Express Travelworld August, 2014

V0L 9 NO.7 PAGES 44

August 2014, `50

Markets World Bank Group focus on improving infrastructure in Buddhist Circuit Edge Flight path to growth

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CONTENTS Vol 9 No 7 AUGUST 2014 Pages 44

Chairman of the Board

Viveck Goenka Editor

Reema Lokesh*

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Chief of Product

Prabhas Jha

POINTS OF DISTINCTION

Assistant Editor

Steena Joy Sr Associate Editor

Sudipta Dev

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CONTENT TEAM Mumbai

Kahini Chakraborty Rituparna Chatterjee Kolkata

Joy Roy Choudhury DESIGN National Art Director

Bivash Barua Deputy Art Director

Surajit Patro Chief Designer

Pravin Temble Senior Graphic Designerr

Rushikesh Konka Senior Artist

Ratilal Ladani, Kiran Parker SCHEDULING & COORDINATION Sr.Executive

Rohan Thakkar

PEEP INTO THE PAST (18-34)

Photo Editor

Sandeep Patil MARKETING Regional Heads

Harit Mohanty - West Prabhas Jha - North Sanghamitra Kumar - East Dr. Raghu Pillai - South

MARKETS

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WORLD BANK GROUP FOCUS ON IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE IN BUDDHIST CIRCUIT

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TIGERAIR OPEN TO STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN INDIA

Marketing Team

Sunil Dcosta Gunjan Chauhan Baljinder Singh Ajanta Sengupta CIRCULATION

Mohan Varadakar PRODUCTION General Manager

B R Tipnis Manager

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EDGE

MOT FINALISES GUIDELINES FOR MEDICAL AND WELLNESS TOURISM

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Copyright @ 2011 The Indian Express Ltd. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner, electronic or otherwise, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited. *Responsible for selection of news under PRB Act

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Colonial connect

I

ndia means different things to different people. From messy to mesmerising, from intimidating to inspirational from chaos to colonial, India is all this and more. India is probably on the travel list of the most discerning travellers - from the rich and famous to the back packer, each one hoping to touch and tread on its soil and take home a part of India. I have always firmly believed that India needs to be experienced with an open mind devoid of any bias.

Preconceived notions, some unwarranted and irresponsible travel advisories have proved to be dampeners especially for inbound tourism, hence it is important for each one connected to the tourism chain to act and work responsibly to give India its tourism masterpiece status that it well deserves. Only then can India be truly liberated.

This can happen only if the frontline is trained well enough to receive and respect the tourist who is India's most powerful brand ambassador. No doubt, efforts have been floated to train and educate the tourism service providers, but the time has come to strengthen and strongly practice these programmes, making them accountable and result oriented. Grassroots mobilisation does work wonders and bottom-up approach does con-

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“It is important for each one connected to the tourism chain to act and work responsibly to give India its tourism masterpiece status that it well deserves ” 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

vert into results. The 2014 Budget though termed as directional in approach has done wonders for the morale of the tourism sector. Though announcements are yet to be cemented and activated, it has surely brought in a new wave of enthusiasm in the industry. No doubt, infrastructure stimulation is the need of the hour but it has to be coupled with the crucial human touch in tourism.

The hardware without the software is not desirable. It’s interesting to note that tourism and travel associations are waking up to the importance of training and education, with both TAAI and IATO announcing their plans to work on educational workshops.

Our cover story this issue, brings to the fore some unique colonial heritage monuments that have proudly stood the test of time, have been admired and recognised by international tourists.

Though many of these structures are in urgent need of upkeep and maintenance, they are still worth a ‘dekho’. This Independence Day do explore some of these masterworks that can leave you spellbound.

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Important: Whilst care is taken prior to acceptance of advertising copy,it is not possible to verify its contents.The Indian Express Limited cannot be held responsible for such contents,nor for any loss or damages incurred as a result of transactions with companies,associations or individuals advertising in its newspapers or publications.We therefore recommend that readers make necessary inquiries before sending any monies or entering into any agreements with advertisers or otherwise acting on an advertisement in any manner whatsoever.

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World Bank Group focus on improving infrastructure in Buddhist Circuit Effort to encourage investment in all categories of hotels Sudipta Dev Mumbai WORLD BANK and International Finance Corporation (IFC) are supporting India’s ministry of tourism and state tourism departments of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to develop the Buddhist Circuit. Better infrastructure and facilities would help increase tourist traffic five times. “Each site is a hub and to connect each site with the other, infrastructure will be needed such as roads, transport, street lights, wayside amenities, restaurants, tour operators and local guides. Connectivity is also very important, including up-

grading railway sidings, bus terminals, increasing access to smaller sites around the key destinations and improving air connectivity,” said Shaun Mann, senior tourism specialist, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, World Bank Group, adding that, there will also be major investments in urban and peri-urban areas to upgrade streets, drainage, and signage to improve the overall experience around the sites.

IFC and the Buddhist Circuit Steering Committee have launched a five-year strategy document called 'Investing in the Buddhist Circuit', which, according to Mann, has been pre-

Shaun Mann

pared with inputs from many stakeholders such as airline operators, tour managers, hotel owners, local cultural experts,

etc. “This strategy estimates that an investment of about US$200 million is needed, from both the public and private sector, to improve infrastructure, facilities, promotions and services around the circuit by 2018,” mentioned Mann.

One of the significant focus areas is the hospitality sector.

HVS is doing a pre-feasibility study of the existing government owned properties in UP and Bihar. “We are also engaging with a range of hotel owners – budget, mid, and luxury segment. We are hoping to attract established hotel chains to work with either existing owners or new entrants,” stated Mann.

A key problem with the Buddhist circuit is that it is largely perceived to be a seasonal circuit. “We are working to eliminatethe perception that Buddhist tourism is seasonal.

We need to work with the state governments and Incredible India to promote a diversified events and festival calendar that extends beyond the current October-March season.

We are also working with tour operators in source market countries, the extended monastic community in those countries to attract tourists and pilgrims throughout the season so that the investments made are viable,” informed Mann.

GoAir expects to start international operations early next FY Sudipta Dev Mumbai GOAIR that had in June for the very first time crossed the 10 per cent market share with a capacity share of 9.1 per cent, will soon add its 20th aircraft and consequently be allowed to apply for international traffic rights.

“There are many opportunities both from metro and non-metro cities and we are in a final phase to decide as to which market is more suitable for us. We expect to start operations on international routes early next financial year. However, considering the huge potential for growth in the domestic market our strategy will continue to focus on routes within India,” said Giorgio De Roni, CEO, GoAir. Pointing out that India is soon expected to become the third largest aviation market in the world (provided

some measures to enhance efficiency like a revision of taxation on jet fuel, etc, are quickly taken), De Roni asserted that GoAir wants to play a key role in this growth story. “That is why we ordered 72 additional A320 NEOs to be delivered between 2016 and 2020,” he stated.

In 2013, GoAir delivered profits with a 20 per cent growth in number of passengers carried.

“All this was backed by a consistently best track record in lowest passengers complaints (as per DGCA report). The performances are very similar in the first quarter of this financial year,” said De Roni.

The airline has increased its network with new routes such as Bengaluru-Nagpur-Bengaluru and Kolkata-Nagpur-Kolkata besides increasing its presence in Chandigarh and Jammu & Kashmir. “GoAir will continue to

increase its network on metro to non-metro cities where we have already deployed more than 70 per cent of our capacity. We are presently evaluating options to add a new station with at least three/four daily frequencies at the beginning of coming winter season,” said De Roni.

GoAir recently deployed its VISION 2015 whose key pillars are customer satisfaction at all touch points along with sustainable and profitable growth. “In this project, our team members play a key role and we are significantly investing in training our front line employees (both on ground and on board) to be able to delight our passengers,” he said , adding that, the airline is also revisiting some features of its customer service with investments in many areas, from IT platform to the quality of food on board.

Giorgio De Roni

There are many opportunities both from metro and non-metro cities EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD

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Tigerair open to strategic partnership opportunities in India Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai SINGAPORE-BASED budget carrier Tigerair is looking for opportunities to further strengthen its network in the India market. Adopting a wait-and-watch approach, Robert Yang, commercial director, Tigerair told Express TravelWorld, “Introduction of new flights on certain routes will be determined by market demand and regulatory approvals. We remain open to strategic partnership opportunities. At present, we have an existing interline agreement with SpiceJet to offer seamless connectivity to consumers between India and Singapore through Hyder-

abad, Bengaluru and Chennai international airports.” The airline presently operates 37 flights weekly to six destinations in India- Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Tiruchirapalli and Thiruvananthapuram, in South India connecting over 40 destinations across 14 countries in Asia Pacific.

“Tigerair will focus more on introducing new add-on products for Indian consumers to make their international travel hassle free and position ourselves as the preferred low cost airline to fly to Asia Pacific,” added Yang. The airline recently partnered with ICICI Bank in offering a ‘pay to go, return for free’ offer, the first of its kind in In-

dia. “The promotion was well received by our Indian consumers and was even extended by popular demand,” he informed.

When asked about the load factors and business revenue generation from the India market, he mentioned, “We observe a significant percentage of our global passenger load factors coming from India and it will continue to be one of the key markets for revenue generation in the coming years due to strong socio eco- Robert Yang nomic factors. We have observed that smaller families and individuals who are in the order to save on airfare and age group of 25-35 years and spend more at their travel are at the early stages of their destination.” career, increasingly choose On the evolution of the Tigerair as an option to fly, in aviation industry in India,

Yang opined, “The Indian aviation industry is quite different as compared to other developed countries. We believe that the current scenario of more airlines entering the fray and increased competition will aid in market growth as well as provide customers with wider choices. The rise of the middle income groups has now made it possible for families to choose international destinations such as Singapore for their holidays.

The youths, who make up more than one-third of the Indian population, are enthusiastic about exploring new places and overseas travel.

Both these groups are turning out to be a huge traveller base in the Indian aviation market.”

Nature Trails Resorts open to franchising model Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai NATURE TRAILS Resorts is open to franchising model for its expansion in major metros on pan India basis. Presently having five properties- Durshet Forest Lodge, Kundalika Rafting Camp, Koyna Backwater Camp, Dabhosa Waterfall Resort and Sajan Nature Club, the company is looking at introducing newer adventure activities and upgrading the existing properties.

Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Chinmay Divekar, director, Nature Trails Resorts said, “We are open to franchising with anyone who already has established properties in unique and unexplored destinations which are two-three hours drive from

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Chinmay Divekar

metropolitan cities. This year our focus will be on Maharashtra and next year we would look at Bengaluru and Hyderabad for expansion.”

The Maharashtra govt has come out with a GR which focuses on regulating all adventure tour operators About 40 per cent of the company's clients consists of families and FITs, 30 per cent are be corporates and another 30 per cent comprise of schools.

Last year, the company launched Saturday night breaks packages. “We look for unique and unexplored destinations which are easily accessible. Nature and adventure related activities are our key positioning factors,” he added. When asked about the promotion of adventure tourism in Maharashtra by the state government, Divekar informed, “The Maharashtra government has come out with a GR which focuses on regulating all adventure tour operators. Going forward, compliance to the GR is compulsory. Hopefully it should not cause losses to the business.”

He further opined that Maharashtra is the biggest contributor to adventure tourism segment. “Mumbai and Pune

have huge potential and there is a strong demand too, but unfortunately the state government is not actively promoting this segment. But tour operators like us are promoting this segment aggressively,” he pointed out.

Taking about the trends seen in adventure tourism so far, Divekar opined, “There are three factors contributing to the healthy growth of business, firstly the advent of the internet which has affected our business in a positive way, secondly changes in the economic scenario and corporates demanding for outdoor adventure activities for team building exercises, and lastly more number of people nowadays are opting for 'active' holidays.”

IATO S p e c i a l

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'We need to reduce the cost of delivery through technology' In an exclusive interview to Akshay Kumar, Subhash Goyal, president, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) talks about the challenges which the industry is facing and their expectations from the new government

What is the agenda and theme for the 30th IATO Convention?

My new agenda inter-allia include drawing out a comprehensive events programme which showcase the needs of our industry partners, networking sessions, business sessions and highlight the emergent issues and experts deliberating on the theme of the convention and destination presentations.

The theme for this year’s Convention is ‘New Beginnings | Fresh Ideas | Vibrant Futures’.

I want all the delegates joining the IATO Convention to have lasting memories of a pleasant and fulfilling experience. To provide some insight the proposed highlights are: • Tourism and the new government – the visions, the synergies • New markets, new opportunities • Strategies in direct marketing • Using the cloud – efficiencies and security with new technologies • Maximising presence at trade shows • Balancing Human Resource needs and budgets • Financial schemes for service exporters • New attitudes towards the media • Managing a healthy lifestyle, etc.

Again this year, IATO will conduct the 'IATO Run for Responsible Tourism’ and the ‘IATO Silent Auction for Charity’.

Under your leadership, what are the new initiatives that you are planning?

The initiatives which are getting our priority attention includes: Regular training programme: For IATO members, their executives and staff such training programmes are an effective way to gain knowledge expertise, learn new techniques and trends in travel management to update their skills.

IATO brand identity: Due to global economic scenario, consumers are looking for brands which can provide utmost value for their money and this makes IATO’s presence more relevant than before.

New market situation: I fully believe that 2014-15 is potentially going to be much busier compared to 2013. The initiatives that we have seen over the years are definitely encouraging and these are market driven. Everyone in the industry is awaiting the announcement on GST/SGST as that is going to have real impact on tourism business. We need to be very competitive, otherwise we will lose business to our neighbouring countries. We need to be proactive and put emphasis on customer satisfaction.

Proper use of technology: We need to reduce the cost of delivery through technology and have to adopt sustainable practices to have sophisticated niche products to attract tourists round the year.

Exemption of tax: Legitimate business expendi-

ture need exemption from tax.

We desperately need a rule based system to remove the discretionary taxation that is not only inefficient but also impossible to administer. What we need is a simplified tax system that has reasonable rates. I would continue to plead for tax rationalisation as tax system all over the world have undergone extensive evaluation to reach a steady state condition where rates change rarely.

Look at the road ahead: India’s growth spiral has been going up in tourism. The best part has been development of infrastructure and we will ensure progress continues.

What are the primary challenges that the industry is facing? How does your association address them?

Primary challenges have re-

mained the same and inter-allia include: • Visa facilitation (which is the most important bottleneck in tourism scene) • Accommodation at reasonable price all over in Tier II and Tier III cities which have become popular with low cost air-connectivity • Safety standards, specially safety for women tourists • Cleanliness in India specially at all tourist places • Highway facilities enroute to many tourist places as due to automobile revolution and highways coming up (New Delhi, Mumbai corridor and others, all over India) surface tourism is dependent on enroute facilities • Well trained language speaking guides for new markets like China, South Korea, Arab countries, Russia, etc • Tax rationalisation in all respects related to tourism. The sector is overloaded with taxes like service tax, luxury tax, VAT, sales tax (on ATF by all states), excise duty on alcoholic drinks, toll tax, entertainment tax • No priority to tourism sector, no proper budget for tourism (neither in the central nor state sector) • Lack of trained manpower in all segments of tourism • Railway stations • Airports (expect some metro cities) need upgrading (though

operation of flights have increased from those airports) • Lack of entertainment facilities in the evening at metro cities/other tourist places • Lack of tourist literature in foreign languages (including city maps) • State governments not making any land bank for putting up infrastructure that means land cost becoming cost prohibitive impacting negatively on tourism development • ASI monuments need proper maintenance, landscaping and basic facilities • Road tax needs to be rationalised. It varies from state to state causing lot of inconvenience for tourists • Lack of proper coordination among government ministries and each ministry puts terms of its own (neglecting the cause of tourism). Tourism is linked with ministries like civil aviation, railways, environment MEA/MHA • Incentives to tour operators (in India and overseas) are bare minimum. There is lack of incentives for overseas tour operators to promote India • Negative image of India in global markets with national calamities, corruption, political events, etc. The government has no crises management policy and tourists tend to avoid India when advisories are issued by their countries.

IATO is regularly doing the necessary follow-ups. We are confident we will achieve success as the government is also placing priority on tourism for National Development Plan.

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IATO's 30th Convention to address new future for tourism ETW Staff Mumbai THE NEW GOVERNMENT at the Centre spelt a new hope for the tourism sector.

This has prompted the Indian Association of Tour Operators ( IATO) to hold their 30th annual convention in the capital itself as they found it important strategically for the industry to be in Delhi this year.

Speaking about the convention and its theme the convention chairperson Rajeev Kohli, said, "2014 is a landmark turning point for Indian tourism. For the first time in three decades the nation has moved out of coalition politics at the Centre. For the first

time in a decade we have a prime minister who walks the talk on tourism. The recent Budget has shown a path forward for our industry with the ETA visa system and some relief on taxes. 2014 also saw our members voting for a progressive and younger IATO team.

2014 is a time of new starts all around, we have new hope in the industry, fresh ideas, new vision. Being in Delhi will allow us to engage the new political leadership better and bring in the top administrative decision makers to our sessions. So therefore our theme 'New Beginnings | Fresh Ideas | Vibrant Futures' for this year is very apt. We want to focus on the great opportunities the new future

Rajeev Kohli

Amaresh Tiwari

holds for us. This convention will be about revitalising our business, our industry, ourselves."

IATO promises to offer its delegates fruitful business sessions, thought provoking discussions and a platform for

powerful networking, and also plans to focus more on education. The dates for the convention is scheduled from September 4- 6, 2014. The inauguration will be in the evening of the fourth and the last session ends on the sixth followed by closing dinner.

The 2014 venue hosts are the Kempinski Ambience Hotel, Delhi.

Adding further, Amaresh Tiwari, co-chairman, IATO, said, "This is the one gathering of the year where all tourism industry stakeholders can meet their industry colleagues, network and share thoughts and help contribute to the national discussion process on tourism. We owe it to their businesses to be there and support our industry."

Journey Craft aims to craft journeys on the right track Reema Lokesh Mumbai THE FUTURE of travel and tourism rest predominantly on specialised and niche tourism offerings, providing options to the discerning traveller that is well researched. Journey Craft, a newly launched travel company in association with Asia Travel Tours is all set to provide its clientèle with exclusive journeys by rail. Holidays by Rail is a brand that has been launched to cater to the needs of the traveller who is ready to explore India via the rail route. The company has also floated its other brand namely The Travel Tree that offers a wide range of niche products like rail charters, lifestyle holidaying, luxury escapes, explore India again, rural tourism,

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Arun Kundu

Our business model is that in the next 5 yrs we build a train of our own. We are exploring investment options

wellness tourism, wildlife tourism, Indian gourmet delights and tribal tourism just to name a few.

According to Arun Kundu, VP, Journey Craft, “The luxury

train market is currently poised at `120 crore. This has the potential to grow further to new records because the present average occupancy of the luxury train in India is about 48 per

cent. Luxury train tourism in India has built the capacity of about 14,000 passengers approximately per annum while the demand is much lower. Keeping this in view there is a huge potential to explore it further as the existing capacities can fulfill the demand. Even if the demand gets doubled the present infrastructure is enough to suffice.

Our business model is that in the next five years we build a train of our own for which we are exploring various investment options.

Although this is time bound but we are working towards it. Indian railways, is the life line of the country’s economy and the back bone of the country’s trade and mobility.” He further added, “There are about 14 luxury trains in the world of which India represents the highest num-

ber of the five operational luxury trains. This in itself explains the potential of the product. Our aim is to offer our clientele unique journey on rail.”

A young niche entrant in the travel trade fraternity in India, the company is managed by experts who have at least a decade of experience each in selling and promoting luxury train tours. The promoters of this company vouch for their credibility and have earned goodwill by delivering what is promised. He also highlights that train holidays meet the need of providing and promoting green tourism. Train travel is by far a lesser threat to our mother earth. Trains are energy efficient, the carbon emission is less, which leads to lesser damage to the environment.

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Decoding Budget 2014: Its relevance for tourism and hospitality Anil Harish, advocate at DM Harish & Co, Advocates, tells Reema Lokesh what Budget 2014 meant for tourism and hospitality, its investment and tax related significance Budget 2014 was a directional Budget. Can you explain the same?

In para 4 and 7 of his speech the finance minister has stated that it is a directional Budget as I feel perhaps on account of paucity of time, much has not been done in this Finance Bill, but there is a clear direction given as to what is going to be done in the near future. Budget 2014 was truly a rare budget for tourism with few interesting announcements being made.

If analysed closely what are the real-time implications and benefits for the hospitality and tourism sector?

Tourism is practically entirely run by the private sector.

The role of the government must be to encourage and facilitate and to provide infrastructure. An important facility announced has been the e-visa facility. Further, even the setting up of Smart Cities and Industrial Corridors will mean that there is a need for tourism.

What are the primary highlights of the budget for this industry?

The highlights for tourism and hospitality are primarily in a directional sense and not on account of any immediate tax saving measures in the statute.

The reference is to - Smart Cities; Industrial Corridors;

general emphasis on business; setting up of new airports; development of roads; five new tourist circuits around specific themes; National Mission on Pilgrimage; Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (Prasad); National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (Hriday); development of the SadhanaGaya-Varanasi Buddhist circuit; major International Convention Centre to be set up in Goa. What needs to be implemented with immediate effect?

The finance minister has already stated that some of these things will come in quickly such as the e-visas and the integrated platform for the central government. The laws relating to SEBI, Income- tax and FEMA will have to be synchronised and that should bring in a substantial amount of capital and the real estate industry and the tourism industry from the debt burden to some extent.

REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) and InvIT (Infrastructure Investment Trust) also received mention. REIT and InvIT are structures whereby investors, both domestic and foreign, will be able to participate in the development and get appreciation on their investment. REITS have found favour in other countries as invest-

MoTfinalises guidelines for medical and wellness tourism Archana Sharma New Delhi

Anil Harish

ment vehicles midway between debt and equity, in that they are fairly stable such as debt and yet have the potential for appreciation as in equity. India did not have a tax favourable investment structure for REITS. However, SEBI has drafted Regulations for REITS, but these will have to be modified to bring them in line with the amended proposals in the Income-tax Act. The Regulations under FEMA will also have to be amended in order to permit non-resident participation. Accordingly, there is still a substantial amount of work to be done on REITS and InvITs, but when this is done these should attract substantial investment from within India and from overseas.

Is it an investor friendly and tax friendly Budget?

It is a reasonably investorfriendly Budget showing that there will be emphasis on tourism and real estate, industry and development and therefore there is hope for the future.

It is not a specially tax-friendly Budget and there are no major concessions given and the rates of tax have remained approximately the same.

THE UNION MINISTRY OF tourism has finalised new guidelines to promote medical and wellness tourism in India.

This was announced by Parvez Dewan, secretary, ministry of tourism, Government of India during the release of the PHDRNCOS Knowledge Study at the Medical and Wellness Summit, 2014 held recently in New Delhi.

Speaking about the benefits of these guidelines, Dewan stated, “The scheme will provide assistance and market development opportunity by partly reimbursing expenses, undertaken by tour operators and market facilitators to promote medical tourism in India and overseas.” He further hinted that around `two lakh could be given to people to take part in international symposiums and trade fairs.

Talking about medical tourism, Anand Kumar, joint secretary, ministry of tourism, Government of India said, “In 2012, India hosted almost 1.66 lakh medical tourists from all over the world and has shown a 20 per cent an-

nual growth rate. However, we need to support this by providing infrastructure and equipments to improve the quality of our offerings.” Kumar also advised on relaxing the visa regime and establishing a watchdog and a certification committee to set standards and ensure that they are being followed.

Other suggestion included certifying hospitals for treatment, providing hospital facilities to places like Afghanistan, etc for missionary purposes, putting a rating system in place for spas and salons for standardisation, introducing initiatives for the wellness industry, etc.

Moreover, suggestions were also made on the promotion of alternate medicine. “People already know about Kerala, however, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are emerging as alternate healthcare centres. The herb based alternate healthcare has no adverse side-effects and thereby about 70 per cent of patients practice Ayurveda,” stated Nilanjan Sanyal, secretary, department of AYUSH adding that a mega Ayurveda conference will be hosted from November 6-9, 2014.

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STB and WIThosts India Travel Executive Forum Pankaj Maru Bengaluru SINGAPORE TOURISM Board (STB) and Web In Travel (WIT) recently hosted the first edition of India Travel Executive Forum under the theme 'Deconstructing the India Story' in Bengaluru. The half-day forum discussed how the Indian travel industry has evolved, overcoming technology and infrastructure challenges to being trasformed by entrepreneurial spirit and innovative ideas of startups.

The discussion witnessed participation from top travel industry executives including tour operators, online travel agents (OTAs) and travel technology startups across India and Singapore. According to Subramanya Sharma, chief marketing officer, Cleartrip, the OTA story started in late 2005-06 but it faced many challenges. “Dealing with infrastrucure and technology challenges in India was hard on oneside and on the otherside, the online environment was not so condusive. Instead of e-tickets we used to deal with paper tickets,” stated Sharma. Mohit Gupta, chief business officer – holidays, MakeMyTrip pointed out that there has been both external and internal challenges. “It took two years in building an in-house team to handle technology development for the company. Hence we had to use a mix model of in-house and outsourced. Beside those technology and infrastructure issues, getting acceptence and recognition from the airline industry was a huge business challenge,”stated Gupta.

However, the growth in internet penetration and mobile phones in late 2000 helped them gain some ground. Align-

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ing with this technology shift, OTAs are investing in innovation as well. For instance, Cleartrip's mobile platform gets 20 per cent flight and 50 per cent train bookings while 25 percent comes from hotels.

“Last week we launched a wallet feature on our platform to speed up the refund process for customers,” informed Sharma.

“Mobile penetration is high but there are challenges on low-cost handsets in terms of platforms, which remains an industry issue today,” stated Avinesh Kumar, head – marketing, Yatra. However, Kumar shared that last minute booking on mobile is high during the weekends. Even the travel industry is seeing a positive impact of the mobile phone phenomena in India. “Smart phones are playing a big role in the last minite booking. Leveraging technology in large scale is actually empowering the customers,” opined Gupta.

With online ticket booking being well established today in India, OTAs have marked en-

try into hotels booking and selling tour packages online.

“We have invested in hotels and technology, which will lead to profits in next few years. Hotels and technology will be the next big story for OTAs,” opined Kumar. The entry of OTAs in the hotels and tour packages has increased the traditional players in India, which has pushed these players to be more innovative in their approach.

Unraffled by OTAs entry into tours and hotels, Ashwini Kakkar, executive vice chairman, Mercury Travels argued, “Internet is great at democraticising prices but internet fails when it comes to face-to-face service delivery.” Kakkar added that the new segment of travellers are the youth in the 18-15 years age group and the senior citizen group. According to Madhavan Menon, managing director, Thomas Cook India invested in CRM (customer relationship management software) across some 200 branches and resellers in India, for providing consistent

information to customers. “We stopped printing of brouchers from this year and have provided our staff with tablets that provides digital and video contents to help customers make better travel decisions.

From next season, all our intrip staff will carry tablets along,” informed Menon.

Interestingly, given the country's unique challenges mixed with different tastes and cultures of the population, Indian OTAs have established unique successful business models in their own way. However, these models will not remain sustainable and profitable always, hence Indian OTAs will need to look into new areas of travel content and contextual search, personalise experience and activities. Though these new areas appear niche, they have high potential to help Indian OTAs drive additional revenues. But this space is being filled by new entrants and travel technology startups that bring the speciality element which these OTAs lack today.

According to Aloke Bajpai,

CEO and co-founder – Ixigo, the travel industry has a distributed model and its structure favours few of the large businesses but Ixigo has challenged this distribution model.

“We are a neutral and nontransactional platform providing meta search travel content and information. Customers are not looking for loads of details or information but they want the most relevant and contextual information at various stages of travel – pre, post and in-travel phases,” said Bajpai.

That's a new niche area where travel technology startups likes Mygola, Trip38, SavvyMob and others are playing role of catalysts filling in void between tour operators, airlines and OTAs and the travellers community. For instance, Trip38 focuses on post-booking travel expericence offering minute but essential details and information required during a trip. “We provide travel information of locations, sites, food, restaurants around the hotel where the traveller is staying. For example, what's the weather condition of a particular location or place, timing of food joints, musuem and its ticket price, parks, etc,” said Niranjan Gupta, chief executive and co-founder, Trip 38. Likewise, Mygola has a mobile app that is designed to help individual travellers unlike groups or tours and provides in-travel related personalised contextual content or informations on travel activities. SavvyMob is a mobile app that focuses on mid and small size hotels as well as travellers that plan to look for last minute hotel books. “Our focus is domestic SME market and we work on both sides – hotels as well as customers,” said Bikram Sohal, CEO and co-founder, Savvy Mob.

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Great Britain expects 5,00,000 Indian visitors by 2020 Archana Sharma New Delhi WITH A VIEW to further strengthen its position in the India market, VisitBritain, the national tourism agency of Britain, recently kick-started its B2B roadshow - the GREAT Tourism Week (GTW) in the country.

GTW, which started on July 7, 2014 in Kolkata is being held across nine cities and will conclude in Chennai on August 29, 2014. This roadshow aims at providing an opportunity and a platform to the Indian travel agents and tour operators to forge business ties with over 15 UK tourism suppliers, such as British Airways, VisitManchester, Luxury Hotels Group, Elevate Holidays, Café Royal, London, etc. “There was an 11 per cent increase in

tourist arrivals from India to Britain in 2013 with 375,000 Indians visiting the country. We aim to reach 5,00,000 visitors by 2020,” stated Shivali Suri, country manager, VisitBritain India adding that Indians had spent a record 441 million pounds last year in Britain showing a growth of 32 per cent. When asked about the plans to increase air connectivity from India to Britain, Shalini Sharma, manager - corporate sales, British Airways stated, “There are presently two daily flights from Delhi and Mumbai and one daily flight from Hyderabad. However, we are trying to make that double daily too, which will happen sometime in the near future.”

Apart from promoting London, the roadshow is also focusing on popularising other desti-

nations of Britain. “Manchester is an ideal destination for all tourists due to its ideal location and connectivity with London. It has ample shopping and nightlife attractions, museums, historic landmarks, etc apart from the famed Manchester United club,” opined Mohit Batra, India representative, VisitManchester.

As for their marketing strategies, Suri stated, “We'll be focusing on the B2B side and will provide more access through campaigns with airlines and bus carriers, like Emirates and Etihad. Also we’ll be organising FAM trips for various travel agencies,” added Suri. The Bollywood Britain app that was launched earlier this year will also be updated to enhance the image of Britain for the Indian traveller.

TCEB holds biggest annual roadshow Sudipta Dev Mumbai THAILAND CONVENTION & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) that had recently organised its roadshow in Mumbai and Bengaluru, and a corporate networking event in New Delhi, saw the largest number of suppliers this year, almost double than those attending in 2013. For India market specifically, TCEB has launched the Meeting Bonus package for MICE planners and corporate clients. “India has always been among the top three countries for MICE travel to Thailand. Last year the number of MICE travellers from India had increased to 100,000, which is about 10 per cent of our total arrivals. The group sizes from India ranges from medium to large – that is 100 to 4000 delegates across all industries - insurance, finance, manufacturing, direct marketing sectors,” stated Supawan Teer-

arat, VP, strategic marketing manand business develager, India repreopment, TCEB. sentative office, Pointing out that TCEB. the political unrest in The MICE Thailand has not afcities in Thailand fected the MICE are - Bangkok, market, Teerarat Phuket, Pattaya, stated, “When the Chaing Mai and military coup and Khon Kaen. These curfew was anfive MICE cities nounced there were have facilities, disome cancellations, Supawan Teerarat verse range of but everything is hotels and picking up and is back to normal professional services. TCEB has now. The events that were can- three key strategies for the MICE celled in the first half of the year, industry - to attract mega events were postponed and are now be- and increase number of business ing organised.” TCEB expects travellers, to promote image of over a million MICE travellers Thailand in the world as a destifrom around the world this year, nation of choice for business the majority being from Asia. meetings, and to develop stanTCEB would like to tap the dards of HR in MICE, facilities in Tier II cities in India and attract MICE and global standards ISO clientele. “We have been doing programme. “We also do lot of sales missions in Jaipur, Nagpur, projects on green meeting and rePune, Kochi and plan to explore ducing carbon footprint,” Gujarat,” said Nitin Sachdeva, informed Teerarat.

Canada govt introduces Can+visa programme,to focus on leisure and group segments Archana Sharma New Delhi CANADA GOVERNMENT recently launched the Can+visa programme with an aim to provide visas to larger number of travellers, especially tourists in a shorter time frame and reduce the screening process for people who have been to through once already. Launched as a pilot plan in India, along with China and Mexico, the Can+ programme issued visas within five days with an approval rate of 95 per cent. Speaking at the official launch of the Can+visa programme in New Delhi, SanJeet, India Representative, Canadian Tourism Commission stated that the Canadian government is going to concentrate more on the leisure and group segments. “The main regions will be British Columbia and Alberta in the west and Ontario and Province of Quebec in the east, till the time we reach a higher growth number,” he said.

The Can+ Visa programme will give the Indian traveller more options for fast and easy travel with an expedited process, which in turn will improve the overall processing time. According to Chris Alexander, minister of citizenship and immigration, Canada, “It is

open to all Indian residents who provide any proof that they have travelled to either Canada or the United States in the last decade. Successful applicants will be put through our efficient visa office on priority basis and their application will be processed within five days.” It will provide more opportunities for trade and travel between Canada and the Indian market.”

In 2013, more than 30,000 visitor visas were issued to Indian citizens, making India among the top 10 countries of international visitors to Canada. Almost 95 per cent of the visitor visas issued between January and June 2014, were multiple entry visas allowing as many visits for a maximum of 10 years.

There are other ‘Express’ Visa programmes in place like Business Express with visas issued within three days, Tourist Partner for tourists using travel agencies registered with the Canadian Embassy and Student Partners which fasttracks study permits with visas issued within 13 days or less for those who study at participating Canadian educational institutions.

“On January 1, 2015, we will offer six months processing for our economic immigration programme, a programme which used to take three-four years,” pointed out Alexander.

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Kenya focuses on adventure and Bollywood tourism Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai WITH A VIEW to further strengthen Kenya's position as a high-end luxury destination, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is aggressively marketing newer adventure products and is targeting to attract the Indian film fraternity. Kenya, which is popular for its safaris, has been witnessing an increasing demand for newer and niche adventure tourism products from the discerning Indian travellers.

“Indian travellers are exploring other adventure activities in Kenya along with wildlife safari. Also people are looking

for customised itineraries which offer them activities like hot air balloon safari in Maasai Mara, walking safari with a Maasai warrior, adventure sports at Sagana camp or Hells Gate National Park,” stated Chiranjib Biswas, destination manager, KTB adding that, their focus is also to sell the coastal side of the country which is now gaining popularity among adventure enthusiasts.

Speaking about their plans for the Indian film fraternity, he opined, “We are in touch with production houses and are very keen on promoting Kenya through Bollywood. Our new campaigns and promotional

plans will focus on quality tailored offerings that appeal to the Indian audience. We are doing a pan India consumer campaign in eight cities to create more visibility and augment product know how. Our market penetration will be across metros, Tier I and Tier II cities.”

As for their level of engagement with the Indian travel trade, Biswas opined, “KTB has always worked closely with the travel trade and regularly work for product enhancement. We recently conducted a three city roadshow in Tier II cities like Jaipur, Chandigarh and Lucknow. Moreover, the online training programme has

Chiranjib Biswas

been a huge success. We have registered lot of agents who are willing to promote the destina-

tion from all over India.”

Speaking on India's position as a source market for Kenya, Biswas stated, “Initially, the western region was the first primary source market for Kenya as it had direct air connectivity, then north India joined the fray with direct connectivity of Kenya Airways. But now slowly and steadily travellers from other cities like Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad have started going to Kenya in a big way.”

In 2012 over 61,275 Indian tourists travelled to Kenya.

India is the fourth largest source market with 6.9 per cent.

TrawellTag Cover-More conducts training programme for travel agents in Indore ETW Staff Mumbai TRAWELLTAG Cover-More, offering travel ancillary services like global, medical and concierge assistance, luggage tracking, travel insurance and global SIM, recently organised a ‘Travel Agents Engagement Programme’ on July 11,2014 at Radisson Blu, Indore. This is the fifth in the national series after Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Nagpur. The programme provided an information sharing platform which was made interactive with audience participation via quizzes and games. At the end of the workshop, the agents were provided with participation cer-

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tificates. Speaking on the occasion, Dev Karvat, managing director, TrawellTag CoverMore said, “Less than 20 per cent of travellers consider opting for allied services from a travel agent. As a result of this programme we have seen the awareness levels change in the cities where this programme has been conducted and so we are optimistic that there is scope for such a programme. We plan to take it forward to 20 cities across the country in the next six months. We are positive that this training session will also be a step forward and boost the travel industry as a whole.” The objective of the programme is to spread awareness about travel insur-

ance. The programme also broadly highlights the business development techniques,

vision of company, and harnesses the current and potential status of the travel indus-

try. Through this workshop travel agents benefit by getting knowledge on improving up sell and cross sell techniques.

TrawellTag Cover-More is a part of the Cover-More Group, one of Asia Pacific's leading providers of travel insurance and medical assistance. Cover-More, established in Sydney in 1986 has its operations in Australia, the United Kingdom, China, India, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore and offers emergency assistance for overseas travellers with a network of more than 5000 representatives across the globe. Today, TrawellTag Cover-More operates across 58 branches in 41 cities pan India.

MARKETS

Touching tomorrow The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) seems to have decided to bury the past, and move with strength into the future, working towards the betterment of its fraternity. If one has to go by what unfolded at the recently held TAAI’s sixth Managing Committee (MC) meeting at Jaipur, the association has decided to work with focus and press for accountability and education within and outside. Reema Lokesh explains what’s in store at the re-energised TAAI

IT STANDS TODAY as probably one of the oldest and largest associations of the travel trade, having stalwarts of the industry at the helm of affairs, but the recent times worked as dampeners hampering the organisation’s core responsibility to a large extent.

With controversies in question with respect to its highest post, the organisation did take a backseat as the voice of its fraternity.

However, there seems to be a new wave in the association, a new form of energy within the team compelling each region to get back on track and work towards the betterment of the industry and its fraternity at large. The focus is on accountability within the team and a sense of responsibility of each chapter chairman towards its jurisdiction. There is a lot that has happened in the past few months as the committee has undertaken extensive and intensive workshops pan India to address the sensitive subject of service tax and its repercussions on the business. They are working hard to gain voice in the corridors of power to send across a strong message in favour of the trade trade. Speaking articulately on issues concerning the travel and its members, Sunil Kumar R, acting president, TAAI, said that times have changed and it is extremely vital for the association to be relevant to its members and the changing industry. He added, “The time has come to reflect and identify our areas of concern. Today

our team is strong and committed to bring about change, change that is possible and realistic. We have done our introspection, accepted our shortcomings and are ready to identify and activate solutions that can be of benefit to the fraternity. Our team has identified 25 challenges that TAAI needs to work on and would approach them surely and steadily. The committee is provoked to work towards the betterment of the fraternity but the fraternity also must understand the realities of today and change with time.”

Supporting his thoughts, Harmandeep Singh Anand, honorary secretary general, TAAI said that the recently held sixth Managing Committee (MC) meet at Fairmont,

and the heads were actively involved.

The committee highlighted major concerns across the industry confronting the TAAI members. At the end of the two day meet, few important decisions were taken immediately to address matters of concern and find appropriate solutions to the challenges. Voicing her opinion, Jyoti Mayal, MC Member, chairperson for the TAAI airline council and co-chairperson for allied services said, “We have to get together and find the way out. This is our industry and we earned our fortunes from here and it is time to give back. We need our members to join in as it is an industry for all.”

Some of the resolutions passed by the MC are: ■ TAAI to launch Preferred Partner Programme

Jaipur from July 22-24, 2014 turned out to be one of the longest in recent times and extremely comprehensive with extensive deliberations being held on several matters concerning the association and the fraternity in general. The meet proved to be a worthy interac-

tive platform wherein the members freely and frankly expressed their thoughts, grievances and also chalked out some serious actions that are aimed at bringing in positive results for the fraternity to witness and partake. Each of the chapters was well represented

TAAI to partner with principals such as airlines, tourism boards, hotels and other service providers by September 2014 for the mutual benefit of TAAI members and such principals.

A resolution was passed to this effect at the meet and was a unanimous decision of the MC to introduce the PPP.

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MARKETS meeting that TAAI would meet and request the government to regulate the industry and prepare a blueprint for accreditation which will be prepared soon and presented to the government. TAAI will take up industry issues like review of weekly settlement system, commissions, web parity, discussions on APJC matters, service tax issues, New Distribution Capability etc.

■ Organise Destination (EDW)

Educational Workshops

At the event, Anand, informed the attendees that as an extension to the PPP, TAAI plans to organise a first of its kind EDW in collaboration with NTOs overseas, open only for TAAI members. These one to one interaction programmes will have participation of about 150-200 TAAI agents. The aim of the EDW will be to provide the participants a direct firsthand experience of the

destination and gain knowledge about the destination, its products and further get certified as specialists of that region or country. A buyerseller meet will be the highlight of this venture. Unlike the regular FAM trips, the agents will have to pay a participation fee and will be selected according to the criteria laid down by TAAI and the NTOs. ■ Actively interact with

government The MC also resolved at the

IN ATTENDANCE The team in attendance at the sixth MC meeting TAAI ■ Sunil Kumar R - Acting President ■ Harmandeep Singh Anand - Hononary Secretary General ■ Marzban Antia - Hononary Treasurer ■ Lokesh Bettaiah - MC Member ■ Imtiaz Qureshi - MC Member ■ Jay Bhatia - MC Member ■ Jyoti Mayal - MC Member, ■ Vijay Mohan Raj - MC Member ■ Mukesh Patel - MC Member ■ George Kutty - MC Member (Co-opted) ■ Rajan Sehgal - Chairman - Northern Region ■ Devesh Kumar Agarwal - Chairman - Eastern Region ■ Sampat Damani - Chairman - Western Region ■ Anil Kumar Chairman - Karnataka Chapter ■ Mary Mohan James Chairman - Kerala Chapter ■ Ajay Kumar Ramidi Chairman - Andhra Pradesh ■ Shreeram Patel Chairman - Gujarat Chapter ■ Krishna Gopalan Chairman - Pune Chapter ■ Rajeshwar Kumar Dang Chairman - Punjab Chapter ■ Arvind L Mistry Chairman - South Gujarat Chapter ■ Sanjeev Godha Chairman - Rajasthan Chapter ■ Madhuri Deo Chairman - Nagpur Chapter ■ M S Paramasivam Chairman - South Tamilnadu Chapter ■ Harraj Singh Sidhu Chairman - Chandigarh Chapter ■ S Arul Lazaran Hon. Secretary - Southern Region ■ Sita Antao Hon. Secretary - Goa Chapter

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Other initiatives on the anvil ■ Workshops for members on

the topic of NDC and its implications. TAAI has tied up with ITQ for conducting full-day workshops from August to December 2014 for the same.

■ TAAI is in talks with South African Tourism for destination training programme for their members across India.

Felicitations and presentations Rizwan Shaikh, general manager, Fairmont Jaipur was specially felicitated at the meet for being a very gracious host of the sixth MC meet. Shagun Sethi, director sales and marketing, Fairmont Jaipur gave a short presentation on the highlights of the hotel and they invited TAAI to hold their next convention at the property.

Bhim Singh, founder and chairman, Rajasthan Tours, one of the oldest allied member of TAAI since August, 1966, was felicitated by the MC Ratna Chadha, chief executive, TIRUN Travel Marketing, India representative of Royal Caribbean Cruises, also made a presentation during the MC meeting to host the convention on board Mariner of the Seas for a cruise out of Singapore.

Trident Hotels and Resorts also partnered with TAAI for this meet. The MC made a special mention that TAAI extends its full support to Malaysia Airlines in their hour of grief with prayers and condolences for every single person affected by the recent tragedy. The Rajasthan chapter team under the chairmanship of Sanjeev Godha, were pleased to play host and interact with key members of the association over the two days.

MOVEMENTS

South African Tourism

Ashok Chandra Panda

Tadesse Tilahun

Sneha Rai

Govt of Odisha

flight operations. He later moved to the marketing division as senior marketing officer.

He was appointed as traffic and sales manager, northern India until his recent appointment.

Tourism Malaysia

bai operations. Rai’s primary role will be to assist and disseminate information to travel agents, tour operators, airlines, local and foreign media associations to generate greater awareness and interest on Malaysia tourism products and attractions.

RATNA MEHTA has been appointed as marketing manager of Tourism Malaysia for Mumbai operations.

Mehta will look after marketing and promotional activi-

M C KAVITHA has been appointed as marketing manager of Tourism Malaysia for south operations.

Kavitha’s role entails

ASHOK CHANDRA PANDA has been appointed as minister of state (independent charge), tourism and culture, Government of Odisha.

Govt of West Bengal BRATYA BASU, a noted theatre personality, actor and professor who was elected to the

Bratya Basu

West Bengal Assembly in 2011 has been appointed as ministerin-charge of tourism department, Government of West Bengal.

Ethiopian Airlines TADESSE TILAHUN has been appointed as Ethiopian Airlines’ regional director India sub continent and will be based in Mumbai. Tilahun joined Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in October, 2000 as a flight control agent in

Ratna Mehta

M C Kavitha

ties for Tourism Malaysia with a concentrated focus on the Indian market. Through innovative marketing initiatives and ground level connect with the target audience, Mehta’s mandate will mainly entail promoting the brand and enhancing positive publicity for Malaysia among all stakeholders.

strengthening marketing efforts by liaising with top corporate offices, the aviation and hospitality industry, embassies, tourism boards and travel fraternity in and around south India.

Kavitha comes with an experience of over 17 years in the travel arena having worked with organisations like Air Sahara, Sri Lankan Airlines, Qatar Airways and Jet Air Group to name a few.

SNEHA RAI has been appointed as marketing executive of Tourism Malaysia for Mum-

STHEMBISO DLAMINI has been appointed as chief operating officer of South African Tourism. Prior to her current role, Dlamini was employed by the National Development Agency in the capacity of senior manager - office of the CEO, a role she occupied since August 2012. In her new role, Dlamini will lead business planning and budgeting processes, ensure optimal management of resources and adherence to good corporate governance through prudent financial management.

Jet Airways RAJ SIVAKUMAR has been appointed as chief commercial officer of Jet Airways with immediate effect.

In his current role, Sivakumar will be responsible for the overall development and implementation of a robust sales strategy for driving the goals of enhancing the company’s market share and maximising revenues. Sivakumar will report to the chief operating officer.

RAJEEV NAMBIAR has joined Jet Airways’ management team as vice president – sales (India). He will be responsible for developing and directing the implementation of strategic, business and operational goals of the sales function. He has 18 years of experience in the field of sales with leading international carriers.

He will be based in Mumbai and will report to the chief commercial officer.

MARTIN DREW has been appointed as vice president – cargo (designate) of Jet Airways. Drew’s appointment is subject to receipt of all requisite government/regulatory approvals including security clearance. At Jet Airways, he will be responsible for maximi-

sation of cargo revenues. He will be based in Mumbai and will report to the chief operating officer.

VisitBritain

Sally Balcombe

SALLY BALCOMBE has been appointed as chief executive officer of VisitBritain. Most recently Balcombe has been a board member of VisitBritain, governor of the Museum of London, commissioner of English Heritage, and non-executive director of Mr & Mrs Smith whilst also advising a number of businesses focusing on the digital area. In addition, Christopher Rodrigues will continue as chairman of VisitBritain beyond the expiry of his current term.

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uled by some of the most powerful emperors in the Mughal history, Delhi came under the British rule in 1803. In 1911, the capital of India was shifted from Kolkata (then Calcutta) to Delhi, due to an order passed by King George V. From 1912 to 1931, Sir Edwin Lutyens was responsible for creating Delhi into the imperial capital of the nation under the British Raj, combining the local tradition and colonial architecture. It was the time when architect Lutyens would create a brand new city on Raisina Hill, which would later become the new address of all major government buildings of inde-

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pendent India. According to Deepak Vig, owner, Dolphin Travels the Mughals took India to the zenith of architecture but the British added finesse.

Overlooking the Mughal gardens, the Rashtrapati Bhavan, currently the residence of the Indian President, once served as the residence of the Viceroy of India.

One of the best known monuments of the British Empire, it still remains the best creation of architect Lutyens. The Ashoka Hall, commissioned by Lady Wellingdon, with painted ceilings depicts a royal expedition. Alongside this is the Marble Hall, filled with distinctive art work like stat-

s p e c i a l

ues of King George V and Queen Mary. The room is also filled with portraits of former governors and heads of state and also has perched on satin red cushion a brass replica of the queen’s crown.

Comprising of three semicircular chambers, Parliament House, also known as Sansad Bhavan was designed for the Chamber of Princes, the Council of State and the Legislative Assembly, and now houses the chambers of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and a library. Earlier called the Circular House, it was also the original base for the Supreme Court of India.

The India Gate, standing 42 m

Delhi

R

FREEDOM

high at the centre of New Delhi, commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British army during the First World War and bears the names of more than 13,000 British and Indian soldiers killed in the Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919. In memory of the officers and soldiers, British and native of the Delhi Field Force, who were killed in action during the first war of Indian Independence in 1857, The Mutiny Memorial tower was built by the British in 1863. All around the octagonal tapering tower of red sandstone now known as Ajitgarh, there are many plaques on the walls men-

(

THE MAIN FOCUS

India's rich repository of colonial monuments with unique architectural styles offer travel agents a niche tourism product that needs to be explored further INDIA GATE IS A MEMORIAL TO THE 70,000 INDIAN SOLDIERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES FIGHTING FOR THE BRITISH ARMY tioning names and ranks of soldiers who fought for the British in the War of 1857. St Martin’s Garrison Church, located in the heart of Delhi cantonment, was built for the armed military personnel, externally looking like a fort, with its buttresses and parapets.

Colonial heritage hotels “With more and more visitors choosing to spend their Delhi vacation in great style and luxury, the demand

for the heritage hotels in New Delhi is on the rise. Most of them are located close to tourist attractions and major business areas in the city,” stated Vig. The Oberoi Maidens, next to the banks of Yamuna, overlooks the historical sites like the Red Fort and Jama Masjid. Built in 1900s by the British, it was also the venue to a ball hosted in honour of the Duke of Windsor in the year 1927. The heritage property, Vivanta by Taj – Ambassador, constructed in 1945 by colonial architect Walter George was designed in a seamless blend of British and Indian architectural patterns. The Imperial Hotel at Janpath, opened in 1936, was named

by Lady Willingdon. Claridges Hotel exists since the 1950s.

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the markets in the plains and a necessity was felt to find a better alternative means of transport. So a Mountain Railway Project was planned in 1847,” says Satish Vashisht, owner, Travel Himachal, adding that, the narrow gauge track winds its way through 103 tunnels and passes, 800 bridges and 900 curves.

Himachal Pradesh

imachal Pradesh, the capital city of Shimla, was declared as the summer capital of British India in 1864. The destination still has some of the most impressive landmarks of those times, for example Lord Elgin's Memorial and Viceregal Lodge.

Many of the buildings are finest examples of Tudor revival and NeoGothic architecture. The most recognisable edifice in the city is the Christ Church, which is the second oldest church in north India. Built in the neo-Gothic style in 1857 the church was designed by Colonel J T Boileau in 1844.

A significant section of tourists who are interested in colonial heritage tours are from UK. “We do a lot of tours on the heritage of the Himalayas. These are mostly FITs. Every year we host as many as 10,000 inbound tourists, of which 60 per cent are Britishers. About 6,000 to 7,000 people are very keen to ride the Kalka-Shimla train,” says Ritesh Sood, owner, Himalayan Saga. His company also organises Heritage Motorbike Tours, which is quite popular among a niche clientele. The tour includes stays at heritage hotels like Judge's Court at Pragpur and visit to McLoedganj, an erstwhile British cantonment which is now a Tibetan settlement.

An important landmark is the Kalka-Shimla Railway, one among Mountain Railways of India UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which was constructed in 1906.

The 95 km long Kalka-Shimla Railway track, a unique feat of engineering, was built under the supervision of H S Harington, chief engineer. “With the growth in the Shimla population, permanent and floating, the Motor Car Company was not found capable enough to cope with the growth transport of passengers, luggage and the provisions of everyday consumption which had to be brought in from

Best of colonial architecture It is a well known fact that Shimla has some of the world's finest examples of British colonial architecture. Notable is the former Viceregal Lodge (now the Indian Institute of Advanced Study), the Gaiety Theatre and the former imperial Civil Secretariat (now the Accountant General's Office), the Barnes Court (now the Raj Bhawan), and the Vidhan Sabha.

“While many of the buildings have been and converted into government offices or educational institutions, some have been burnt down.

There are quite a few structures that need restoration and all these impressive buildings can be a great draw for tourists,” says Vashisht.

The Viceregal Lodge was built as a home for Lord Dufferin, Viceroy of India from 1884–1888.

The subsequent viceroys and gov-

THE KALKA-SHIMLA RAILWAY TRACK, A UNIQUE FEAT OF ENGINEERING, WAS BUILT UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF H S HARINGTON ernor generals of India also stayed in this building. It occupied Observatory Hill, one of the seven hills that Shimla is built upon. Shimla is surrounded by Seven Hills. These hills offer a wide variety of trails to visitors to explore.

One of the most striking buildings of the British empire, Gorton

The Gaiety Theatre produced the best of the plays performed in London

Castle is a new-Gothic structure.

Swinton Jacob was the architect.

“The Rajasthan jaali work on its balconies obviously came from his forty five years of experience as the executive engineer of the princely state of Jaipur, completed in 1904, of India and housed the legislative, lands, education, home health and finance departments. Today, this houses the offices of the accountant general of Himachal Pradesh,” mentions Vashisht.

The Gaiety Theatre was opened on the May 30, 1887, Queen Victoria's Jubilee Year. The theatre was a major source of entertainment and, consequently became a cultural necessity for the English elite. Shimla became the home of amateur theatre and the Gaiety Theatre produced the best of the plays performed in London.

One of Shimla's best known tourist spots is the Scandal Point.

According to Vashisht it was the hub of the town's social life, where The Ridge and the Mall (road) converge. The story goes that this is the place where Bhupinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala, eloped with the British Viceroy's daughter in 1892. There used to be a mechanical equestrian statue at Scandal Point.

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Gopalkrishnan.

Popular colonial structures The War Memorial, located at Goubert Avenue, is a renowned landmark of Puducherry. The memorial was constructed to commemorate the French fall in World War II. On July 14 (Bastille Day) every year, the memorial is illuminated to pay tribute to the soldiers.

The memorial of Dupleix can also be seen at the Goubert Avenue. The 2.88 m tall statue was built to recognise the governor general's contribution to the town. Two of his statues were commissioned to be erected – one in Puducherry and the other in France. Another example of French influence is the statue of Joan of Arc, located in front of Church of Our Lady of the Angles built in 1852 in the Greek Roman architectural style. The statue was erected in 1923 and is situated in Dumas Street. Also located on this avenue is The Mairie (town hall), called Hotel de Ville, a 19th century municipality French building situated near Beach Road.

The Romain Rolland Library, another historical structure, established in 1872, has a wide collection of more than 3,00,000 books in both French and English. It also boasts of a mobile library service which has a collection of more than 8,000

The French Consulate General, the only diplomatic mission in town, is still open to French citizens

books. The Palais Du Gouvernement, now known as Raj Nivas, is a fascinating instance of French town planning. The Palais Du Gouvernement comprises of old tribunals and a three sided-line-up of several buildings. Located near this monument is a 19th century

THE WAR MEMORIAL WAS CONSTRUCTED TO COMMEMORATE THE FRENCH FALL IN WORLD WAR II

lighthouse, lighted for the first time on July 1, 1836. The French Consulate General, the only diplomatic mission in town, is another colonial heritage of Puducherry. The consulate still retains some of its French colonial charm and is open to French citizens. Another colonial structure is the Government Park at the centre of which lies Aayi Mandapam built in the Graeco Roman style of architecture. Many churches depicting French architecture can also be found in Puducherry. The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, situated at South Boulevard, reflects the Gothic style of architecture. The church contains rare stained glass panels which depict events from the life of Jesus Christ. Other notable churches include - Church of the Capuchins, one of the first churches of Puducherry now houses an orphanage; Notre Dame de’, built in 1791 bears a strong resemblance to a church in France; Church of the Assumption, houses one of the finest glided altarpieces including a crucifix surrounded by flying angels; The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, is modeled on the Basilica in France and Church of Our Lady of Good Health, makes for an interesting cycling expedition.

Puducherry

uducherry, the union territory of India, has always been a historical destination renowned for its countless conquests, sieges, disturbances and warfare dating from the 17th century to the 19th century. The old town's history dates back to 1672 when Puducherry was bought by the French from the King of Bijapur.

Two years later, the town was established into a trading settlement

by Francois Martin. In 1693 the town was taken over by the Dutch and was subsequently restored four years later by the Treaty of Ryswick. Following this, the town changed hands between English and French around nine times.

From 1741 to 1754, under Joseph François Dupleix, the governor general of the French establishment in India, the town regained its former glory. But in 1761, during the Seven Years War, the British took over the town and destroyed its buildings. The town again went through a series of exchanges before it was finally restored to the French in 1817. Though Puducherry has witnessed several exchanges and numerous influences, the French influence has been prominent because of their consistent foothold over the town.

This fascinating history of Puducherry has always attracted thousands of tourists from all over the world majorly from European countries. “Most of the tourists that come to Puducherry for colonial heritage walks are usually from Italy, France and Spain. Domestic tourists generally do not opt for these tours since they are more interested in spa and wellness when they are travelling down south,” states K Gopalkrishnan, proprietor, Pondicherry Tours, a travel agency specialising in South India tours and colonial heritage walks. “The ratio of foreign to domestic tourists that we get for this segment would be 65:35,” added

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concern is a perception that still exists in the British markets that India has not forgiven them for all that happened before 1947 and they may not be welcoming or receptive of the British doing this trail. “We ought to understand that today when the British tourist travels in search of the grave of his forefathers or follow the trail where his parents served while in military or the East Indian Railways, it is only out of curiosity, to discover the family roots, and family affection and definitely not intended to insult the feelings of Indians,” he concedes.

Developing the circuit

rom the capital city Lucknow to the little known townships, the state of Uttar Pradesh has a wealth of colonial heritage legacy that have immense tourism potential. The erstwhile United Province was considered a rich buffer state by the British with the successive Nawabs of Awadh little interested in confrontation, but all that changed after the First War of Independence in 1857. After taking over the whole area in 1858, they set about to transform the skyline.

“The areas that became sort of British sub-colonies were Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Meerut, Fatehgarh, Allahabad and Agra, though all of this was quite a British inhabited state, even small places like Bina, Sitapur, Mirzapur, Lakhipur, Mau and Azamgarh were inhabited by the British as district headquarters,” says Prateek Hira, president and CEO, Tornos Destinations.

Hira offers niche tourism products like the well researched Victorian Walk in Lucknow and India Mutiny Tour covering a few places in Uttar Pradesh. “Apart from this we also locate old houses and trails of the

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The Residency still has within its walls, the graves of British soldiers who died in the Revolt of 1857

British during the Raj and then tailor-make tours for them to cover these,” he mentions.

Lucknow has some of the most iconic colonial heritage landmarks including La Martiniere College, Council House, the stretch of Hazrat Ganj, Christ Church, Charbagh Railway Station, The

Residency and General Post Office building. Tourists from UK are among the top source markets and have a natural interest and connect with this segment of tourism.

“There is a bit of built-in curiosity among the British to see the place that once was their colony, language is not a barrier and there are convenient flights from UK and a substantially less or let’s call it comfortable flight hours to India,” says Hira.

Colonial heritage tourism fits into the experiential tourism segment - to explore the era of Raj, Indian Mutiny, British cemeteries, World War- I and II and other themes. “There is a huge market for such products in UK, but there are certain gaps that exist. The state tourism department though has understood the circuit tourism development, yet in my opinion they need to develop theme based circuit rather than basing their tourism circuits on geography of the state. This is actually how we as a tour company plan our products and sell them quite well,” states Hira, adding that another area of

Uttar Pradesh

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LA MARTINIÈRE FAMILY OF SCHOOLS WAS FOUNDED BY THE FRENCH ADVENTURER MAJOR GENERAL CLAUDE MARTIN WHO WAS AN OFFICER IN THE FRENCH AND LATER THE BRITISH EAST INDIA COMPANY

Many UK tour companies have colonial heritage included in their portfolio of products and are doing good business, but a lot needs to be done to promote this knowledge based thematic tour, specially in the UK market. “As a company our focus since the last 20 years of our being, remains on colonial heritage and this theme happens to be our main source of income to the tune of 50 per cent that comes from such tours. We have a strong research base, our own library and research team that helps us design the products that are specially aimed as this cluster of the market.

Special emphasis is on locating old residential quarters, British graves, researching British family history and roots as the main product from our portfolio,” informs Hira. He is hopeful that if this circuit is developed and opened for tourists a lot can happen in the state. “The state government needs to look beyond the Taj and the Ghats in the state, so why not project this theme, which is quite research based, intellectually invigorating and requires no huge infrastructure,” mentions Hira.

Pointing out that the government of Uttar Pradesh owns many colonial bungalows that can be converted into boutique colonial hotels on PPP model where tourists can stay while taking the circuit, he adds, “There sure is no need of huge investments, just a will to transform existing infrastructure, package it into a product and market it as a thematic colonial trail.”

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ne of the highlights of colonial architectural legacy in Uttarakhand are the heritage hotels and resorts in the state - from destinations like Mussoorie to Nainital and Ranikhet to Kasauni. These properties provide a great opportunity to tour operators in the region to offer exclusive experiences to the tourists who want to relive the luxury of another era. Each of these properties have interesting stories associated with them, often becoming a part of the local lore. “Our clientele are very interested in staying at many of the famous heritage hotels in Uttarakhand, which were erstwhile colonial manor houses and manions,” says Dipen Nath, owner of Nainital headquartered Suniti Tour & Travels.

Heritage retreats Mussoorie was known as the 'pleasure capital of the Raj' and was a popular retreat for the British.

One of the highpoints of the cultural milieu of those times was to either stay or be seen at one of the society do's at The Savoy hotel. Now an ITC Fortune property, The Savoy in Mussoorie, built in English Gothic architectural style, has hosted many dignitaries in its centuries old history including Queen Mary and Nobel Prize writer Pearl S Buck.

The hotel which was opened in 1902, is famous for its resident ghost - Lady Garnet Orme, who is believed to still walk the corridors of the grand mansion. The story goes that Lady Orme died of poisoning and more than a century later continues to search for her murderer.

Built in 1840, Ilbert Manor (formerly Bracely estate) is located at a height of 7000 feet above sea level in a forest of deodar and oak trees in Mussoorie. The property offers three categories of rooms - Victorian room, Imperial room and Colonial Suite. The property takes great

The Savoy has hosted many dignitaries including Queen Mary and Nobel Prize writer Pearl S Buck

pride in paying a tribute to the pioneers who made Mussoorie hills famous - all the rooms are named after personalities like Rudyard Kipling, General Frederick Young and Jim Corbett. Constructed in the year 1840 by Captain GN Cauthy as his residence, Rokeby Manor is another property in Mussoorie that is today a heritage hotel

of repute, which showcases authentic 19th century architecture and décor.

Ranikhet is the only cantonment town built by the British that has a heritage status. The small township is dotted with quaint churches and many properties built during those times. One of the most well known properties is the Windsor Lodge. A hunting lodge built in 1909, it was devastated in a fire, till the painstaking restoration work began in 1999. Today the 26room WelcomHeritage property is a perfect place to stay and explore Uttarakhand, with Almora, Kasauni, Nainital and Bhimtal being within 60 km. Bob's Place in Nathuakhan, Nainital district, is a WelcomHeritage Nature Resort. It is located in the heart of the Ku-

ROOMS IN ILBERT MANOR ARE NAMED AFTER PERSONALITIES LIKE RUDYARD KIPLING, GENERAL FREDERICK YOUNG AND JIM CORBETT

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maon Himalayas at 6200 feet in a valley, amidst a terraced garden and fruit orchard. All the rooms and suites have a sit-out area and on a clear day guests can see the magnificent peaks of the Himalayas. Mukteshwar is at a distance of about 30 km.

Chevron Hotels has many heritage properties in Uttarakhand spread over southern to eastern part of the Kumaon region. The destinations include Nainital, Ranikhet, Kausani, Mukteshwar and Corbett. Fairhavens in Nainital, Rosemount in Ranikhet, Mountain Villa in Kausani are among the well known properties.

It is not just the grand mansions of the British Raj, but also smaller properties that are perfect homestay locations for the experiential traveller. At Smetaceks’ Colonial Homestay in Bhimtal, guests can experience the oldworld charm of India’s colonial era.

The owners try to to keep alive the heritage of the Himalayas in the 19th century property. Guests get to try out old colonial family recipes or can take a leisurely walk to the quaint colonial church in Bhimtal. The Smetaceks' Colonial Homestay is located on a hillock in Bhimtal; the closest railway station and bus stop is at Kathgodam (about 21 km or one hour by taxi).

The nearest domestic airport is at Jolly Grant (near Dehradun), and the nearest international airport is in Delhi. Among the well known colonial architecture in Uttarakhand is the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun that was established in 1906 as Imperial Forest Research Institute. While the oldest Christian church in the Himalayas, St Mary's, is situated above Mall Road in Mussoorrie, St John's Church in Nainital was established and named in 1844 by the Bishop of Calcutta. Institutions like St George's College (1853) and Oak Grove School (1888) have an impressive architectural legacy.

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erala, known for its rich history and culture, has massive forts, palaces and religious sites that stand as a testimony to its past glory. The state is a treasure trove of architectural monuments; the traces can be seen starting from Tangasseri, a thickly populated beach area on the shores of Kollam city, which witnessed the Portuguese establishing a trading centre for pepper in 1502. Due to wars with the Moors/Arabs, the ancient church of St Thomas was destroyed. In 1517, the Portuguese built St Thomas Fort Tangasseri Quilon which was destroyed with the subsequent wars with the Dutch. The remnants of the Dutch and Portuguese forts can be found in Tangasseri. There is also a 144 feet lighthouse, built in 1902 and still functional today.

The Infant Jesus Church in Tangasseri, an old Portuguese built church, stands presently as a memento of the Portuguese rule. The old cathedral was demolished and replaced by a new cathedral at a cost of approximately `4.5 crore and consecrated and blessed on December 3, 2005. The metallic cross on the top of the church is said to be one of the largest crosses in India. “Fort Kochi – Zone itself is built and maintained on the colonial heritage style and still its maintaining. Most of the building are built in this period and on the colonial style. Some of them are converted into hotels, and some others are on office buildings.

The tourism department is keenly concentrating on promoting this sector and is also funding to maintain some areas. The tourism department has already promoted a walking tour through the colonial heritage zone of Fort Kochi,” says Johny Abraham George, managing di-

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rector, Intersight Group of Companies, and president of Kerala Travel Mart. Mentioning some of the colonial heritage places, he added that Kochi has the following structures: Aspinwal Building, David Hall, Bastian Bungalow, Vasco Homestay, Old Harbour Hotel, J Thomas & Co Bungalow (near St Francis church), Koder House (build during colonial period in colonial style by Jew), Fort Heritage Hotel, Tea Bungalow Hotel, Dutch Cemetery, Santa Cruz Basilica, V.O.C Gate (it was the office of the East India Company). In Munnar -Tea Estate Managers’ bungalows in Idukki district (Munnar, Perimedu), while Thalasseri has Aisha Manzil Homestay, Thalaserry Seminary, English Church, Brennen School, British Cemetery, Gundert Bungalow. Trivandrum houses the V.J.T Hall, British Residency Office (now KITTS Building) and museums.

Next on the list is The Mattancherry Palace, located on the Jew Town road in Mattacherry. The palace also known as Dutch Palace was gifted around 1555 by the Portuguese to the Raja of Kochi. The palace is

THE DUTCH PALACE WAS GIFTED AROUND 1555 BY THE PORTUGUESE TO THE RAJA OF KOCHI

built in quadrangular structure in the traditional Kerala architecture showcasing artistic murals, temple art and portraits and exhibits of the Raja of Kochi. The St Francis Church, built in 1503, is the oldest European church in Kochi and has a great historical significance which was a witness

The Tangaseri lighthouse, built in 1902 is still functional today

to the European colonial struggle. The church was declared a protected monument in April 1923 under the Protected Monuments Act of 1904. As a protected monument it is under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) but is owned by the North Kerala diocese of Church of South India. The St Angelo Fort, located in Kannur city, was built

by Dom Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy of India in 1505. Tourists are allowed to visit the monument daily between eight in the morning to six in the evening. The monument is under the ASI. The Tellicherry Fort in Thalassery town in Kannur district of Kerala was built in 1708 by the British East India Company to defend the Malabar coast. The fort comprises of huge walls, strong flanking bastions, and various secret tunnels opening to the sea. The Bolgatty Palace was built in 1744 by the Dutch and is the oldest Dutch palaces built outside Holland. The palace has been converted into a heritage hotel for tourists comprising of a ninehole golf course and Ayurvedic centre and daily Kathakali performances.

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Tea heritage tourism Glenburn Tea Estate is about three hours from Bagdodra Airport and overlooks the magnificent mountain ranges. Started by a Scottish tea company in 1859, Glenburn is now owned and managed by well known tea planting families – the Prakashes. Guests can stay in the suites at one of the two bungalows. Mancotta Chang Bungalow is a heritage colonial

Ghoom Station is the highest point reached by Darjeeling railway (7407 ft)

plantation bungalow, about 15 km from Dibrugarh in Assam. Built more than 162 years ago, it is located in the middle of a working Assam tea estate. One can visit

STARTED BY A SCOTTISH TEA COMPANY IN 1859, GLENBURN IS NOW OWNED AND MANAGED

BY AN INDIAN FAMILY

the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kaziranga National Park from Mancotta.

Help Tourism runs different models of tea tourism. The Tea Bungalow based tourism consists of three to four luxurious rooms with full service and leisure surroundings. The stay and hospitality is itself an experience of a century old culture.

“The tea plantation and factory visit is additional and done on request. Excursions to the adjoining nature areas are a bonus.

The second model is homestays and lodges adjoining to the tea estates, which gives access to experiencing the tea garden and the tea activities. This also gives access to nature and village based activities beyond the tea areas,” states Basu. Help Tourism has been lobbying to bring in an amendment that the existing bungalows in no or less use in the tea estate should be allowed for tourism. “Which means that if all the tea estates agree, there will be more than 2000 quality room nights available for North of West Bengal (Darjeeling Hills and Dooars),” he points out.

North East

n North East India, the two most significant heritage from the colonial era are the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or the Toy Train that runs between Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling, and of course the tea estates of Darjeeling, Dooars and Assam. “We have many prestigious schools from the British India times. The architecture and environment even today draws a lot of respect.

There is also the Cinchona plantations, almost a forgotten colonial heritage as you do not use these plantations anymore for malaria medicines. The WWII has left a legacy and is based in the Northeast, the famous war Imphal-Kohima. With tourism, we have been able to generate local pride and livelihood, which has helped in conservation of the same,” says Raj Basu, founder, Help Tourism.

It was since 1995, Help Tourism, started working on this Plantation Tourism programme called Tea Tourism.

“The basic idea had come from wine tourism and the key mission was to lead tourists to explore the 'actions behind a cup of tea'. The people involved, the landscape and the heritage. The best part was the hospitality, a culture which developed during the British in India, the Dak Bungalow of the Tea Estates, which we now call the Tea Bungalow,” states Basu. He mentions that initially, he and his team started with convincing the planters, telling them that this small initiative will not give them a huge business, but will help in branding of their tea.

The tea tourism initiative will compliment their main stream business of tea. “We could convince the planters that no new investment will be required and we shall start by using their Di-

rector's Bungalow, which was used only when the directors visited the garden. This would also help the garden to keep the bungalow staff active, innovative and engaged. Also, a part of the bungalow maintenance will be fulfilled from the tea tourism visitors. We have surveyed with the Darjeeling and Dooars areas: Damdim, Rangapani, Looksan, Bundapani, Lankapara, Phanskhowa, Marrionbarrie, Makaibari, Goomtee, Selim Hill, Glenburn, Takdah, Tukvar, Rongli-Rongliot, Rangeet Valley, Margarete's Hope, Tumsong, Singell, Putung etc,” informs Basu, adding that the most successful tea tourism till date is at Glenburn Tea Estate.

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he state of Punjab was one of Great Britain's most important assets in colonial India. It was the state's political and geographic predominance that gave Britain a base through which they ruled over the princely states in India. Lahore was then the centre of learning and culture under the British rule and Rawalpindi became an important army installation. After partition of Punjab in 1947, following independence of India, noted french architect Le Corbusier was commissioned by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India to build the new city of Chandigarh. With the brief of the designs the new city had to showcase a city which was 'unfet-

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AMBALA CANTONMENT IN HARYANA, PRESENT FROM THE BRITISH TIMES, HAS A LOT OF COLONIAL BUNGALOWS AND WIDE TREE LINED ROADS TYPICAL OF BRITISH CANTONMENTS

The Clock Tower in Ludhiana, known as Ghanta Ghar is more than 100 years old

tered by the traditions of the past, a symbol of the nation's faith in the future'. Corbusier and his team built not only large assembly and high court buildings, but also all major buildings in the city. Today many of the buildings are recognised as modern masterpieces, though most are in a neglected state. The Clock Tower in Ludhiana, known as Ghanta Ghar is more than 100 years old. It was inaugurated by the then Lt- Governor of Punjab and its dependencies, Sir Charles Montgomery along with Deewan Tek Chand, the then Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana.

The tower had been erected as a memorial to the silver jubilee year of Queen Victoria’s regime.

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The original watch, installed nearly when the tower was built by the British, had to be wound manually and was replaced with an electronic watch about twelve years ago.

Manjit Singh Walia of Mohini Tours n Travels says, “The state government has been taking measures to promote heritage sites in Punjab and promote heritage tourism as a niche tourism concept. With the potential that this segment holds, we see a lot of foreigners opting for such tours who are interested in knowing more about the history of a particular destination for their field of education. We customise packages accordingly as per the convenience and choices of our customers.”

Ambala Cantonment in Haryana, present from British times, has a lot of colonial bungalows and wide tree lined roads typical of British cantonments. It also gets a mention in Rudyard Kipling’s book Kim. The Cantonment Church Tower, which is 35 metres in height is an old tower situated in the district of Karnal. This is a rare british architecture and has been named after St. James and was dismantled after the shifting of the cantonment to Ambala in 1841 AD. St Paul's Church is one of the oldest churches in Ambala Cantonment which was built on January 4, 1857, was bombed during the 1965 Indo-Pak war which destroyed its building surviving with its tower only. Since then, a portion of the parsonage is being dedicated and used as church.

The Sirhind Club was constructed in 1891 under the supervision of Lt. Col. G Henry, J M Champion and Major E Blunt and started functioning under the Chairmanship of Brigadier General G.T. Pretyman. The club was damaged in 1965 during the Indo Pak Conflict. It has been renovated and expanded over the years.

Recreational institutions like the Sirhind Club were built by the British not only for socialising but also primarily to promote political interest of the British Government through loyalty of select Indianswho were allowed membership to these institutions.

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and Chinsurah reflect French and Portuguese influences respectively,” stated Prosenjit Biswas, owner, Bengal Tourism which is exclusively into promoting heritage tours around West Bengal. Biswas added that their clientele are mainly from Britain, France, the US and Germany and most of the tours are tailor-made. “Though we majorly deal with foreign clientele, 40 per cent of our clients are Indians and they also opt for heritage tours,” he opined.

West Bengal

est Bengal presents the history of the British era through its several colonial mansions that once served as residences, summer houses, offices and villas of British officers. These colonial buildings are mainly concentrated in Kolkata and the architecture is largely influenced by the intermingling of Neo-Gothic, Baroque, Neo-Classical, Oriental and Islamic schools of design.

Howrah Bridge, which was commissioned to be built as a pontoon bridge by Sir Bradford Leslie, is a classic example of British architecture. Completed in 1943, this 1500 ft single span suspension bridge over Hooghly River now called the Rabindra Setu is a gateway to Kolkata. Victoria Memorial is another beautiful structure which features a royal statue of Queen Victoria along with two brass canons protecting the statue and the gardens. The memorial's pattern was designed by Lord Curzon and was inaugurated in 1921 by the Prince of Wales. Build in the 1800s, Raj Bhavan, the erstwhile Government House, was home to the British governor general of India and now houses the office complex and residence of the governor of the state. The Ochterlony Monument was erected in 1828 in the memory of David Ochterlony, commander of the British East India Company. But in 1969, it was renamed as Shaheed Minar and rededicated to the martyrs of the Indian freedom movement. Based on European architecture, the Writer’s Building dates back to the 17th century and was the office for the clerical and administrative staff of the East India Company.

“Most of these heritage sites attract many foreign tourists since they are curious to know about the history of British rule in India.

While the colonial architectures in Kolkata reflect a strong British influence, places like Chandannagar

HOWRAH BRIDGE WAS COMMISSIONED TO BE BUILT AS A PONTOON BRIDGE BY SIR BRADFORD LESLIE

Notable structures

on the 13th century Cloth Hall at Ypres, Belgium. The Great Eastern Hotel, now the LaLiT Great Eastern Hotel, is a colonial era hotel established in 1840-41. Referred to as the Jewel of the East, the Great Eastern Hotel hosted several notable persons visiting the city.

Apart from these historical monu-

Other famous British monuments in Kolkata include St Paul’s Cathedral which was constructed

by Bishop Daniel Wilson in 1847.

The cathedral was built in the Gothic revival style popular during the British rule. It is 201 feet in height, 81 feet wide and 247 feet long. Known as the largest library in Asia, the National Library in the City of Joy was initially called the Imperial Library. The library houses more than two million books and periodicals. Calcutta High Court is one of the oldest courts in India dating back to the year 1872.

The court was designed by the then government architect Walter Granville, and was loosely modelled

Bandel Church is one of the oldest Christian churches in West Bengal

ments Kolkata is also home to many colonial educational institutions like University of Calcutta, Bethune College, St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, Calcutta Girls' High School to name a few.

Chinsurah, a city in West Bengal founded by the Portuguese in 1579, boasts of Bandel Church (Basilica Ground), one of the oldest Christian churches in West Bengal.

Founded in 1599, it is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. Chinsurah is also home to the oldest Armenian church in India - Armenian Church of St John the Baptist, which was built in 1695-1697 and is dedicated to St John. The Dutch Cemetery is another notable heritage site in this city. Chandannagar, a former French colony located 30 km north of Kolkata was established as a French colony in 1673, when the French obtained permission from Ibrahim Khan, the nawab of Bengal, to establish a trading post on the right bank of the Hooghly River. The Sacred Heart Church in Chandannagar is over two centuries old . Chandannagore Museum and Institute, one of the oldest museums of the region, boasts of a beautiful collection of French antiques and still conducts regular French classes.

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the Patriarch of the East Indies.

Known as the largest church in India, and located in Old Goa, this church is dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria. It is one of the oldest and most celebrated religious buildings in Goa. The Se Cathedral was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese under Afonso de Albuquerque over a Muslim army, leading to capture of the city of Goa in 1510. The architecture style of the Se Cathedral is Portuguese-Manueline. It was commissioned by Governor George Cabral to be enlarged in 1552 on the remains of an earlier structure. The actual construction began in 1562 under the reign of King Dom SebastiĂŁo. The cathedral was finally completed in 1619 and was consecrated in 1640. Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Panjim is one of the oldest churches in Goa, which existed from the year 1540. Originally consecrated in 1541, it was built in Portuguese Baroque style for the benefit of sailors from Lisbon.

Fort Aguada and its lighthouse is a well-preserved 17th

Goa

ith a long legacy of Portuguese colonisation, Goa has a lot to credit itself when it comes to places of worship or UNESCO World Heritage architecture.

The churches and convents of Old Goa, particularly the Bom Jesus Basilica houses the mortal remains of St Francis Xavier, regarded by many Catholics as the patron saint of god. The relics are taken down for veneration and public viewing, as per the prerogative of the Church in Goa, not every ten or twelve years as popularly thought and propagated. The last exposition was held in 2004 and the next exposition will be held in November 2014. The state also the Sanctuary of Blessed Joseph Vaz in Sancoale, Pilar monastery which holds novenas of Venerable Padre Agnelo Gustavo de Souza from November 10 to 20 November yearly. There is also the statue of the bleeding Jesus on the Crucifix at the Santa Monica Convent in Velha Goa. There are a number of churches (Igorzo), like the Baroque styled Nixkollounk Gorb-Sombhov Saibinnich Igorz (Church of the Our Lady of Immaculate Conception) in Panjim, the Gothic styled Mater Dei (DĂŞv Matechi Igorz/ Mother of God) church in Saligao and each church having its own style and heritage, besides Kopelam/ Irmidi (Chapels). The Velhas Conquistas regions are also known for its Goa-Portuguese style architecture. There are many forts in Goa such as Tiracol, Chapora, Corjuem, Aguada, Reis Magos, Nanus, Mormugao, Fort Gaspar Dias and Cabo de Rama.

The Se Catedral de Santa Catarina, also known as Se Cathedral, is of the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman and the seat of

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The architecture style of the Se Cathedral is Portuguese-Manueline

CHAPORA FORT MADE OF RED LATERITE HAD UNDERGROUND ESCAPE TUNNELS FOR THE PORTUGUESE

century Portuguese fort in Goa on Sinquerim Beach, which was constructed in 1613 to guard against the Dutch and Marathas.

It was a reference point for vessels coming from Europe during that period. This fort stands on the beach south of Candolim at the shore of Mandovi river. Another famous structure, the Chapora Fort, located in Bardez, Goa, rises above Chapora river.

Before the Portuguese arrived in Goa in 1510, this location was the site of another fort. This fort has changed hands several times after Portuguese acquired Bardez.

In many parts of Goa, mansions constructed in the IndoPortuguese style architecture still stand, though in some villages these are in dilapidated condition. Fontainhas in Panaji has been declared a cultural quarter, showcasing the life, architecture and culture of Goa. Siolim House Heritage Boutique, a small luxury heritage hotel, is a restored Indo Portuguese colonial manor house dating from the 17th century that once belonged to a governor of Macao.

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THE BUILDING, DESIGNED BY THE BRITISH ARCHITECT FW STEVENS, BECAME THE SYMBOL OF BOMBAY AS THE ‘GOTHIC CITY’

Flora Fountain was erected to honour Sir Bartle Frere, a former governor of Bombay and named after the Greek goddess Flora.

example of the meeting of two cultures, as British architects worked with Indian craftsmen to include Indian architectural tradition, thus forging a new style unique to Bombay. The Flora

Fountain stands on the site of the old church gate of the Bombay Fort, now a major crossroad named Hutatma Chowk.

The Gateway of India is a unique landmark situated in the city of Mumbai. The imposing structure is located at the tip of Apollo Bunder in Colaba and was constructed in 1924. The main objective behind the construction of the Gateway of India was to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay. In March 1911, Sir George Sydenham Clarke, then Governor of Bombay, laid down the monument's first foundation.

The India Government Mint, Mumbai is one of the four mints in India and is located opposite the Reserve Bank of India in Fort area. The mint was established in 1829 by the then governor of the Bombay Presidency. The mint's main activity was production of commemorative and development-oriented coins, the mint also

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umbai (formerly Bombay) has some of the most fascinating colonial architecture that has always been the tourism highlight of the city.

Interestingly, all the Gothic structures in this city have a touch of Indian style of architecture which makes these even more unique.

Topping the list is UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus Station. It is a perfect example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India, blended with themes deriving from Indian traditional architecture. The building, designed by the British architect FW Stevens, became the symbol of Bombay as the ‘Gothic City’ and the major international mercantile port of India. Starting in 1878, the terminal was built over 10 years. Its remarkable stone dome, turrets, pointed arches and eccentric ground plan are related to traditional Indian palace architecture. This monument is one of the

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produced medals of various types, for ministry of defence, ministry of home affairs, educational institutions, social service institutions, etc. Initially, it was governed by the governor of the Bombay Presidency which was later transferred to the Government of India on May 18, 1876 through a Finance Department Resolution 247. In April 1919, after manufacturing 12.95 lakh (1.295 million) coins the Mint was shut down.

The Royal Bombay Yacht Club is the oldest yacht club in Asia and was founded in 1846 as the Bombay Yacht Club. This was the period when the resident British community took up sailing as a sport. In 1876, Queen Victoria acceded to the request of the Governor of Bombay that the Bombay Yacht Club be permitted to assume the title 'Royal' and commanded it to be styled the Royal Bombay Yacht Club. The original building was designed by John Adams, government architect, at a new estimated cost of about `39,000.

Bombay Castle (also Casa da Orta) is one of the oldest defensive structures built in Mumbai.

The castle was built by the British on the site of the Manor House built by a Portuguese nobleman Garcia de Orta. De Orta had leased the island of Bombay from the King of Portugal between 1554 and 1570. The castle was built of local blue Kurla stone and red laterite stone from the Konkan region. In 1662, after the islands came under the hands of the English, the East India Company took possession of the castle in 1665.

Few records of the original Portuguese castle remain and historians are trying to piece together the original location of the manor. Two gates of the manor are located within INS Angre, a naval station in south Mumbai. A sundial thought to date back to the Portuguese era is also present. The main building within the castle is the Governor's House (Raj Bhavan), in which Gerald Aungier, the first Governor of Bombay used to stay.

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Rajasthan

ajasthan has always been one of the most preferred tourist destinations in India, for both national and international tourists, because of the magnificent historical forts, palaces, colonial monuments strewed across the state. Though Rajasthan is mainly associated with beautiful palaces and forts, it is also home to a considerable number of colonial monuments build by the British during their rule in India. The Taragarh Fort guarding the city of Ajmer was initially the seat of the Chauhan rulers. The fort is considered to be one of the oldest hill forts in India and the world. The Taragarh Fort was originally built by King Ajaypal Chauhan on the summit of Taragarh Hill. The walls are three kms in circumference and the battlements run along the top of the hill. When the fort fell into the hands of the British Raj, Lord William Bentinck ordered to dismantle it and it was subsequently converted into a sanatorium for the British troops stationed at Nasirabad. Founded by Lord Mayo, viceroy of India in 1875, The Mayo College was established to educate the children of Indian royals. The school building's architecture is similar to royal Rajasthani architecture. The main building of the school is in white marble and is a classic example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. The annual prize giving, one of the oldest ceremonies at Mayo College, has seen chief guests including Lord Irwin, Viceroy of India, Lord Chelmford, governor general of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, ex-president of India, HH Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur, HH Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, Dr Zakir Hussain, expresident of India, Dr Karan Singh, Indira Gandhi, ex-prime minister of India, field marshal Sam Manekshaw, H H Sayyid Faher Bin

Photo credit: Anupam G

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Taimur of Oman, HM Birendra Shah, king of Nepal, Khushwant Singh, HH Madhavrao Scindia, Sir Peter Ustinov, Jaswant Singh and LK Advani.

Albert Hall Museum, also known as the Government Central Museum is the oldest museum in the state and functions as the state museum. The building was designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob and was opened as a public museum in 1887. Located in the city of Jaipur, the museum showcases Indo-Saracenic architecture and offers a rich collection of paintings, carpets, ivory, stone, metal sculptures, colourful crystal works, etc.

Maharaja Ram Singh initially wanted the museum to be a town hall but Madho Singh II, his successor decided it should be a museum for the art of Jaipur. He even included it as a part of the new Ram Nivas Garden. “The demand for heritage tours in Rajasthan, from both Indian and international travellers, is quite good since the experience they offer is unique. Travellers visiting Rajasthan do not specifically ask for a tour of colonial heritage structures since they are mainly interested in visiting and staying at the palaces which the state is known for. However, when they do, we customise our packages

IN THE ALBERT HALL MUSEUM EVEN THE CORRIDORS WERE DECORATED WITH MURALS IN A VARIETY OF STYLES INCLUDING THE RAMAYAN accordingly,” states Sourabh Kothari, director, Ganesham Tours & Travels India.

The Sambhar Lake basin is divided by a 5.1 km long dam made of sand stone. To the east of the dam are salt evaporation ponds where

Mayo's first student, Maharaja Mangal Singh of Alwar, arrived at the school gates on the back of an elephant

salt use to be farmed for a thousand years. This eastern area is 80 square km and comprises of salt reservoirs, canals and salt pans separated by narrow widges. To the east of the dam is a railroad which was laid down by the British to provide access from Sambhar Lake City to the salt works.

The Fairy Queen, a steam locomotive plying between New Delhi and Alwar was constructed

by Kitson, Thompson and Hewitson at Leeds in England in 1855.

After completion, the locomotive was brought to Kolkata in the same year. Initially, the five feet six inch gauge locomotive was used to haul light mail trains in West Bengal. However, it was later consigned to line construction duty in Bihar, where it served until 1909.

The Fairy Queen then spent the next 34 years on a pedestal outside Howrah station. In 1943, it was moved to the Railway Zonal Training School at Chandausi, Uttar Pradesh. The locomotive was certified by the Guinness Book of Records in 1998 as being the world's oldest one in regular operation. “The Fairy Queen is an expensive train and hence only niche travellers opt for it. However, we do get queries for it,” opines Kothari.

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Fort St George is the name of the first English (later British) fortress in India

ham McIvor in 1848. The garden was established to supply vegetables at a reasonable cost and the cultivation was carried on by the European settlers and others.

Presently, the 22-acre garden is maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The Ooty Lake, an artificial lake constructed by John

THE BOTANICAL GARDEN IN UDHAGAMANDALAM WAS USED TO SUPPLY VEGETABLES AT A REASONABLE COST

Sullivan in 1824, is spread over an area of 65 acres. The water in the streams in the Ooty valley was dammed to form the lake. The lake was originally created for fishing.

The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation took the possession of the lake in 1973 to provide boating facilities as a tourist attraction. The first bungalow constructed in Ooty was the Stone House. It was built also by Sullivan, who acquired the land from the Toda people at `one an acre. The tree in front of the bungalow is famously known as the Sullivan's Oak. Today the house is the residence of the principal of the Government Arts College, Ooty.

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway was built by the British in 1908 and operated by the Madras Railway Company. In July 2005, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway was added by UNESCO as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. St Stephen's Church located on the road to Mysore is one of the oldest churches in the Nilgiri district. The church's foundation was laid by Stephen Rumbold Lushington on 1829, the then Governor of Madras.

The architect in charge of constructing the church was John James Underwood, captain, Madras Regiment.

Tamil Nadu

he colonial monuments in Tamil Nadu presents an impressive architectural legacy of the British. Designed by famous British architects, these monuments are prominent landmarks of the state and serve as popular tourist destinations. The British monuments in Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, showcases one of the finest colonial architectural styles. Fort St George build by the British East India Company in 1640 was constructed to establish a control centre. Fort Museum and Saint Mary’s Church, considered to be the most ancient Anglican church, are located within this fort.

Presently, the fort is the headquarters of the Legislative Assembly and the museum houses a collection of personal belongings of the rulers of the Mughal Dynasty and members of the British and French East India companies. The High Court Building is among the three High Courts in India which were build at the Presidency Towns by letters patent granted by Queen Victoria in 1862. The building was constructed under the guidance of British architect Henry Irwin. Constructed in 1892, the monument exhibits a red Indo-Saracen structure and serves as an important landmark of Chennai. Senate House, one of the architectural wonders of Chennai, was built by Robert Fellowes Chisholm, a famed British architect in 1873. The Senate House consists of a massive central hall with stone pillars and depicts an impressive Indo-Saracen style of architecture. Another impressive British monument is the Ripon Building which presents a fine blend of Corinthian, Ionic and Gothic architectural styles. The structure was constructed by Loganatha Mudaliar and was named after Lord Ripon, the governor-general of British India. Freemasons Hall built in the year 1923 was constructed with the

aim of creating a military lodge for the British soldiers. Designed in Greek style, the hall comprises of massive pillars, Italian marbles and tiles used for decorating its interiors. “There are only few foreign travellers who opt for colonial heritage tours in Chennai since most of the British structures now house government offices. Even if they opt for it, they prefer visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Indian temples,” states Rafiq Zulfi, proprietor, Sangham Tours, adding that the reason for this is the lack of government initiatives to promote these colonial heritage sites. “The state tourism board isn't taking active steps to promote these heritage sites which is unlike Kerala. Whatever foreign tourists we get into Tamil Nadu are the ones who are going to Kerala via Chennai,” he opines adding, “The state tourism board should actively promote these sites through advertising, marketing campaigns. Even the state tax structure needs to be simplified.”

Located in the Blue Mountains of the Western Ghats, Ooty, a small hilly town was a popular weekend and summer getaway for the British during the colonial days.

The Government Botanical Garden in Udhagamandalam was constructed by architect William Gra-

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haraja of Kashmir at the time, as to their intentions of residency in Kashmir.

Pakhtoon states,"The British were instrumental in designing and building houseboats on Jhelum since the Maharaja did not allow them to build permanent houses under Article 370.

Few decades later, the British were joined by few Parsi families who moved from Pune to Kashmir to settle trade here on the request of the British Residency, such as Pestonjee, who built Pestonjee Building, now a modern hotel and shopping mall there and another building by Dhanjibhoi."

Colonial architecture

n Jammu & Kashmir some of the best examples of colonial architecture can be found in the 20th century suburbs of Srinagar. Though isolated bungalows can still be found in older sections of the city, yet in areas like Samander Bagh, Barzulla, Wazir Bagh and parts of Magarmal Bagh and Karan Nagar, one can see continuous residential stretches dotted with many European looking chalets, cottages and country houses.

According to Showket Pakhtoon, MD, Elizabeth Tours and Travels, and president, Travel Agents Society of Kashmir (TASK), "Srinagar, being a historical city with cultural heritage dating back to the Mughal era, was more into limelight during the British rule. In Srinagar Kothi Bagh Tehsil was selected for the British to reside. This was done since the area was out of old town, full of Chinar trees and River Jhelum was close to the area. Once they settled permanently, the whole area was renamed as Residency Road. The

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Tyndale Biscoe School started by Christian missionaries, was named after Canon Cecil Tyndale-Biscoe

present Emporium Building was the residence of the Viceroy of Kashmir, besides which was built the old Grindlays Bank Building, old Nedous Hotel Building."

During the 18th and 19th century British occupation of Srinagar, colonial-style colleges, hospi-

tals, and courts were constructed.

In the downtown area of the city, are less well-known residences, mosques, temples, hammams, and bazaars constructed in the local vernacular of timber and masonry architecture. Together, these buildings represent an unusually intact pre-modern urban environment.

“The British had also built two more hospitals like Rainwari Hospital, but the building collapsed and a new hospital has been constructed there. They also built Chest Disease Hospital on Rustam Garhi Hillock,” states Pakhtoon. The Tyndale Biscoe School, a boys school founded in 1880 CE is the oldest in Srinagar.

There are also several lakes in the area, the most famous of them, Dal Lake, upon which no fewer than 500 houseboats ply their trade, that of hospitality – a phenomenon that dates back to 19thcentury British India, when members of the Indian Civil Services chose to dwell in these seemingly temporary abodes, for fear of arousing the suspicions of the Ma-

Jammu & Kashmir

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MEMBERS OF THE INDIAN CIVIL SERVICES CHOSE TO DWELL IN HOUSEBOATS ON THE DAL LAKE FOR FEAR OF AROUSING THE SUSPICIONS OF THE MAHARAJA OF KASHMIR

The early 20th century also witnessed the beginning of a continuous, ongoing process of migration from the inner, older core to the outlying city suburbs. New residential colonies came up like at Balgarden, Karan Nagar and Samander Bagh. The beginning of the 20th century witnessed the introduction of the first motorable road in the city on the right bank of the Jhelum near the Residency.

The advent of colonial architecture in the region can be traced back to the later part of the 19th century. Its earliest examples were the residential quarters of European visitors at Sheikh Bagh and some institutional buildings like Amar Singh College and Silk Factory. Colonial influences could be seen in both public as well as residential buildings of the late 19th and early 20th century, yet it was particularly the residences of that period where this style found its most visible manifestation. Long linear porches running along the entire length of the buildings; double storied bay windows; corner towers surmounted by octagonal or circular spires; series of gables and dormers projecting from steeply pitched roofs along with tall narrow chimneys are some of the most distinct features of this architectural style as followed in this region.

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adhya Pradesh, the centre of 'Incredible India', has been known as the Mughal wonder of the nation. It was the strong hold of Mughal emperors, which ended after the war of Panipat, resulting in the expansion of the British dominion in between 18th and 19th century. Most of Madhya Pradesh came under British supremacy when they won the third Anglo-Maratha War. Then the regions including Indore, Bhopal, Nagpur, Rewa, and dozens of other small areas became the princely states of British India. The colonial architecture, after 1901 CE, which until then had merely influenced vernacular architecture, became more dominant. A lot of additions were made to the public buildings in this period, and a number of residential bungalows were built on picturesque locations.

Pachmarhi, a hill station in Madhya Pradesh, has been an archeological treasure house for a long time. According to Dr Mamta Pandey, senior liaison and marketing officer, Madhya Pradesh Tourism, “Pachmarhi is absolutely beautiful due to its natural habitat and this is one of the main reasons why Priyadarshini, was discovered

by Captain Forsyth in 1857, naming it the Forsyth Point. This eventually led to the whole area being developed with colonial architecture.” The British developed this as a resort and till date, their influence is embodied in the churches and colonial architecture. The Bison Lodge, one of the oldest houses constructed in Pachmarhi, also by Captain Forsyth in 1862, is now a local museum, depicting the rich flora and fauna of the area and a geographical map of Pachmarhi in a model form. Christ Church, built by the British in 1875, is still considered one of the most quaint, beautiful churches of Madhya Pradesh. It's sanctum sanctorum has a hemispherical dome with its

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ribs ending with faces of angels.

Also, the nave of the church does not contain a single pillar for support. The bell is as old as the church and the baptismal font is a rare brass piece. The British also constructed a Catholic church in 1892, at Pachmarhi. The blend of French and Irish architecture, along with Belgium stained glass windows add a rare attraction to the building. It also has an attached cemetery with graves dating back to World War I and II. A property well known for its architectural elements, Golf View was constructed by Roman Catholic mission in 1927. Today it is a WelcomHeritage hotel that overlooks the golf course. The property is decorated with period furniture but has all the comforts of a modern hotel. There are 26 luxury suites that have interesting names like Royal Club, Forsyth Suites, Victorian Suites and Regal Club rooms.

Evelyn’s Own in Pachmarhi is a century old cottage that was built in the 19th century, reportedly by a reverand, and is now a homestay.

The heritage home is located on the outskirts of the Cantonment area in Pachmarhi. Today owned and managed by a retired colonel of the Indian Army, Evelyn’s Own offers 12

THE MAIN BUILDING OF DALY COLLEGE, INDORE WAS CONSTRUCTED OUT OF MARBLE FROM THE UDAIPUR QUARRIES heritage rooms to its guests. Each room has unique elements. The property is dotted with periodic furniture and artefacts. Guests can play golf at the Army Club or take a trip to Satpura National Park where they can do deer spotting and birdwatching.

The building of Daly College,

Golf View heritage hotel is decorated with period furniture

Indore begun in 1882 and opened

by Lord Dufferin in 1885. It was entirely made of reinforced concrete.

The bust of General Sir Henry Daly presented by HH the Maharaja is placed in the Central Hall on the upper floor. When the college moved to its present premises in 1909 the building with the boarding houses was handed over to the Medical School. The Principal’s Bungalow was constructed in 1878 out of the money subscribed to the Mayo Memorial Fund.

Sir Henry's Son, Sir Hugh Daly, took great interest in Daly College.

The Holkars then donated 118 acres east of the old campus and various Chiefs contributed to build on the newly acquired land. Construction started in 1906 on two student houses, a temple, a mosque and the Principal's residence. `The main building was constructed out of marble from the Udaipur quarries and was designed in the Indo Sarascenic style by Sir Swinton Jacob. The main building was officially inaugurated on November 8, 1912 by the Viceroy, Lord Hardinge and the old campus was given up.

For the, next 28 years the College was open exclusively to the sons of the Chiefs of Central India.

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The Mahatma in Madiba’s land Two nations. Two men. One goal: Freedom for their countrymen. As India celebrates the 68th anniversary of her Independence, Steena Joy recounts how Inanda, a few miles from Durban, stands witness to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s profound influence on Nelson Mandela – fondly known to his countrymen as Madiba

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FEW MILES OUT of Durban, winding its way through the Inanda Valley, the Inanda Heritage Route provides a snapshot of critical South African history as well as, surprisingly, a connection to India's freedom struggle. Inanda (meaning ‘beautiful’ in Zulu) has historical roots that run deep, a place that experienced the injustices of apartheid first-hand and became the home of passive resistance.

Birth of Satyagraha Inanda's history dates back to the early 1800s, when KwaZulu-Natal was a Boer Republic. It was a farm then, passing hands several times as the Boers left and the British arrived, and then African and Indian farmers came here to farm sugarcane. But it was the events that unfolded at the turn of the century that shaped Inanda’s future and cemented an ideological bond with India. Mahatma Gandhi, then a lawyer, arrived in the region to represent an Indian client. After the infamous incident when he was thrown off a train for sitting in a ‘whites only’ section, Gandhi stayed on in Inanda.

It's this wealth of history that you can explore on the Inanda Heritage Route.

The trail starts in Phoenix Settlement, established in 1904 by Gandhi. Here you can see Gandhi's house and his International Printing Press and Museum.

Gandhi’s residence named ‘Sarvodaya’ house was built in 1907 by his close friend, German architect Hermann Kallenbach. The original house was razed to the ground by apartheid violence in August 1985. It was reconstructed and opened to visitors in 2000, putting back an important page in the history of both South Africa and India.

The Satyagraha House is now a registered part of South Africa’s historical heritage. Within these walls, the Mahatma created and developed his philosophy of passive resistance or Satyagraha in Sanskrit which he employed in India to lead the country to independence. Satyagraha was born and evolved in South Africa before coming to India and, eventu-

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ally, the world. The house also has a museum retracing Gandhi’s experiences in South Africa and those that he shared here with his friend Kallenbach. In the complex, stands the International Printing Press which Gandhi founded. In 1903, he started a newspaper ‘Opinion’ (originally known as ‘Indian Opinion’) which continued publication until 1961.

Madiba, son of Africa When Gandhi left the country his Satyagraha ideal left an impact on Nelson Mandela and found an echo in Mandela’s struggle to free his land from the shame of apartheid. In 1994, Nelson Mandela cast his vote in South Africa's first democratic elections at Inanda's Ohlange High School, this was symbolic because this was where the first president of the ANC, Dr John L Dube, established South Africa’s first school by a black person in 1901. After the vote, Mandela visited the grave of Dr Dube lying adjacent to the school and whispered, “Mr President I have come to report to you that South Africa is now free.”

A little away from Inanda, at Howick in the KwaZulu Natal’s Midlands, stands a memorial in mute testimony to Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom. This was where on August 5, 1962, armed apartheid police flagged down a vehicle driven by Mandela, pretending to be a chauffeur.

He was returning from a clandestine visit with African National Congress (ANC) president Chief Albert Luthuli. Having evaded capture by apartheid police for 17 months, Mandela was finally captured on this road after which he disappeared from public eye for the next 27 years.

On the land hugging this road stands a beautiful sculpture, the Nelson Mandela Capture Site, The intriguing sculpture by artist Marco Cianfanelli consists of 50 laser-cut steel poles between 8 and 10 meters tall, arranged in a pattern that allows the viewer a flat image of the face of Mandela when approached from the front. The 50 steel columns represent the 50 years since his capture. They also portray the idea of many making a whole.

The printing press started by Gandhi

The Nelson Mandela Capture Site at Howick

Sarvodaya House where the ideal of Satyagraha was born

AVIATION ANALYSIS

Flight path to growth A growing and diverse aviation sector in India will provide new demand opportunities for various kinds of offerings. Aviation industry analysts feel that airlines need to understand and accept the heterogeneity amongst Indian flyers, identify different consumer segments and have a targeted and unique value proposition to attract them.

Vishal Bhadola

By Kahini Chakraborty

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he Indian aviation industry is presently at a critical junction in its learning curve. As the market progresses towards maturity, the most critical challenges faced by airlines have always been the high cost of operations, high oil prices and high taxation. But as per industry analysts, even though these issues bring new

opportunities and avenues for growth in unconventional ways, there needs to be complete restructuring and alignment of regulatory policy framework.

“The other issues that need to be addressed include developing a long term infrastructure plan both for air and ground and prepare skill development across value chain,” feels Vishal Bhadola, associate manager, CAPA India, adding that, there are expectations from the new administration to initiate struc-

tural reforms and work towards stabilisation of the sector and remove negative fiscal regime on a priority basis. On the expected performance of the sector, Peeyush Naidu senior director, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India opines,“With the significant market growth potential, and industry potentially focusing on newer market segments like regional routes, one can hope that the industry would capitalise on the same and turn around.” However,

Naidu adds that, growth in aviation in India may well be a function of growth in regional domestic markets. This could be through incentivising newer business models for air services and supporting the same through low-cost airport infrastructure.

Taking a closer look at these intricacies, and with an aim to boost civil aviation sector as a major growth driver, recently finance minister Arun Jaitely, under the NDA government, in his Union Budget 201415 speech informed that the Budget has taken note of a healthy increase of 5.2 per cent in domestic passenger traffic at Indian airports during AprilMarch 2013-14. In the budget 2014-15, `9474 crore has been allocated for the civil aviation ministry, including investments in public enterprises for the financial year 2014-15, up from revised estimate of `8,502 crore in fiscal 2013-14. The government has earmarked `6,500 crore for equity infusion in Air India and a plan allocation of `569 crore, taking the total allocation to the state-owned air carrier to `7,069 crore.

Meanwhile, the Airport Authority of India has been provided with a budgetary support of `79.70 crore, of which `22 crore has been earmarked for its project at Pakyong, Sikkim.

Further, in the budget it was also stated that the govern-

Peeyush Naidu

Adrian Terron

ment will develop airports in metros and non-metro cities through public-private partnership mode to enhance air connectivity. India plans to build 200 low-cost airports in the next 20 years to connect tier-II and tier-III cities. The government also plans to construct 15 additional airports under the Greenfield airport policy by identifying the most suitable low cost viable model.

Budgetary support of `50 crore has been provided to Directorate General of Civil Aviation to pursue their plan scheme. A provision of `40 crore has been made for Bureau of Civil Aviation Security for meeting expenditure towards their plan schemes. Analysing the budget, Adrian Terron, executive director, Nielsen India states,

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AVIATION ANALYSIS “Introduction of foreign direct investment in the aviation sector in India, and an overall improvement in infrastructural facilities will have immense impact on growth of air traffic in India. Connectivity through low cost, no-frill airports in tierII and tier III towns, which are largely untapped markets with less than a three per cent penetration, will be the natural next step and one that will be instrumental in expanding air travel penetration to smaller towns.

Possible policy reforms, such as relaxation of the 5/20 rule will encourage airlines to expand their footprints. Modernisation of bigger airports, encouragement of private sector participation, and changes in regulatory structures will bring transparency and efficiency in the sector – ultimately benefiting consumers.”

New entrants With the aviation sector in India currently dominated by low cost carriers, can the entry of AirAsia and TATA-SIA add a new piece to the puzzle?

Opining on the same, Bhadola states, “Entry of proven LCCs like Air Asia will be positive for existing LCCs because it drives them to further enhance operational capability which will increase their overall productivity especially in areas like aircraft utilisation and lower distribution costs. Focus on ancillaries will boost revenues.

International operations will be key for Air Asia but we could expect a much calibrated and rational approach to international operations by the incumbent LCCs till they start receiving A320 Neos/ B737 Max especially the earlier arrival for A320 Neos could allow more network flexibility due to its enhanced range and fuel efficiency.”

However, according to Naidu, international operations can always be important for airlines to develop profitable route networks – over which they can connect passengers between regional markets. However, besides regulatory aspects, airlines would also have to contend with demand-supply dynamics – especially for

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However, growing popularity of web-check in, exclusion of meals for short-distance flights in FSC carriers, provision of access to luxury lounge at additional charge, are blurring the line between FSC and LCC carriers to the extent that most flyers (especially the new flyers) see no real difference between the two. FSC carriers need to identify opportunities to better differentiate their offerings and build a strong and attractive value proposition for flyers seeking exclusive and premium service for their air-travel.”

Expected growth story

The key is to continue providing a service level in the front-end but with a low cost back-end matching productivity level in terms of aircraft utilisation and labour productivity regional international routes.

“AirAsia is already very well established in the ASEAN market and Singapore Airlines would be looking to leverage its large hub / base for connections to various international markets,” he adds.

So could there by continuous price wars? Terron states, “Low prices will definitely be an attraction for first time or new flyers, however frequent flyers are looking for ‘value’ over cost when selecting the airline to fly.

Factors such as connectivity, convenient timings, and consistency of services play a more critical role. Discounts and promotions will continue to be important, however the brand will need to deliver 'value' and excel on the basic requirements of convenience , connectivity, and reliability, to sustain.”

According to Naidu, it will be interesting to see how TATASIA target / develop routes especially with respect to linkages with international routes.

But for CAPA, Bhadola replies, “We expect fare interventions on limited scale especially limited to Air Asia’s route network but remain concerned about the larger potential fare war in the second quarter which will be due to a weak traffic period and need to raise cash by some airlines.”

Is 'hybridisation' in?

As airlines try to make their operations profitable, ‘hybridisation’ may well be observed on a number of parameters. “It could be easier to do so on fare structures while more difficult to do on operations,” says Naidu. But with hybridisation being inevitable for Jet Airways, and not for Air India, Bhadola feels that, the key is to continue providing a service level in the front-end but with a low cost back-end matching productivity level in terms of aircraft utilisation and labour productivity. The cost struc-

ture should be closer to a LCC which will allow a yield difference to contribute positively.

But do India's FSCs lack clear strategies for handling their domestic business models?, to which Bhadola replies, “Indian FSCs have an outdated business model which is not relevant in the market. Costs are much higher and fares are more or less closer to LCCs. It is not a workable model.

Hence a FSC model is an unviable business model.” From a customer's point of view, Terron states, “Consumers today don't differentiate between low cost and full service airlines. With fares of LCC and FSC being comparable (sometimes even lower for FSC), provision of Business/Luxury class, inclusion of meals in fares, and access to certain airport privileges (separate check-in, lounge access) were the only possible differentiators.

At the outset, Indian civil aviation’s growth story looks positive, starting with increased air travel penetration and connectivity. “We also expect greater efficiency, new entrants, and more innovative offerings by airlines in the near future. There will be continued change in consumer behaviour and expectations with consumers looking for complete, as well as personalised and simplified travel solutions,” believes Terron. Passenger growth over the next five years could be influenced by regional (domestic) connectivity and increasing tourist and business traffic. “We could also see market segmentation and evolution of newer air service business models in response to growth coming from regional centres. There could be enhanced focus on proper utilisation of airport infrastructure including for enhancing commercial revenues while focusing on efficient and lower cost aeronautical facilities.

However, fundamentally the growth would depend on economic growth – contributing to air travel demand as well as making it more affordable for a larger population base.” CAPA forecasts airport passenger size to reach 450 million by FY 2023. This is almost three times the current size.

International growth is expected to be more stable than the domestic traffic growth at least in the near term.

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E V E N T S

THE WEDDING HUB L-R: Raj Kundra, British Indian businessman; Nikhil Desai, managing director, GTDC and director, department of tourism, Government of Goa; Shilpa Shetty, Indian actress; Nilesh Cabral,chairman, GTDC; Dilip Parulekar, minister for tourism, women and child development and protocol, Government of Goa; and Wendell Rodricks, Indian fashion designer at a press conference in Mumbai to announce the organisation of the ‘Goa Wedding Show’ to be held at The Grand, New Delhi

UPGRADING FACILITIES Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation signed an MoU with Sanjay Gandhi National Park for five years to facilitate battery operated vehicles for tourists to travel within the expanse of the national park

STRATEGIC COLLABORATION L-R: Bertrand Schmoll, CEO, ECS Group and Mittu Chandilya, CEO, AirAsia India at the announcement of the appointment of Globe Air Cargo India, part of the ECS Group, as AirAsia India's Cargo General Sales & Services agent (GSSA)

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SUPPORTING A CAUSE L-R: Prashant Tewari, managing director, USV; Praveen Pardeshi, principal secretary, revenue and forests department of Maharashtra; Leena Gandhi Tewari, chairperson, USV; Homi Khushrukhan, president, Bombay Natural History Society, Debabrata Bhandary and Sunjoy Monga, environmentalist at launch of Monga’s book 'Mumbai Safari' as part of USV's CSR initiative on environment protection held in Mumbai

CONTINUOUS SUPPORT Members of Enterprising Travel Agent's Association (ETAA) and IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI) at the MoU renewal ceremony between the two associations held at the Ambassador Hotel in Mumbai

CONTINUED SUCCESS Aditya Ghosh (left), president, IndiGo received an award from Edward Plaisted (centre), CEO of Skytrax for being voted as the Best Low Cost Airline in Central Asia and India, fifth time in a row, at SKYTRAX World Airline Awards held in Farnborough, UK

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FICCI Golf Tourism Summit October 8-10 (Wednesday – Friday), 2014 Inaugural: October 8, 2014 at FICCI, New Delhi | B2B: October 8-9, 2014 The Lalit, New Delhi FICCI Golf Tourism Summit Tournament and FAM Trip: October 10, 2014

Highlights 1. Pioneering exclusive focus on Inbound Golf Tourism 2. Presence of around 40 leading foreign tour operators from 30 countries specializing in Golf Tourism as Buyers.

3. State Governments, Golf Courses, Hotels, Resorts & Spas and Tour Operators exhibiting as Sellers.

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Networking events: a. Hosted lunch, Inaugural Dinner hosted by FICCI on Day 1. b. Hosted lunch by FICCI, FICCI Golf Tourism Summit Awards and Gala Dinner hosted by The LaLit on Day 2. c. FICCI Golf Tourism Summit Tournament organized by IGTA on Day 3.

Post Summit FAM trip to Golf Courses, Golf Resorts and Golf Spas for the Foreign Buyers.

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