combining aspects of windsurfing and gymnastics. A large power kite is attached to the surfboard which wind propels the surfboard. Zia Hajeebhoy, director, Aquasail, said, “Goa is a great destination for water sports. In Goa we are launching kite-surfing in October which is an unfamiliar sports for Indians. Also, Goa is growing as a huge MICE destination in India, so along with the leisure travellers we can also expect visitors from the MICE segment.”
CAR RENTAL
Hertz to promote USAself-drive holidays in Asia ETW Staff Mumbai HERTZ IS LAUNCHING a campaign in Asia to promote self-drive holidays in USA. The company is offering 15 per cent off rentals for all car groups in USA until July 31, 2014. Thereafter, it will offer 10 per cent off all car groups, including the
three collections, until December 31, 2014. About 8.3 million people from Asia visited USA in 2012 and this is forecasted to grow almost 60 per cent by 2018. Hertz has a wide-ranging car fleet available in USA, from Adrenaline Collection and Prestige Collection to eco-friendly hybrid vehicles (Green Traveller Collection) and family-friendly
models (Standard Car Groups). The offer aims to boost the already growing number of car rentals in USA from this region’s leisure premium holidaymakers of ages 25 and above. With its robust outbound leisure travel market, Singapore is likely to be a key contributor to this growing number. Singaporean residents are expected to
make some 8.7 million trips in 2014 and this is projected to rise to 11.8 million by 2020. Those who visit USA are likely to head to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Orlando, Hawaii or New York, with these being the most popular car rental pickup locations among Singaporean customers. While many choose
standard cars, such as Toyota Corolla and Nissan Xterra SUV, a growing number are opting for more specialised rides, with top choices being the Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible (Adrenaline Collection), the Mercedes GL450 (Prestige Collection) and the Toyota Prius Hybrid (Green Traveller Collection).
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(
THE MAIN FOCUS
HIMALAYAN
PROMISES B A S E
S
,
R E A L I T Y
Despite ambitious plans to promote the Himalayan states as a brand, there has been a lethargic attitude towards sustainability, carrying capacity and a promotional campaign that is yet to see results BY RITUPARNA CHATTERJEE
now-capped mountains, steep-sided peaks, valleys and alpine glaciers, lush green forest, gurgling streams and diverse flora and fauna, the Indian Himalayan range has always been the crowning glory of the country and an elysium for the discerning traveller. Starting from the foothills of the Siwaliks in the south to the Tibetian plateau in the north, the Himalayan range is a treasure trove of unmatchable and breathtaking experiences, some of which have been explored while many still waiting to be experienced. According to a report by the ministry of tourism (MoT), Government of India (GoI) on the top 10 states of India in terms of their share of domestic and international tourists for the year 2012, Uttarakhand ranked eighth followed by West Bengal in the 10th position with 2.6 per cent (26,827,329) and 2.2 per cent (22,730,205) share respectively in do-
mestic tourism. While Andhra Pradesh topped the list with 20.0 per cent (206,817,895) share. In terms of foreign tourism share, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh stood sixth and 10th with 5.9 per cent (1,219,610) and 2.4 per cent (5,00,284) share respectively. Topping this list was Maharashtra with 24.7 per cent (5,120,287) share. However, the HVS 2013 India State Ranking Survey on this 2012 report, points out that though these three Himalayan states featured in the top 10 list, West Bengal's share has dropped by one to two places from before and Uttarakhand has shown deteriorating progress over the last five years. While other Himalayan states have failed to feature in the top 10 position. To understand the reason why, we take a look at the outcome of the ongoing Himalayan campaign till now, bottlenecks which have hindered this growth and the required steps needed to be taken to realise the full
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73%
Of the Himalayan region is in India
potential of the Himalayan states.
777 days campaign
“Both medium and small tour operators should promote this domain” Subhash Verma, Immediate past president, ADTOI and chairman, Travel Plus
“Various package tours targeted at tourists of different economic status are measures that can be taken” Vishal Suri, CEO - tour operating, Kuoni India
“Due to the disaster last year we suffered a revenue loss of `12,000 crore” Dr Umakant Panwar, IAS, secretary, department of tourism, Government of Uttarakhand
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The MoT launched a campaign titled - 777 days of Incredible Indian Himalayas – on World Tourism Day in New Delhi last year. The campaign, which is set to continue for a span of 777 days, i.e. around two years and a month and a half from its launch date, was initiated with a two fold objective, one to attract more international tourists to India during the lean summer season and second to create global awareness that 73 per cent of the Himalayan region is in India. The campaign also focused on how the six Himalayan states Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh can work towards promoting and developing the Himalayas as a tourist destination for domestic as well as foreign tourists. The campaign also aimed at promoting the seven sister states which had been witnessing lower numbers of arrivals as compared to its other Himalayan counterparts. According to the 2012 survey of MoT, in terms of domestic tourism arrivals, Assam ranked 21st with 4,511,000 domestic tourists; Meghalaya 23rd with 680,000 domestic tourists; Tripura 25th with 361,000 domestic tourists, Arunachal Pradesh 26th with 317,000 domestic tourists, Manipur 27th with 134,000 domestic tourists, Mizoram 28th with 64,000 domestic tourists and Nagaland, 29th with 35,000 domestic tourists. In comparison, Uttarakhand stood eighth, West Bengal 10th, Himachal Pradesh 15th and Jammu & Kashmir 17th and Sikkim 24th. In terms of foreign tourism arrivals, they also ranked below the other Himalayan states – Assam ranked 22nd with 17,000 international tourists; Tripura 23rd with 8,000 international tourists; Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, both 24th with 5,000 international tourists; Nagaland 27th with 2,000 international tourists; Manipur and Mizoram,
MoT had announced that 50 per cent of the peak fee chargeable will be met by The Indian Mountaineering Foundation and the subsequent loss incurred would be subsidised by them under their publicity budget both 28th with 700 international tourists. On the contrary, West Bengal stood sixth, Himachal Pradesh 10th, Uttarakhand 17th and Jammu & Kashmir 18th and Sikkim 21st. Despite the passage of few months since its launch, the campaign failed to make significant increase in tourism inflow to these Himalayan states. The reason being the lack of awareness among domestic and international markets about the campaign. “The greatest show on earth and life altering journey on Himalayas, two promotional films on the mountain range which were released at the event haven’t yet been launched for public viewing. In addition, I have witnessed no posters promoting the Himalayas in international destinations. We need to revive the promotional aspect of the Himalayan campaign as many are still unaware of its existence,” states Mandip Singh Soin, founder and managing director, Ibex Expeditions. However, a campaign isn't a complete solution to promoting a destination as discovering new tourist circuits is also necessary to develop the tourism potential of
the Himalayan states. Abhijit Chalke, director, Parivaar India Tours adds, “For offbeat adventure seekers, the Khasi and Garo Hills of Meghalaya offer variety of picturesque trekking trails and the rivers of Arunachal Pradesh are hot-spots for rafting. Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur are excellent places for tribal tourism. For tourists who love to explore diverse global traditions, the Hornbill festival of Nagaland is the best occasion to attend.” Furthermore, to increase traffic to the Himalayas, MoT had also announced at the campaign that 50 per cent of the peak fee chargeable will be met by The Indian Mountaineering Foundation for climbing expeditions and the subsequent loss incurred would be subsidised by them under their publicity budget. However, this failed to make a significant impact in increasing the inflow of mountaineers to the Himalayan region, states Soin. Stating the reason, he adds, “Uttarakhand also made an announcement that it will waive off all state peak fees for mountains within the state, which is three times the
size of what The Indian Mountaineering Foundation does. Unfortunately, the latter hasn't been realised. Therefore, the impact of the peak fee has been marginalised.” Furthermore, as part of the campaign, the Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) had collaborated with the ministry to organise adventure activities like river rafting, Himalayan run, mountain and bike events. For the same, discounted packages were created by adventure tour operators and its subsequent promotion was promised by MoT on its official website. “But till now there has been no demand or query for these packages since the promotion of these packages haven’t been executed in the tourism website,” opines Soin.
Issues to resolve Though increasing tourism arrivals have always been a lucrative prospect for the tourism industry for its contribution to the GDP, regulating the carrying capacity has also been a burning issue. For instance, the monsoon deluge that struck Uttarakhand in June last year was a result of
` 12,000 CR
cover ) “The impact of the peak fee has been marginalised” Mandip Singh Soin, Founder and managing director, Ibex Expeditions
“Key issues like the number of tourist per season, licensing, safety guidelines, etc are still a far cry” Kavitha Reddy, Founder director of Basecamp Adventures
“For offbeat adventure seekers, the Khasi and Garo Hills of Meghalaya offer variety of picturesque trekking trails” Abhijit Chalke, Director, Parivaar India Tours
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mismanaged tourists inflow, inadequate infrastructure and a lackadaisical approach to sustainability. “Our gross state domestic product for the year 20122013 was `1,07,548 crore. Tourism contributes 25 to 30 per cent to the state economy and due to the disaster last year we suffered a revenue loss of `12,000 crore,” states Dr Umakant Panwar, IAS, secretary, department of tourism, Government of Uttarakhand. To rebuild its infrastructure, the state government has received `1000 crore from the Centre out of the planned `3500 crore. Sustainability has also been a crucial factor in the Himalayan states because of its fragile ecosystem. The 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017), sought to address various tourism related issues including preservation of natural resources and addressing capacity constrains. “During the drafting of the 12th Five Year Plan we had presented that a carrying capacity study should be instituted for all the geographical regions of the country. This is crucial since in different areas the impact numbers can vary. The government has earmarked certain funds which they can deploy to the state government. But to the best of my knowledge, no state government from the Himalayan states have instituted this study,” points out Soin. The same was reiterated by Kavitha Reddy, founder director of Basecamp Adventures, “Though state tourism boards consider the issue of sustainability while framing the policies, but ground implementation is very erratic. Key issues like the number of tourist per season, licensing, safety guidelines, etc are still a far cry. Most of the challenges faced can be overcome by better communication and implementation, but putting together a sustainability plan and doing impact analysis on a regular basis are the ways to stop exploitation that can cause irreversible damage to the nature.”
New initiatives For the Himalayan states to
Revenue loss suffered by Uttarakhand due to the disaster in 2013
Putting together a sustainability plan and doing impact analysis on a regular basis are the ways to stop exploitation that can cause irreversible damage to the nature be positioned as a brand of value, a lot of crucial issues need to be addressed. “Firstly, adventure tourism guidelines needs to be strictly followed by both national and local travel agents and there shouldn't be a diluted policy since safety and environment are concerned,” states Soin. “Any future plan has to be with clear environmental assessment guidelines and with a robust sustainability plan,” opines Reddy adding that a higher level of engagement is also necessary between tourism board and travel agents which at the moment is limited to approvals and guidelines. In addition, promoting local employments, preventing illegal construction of hotels is also of crucial importance. “Many illegal construction of hotels and residential flats are taking place in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand, wherein buildings are being built on certain slopes breaking the set guidelines,” informs Soin stating there should be proper checks to regulate this. “In addition, the government and the private sector
needs to pull in insurance companies to provide security to tourists, there should be satellite phone usage, proper architectural guidelines, along with steps to promote local participation and re-energise eco-tourism campaign,” adds Soin. To revive the tourism potential of Uttarakhand and promote it as a year-long destination, the state tourism department is introducing new products this year which include – the winter Chardham Yatra, winter carnival and the Tehri mega project, a man-made lake consisting of a Tehri adventure centre, Tehri floating restaurant, Tehri floating long huts, among some. The Tehri adventure centre is expected to be complete by end of this year. Apart from governmental initiatives, the travel trade also needs to be innovative and proactive to promote the Himalayan states, opines travel agents. “Both medium and small tour operators should promote this domain since there are few domestic tour operators who do
so,” states Subhash Verma, immediate past president, ADTOI and chairman, Travel Plus. Furthermore, “Providing various package tours targeted at different tourists of different economic status with the diversity and tourism potential of the Himalayas are measures that can be taken. Special package tours covering major pilgrimages in Himachal Pradesh may be started to pull more domestic tourists to the Himalayan states,” opines Vishal Suri, chief executive officer- tour operating, Kuoni India. “Given the climate and topography, adventure sport activities like river rafting, paragliding and trekking could be tapped upon and made popular in the Himalayan states. Collective efforts by stakeholders in improving the facilities at various tourist destinations, development of new airports and improvement in quality of roads to increase connectivity to different tourist locations will help in drawing more tourists,” adds Suri.
EVENT ROUNDUP
Towards one Africa At this year's Indaba, Africa's leading travel show, the focus was on putting up a united front in tourism. For the first time it was a truly pan-African travel show with 24 African countries exhibiting at Indaba. It also played host to the first ever Ministerial Roundtable on common travel facilitation and connectivity challenges. By Steena Joy
T
RUE TO ITS newly launched marketing campaign tagline 'Inspiring new ways', South African Tourism (SAT)'s leading travel trade show, Indaba this year reinvented itself to maximise the tourism opportunities in the African continent. The first Ministerial Roundtable at Indaba witnessed participation by ministers from nearly 15 African countries to discuss where they want to take the continent and its travel and tourism infrastructure in the next 10 and 20 years.
Martinus van Schalkwyk
Speaking at the roundtable, Martinus Van Schalkwyk, tourism minister, national ministry of tourism, South Africa said, “It is clear that
our key priorities are to gradually liberalise air policies and create an intra-continental air transport architecture that facilitates intra-African travel and trade, and to remove travel barriers such as cumbersome paper visas by switching to e-passports and e-visas as well as visa waiver and regional visa schemes, to name but a few. We clearly see the need to connect peripheral areas of our continent to the mainstream air routes. Otherwise, many African neighbours would remain de facto long-haul desti-
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EVENT ROUNDUP nations to each other. There is also major potential for the development of a SouthSouth corridor that reflects contemporary trade and other economic realities.” Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H E Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, pointed out, “One thing that is clear is that we cannot achieve successful results in the tourism industry, if we continue to work in isolation as individual countries. We have to start pursuing joint strategies in order to accelerate growth in this sector. Tourists are not interested in our administrative borders; they want to explore as many attractions as possible given limited resources and time at their disposal.” He added, “We need to focus on joint marketing of our tourism attractions across the borders. We need to urgently work on simplified and joint visa regimes (uni-visa) that can be quickly made available electronically and, hence, enable tourists to move around groups of African countries easily and more affordably. I am glad that some Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have already done so and others are working on this initiative.”
Celebrating 20 years of democracy Hosted in Durban for the
20 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD June 2014
Thulani Nzima
25th time at the famous Albert Luthili Convention Centre, Indaba moved away from its traditional four day format to just three days of compact networking and business sessions. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Van Schalkwyk looked back on 20 years of democracy and its impact on tourism. He said, “In 1994, 20 years ago, total international arrivals, including tourist arrivals, stood at a mere 3.6 million. During our two decades of democracy, these arrivals have grown by more than 300 per cent to reach nearly 15 million last year, 9.6 million of which were tourist arrivals, the highest in our history. According to the latest tourism satellite account data, in 2012, our sector directly accounted for R93 billion, or three per cent of GDP – up from an estimated R9 billion, or 1.7 per cent of GDP in 1994. When we add domestic tourism expenditure to the mix, internal tourism expenditure amounted to R191 billion in 2012. And where direct jobs in
our sector stood at an estimated 230 000, or 1.9 per cent, of the total in 1994, tourism today accounts for over 610 000, or 4.6 per cent of direct employment in the country.” This year SAT placed a lot of emphasis on the choice of buyers for the event. Emphasis was placed on quality buyers and not just a large number. This year, the show also offered a technology pavilion (TechZone) which showcased the latest developments and technology offerings available in the global tourism industry and introduced tourism stakeholders to the world of digital marketing. Another attraction was the popular Speed-Marketing sessions which focused on adventure, urban vibe and hidden treasure products.
Indian delegation Speaking to Indian media in Durban, South African Tourism CEO, Thulani Nzima urged the resolving of visa challenges in India and China. He stated that he was disappointed with the visa services for issuing of South African visas in India. Nzima said, “There was a delay in issuing of visas early this year in India due to shortage of staff at the visa centres. In China too, there were visa challenges as the visa centres in Beijing and Shanghai ran out of visa
EVENT ROUNDUP
HANNELI SLABBER, COUNTRY MANAGER, INDIA, SAT
paper. As the marketing arm of South African tourism, we are not involved in issuance of visas, but it is in our best interests that as we market the country, there are no visa impediments for people who want to come to our country. We have now taken up the issue with home affairs and all the embassies in those countries where we have bottlenecks, either in the way the visas are issued or in the number of visa centres. Two weeks ago, we have been assured by the ministry of home affairs that new staff replacements have been recruited to man the visa centres in India and that they have also increased capacity." He also added that for a vast country like India, only two visa centres - in Mumbai and Delhi - were clearly inadequate and SAT has taken up this issue with the South African Embassy. "As India is yet to introduce the e-visa, this is a serious problem. Even in China there are only two visa centres, so this is an issue we plan to resolve," added Nzima. Like every year this year too SAT hosted 17 trade partners from India. Many of them were attending Indaba for the first time. “Yes, this was my first exposure to Indaba. Interaction with the supplier or the source is as important as with the client and personal meetings end up in a long term relation for the conversion of good businesses,”
said Kanan Fotedar, director, TravelnLiving. She added that more clarity on the appointment schedule process to achieve more in a short time would be beneficial in the future. Anahita Avari, director, TravelOptionz Holidays was also a first time delegate to the show. “It was a well organised event and the delegation requirements were well taken care of. It has given us a new perspective to the product that is available for Africa as a continent.” For Renuka Natu, head – sales and marketing – India, Southern Africa - a division of Tourvest Destination Management, Indaba was a complete eye-opener. “It was my first Indaba and I have hugely benefitted from it as I was actually able to understand the product better and had the opportunity to interact with a gamut of suppliers whom I had already been introduced to via email. The products exhibited were a good mix of lodges; camps and all services catering to all the segments. The appointments seemed a bit jumbled, however since the nature of our industry is easy-going, I was able to meet up with almost all those whom I had set-out to meet with. I would surely attend another Indaba, albeit a couple of years later, when there will be a higher probability of finding newer products and services."
How has the Indian travel trade responded to Indaba in the past few years? Over the years, our valued trade partners have consistently appreciated the way Indaba has been organised and executed. This platform provides them an opportunity to witness the extensive array of African products across the spectrum of tourism industry and the innumerable portfolio of activities on offer for tourists, all under one roof. Therefore Indaba is the paramount gateway to networking, planning and executing business for the Indian travel trade. This year we hosted 17 Indian trade partners for Indaba who were exposed to new tourism products and got the opportunity to engage with pan-African suppliers and explore business opportunities. Each one of our hosted trade partners believed that the response towards Indian buyers was quiet upbeat at Indaba 2014. With a consistent increase in the number of travellers visiting South Africa from India, it is essential that the travel trade in India is equipped with destination knowledge that enhances their expertise and allows them to sell South Africa as a tourist destination to Indian travellers. The pre/post tour organised annually during Indaba enables them to see the destination upclose. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all Indian trade partners who attended Indaba for their incredible support and we assure the travel trade industry of our commitment to delivering a global event that sets new standards in facilitating business, ensuring a sense of community and personal interaction, all to make sure we deliver a business-focused travel trade show every year. Have there been any changes in the demographic profile of Indian visitors to South Africa? Demographically Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata have been our key tourism source markets in India but in the recent past we have seen travellers coming from all over India. Our travellers are so scattered that we are constantly trying to come up with new and innovative ways to service our trade partners and entice our consumers. We've always marketed South Africa quite extensively in over 20 cities in India and in the last two years, we have trained travel agents from over 30 cities. Although we see tremendous growth from the metros, our mini-metros and Tier II markets are giving us value. We have certainly seen a great change in travel patterns and consumer preference in the last few years. These days, Indian tourists are planning their own itineraries tuned to their specific interests and preferences. Concepts like self-drive holidays, exploring unknown regions, or touring the city on running tours and partaking in voluntourism activities are slowly catching up among Indian tourists which were never seen before. We also see a shift in more youth and young families travelling to South Africa. Today travellers are more adventurous and open to exploring and experimenting new things and this will be everything from new types of cuisines to activities. Which regional markets in India have shown the greatest growth in volume terms? As mentioned above, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata have been our key tourism source markets in India till date. Apart from these cities, we are also seeing considerable growth from markets such as Ahmedabad, Pune, Chandigarh, Surat, Vadodara, Amritsar and Ludhiana. Flight connectivity still remains a hurdle for visitors from Indian metros other than Mumbai. Any prospects of this scenario changing in the near future? A greater number of airlines offer daily flights to South Africa, thus increasing the connectivity and offering more options, flexibility and convenience to the Indian travellers. South African Airways fly daily to Johannesburg from Mumbai while Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways connect key Indian cities to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. We would love to see an increase in direct flights from other cities but South African Airways will be the best to comment on their plans.
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ADVERTORIAL
AWEDDING DESTINATION IN KOLKATA Kolkata's Vedic Village Spa Resort, which has positioned itself as a niche wedding destination for the elite class, has conducted more than 45 high-profile weddings over the last four wedding seasons with guests coming from across India and even abroad. The target is to take the number to 100 weddings soon, states Biswajit Syam, director, sales and marketing, Vedic Village Spa Resort. By Joy Roy Choudhury
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ODAY, INDIAN weddings are no longer confined within temples or churches and has grown in size and stature. Destination weddings have become a preferred option for elite Indian couples. Indian weddings is a huge market segment that has been spurred by the spending powers of the elite class who are growing in numbers by the day. India, which recorded a total of 182,000 millionaires at the end of 2013, will add another 120,000 millionaires in the next five years. From exotic international locations, wide array of national and international dishes to entertainment and leisure activities, Bollywood style designer sets and fireworks - Indian weddings are going places. Though still at an emerging stage this growing segment has induced leading tourism boards, exotic destinations, hotels, car-rental companies, art designers, decorators and others to concentrate on targeting this niche market. Kolkata's Vedic Village Spa Resort, located on the outskirts of the city, is one such exotic location, which is concentrating on the wedding segment in a big way. Over the years it has become a much sought-after destination for high-end weddings and MICE events. The resort, spread over an area of 150
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acres is situated at Bagu-Rajarhat and is near to the Kolkata International Airport and only 75 minutes drive from the city centre. The property offers 225 luxury accommodation facilities in the form of a Zamindari Suite, 18 deluxe villas, 10 earth villas, two-bedroom suites, aqua home rooms, standard suites, deluxe resort bungalow rooms and studio rooms. It also offers state-of-the-art banquets with lawns and 'Cerebrum' – the 70,000 sq ft internationally styled convention centre, ideally suited for hosting weddings and MICE events with several dining options. Then there is 'V Den' - the underground leisure and entertainment centre for the youth to host their bachelor's party'. 'Sanjeeva', the international class medical spa offers both ayurvedic and naturopathy-based treatments to customers.
A complete focus Today, Vedic Village has become a niche wedding destination for the elite class. The wedding clientele is not just from Kolkata but also from the neighbouring places. "The resort has successfully conducted more than 45 high-profile weddings over the last four wedding seasons with guests coming from across India and abroad. The target is to take the number to 100 weddings soon,” says Biswa-
jit Syam, director – sales and marketing, Vedic Village Spa Resort. The resort offers a complete wedding experience ranging from pre-wedding events and the main wedding event to other support services. “Weddings have become an integral part of revenue generation in Vedic Village Spa Resort. We market ourselves as an exclusive wedding destination. Aggressive marketing through various marketing tools and mediums is our strategy, so that we are visible in the client's mind through at least nine months in a financial year. We also participate in various national and major international travel trade expositions like ITB – Berlin or WTM – London and at major wedding fairs,” he elaborates. On how Vedic Village is different from any conventional MICE or wedding location in this part of the country, Syam opines, “The design, décor and ambiance of the property and standard of services we offer along with our expertise in organising innovative events offer a one-of-a-kind experience to the wedding clientele, who has been returning to our resort time and again.” Syam points out that the families have to just come, relax and enjoy. “Our team of experts will conceptualise and design the main event, chalk out the event flow, entertainment and leisure
activities and decide on the cuisine from different international and national options according to client requirements. Our event management department and logistics team, can handle them easily,” he points out. There are expert chefs who help in designing and executing the menu as per the requirements of
guests. “Now, wedding anniversaries too are becoming important amongst a family's event calendar. Nuclear families get together to celebrate wedding anniversaries. Vedic Village also provides an ideal setting and specialised customised services to celebrate 'wedding anniversaries,” he adds.
DESTINATION OUTBOUND
Celebrating culture As one meanders up and down the sloping lanes of Glasgow, Scotland's industrial and art hub, one is struck by the city’s rich cultural ethos and Victorian architecture. Host to the 2014 Commonwealth Games coming up this July, Glasgow is truly a modern city celebrating its powerful past. By Steena Joy
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LTHOUGH IT'S NOT the capital of Scotland, Glasgow (from the Gaelic word which means ‘My green place’) is the largest city in Scotland. Built on the river Clyde, this UNESCO City of Music and European City of Culture was one of British Empire’s foremost industrial arenas. The city centre has countless impressive Victorian structures coming from that era and the unique masterpieces of one of the city's most celebrated sons, the legendary architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Completed in 1888 and overlooking George Square, Glasgow City Chambers is one of the city’s most prestigious buildings and which has for
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more than a century, been the headquarters of successive councils serving the City of Glasgow.
Art attractions Another must see attraction is the Glasgow School of Art. Over a century since its completion in 1901, Mackintosh's 'masterwork', continues to fulfill its original purpose as a vibrant educational institution where students still derive inspiration from Mackintosh's legacy. Tourists can avail of the guided tours of the Mackintosh building through original interiors laced with intriguing furniture, ironwork and stained glass and identify Japanese influences, evidence of Scottish Baronial tradition and design
details inspired by nature. The tour gives insights into Mackintosh's remarkable life, his commitment to 'total design' and his influence on the international Art Nouveau movement. Over 200 pieces of original Mackintosh furniture can be found here. Don’t miss the library made entirely of oakwood housing, the original chairs designed by the renowned architect. Then onwards to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum which houses one of Europe's great art collections. It is amongst the top three freeto-enter visitor attractions in Scotland and one of the most visited museums in the UK outside of London. The museum has 22 themed galleries
DESTINATION OUTBOUND displaying an astonishing 8,000 objects, including Salvador Dali’s Christ of St John of the Cross as well as one of the largest and finest collections of 17th century Dutch and Flemish art and 19th century French oils in the UK. Although the architecture combines a variety of styles, the best description of the building design is Spanish Baroque. In fact, the two main towers are inspired by those of the pilgrimage church of Santiago de Compostela, in northeastern Spain. Glasgow is also home to the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Theatre Royal, Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Tea traditions One cannot leave Glasgow without visiting any one of the many tearooms that opened in the late 19th and early 20th century and even today are frequented by Glaswegians for the traditional afternoon tea. Designed by Mackintosh himself, The Willow Tea Rooms opened for business in October 1903. The tearoom was a fourstorey former warehouse building on a narrow infill urban site on the south side of Sauchiehall Street. The name Sauchiehall is derived from saugh, the Scottish word for a willow tree, and haugh, meaning a meadow. Many of the high backed latticed chairs in the Willow Tea Rooms were originally designed by Mackintosh. Winner of the 2013 European Museum of the Year Award, Riverside Museum at
Years after the legendary battle, (the 700th anniversary is this June 23 -24), the visitor centre uses 3D technology to tell more about the Battle of Bannockburn Blake's Lock is a transport museum located at Blake's Lock in the town of Reading, in the county of Berkshire. The Zaha Hadid-designed museum, tells the story of Reading's two rivers, the Kennet and the Thames. The museum occupies two former industrial buildings, the Screen House and the Turbine House and has more than 3,000 exhibits and hands-on interactives from skateboards to locomotives, bicycles and prams to cars including the Mini Cooper. The zinc clad five-peak roof profile of the building symbolises the ‘water’ or ‘fluid’ movement as the museum lies at the confluence of the Clyde and Kelvin rivers.
Castles and battles The newly opened Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre is situated at one of the most important historic sites in Scotland. 700 years after the legendary battle, (the centre will celebrate the 700th anniversary this June 23 -24), the visitor centre uses cutting edge 3D technology to tell more about this crucial battle be-
tween two kings - Robert the Bruce and Edward II that changed the path of Scotland's history. Located near the historic city of Stirling, the battleground in 1314 was a royal hunting park. An iconic statue of Robert the Bruce cast in shimmering bronze designed by Pilkington is now part of this historic battle landscape. Nearby Stirling Castle, atop Castle Hill, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. Several Scottish Kings and Queens have been crowned at Stirling, including Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1542. There have been at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle, including several during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, managed by Historic Scotland. To the left of the gatehouse, is the Royal Palace, the first Renaissance palace in the British Isles, built by King James V. With its combination of Renaissance architecture, and Gothic detail, it is one of the most architecturally impressive buildings in Scotland.
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SPOTLIGHT
Force for Good The WTTC Global Summit 2014, which was held in Hainan China emphasised the importance of the travel and tourism industry as a ‘Force for Good.' Reema Lokesh reports from the scene and finds out that sustainable and responsible tourism are the hallmarks of the industry which is an engine for economic growth and progress
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HE TRAVEL and tourism industry worldwide is undergoing a transformation and every region whether it is in the Asia Pacific or in the Americas is trying hard towards achieving and practising responsible and sustainable tourism in a big way. The term ‘Force for Good’ was strongly discussed at the recently concluded WTTC Global Summit 2014, in Sanya, Hainan, China. The importance of travel and tourism was brought to light in a way that is a force for good and for the benefit of the society at large. It is not restricted to a certain region, demography or continent but it relates and influences communities and societies at large. It is time to be sensitive and responsive to the demands of travel and tourism and one needs to address it as a priority. In his closing speech at the summit, David Scowsill, president 7 CEO, WTTC stated that the global travel and tourism industry must oper-
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ate to the highest standards to prove that it is a force for good and not a force for destruction. Scowsill called upon on the sector to demonstrate leadership and accountability. “The travel and tourism industry needs to report and communicate the benefits and value it brings and ensure that it genuinely embraces tourism for tomorrow. Standards of ethics and sustainability must be of the highest order. We need to work in true partnership with governments when they listen - and with our local communities and stakeholders. We must also engage with our staff, customers and consumers,” he opined. Subjects discussed at the Summit included volatility and unpredictability, climate change and disaster recovery, infrastructure planning and sustainability, growth and jobs, peace and prosperity, collaboration and co-operation; and culture and understanding.
Why global economies need travel and tourism ? Apart from topical and
SPOTLIGHT thought provoking discussions the team also addressed the issue about why does the global economy need travel and tourism. There is no doubt that travel and tourism players play a major role in the upliftment of society and its people and in turn the economy at large, but at times the challenge rests on still convincing decision makers and governments to give it the necessary recognition, even though it is a very forceful economic contributor. Scowsill added, “The growth of our industry outstrips the growth of global GDP year after year. In fact, WTTC forecasts that travel and tourism will grow by 4.4 per cent yearon-year for the next 10 years far higher than global GDP which will grow at 3.5 per cent. By 2024 our industry will be generating over US$ 11 trillion and will have created 75 million new jobs. So it comes as no surprise that governments also need travel and tourism. Governments need this industry’s contribution to trade. And tomorrow we will be presenting research that demonstrates the importance of our industry to global trade. Governments need us to support the processes of nation building and disaster recovery. They need us to provide bridges to increase international cooperation, and to help foster greater understanding between societies.” He further added that when governments listen, they learn that we have a powerful case to make that helps them achieve their political goals – not just their economic ones. Too many governments around the world have still failed to acknowledge the vast potential of our industry. This leads to deficiencies like destructive border policies, exorbitant taxes and poor long-term infrastructure planning. All these prevent progress and growth. Christopher Nassetta, president and chief executive, Hilton Worldwide also clearly stated that the strength and importance of travel and tourism is not respected and understood yet. Paul Griffiths, chief executive,
Dubai Airports Corporation was also of the opinion that governments do not treat tourism as a sector that can bring in economic benefits. Raymond Bickson, MD and chief executive, The Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces emphasised on the need to focus on two aspects namely ‘jobs’ and ‘employment’ to gain government attention. The travel and tourism sector brings to the table a host of benefits that governments cannot afford to ignore for a long time. It provides momentum to economics, generates employment, brings in stability and also works towards a society that is closer to being sustainable and responsible in its own format. Travel and tourism has a unique role to play as a driver of cultural understanding, mutual respect, diplomacy, economic development and peace-keeping. Scowsill pointed out, “We need to show that we can work as one industry, to bring the public and private sector together, to realise even greater economic and social benefits for the world community.”
Technology and tourism No one in today’s world can ignore the role and importance of technology for business enhancement, thought leaders on the panel ‘Staying ahead of tomorrow’, rightfully placed the role of technology for tourism enhancement into perspective. It is important for business leaders in the tourism space to be curious and constantly be updated to make use of technology to its fullest. One has to stay in touch and embrace constant changes in the technology space and those who fail to do so will lag behind, is what the experts on the panel revealed. Desiree Bollier, chief executive, Value Retail rightly said, “Technology is disruptive but if we don't make it part of our business we will fall behind."
The China viewpoint It is widely accepted that in the next 10-15 years China will overtake the United
It is important for business leaders in the tourism space to be curious and constantly be updated on technology. One has to stay in touch and embrace constant changes in the technology space and those who fail to do so will lag behind EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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SPOTLIGHT States, to become not only the biggest travel and tourism contributor in the world, but indeed the biggest economy in the world. China’s travel and tourism businesses support 65 million jobs and the sector contributes nine per cent to China’s GDP. China’s travel and tourism is forecasted to keep growing at over seven per cent each year for the next 10 years. By the middle of the next decade China’s travel and tourism industry will employ over 90 million people – that will be one in every nine jobs in China.
The WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Innovation Award for 2014 (new category) Winner: Ecosphere, India A trip to the remote
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Himalayan Valley of Spiti, 4000 metres above sea level and cut off from the world for much of the year, would seem pretty far from home for most
people. But when you journey with social enterprise Ecosphere, you will always be at home - only not your own. To ensure the greatest benefit to
the local community, as well as the most immersive experiences for guests, all accommodation is in homestays with the local people. Spread
across six villages, guests are ensured an authentic experience, where everything, from food to daily rituals to the chance to take part in any ongoing festival, is a real glimpse of village life and not staged for visitors. They are also assured that they are making a sustainable difference, with 10 per cent of income generated from the homestays being set aside for a village conservation/development fund. And for the adventurous, or those wishing for a unique story to tell back home, Ecosphere offers guests the chance to take a safari through the hills, on the back of a yak. It’s these rural grassroot innovations that won the company the ‘Tourism for Tomorrow Innovation Award’ for 2014.
IN FOCUS
Guiding star New tourist guide training to benefit tourists with disabilities
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NJOYING TRAVEL and tourism is not always easy for people with intellectual and learning difficulties and their families. In response to this challenge, FEG - the European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations, and a group of partners from the tourism and disability sectors has started a training initiative, 'T-GuIDE', to train official qualified tourist guides in the skills that can help them give this group of tourists a better experience and understanding of Europe’s cultural and historical sites. The internet-based training will be offered free of charge to tourist guides and will help them adjust their guiding to the needs of this target group. The course will be tested by creating a trial tourist itinerary for intellectually disabled visitors and the overall training will provide a framework for training and skills assessment at EU level. This should result in a wider range of guided tours for visitors in European countries and lead to new job opportunities for tourist guides and for the tourism industry. Organisations of people with disabilities and their families will be involved in developing the learning programmes and tools for professionals, ensuring that the training will meet the needs of these visitors. Behind the TGuide training course is a group of nine organisations supported by the European Union’s Lifelong Learning Programme,
'Leonardo Da Vinci'. The lead partner is the Polish University Spoleczna Akademia Nauk, Lodz.
Opportunity for guides On behalf of the European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (FEG), the executive officer and FEG European Tourist Guide Trainer, Efi Kalamboukidou states, "The TGuIDE project is a great opportunity for us, the qualified tourist guides across Europe, to develop new skills in guiding people with intellectual disability and learning difficulties to the cultural and natural heritage of the countries we are qualified to guide in. It is always a challenge to try some-
thing new in our work as guides, to explore more fields of employment and innovation and at the same time to follow the guidelines of the established CEN European Standard EN15565:2008 for the training of tourist guides in Europe. I'm certain it will be a very interesting and fruitful project co-operation, as many esteemed partners are involved in it." Ivor Ambrose, managing director of ENAT, The European Network for Accessible Tourism, one of the T-GuIDE partners, notes, ”We are witnessing a re-orientation of the tourism sector with more attention being paid to ‘Accessible Tourism for All’, which aims to
THE CONSORTIUM The T-Guide consortium is made up of nine organisations, including small enterprises, non-governmental organisations and non-profit organisations, vocational and educational training providers, foundations and European networks. Austria: LEBENSHILFE-GUV Belgium: European Network for Accessible Tourism asbl. France: European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations Italy: ASIS - Consorzio Cooperative Sociali Latvia: The Latvian Umbrella Body for Disability Organisations Poland: Spoleczna Akademia Nauk w Lodzi Spain: Fundación Pública Andaluza El Legado Andalusí Spain: Instituto de Formación Integral, S.L.U. United Kingdom: Minster Development Centre
deliver safe, comfortable and enjoyable tourism experiences for the entire tourism market, including people with disabilities, seniors and others with specific access requirements. We expect that the T-GuIDE training will improve Tourist Guides’ professional skills and give them a better understanding of visitors’ needs; this will make a great contribution to the quality of tourism offer at the destinations where they work.” Gunta Anca, President of The Latvian Umbrella Body for Disability Organisations, and partner in the project adds, “In Latvia, a country that was part of the Soviet Union for many years, until recently, people with disabilities could not even dream about the possibilities to travel. Their destinies were – to live at home, and maybe sometimes to have some work, to earn some money to survive. To have leisure time activities - not even speaking about tourism – was not supposed to happen. Now everything has changed - opened up a huge opportunity to travel for all - but our country still does not have knowledge enough to offer equal opportunities for people with different kinds of disabilities. Quite many things have
been done already for wheelchair users and blind people so access is provided for them in touristic attractions. Unfortunately we are not aware enough about special problems of accessibility for people with intellectual disabilities. We are pleased to be involved in this project, as we hope that together with our partners from different EU countries we will be able to find new and interesting solutions for this group of people – to making their trips interesting and easy to understand.” Carolin Gosch, of Lebenshilfe GUV, Austria, another partner adds, “The Lebenshilfe GUV has been working for many years on the aim to support people with intellectual disabilities in participating in social life. Inclusion means for us that people with intellectual disabilities can also participate in leisure, education and culture. From our perspectives, TGuIDE is an excellent project for the tourism sector and tourist guides to raise awareness on the needs of people with intellectual disabilities and to enable people with intellectual disabilities to participate in this interesting and exciting part of life.”
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MOVEMENTS Govt of India SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK has been appointed as minister of state (independent charge) for ministry of tourism. DV SADANANDA GOWDA has been appointed as the union railways minister. ASHOK GAJAPATHI RAJU PUSAPATI has been appointed as civil aviation minister. NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI has been appointed as minister of road transport, highways shipping.
Jet Airways The board of directors of Jet Airways (India) has approved the appointment of CRAMER BALL as the CEO of the company. Ball's appointment is subject to receipt of all the requisite government/regulatory approvals including his security clearance. He has almost two decades of senior level experience in the aviation industry and completed, earlier this year, a two year term as the chief executive officer of Air Seychelles, where he led a major restructuring programme that returned the airline to profitability in 2012 and 2013. Gaurang Shetty, director and manager, will continue to lead Jet Airways till the requisite approvals are obtained and Ball assumes charge.
South African Tourism South African Tourism (SAT) has appointed RISUNA MAYIMELE as global manager communications. Prior to joining SA Tourism, Mayimele has recently worked as a marketing manager for SABC3. Her career spans over 13 years, as a marketing communications practitioner. She has years of experience in marketing research and strategic planning in the advertising and media industry. She has worked in leading global advertising agencies in the area of strategic planning, both in
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South Africa and outside the country, including Nigeria and Ghana.
The Travel Corporation Singapore International travel group The Travel Corporation (TTC) has announced two management changes - the return of ROBIN YAP as president - The Travel Corporation Asia and NICK LIM taking on an expanded role at Trafalgar as 'president - Trafalgar Asia' as well as being promoted to 'president - The Travel Corporation India'.
Air Canada Air Canada has appointed DUNCAN BUREAU as vicepresident, global sales, effective June 9, 2014. Bureau will report directly to Ben Smith, executive vice-president and chief commercial officer, and in this newly defined position will be responsible for revenue generated through all sales channels from all points of sale. He will be based in Toronto. Bureau has extensive airline industry sales and product distribution experience in Canada and in Asia where he was most recently senior vice-president, global sales and distribution at Malaysia Airlines. He was previously with WestJet where he held the position of vice-president sales and distribution between 2006 and 2012.
ganisations such as JetBlue; US Airways; Delta; Embraer; Bombardier and several airports. In addition, Michael also directed the launch of the Airline Leaders Forum on behalf of ALTA.
PATA BASANTA RAJ MISHRA, chairman of the Temple Tiger Group, Nepal has been elected by Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) as the secretary and treasurer of the new executive committee during its 63rd AGM at Zhuhai, China recently. PATA also elected eight members to the executive committee in which Scott Supernaw and Kevin Murphey both were elected as chairman and vice chairman respectively. Ramon Jimenez Jr, minister of tourism from Philippines and four others were elected as members to the executive board.
OM Tourism ANUJ KUMAR SINGHAL has joined OM Tourism as manager - trade sales, MTPA India. He will be responsible for promoting destination Mauritius among travel agents and tour operators. Prior to this he has worked with Korea Tourism Organisation and Tourism Authority of Thailand as marketing officer. He has over seven years of experience in travel industry and brings with him a wealth of knowledge and exceptional skills in maintaining inter-personal relationship with the travel trade.
chairman of i-SITE New Zealand.
Uganda Tourism Board
The Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) has announced the appointment of CHRIS ROBERTS as chief
JOY ANN JIBRILU has been appointed as the new director general of tourism, replacing thirty year tourism veteran, David Johnson who will be-
STEPHEN ASIIMWE is the new executive director of Uganda Tourism Board. He replaces Cuthbert Baguma who has been at the helm of the country’s premier tourism promotion agency for some time. Asiimwe has been the managing director and editor
executive. Roberts is currently general manager, corporate affairs at Tourism New Zealand. He has been in his current role for two years. In that role he has had responsibility for government relations, media relations and New Zealand stakeholder engagement. He is also
come the new CEO of the Hotel Corporation of The Bahamas and lead that organisation’s transition to the Tourism Development Corporation. Jibrilu is currently director of The Bahamas Investment Authority within the Office of the Prime Minister.
in chief of the East African Business Week Newspaper that operates in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia. He has a rich experience in leadership, management, consultancy in various fields, marketing, human resource, journalism and management of professionals.
Tourism Industry Association NZ
Government of Bahamas
Routes MICHAEL MILLER has been appointed as head of content and industry relations for Routes. Miller's background is in aviation journalism where he has held a number of positions, including director, editorial operations for the Aviation Week Group, vice president strategy for the American Aviation Institute, partner at the Velocity Group and president of Miller Air Group. In recent years, he has consulted for a variety of or-
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E V E N T S
WARM RECEPTION Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif received a farewell from team Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi – Satyajeet Krishnan, GM; Amit Chowdhury, executive chef and D K Beri, senior vice president, corporate affairs during his recent visit to India
CELEBRATING CONNECTIONS The Victorian government hosted a lunch at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground for renowned Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan as he was in the city to inaugurate the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), 2014
brated six years of operation with the inaugural edition of the BIAL Pinnacle Awards that was held at J W Marriott in Bengaluru
NOBLE CAUSE L-R: Michelin starred and Masterchef Vikas Khanna- goodwill ambassador for Smile Foundation’s Nutrition for Better Literacy and Manoj Chacko, CEO, Kuoni business travel, Kuoni India at the fund raiser initiative 'Cook for a Smile' event organised by Smile Foundation at Grand Hyatt Mumbai
CREATIVE STROKE Artist Joe Perez recreated the iconic Titanic Belfast building from LEGO bricks, inside a pod in Belfast’s Victoria Square shopping mall, ahead of the Brick City LEGO exhibition at Titanic Belfast
STRENGTHENING TIES Priya Paul, chairperson, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels was conferred with the insignia of the Chevalier de l’ Ordre National du Merite (national order of merit) at a private reception hosted by H E Francois Richier, French ambassador to India at his residence in New Delhi. The honor was given for her significant contribution to strengthening economic, cultural and commercial links between France and India
STAR PERFORMANCES Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru cele-
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E V E N T S
FAMED GLORY L-R: Sharon Prabhakar along with Nathan Andrews, president and CEO, Lavasa Corporation during one of her Broadway renditions at Dasvino Town at FAME 2014 at Lavasa
BETTER ACCESS L-R: Pankaj Srivastava of Air India and Li Dianchun,
ANOTHER MILESTONE IndiGo received the Best Operational Excellence
MORE CHOICES SpiceJet has partnered with TajSATS and CafĂŠ Coffee Day
Worldwide 2012-13 award by Airbus during the Airbus Symposium held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
(CCD) to offer an all-new and enhanced food and beverage menu titled 'Hot Meals, Warm Smiles'
commercial director, Hong Kong Airlines at the code share agreement event at Airlines House, New Delhi
NEW OFFERINGS
Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai hosted the 'Colours of North East' festival to create national awareness about a region rich in culture, tradition and a populace of vibrant individuals
34 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD June 2014
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.