CONTENTS Vol 10 No 6 JULY 2015 Pages 44 Chairman of the Board
Viveck Goenka Editor
Reema Lokesh* Chief of Product
Prabhas Jha Assistant Editor
Steena Joy Sr. Associate Editor
Sudipta Dev CONTENT TEAM Mumbai
Kahini Chakraborty Rituparna Chatterjee New Delhi
Archana Sharma Kolkata
Joy Roy Choudhury DESIGN
DOES YOUR BOTTOMLINE
LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA?
(22-25)
National Art Director
Bivash Barua Deputy Art Director
Surajit Patro Chief Designer
Pravin Temble
MARKETS
EDGE
Senior Graphic Designerr
Rushikesh Konka Senior Artist
Ratilal Ladani, Kiran Parker
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EHTTOA BETS BIG ON ARUNACHAL, ASSAM AND MEGHALAYA
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TREKKING HOLIDAYS GET FAMILY-FRIENDLY
SCHEDULING & COORDINATION
Mitesh Manjrekar Photo Editor
Sandeep Patil
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MARKETING Regional Heads
Harit Mohanty - East & West Prabhas Jha - North Dr. Raghu Pillai - South
GREAT LEARNING PLATFORM ENGLAND, WALES, SCOTLAND AND IRELAND, WERE PRESENT IN FULL FORCE AT DESTINATION BRITAIN APMEA 2015 EVENT
Marketing Team
Sunil Dcosta Baljinder Singh Ajanta Sengupta Mathen Mathew Ravindra Pawar
MANAGEMENT
LIFE
CIRCULATION
Mohan Varadakar PRODUCTION General Manager
B R Tipnis Manager
Bhadresh Valia Express TravelWorld® Reg. No.-MH/MR/SOUTH156\2013-15 RNI Reg. No.MAHENG/2005/15993 Printed by The Indian Express (P) Ltd. and published by Ms Vaidehi Thakar on behalf of The Indian Express Press, Plot No. EL-208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai - 400710 and Published from Express Towers, 2nd Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400021. (Editorial & Administra-tive Offices: Express Towers, 1st Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400021)
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MYRIAD MAURITIUS THIS ISLAND HAS LOTS TO OFFER - FROM HERITAGE AND GOLF TO HIGH-END MICE VENUES AND WATER SPORTS
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HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS JOERG DRECHSEL AND TXUKU, FOUNDERS AND DIRECTORS OF MALABAR ESCAPES HAVE REINVENTED LUXURY TRAVEL IN KERALA
P04: EDITOR’S NOTE P38 : APPOINTMENTS P41 : WEEKEND
Copyright © 2015 The Indian Express (P) 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
EDITOR’S NOTE
The social route
D
oes your hand phone have the chirpy bird on it yet? Is the Big F a part of your every day work updates? Do you Vine well and are you totally LinkedIn? Well these are just few of the must haves today on your system and your hand phone. These social media channels are not logos any more. They go out far and wide connecting to a global audience who can be your best business buddy. The very nature of the travel and tourism business is about connecting the world and connecting with the world. Our cover story has been written with an intention to identify where the travel industry stands with its connections with the power of social media. The new media age has been an absolute game changer and those who haven’t yet discovered this power punch are surely going to be left out. However, the good news is that most players in the travel and tourism industry have woken up to this reality and have started using these tools to reach out to a wider audience but they have not yet been able to quantify the return over investment and are hoping to find out through some mechanism eventually. Destination videos that seem to be a hit are bringing in the traffic, while Twitter and Facebook have proven to be effective tools to identify the profile of the clientele and hence aids in designing the apt package and suggested tours which can be highly individualised. Tools like We Chat and Whatsapp help the agent to connect with a certain group in record time. Social media is also considered a
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Business Publication Division New No. 37/C (Old No. 16/C) 2nd Floor,Whites Road, Royapettah, Chennai- 600 014 BANGALORE Ravindra Pawar The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Business Publication Division 502, 5th Floor, Devatha Plaza, Residency road, Bangalore- 560025 Mobile: +91 9632428272 ravindra.p@expressindia.com HYDERABAD The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Business Publication Division 6-3-885/7/B, Ground Floor, VV Mansion, Somaji Guda, Hyderabad – 500 082 KOLKATA Ajanta Sengupta The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Business Publication Division JL No. 29&30, NH-6, Mouza- Prasastha & Ankurhati,
“ The new media age has been an absolute game changer and those who haven’t yet discovered this power punch are surely going to be left out”
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great tool to monitor feedback on products. A negative comment is immediately acted upon, which in turn helps offer a quality product to the end consumer. Read through to get an insightful view on what the industry is doing with these new age marketing and communication tools. This issue also covers another pertinent issue that is linked to our heritage and monuments. We at ETW have commenced upon a new journey and will bring to you significant tourism spots, either natural or man made, that need immediate attention from the government to get them fixed and refurbished. Under the section ‘Express Watch’, we have highlighted the Fort of Diu, which due to lack of funds from the Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) is facing a major problem with its restoration and upkeep. The Diu administration is restricted as it falls under the purview of the ASI. Finally, ATOAI has taken a serious stand to promote and protect the eco system of the Himalayas in terms of tourism inflow. Carrying capacity is a major concern especially to sensitive tourist zones and there has to be an immediate rule in place to strike a worthy balance between tourism and environment protection. The 2016 Himalayan Tourism Meet hopes to address this and more... REEMA LOKESH Editor editorial.etw@expressindia.com
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IN THE NEWS
ATOAI to spearhead Indian Himalaya Mountaineering and Tourism Meet 2016 Reema Lokesh Mumbai THE ADVENTURE Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) has taken it upon itself to give the Himalayas the prominence, protection and position it deserves. The association will spearhead first-of-its-kind Indian Himalaya Mountaineering and Tourism Meet 2016 from January 15-17, 2016 at the Indian Mountaineering Foundation in New Delhi. The event, which has received support of the ministry of tourism, Government of India will witness serious talks on various topics, namely saving the Hi-
malayas and its eco system, training and preparation for serious expeditions and mountaineering experiences and adventure activities. Serious mountaineering in the Himalayan region goes beyond adventure tourism as it calls for focused training and preparedness. Through this event the organisation aims to give out a very strong message that those who are treating the Himalayas as an adventure business spot need to stop the over commercialisation as the eco system of the Himalayan region is very fragile. It is crucial to keep in mind the carrying capacity when planning any expedition
Captain Swadesh Kumar
to the mountains. The meet intends to drive the point through that such kind of adventure tourism needs to be
treated with sensitivity with an aim to preserve and give back to the culture of the place. According to Captain Swadesh Kumar, chairperson of the event and advisor to ATOAI and founder of Shikhar Travels, “The Himalayas is our wealth and if we do not step in and protect it from being treated as a super market, then it will be too late. Mountaineering calls for a certain decorum and discipline, but some companies have disturbed the balance of that region for commercial gains. Mountaineering is the mother of all adventure activities and hence it needs to be
done in a right way.” The event also aims to bring to the fore the potential of the Himalayas as an outstanding tourism product, however keeping in view the carrying capacity. Adventure tourism, both hardcore mountaineering expeditions as well as soft trips to the Himalayan base camps, trekking experiences and walks, river rafting, etc, will be highlighted at the event. Kumar further added, “Somehow, there has been an increase in soft adventure to the region, but the real mountaineers are not coming to India as much. This needs to be corrected.”
EHTTOAbets big on Arunachal, Assam and Meghalaya Sudipta Dev Mumbai EASTERN HIMALAYAS TRAVEL and Tour Operators' Association (EHTTOA) is the key association of tour operators working at the grass root level in Siliguri, Darjeeling Hills, Dooars Sikkim and the North Eastern states. Tourist inflow in this region has been growing in the last couple of decades and there is great potential for the future. “Most of the tourist movement happens in western North East. We are just looking at the tip of the iceberg,” said Partha Pratim Guha, general secretary, EHT-
TOA. He points out that the tour operators of the region have seen a destination like Sikkim grow within the last decade. According to him the next happening destinations that will find an important place in India's tourism map are - Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. “These destinations have a great potential. It is true that there are roadblocks in terms of connectivity and infrastructure, however all three will emerge as important tourism destinations in the future,” he added. It is the natural beauty of the North East region that attracts both domestic and in-
Partha Pratim Guha
bound tourists. “The second great attraction for tourists is cultural diversity. The North East is a beautiful amalgam of
modernity and cultural heritage,” stated Guha, asserting that it is a diversified region and there is a huge need to integrate this diversity. “The governments and tour operator associations need to come together,” he mentioned. Among the problems that the local tour operators have been trying hard to resolve for a long time is a transport related issue. This has become a bone of contention for the travel trade people as well. The main problem is that in this region there is multiplicity of administration, there is West Bengal government, Gorkhaland Territory Authority (GTA) as well as Sikkim
government. “Because of lack of consensus between the administration’s vehicles have to be changed almost everyday. For instance, one vehicle takes the tourist from Bagdodra Airport to Gangtok, another takes to hotel, local sightseeing is done by a third vehicle and so on. So every day the tourist has to change the vehicle. This has become a logistical nightmare,” stated Guha, adding that, this also adversely impacts the tourist experience. The association has been working with the West Bengal and Sikkim governments to sort out this long over due issue but nothing has happened yet.
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EXPRESS WATCH
A Portuguese legacy in shambles What the Ilha de Calma ads don't show you. By Steena Joy
D
iu or the Ilha de Calma in Portuguese, has been recently in the news, much deservedly I must say, due to its advertising campaign on television and in print which won quite a few awards and the attention of tourists seeking to explore virgin destinations. And the Diu administration (it is a Union Territory) is going all out to attract visitors, having roped in Ogilvy & Mather to do the ad campaign. However if Diu hopes to benefit from this exercise to increase inbound tourist traffic, there are some things it needs to urgently look into.When this reporter visited the UT two months ago, it was quite shocking to see two of its most visited heritage sites, the Diu Fort and St Paul's Church, both built by the Portuguese, in derelict condition.
Church will require at least `one crore for repairs.” On the bright side, recently a cleanliness drive was organised at the Diu Fort to rid it of plastic bottles and garbage that had littered its premises. The problem lies in the fact that without ASI's permission, the monuments cannot even be touched for repairs. Caught between the ASI and its lack of funds, the Diu administration is desperate for a solution.
Save this heritage
A slice of history in ruins The Diu fortress stands on the eastern part of Diu Island and is protected by the sea on three sides. It houses several cannons, barracks, churches for officers on duty and a lighthouse which is also open to visitors for a nominal charge. The original fortification, constructed under Nuno-da-Cunha in AD 1535, was rebuilt by the Viceroy D Joao the Castro after AD 1546. The other heritage site, St. Paul's Church is dedicated to our Lady of Immaculate Conception. Constructed between 1601-1610, the main facade of the church and the wooden altar are perhaps the most elaborate of all Portuguese churches in India. So it was very disheartening to see both these
historical sites showing signs of neglect and poor maintenance. The Diu Fort now has a broken gate (see pic) thanks to a tourist bus that backed into it some months previously and the church has a leaking roof and falling plaster. As both are ASI protected monuments, we spoke to the ASI's Diu office which is ironically situated right inside the fort (the district sub jail is also located inside). According to Subhash Kumar, conservation assistant, ASI, Diu “We are doing our bit for the maintenance of the fort and church. But a major constraint is funds for conservation. The centre will have to allot more funds for restoration.The Diu fort will need at least `40 to `50 crore for repair and restoration. And the St Paul's
Speaking exclusively to Express TravelWorld, Vikram Singh Malik, IAS, collector and district magistrate, Diu, said, “We cannot do the restoration and repair as these are protected monuments. This is specialised work and requires the technical expertise of ASI. We have however made a request to ASI to expedite the repair of the Diu Fort as we have plans to start a light and sound show at the fort which obviously cannot be done in the present condition. We have even raised this issue with the ministry of tourism at the Centre when Ashish Kundra, administrator, Daman & Diu, met the tourism department.” A market research was done by Tata Consultancy Services in 2002, and according to it, a proposed Diu Fort development plan would include restoration of the fort walls, chapels and statues, and implementation of self explanatory signages guiding the tourist flow within. Express TravelWorld hopes the remains of the unique Portuguese heritage in Diu, built over centuries, is not lost forever.
'In the Footsteps of Lord Rama' attracts inbound travellers Sudipta Dev Mumbai DAIWIK HOTELS that has properties in Rameshwaram and Shirdi with upcoming projects in Tirupati and Dwarka, offers not just hospitality but a complete pilgrim experience. The Rameshwaram property and its well researched 'In the Footsteps of Lord Rama' tour have become popular with inbound travellers. “We have created Rameshwaram as a new destination in terms of organised travel. We have got terrific response from inbound operators, we see a lot of foreign
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guests,” said Debashis Ghosal, MD and CEO, Daiwik Hotels. Daiwik Hotels has engaged the well known historian and writer Subhadra Sen Gupta for developing these experiences. 'In the Footsteps of Lord Rama' is based on Valmiki's Ramayana, according to which Lord Rama visited 15-16 places. “All these spots are in the vicinity of around 150-200 km around the Ramanathapuram district. The area played an important part in the Ramayana prior to the conquest of Lanka. The tour typically takes two days. It is interest-
Debashis Ghosal
ing to see foreigners taking so much interest in these places. We have been selling the tour
hard to schools and education institutions,” mentioned Ghosal. NRIs form a significant percentage of travellers. “We now have a relationship with some international groups who come and take our hotel from 50 to 90 rooms for sixseven days. The banquets are used for Ramkatha and other religious discourses,” stated Ghosal, adding that the other groups are through inbound tour operators - from France and other European countries. They are primarily interested in architecture and the beauty of the place. The hotel in Shirdi was
opened in January this year. Tirupati and Dwarka are both greenfield projects. The company is in advanced talks with some brownfield and finished properties for branding and operations as well in more pilgrim destinations. “In Shirdi property also we will introduce a unique tour. Similarly, Dwarka which is rich in Hindu mythology will have interesting tours after the property comes up there. Pilgrimage travel is totally unexploited till date, we need standardisation. With more players coming in it is better for the pilgrim tourism sector,” avers Ghosal.
IN THE NEWS
Trekking holidays get family-friendly Sudipta Dev Mumbai DEHRADUN based adventure travel company, Wanderland Adventures, aims to offer 'unforgettable memories' to its clientele through customised tours ranging from trekking to meditation camps to company off-sites and team building activities. An interesting development in recent times has been the increasing number of families who have been going for treks. "Most of the families are from major metros like Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, with few individuals joining in from Tier II cities. Trekking initially was restricted to age groups of 20 to 35, but most of the trips we did this summer was for families, who go on these treks with rafting and camping,” said Rishi Murdesh-
war, founder and partner, Wanderland Adventures. Trekking holidays, in fact, has witnessed much more growth compared to other adventure activities, informed Murdeshwar. For families now Har-ki-dun in Uttarakhand is a popular destination. This place is in Govind National Park. “These are seven days trek - 25 km each way. It is not a demanding trek – it takes three days to go up and three down - about 50 km over five days. Even 10 to 11 year old kids join in,” he added. Recently the company has started doing a lot of inbound, mainly from European markets. Wanderland Adventures also organises meditation and wellness camps, along with treks. “We do treks to Tungnath temple, which is the highest Shiva temple in the world. Those places are con-
Rishi Murdeshwar
ducive to healing and wellness and includes partly meditation,” he mentioned. The company has tied up with Divya Aakruti, an institution focused on healing through art. In winters, the popular adventure activity is undoubtedly skiing. “While Gulmarg in Kashmir is a popular
skiing destination, Auli is picking up. Auli is like the skiing capital of India. Earlier it was mostly confined to foreigners and very few Indians, but a lot of resorts are coming up in Auli,” he stated. All the guides engaged by the company have passed out from Nehru Institute of Mountaineer-
ing. Some of them are also specialised in search and rescue operation. Alpine tents are used for accommodation during the treks. “We charge a premium but the quality of tent is excellent - we import the tents, sleeping bags, kitchen tents and dining tent,” said Murdeshwar.
INTERVIEW
'FOR THE FIRSTTIME,TNZWILLHOSTKEY INDIAN BUYERS ATKIWI LINK INDIA2015' Steven Dixon, regional manager – South and South East Asia, tourism, Tourism New Zealand, speaks about Tourism New Zealand’s commitment to the India market and the power of social media and tourism workshops to get the New Zealand story out to the world By Reema Lokesh New Zealand is soon coming of age as a solo destination option for Indians? What is your vision to further enhance the New Zealand experience in the Indian market? India is one of our primary emerging markets from South and South East Asia, and is showing immense growth potential. New Zealand is becoming a preferred destination for travellers of different segments from India. We are seeing the trend of solo travel catching up across markets. This segment is tech savvy, active on social networks and believes in exploring destinations. We see many solo travellers visiting New Zealand and following itineraries that cover regions with niche offerings, helping us create a balance in awareness about the country. Our aim is to highlight New Zealand as a beautiful place whose embracing people, fascinating stories and captivating experiences await travellers.
periences, a healthy escape and a chance to sample New Zealand food and beverage. Indonesia’s rising middle-class seeks out new family-friendly and safe destinations over the Lebaran holiday period (over New Zealand’s winter). While in India, we continue to see a growing trend of selfdrive visitors, independent professionals and honeymooners particularly in the May and October holiday period. This gives us an opportunity to amplify unique itineraries and offerings to travellers.
How would you compare India vis-a-vis the other regions in South Asia and South East Asia as a growth centre? New Zealand remains a popular destination for Singaporeans, Malaysians and Thais seeking a fresh escape from their hot and humid, hectic urban lifestyle. The school holidays serve New Zealand’s shoulder seasons well, offering an opportunity to influence family travel at this time. All travel widely are motivated by the idea of unique ex-
Do you feel, though long haul from India, New Zealand still has the potential to be a MICE market player? New Zealand is a great place for MICE travel, and is able to cater to events up to 2,000 people. There are outstanding venues from hotels to purposebuilt convention centres spread across both North Island and South Island - all staffed by people who showcase New Zealand’s warm hospitality. India is one of the world’s fastest growing economies and we are expecting steady growth in the
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Is there a priority plan you have in place waiting to be implemented for the India market? Our key markets from India are Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, where we conduct our core activities. We are even targeting Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Nagpur and Kochi, which are currently developing markets.
Steven Dixon
incentive travel segment from this market in the upcoming years. We currently host many Indian incentive groups annually with group sizes usually ranging from 50-150 participants. However, it is not uncommon for larger groups of up to 400 people to travel to New Zealand from India. In November 2014, under the Tourism Industry Partnership, Tourism New Zealand signed an agreement with Immigration New Zealand (INZ), and six key travel agents from India. The MoU aimed to attract business events visitors through faster processing times and reduced paperwork to the destination. In addition to MICE, we are seeing a trend of self-drive tours increasing among Indian travellers. The destination is also gaining preference as an ideal location for outdoor film shoots due to its picturesque beauty. Is there a certain increase in budget toward India to re-
strengthen the Tourism New Zealand brand? India is one of Tourism New Zealand’s priority markets in the emerging markets sector in our three year marketing plan. In order to reinforce our longterm commitment to the India market, in 2013, Tourism New Zealand had tripled its funding to NZD 3.5 million per annum. This is an increase of nearly 400 per cent compared to fund allocated earlier. Over the years, Tourism New Zealand has increased its investment in India four-fold and increased efforts delivering a fully integrated marketing campaign, new trade engagement with 103 certified 100 per cent Pure New Zealand Specialists in India, stepped up our efforts to engage with the media and focus on international business events. Any special programmes and plans for the travel agents’ fraternity in India? Tourism New Zealand has a number of initiatives to engage with the Indian travel trade including marketing campaign partnerships, trade training, familiarisation opportunities, events, such as attendance at SATTE and Tourism New Zealand’s own organised event, Kiwi Link India. We have also successfully hosted two corporate evenings in Bengaluru and Delhi in 2014. What are your expectations from the Kiwi Link India programme? Any differentiators for this year's event? Tourism New Zealand’s an-
nual travel trade event, Kiwi Link India, is scheduled to take place from July 13-16, 2015 in Mumbai and Delhi. The event serves as a platform for New Zealand operators to interact with Indian tourism product managers, planners and owners through full day workshops and frontline training. Kiwi Link India 2015 will be seeing participation from 36 operators from New Zealand as well as four airlines and 80 Indian delegates. Following a new format this year, Tourism New Zealand will also be hosting key buyers from around India in Mumbai for the first three days of the event. We have seen a great response from the India market in the past financial year. With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and our initiatives in India around the event, we have seen a huge increase in Indian travellers visiting New Zealand. We hope to continue this momentum through more activities in the market and will be making some exciting announcements soon. What is your take on the power of social media and what has been New Zealand’s participation in the same? Paid activities on Tourism New Zealand’s Facebook India Page kicked off in FY15 focused on 100 per cent Pure New Zealand campaigns as well as the cricket World Cup reached close to 18 million Indian consumers and led to 1.3 million video views, 387,000 website clicks and 3.3 million engagements.
IN THE NEWS
Steffi Graf appointed as Kerala’s Ayurveda brand ambassador ETW Staff Mumbai GERMAN TENNIS legend Steffi Graf, who reigned the field of sports for nearly two decades in 1980s and 1990s, will now promote Kerala’s famed Ayurveda system of healthcare. Kerala’s Ayurveda, an ancient system of health care which is well known for its holistic effect on body and mind, attracts a large number of people from across the world.
Graf becoming Ayurveda brand ambassador was part of the department’s ‘Visit Kerala Scheme 46-year-old Graf was recently appointed as the Ayurveda brand ambassador of God’s Own Country Kerala. The decision was taken by the cabinet, chief minister Oommen Chandy. The Kerala tourism department was given the sanction to sign an agreement with Graf to become Ayurveda brand ambassador as part of the department’s ‘Visit Kerala Scheme’, said Chandy. The tourism department had already held discussions and reached an agreement with the former World No. 1 tennis player. Graf, who had bagged 22 Grand slam single titles, had retired in 1999. She married former World No. 1 men’s tennis player Andre Agassi in October 2001. She was ranked World No. 1 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for a record 377 total weeks.
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IN THE NEWS
ICPB's 8th Conventions India Conclave to be held in August 2015 ETW Staff Mumbai AFTER THE SUCCESS of India Convention Promotion Bureau's (ICPB) seven preceding conclaves, the '8th Conventions India – the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events Conclave' will be organised from August 7-9, 2015 at The India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, with the support of the ministry of tourism, Government of India. The conclave will provide an opportunity to interact with the bureau’s members who are specialists in the organisation of meetings and conventions and also other suppliers who will showcase their products during the conclave. ICPB disseminates information about infrastructural facilities and related services for planning / organising of meetings and conventions and assists the Indian tourism industry to market them globally. This conclave is a unique event for the participants to create a sharing and learning opportunity. The speakers at the conclave are active industry professionals who will offer participants a focus on the challenging and changing future. Another benefit of the conclave is the range of informal discussions which take place outside the formal programme often setting the basis for future long-term relationships. Mahesh Sharma, minister of state (independent charge) for culture, tourism and MoS for Ministry of Civil Aviation (India), Government of India, said, “The
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With each interaction of the conclave, ICPB takes one giant step towards transforming the MICE sector and making it realise its potential Indian economy is growing at a phenomenal rate, and along with it so is the MICE industry. India presents a unique and budding opportunity for not just the domestic, but for international organisations as well. We see a bright future for the Indian MICE sector – constant improvements in infrastructure and a healthy demand will facilitate the next big step for India.” Suman Billa (IAS), joint secretary, ministry of tourism and chairman, ICPB said, “ICPB is the APEX body for the MICE sector in India. Our purpose is to act as a catalyst for the growth and improvement of India’s MICE sector. With each interaction of the conclave, ICPB takes one giant step towards transforming the MICE sector and making it realise its potential.” Capt Swadesh Kumar, vice chairman, ICPB said, “The Conventions India Conclave is the perfect opportunity for the participants to network and share their expertise with one another. It provides various marketing opportunities for the members by meeting buyers who have the potential to bring large number of conferences to this country, and also skill development where we are inviting experts
from national and international level. We look forward to seeing all our buyers and suppliers under one roof and to showcasing India’s MICE abilities.” The meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) market is growing rapidly and has exhibited huge potential worldwide. It is recognised that international and regional conferences contribute towards building up of mutual goodwill and understanding, encourage interaction between nations, and bring tremendous amounts of knowledge and frontier technologies particularly for the developing countries. There is a growing interest amongst tourists to experience the rich culture and heritage of India. With increasing opportunities for holidays and leisure, India is now becoming one of the leading venues for MICE in the region. The MICE infrastructure in the country has been developing rapidly and convention hotels and conference venues of international standards are being set up in cities across the country. With the corresponding expansion in the network of airline operations, India is ready to position and market itself as an important MICE destination.
SITE Global Conference to be held in New Delhi from October 23- 25,2015 ETW Staff Mumbai THE SOCIETY for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) Global Conference will be held at Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi from October 23- 25, 2015. Registrations for the event are currently open. The event will feature networking sessions, educational sessions, and opportunities to experience India’s culture. There will also be pre- and post-event tours to the Taj Mahal in Agra, forts and palaces of Jaipur and Udaipur, Kerala, temples and beaches of Chennai, Mumbai, Nepal, among others. Winners of the SITE Crystal Awards will also be recognised during a special awards ceremony at the SITE Global Conference 2015. Since 1980, the SITE Crystal Awards Recognition Program has provided industry acclaim for world-class organisations that excel in the design of unique and memorable incentive travel programmes that deliver business results for their clients. Today, the awards serve as a benchmark and are regarded as the highest honour in the incentive
travel industry. Entries are evaluated by an independent panel of judges in areas that include return on investment, creativity, logistics, sustainability practices, cost management/budget maximization and ability to overcome challenges in implementation. In 2014, nine companies were recognised for their creativity in programme design, marketing, corporate social responsibility and, most importantly, business results. The winners included tourism organisations, incentive agencies, destination management companies and their clients, from a variety of industries worldwide. SITE has grown since its inception 42 years ago to nearly 2,000 members in 90 countries with 29 local and regional chapters. It is a global authority connecting motivational experiences with business results. The community of SITE professionals brings best-in-class solutions, insights and global connections to maximise the business impact of motivational experiences regardless of industry, region or culture.
IN THE NEWS
Travel sector feels ‘World Yoga Day’ will work well for tourism, Brand India Reema Lokesh Mumbai THE RECENTLY observed World Yoga Day on June 21 has created yet another opportunity to enhance the power of Brand India. The travel and tourism fraternity in India feels this initiative will definitely work well to boost inbound tourism into India. Though there have been Yoga tours being conducted regularly with widespread clientele from France, Germany, Russia, USA and other regions, a further endorsement of a practice that is said to have its connections both to health and spirituality will boost its popularity. According to Ankush Nijhawan, MD, Nijhawan Group, “The World Yoga Day branding will surely help India to further showcase its inbound tourism potential. Yoga as we all know is popular the world over and though people do visit India for Yoga learning and experience and there are tours conducted by few, it has the potential to be promoted as a niche tourism product with
dedicated packages.” Jayesh Asher of Pearl Travels headquartered in Pune, has already ventured into the business and has conducted a group Yoga tourism package of 1,200 professionals and students from USA. He said the response it generated was highly encouraging and the World Yoga Day initiative will further help to promote India as a tourism destination. Supporting Asher’s thought further, Mehul Gor, MD, Amigo Travel Services, Mumbai, believes in the business potential of Yoga and Spiritual tourism. His company has conducted regular tours of groups from Russia and USA for Yoga tourism. “In December 2014 our company was approached by Iyenger Yoga to look after the logistics and accommodation of 500 international travellers for a 10 night Iyenger Yoga event in Pune. There are over a lakh of people from across the world who come to practise Yoga,” said Gor. There are tour operators who feel that Yoga tourism will also give further impetus to
the hospitality sector as the ashrams are not enough to cater to all yoga enthusiasts. Anuj Singhal of Mauritius Tourism feels that those who come to India for Yoga experience or training are normally long staying guests. This will eventually lead to a demand for quality service apartments and guest houses. Shefali Gupta of Amigo Travels also
feels that this concept will work wonders for India. Irshad Patel, head marketing and sales of Creative Tours and Travels in Mumbai, feels Yoga tourism is not only restricted to leisure and training that the foreigners look for and today India’s corporate houses and companies also insist on Yoga sessions especially in their offsite training
programmes. This concept is definitely here to stay. However, Vineet Rana, head of marketing – 5 Directions Group of companies, has a word of caution. He believes that the success of such a powerful concept will need consistent branding and marketing efforts. A one day celebration will not achieve the desired results.
RIP Maggie White MAGGIE WHITE, Tourism Australia’s longest serving executive, recently passed away suddenly, following a brief period of illness. She was a widely loved member of the travel industry having worked with Tourism Australia, and its previous incarnation, the Australian Tourist Commission (ATC), for close to 25 years. Her career high-
lights included implementing the ATC’s Olympic Games Strategy for the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics, which the International Olympic Committee declared a role model for future host countries. She spent several years promoting Australia in South East Asia region, and was a key contributor to Tourism Aus-
tralia’s growth in Asia. She laid the foundation for India as a key outbound tourism market for Australia, and dedicated a decade to build and nurture it. Her sustained efforts in the nascent stages of destination Australia’s presence in India, steered this market in the direction of steady growth. She loved India dearly, and held her rela-
tionships with all her Indian industry friends and colleagues close to her heart. She retired from Tourism Australia in 2012, after close to a decade of managing South East Asia region, moving back to her home in Melbourne.
Maggie White
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IN THE NEWS FUTURE NEXT / AKHILESH JOSHI DIRECTOR, GIRIKAND GROUP, LOGISTICS, TRAVEL AND HOLIDAYS
Diu to build two cycle stations as eco friendly option for tourists Steena Joy Mumbai
MY SUCCESS MANTRA For me it is all about dedication and hard work and keeping myself updated with the latest technology.
MY FIRST MILESTONE Buying my first Volvo luxury coach. It was truly special.
MY INSPIRATION IN LIFE It has to be my mother as a person. She started this business and has grown it to great heights. My job is to grow it further.
BIGGEST CAREER LEARNING Opening a different branch, setting it up and ensuring it grows. It was the opening of our Mumbai office. Now we have two offices in Mumbai.
MY STRESSBUSTER Going on an adventure holiday with friends as I totally enjoy trekking and hiking.
MY FAVOURITE MANAGEMENT BOOK My mother is my management book. I learn my management lessons from her.
USP OF MY GIRIKAND TEAM Our team works as a family and our relationship with our staff go a long way.
MY DREAM DESTINATION Brazil for sure, I want to go to the Amazon jungle. I have never been to South America.
VISION FOR MY COMPANY We want to set our foot outside of India and take all our services there.
MYADVICE TO GEN-NEXT Become an entrepreneur and venture out into your own businesses.This helps you be a job creator, which is very crucial for the economy.
(As told to Reema Lokesh)
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THE DIU ADMINISTRATION is planning to build two bicycle stations in the Union Territory so as to offer an environment friendly travel option for tourists to move around the destination. A bicycle station is a service in which bicycles are made available for shared use to individuals on a very short term basis like the Velib bicycle hiring system in Europe. Bike share schemes allow people to borrow a cycle from cycle station. Speaking exclusively to Express TravelWorld, Vikram Singh Malik, IAS, collector & district magistrate, Diu informed, “We have given the green signal to build two bicycle stations in Diu, one at Nagoa beach and the other at Diu jetty, Bunder chowk in the city centre. We decided on these two sites because they are located near hotel clusters and the beach attracts a lot of
tourists. The two stations will be able to accommodate 50 bicycles each.” Diu already has a newly laid out 4.2 km cycling track. The administration plans to model the station on the same lines as the one introduced by the Rajkot Muncipal Corporation in Rajkot nearby. The bicycles will mostly be sports bikes. Commenting on the revenue model, Malik said, “We have not yet worked out the details of cost and revenue. But one thing we want to do is give young entrepreneurs in Diu an opportunity to be involved in this project. That will give them a sense of ownership to their native place giving them a reason to stay back instead of leaving to nearby states in search of employment.” A survey done in India on travel patterns in Indian cities reveals that 60-70 per cent of trips are performed within a distance of 5 km or less, which is ideal for cycling.
IN THE NEWS
Las Vegas to host IPWTrade Show in 2020 ETW Staff Mumbai
Global Tourism Economy Forum to be held in Macau ETW Staff Mumbai ONE OF THE WORLD’S most useful tourism economy forums, the Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), will take place at the Venetian Macau from October 12- 14, 2015 under the theme of “One Belt One Road– Unleashing New Dynamics of Cultural Tourism”. The GTEF is a high-level tourism event hosted by the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government in collaboration with the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). This year’s edition will continue to build upon the premise of the 21st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR), strengthening the tourism development of regions and countries along the MSR. The forum will welcome members of the Pacific Alliance (Mexico, Peru, Chile and Colombia), joining as the Featured Partner Countries, and the Zhejiang province, one of the most important provinces on the MSR, join-
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ing as the Featured Province. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director, MGTO said, “GTEF has important meaning for Macau. By organising the Forum, Macau can gain more experiences in organising large-scale meetings and exhibitions. At the same time, it can attract government and business leaders and experts from different regions and countries, thus boosting Macau’s reputation internationally.” As a prelude to GTEF 2015, Pansy Ho, vice chairman and secretary-general of GTE, led a prominent delegation under the banner of GTEF to visit the Pacific Alliance countries in early June. Thirty influential entrepreneurs from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, who are engaged in a broad spectrum of tourism-related industries including property development, destination management, hospitality, retail and investment, met with ministers of tourism and ministers of foreign affairs from the Pacific Alliance countries and attended business network-
ing events, gaining insights into the region’s investment landscape, tourism resources and market potentials, while sharing their experiences in catering to the evolving trends and consumption patterns of Chinese tourists. Ho expressed her gratitude for the continuous support of the entire Macau community. In particular, she underscored the important impact of the forum, saying, “GTEF started the Chinese entrepreneurs’ business mission in 2013, aiming at extending its benefit beyond the forum period. Today, the business mission has become a crucial element that continues to inspire exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries. Greeted by ministers of tourism and foreign affairs with the warmest hospitality in our 12-day Pacific Alliance visit, we were able to experience first hand how the tourism sector can elevate cooperation and capitalise on the opportunity created by the new China-Latin America relationship.”
LAS VEGAS will once again host the largest travel trade show in North America in 2020. IPW is one of the travel industry’s premier international marketplace and the largest generator of travel to the US. As host city, Las Vegas will showcase the billions of dollars of investment in new resorts, restaurants, attractions, retail, entertainment and everything else that makes it the premiere travel destination. Lawrence Weekly, Clark County Commissioner and chairman of, LVCVA board of directors said, “IPW is a tremendous opportunity to showcase Las Vegas to the world and there is always something new to experience. Since the show was last here just two years ago, we’ve seen new resorts open like the SLS Las Vegas, The Cromwell and The Delano, new attractions like the High Roller Observation Wheel, the LINQ Entertainment District and SlotZilla Zipline in Downtown Las Vegas just to name a few. In addition, there are major projects under construction including the 20,000-seat arena from MGM and AEG and Resorts World Las Vegas. There is always something new to see and do in Las Vegas and that’s what makes us so dynamic and energetic.” As the host city for IPW, Las Vegas receives tremendous exposure with travel buyers from across the globe. Las Vegas is a key destination for international vis-
Las Vegas is a key destination for international visitors which represent nearly 20 per cent of the more than 41 million travellers to Southern Nevada in 2014 itors which represent nearly 20-per cent of the more than 41 million travellers to Southern Nevada in 2014. International visitors stay longer and spend more than domestic travelers generating billions in non-gaming economic revenue. Las Vegas last hosted IPW in 2013 with 6,000 delegates from the US and 70 other countries, 1,300 exhibitor booths, 1,300 international and domestic buyers and nearly 500 media. US Travel estimated the event would generate more than US$3.5 billion in future travel to the US, with an estimated US$350 million of that coming to Las Vegas. US Travel Association has recently announced future host cities through 2024. After Las Vegas, IPW heads to Chicago in 2021, Orlando in 2022, San Antonio will host for the first time in 2023 and Los Angeles is tapped for 2024.
AVIATION
Optimising private jet experiences Sudipta Dev Mumbai JETSETGO (JSG) enables travellers to search, compare and book private jets online. The customers comprise the UHNI segment - both business and leisure, including inbound UNHI. JSG has unique private jet experiences which consist of birthday parties to dining in the skies with leading star chefs. “The sky is literally the limit with our private jet experiences. We have something to offer for a fouryear-old and something for a 84-year-old,” said Kanika Tekriwal, co-founder and CEO, JetSetGo. The company works with
both aircraft owners who predominantly purchase machines for self use along with pure aircraft operators. For aircraft operators, JSG has built a cloud based resource management system which lets them do dynamic pricing on the basis of demand and supply factors which has never been done before, over and above which they maintain live inventory through this system. “Hence a customer is able to see live availability as is where is - the operator gets the final say in confirming the flight since before confirmation to the customer JSG seeks operator approval,” informed Tekriwal. With service providers
Kanika Tekriwal
JSG has exclusive service level standards for all customer facing services. “Delivery of these services is closely monitored by our customer
experience team. Hence a service provided with JSG contracted service provider and through someone else would largely vary in terms of quality of delivery and experience,” she added. It is a win-win for both aircraft operators and customers. With aircraft operators JSG works closely to get them optimum pricing and fleet visibility. “Along with bringing in supply chain efficiencies we are in the process of collaborating with an international parts and services marketplace, customised for the Indian operator. We work at increasing fleet utilisation which brings overall operating cost down hence resulting
in greater profits for operators and owners,” said Tekriwal. The customer benefits on account of choice and transparency. Tekriwal pointed out that today a private jet from Delhi to Agra costs almost thrice of what it should due to the minimum flying time commitments brokers and operators require. “With JSG our intention is to make the demand aggregation work perfectly wherein customers pay as they fly so if a customer’s requirement is Delhi to Agra, he only pays for Delhi to Agra,” she stated. Also, JSG is the only platform in the country that allows a customer to sell empty legs.
Ethiopian Airlines looks to extend network to South India Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES, the national carrier of Ethiopia, is looking at expanding its network in India by introducing one to two entry points in South India preferably in Chennai, Ahmedabad or Bengaluru. Presently, the airline operates daily flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Africa through Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia where it has a ground time of one-two hours. Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the airline's holiday arm, Ethiopian Holidays, in the India market, Tadesse Tilahun, regional director, Indian subcontinent, Ethiopian Airlines stated, “We are observing good traffic from South India to Africa and hence we want to introduce new entry
Tadesse Tilahun and Mesfin Gebremariam Shawo
points. The bilateral agreements are presently in process and once it is finalised we will launch one or two entry points in South India anytime this FY.” The major destinations that Indians travel to in Africa are South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. In addition, the airline also plans to increase the frequency of its existing points – from daily to double daily for both Mumbai and Delhi anytime this year. Tilahun added, “We are presently experiencing a load factor of approximately 80 per cent from both Mumbai and Delhi. We will be deploying Boeing 787 for Mumbai and Boeing 737-800 for Delhi. The past one year has been challenging for the airline industry because of the Ebola outbreak. Despite this, our traffic has
grown from India to Africa. In 2014, we experienced seven per cent growth as compared to the year before.” Sharing his views on the growing trade volume between India and Ethiopia, Mesfin Gebremariam Shawo, consul general, Consulate General of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Mumbai - India stated, “We have been importing a lot of machinery and pharmaceuticals from India. The trade volume between India and Ethiopia was around US$1.3 billion in 2014. With the assistance of the Indian government, we are also at the point of completing a sugar factory in Ethiopia for which we have been importing machinery from India and have been given a long term loan as well.”
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AVIATION
Mihin Lanka to start operations between Kolkata-Colombo Joy Roy Choudhury Kolkata MIHIN LANKA, Sri Lanka's national low cost carrier will soon start its operations from Kolkata. It will connect the city, thrice-a-week with the Lankan capital Colombo, from later this month. At present, passengers from Kolkata have to take a connecting flight from either Bengaluru or Chennai to reach Colombo. Presently, the airline operates flights to Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Madurai, Gaya, Varansai, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchirapalli on a code-sharing basis with Sri Lankan Airlines. Mihin Lanka is likely to place either an A-320 or A-321 in the Kolkata-Colombo sector. Speaking on this, Subhash Goyal, chairman - Stic Travels, president – IATO, and Mihin Lanka's India representative stated, “The flight will operate thrice-a-week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Not only will the passengers from the eastern part save time, but also the return fare is much lower than the options currently available.” Goyal felt that the introduction of the air-service will boost tourism in West Bengal and especially in neighbouring Odisha, which shares a long history with Sri Lanka. Religious tourists from Sri Lanka can now easily come to Kolkata and make the city its hub before travelling to important Buddhist sites in Odisha. Thousands of Buddhist tourists from Sri Lanka come to India every year to visit the religious places
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IN THE NEWS
Mahindra Holidays ups stakes to 88% in Holiday Club Resort Oy,Finland Akshay Kumar Mumbai
The introduction of the air-service will boost tourism in West Bengal and especially in neighbouring Odisha, which shares a long history with Sri Lanka linked with the life of Lord Buddha. Mihin Lanka already operates flights to other important Buddhist religious spots like Gaya and Varanasi. “Bhubaneswar too can be added at a later stage,” added Goyal. Mihin Lanka also proposes to join hands with local tourist
operators and hoteliers to offer special Durga Puja packages. "We will organise special travel packages during Durga Puja and Diwali with attractive discounts on hotel rooms and sight-seeing," said Chiranjiv Mitra, sales manager passenger and cargo, Mihin Lanka.
Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India have further increased their stakes to 88 per cent in Holiday Club Resort Oy, Finland (HCR). Mahindra Holidays currently owns 23.3 per cent stake in HCR and the balance 12 per cent will be held by the employees and the management. In this second phase of acquisition, Mahindra Holidays acquired a total of 64.7 per cent with an investment of EU 28 million. Speaking about the acquisition, Arun Nanda, chairman, Mahindra Holidays said, “We are completing the acquisition of the Holiday Club Resort with a deal size of EU 28 million. The investment of the second phase is much less than the first phase. With this acquisition, Mahindra Holidays will become the world’s largest vacation ownership company based outside the United States. One more important reason for the acquisition is that now we have a strategic platform to grow in Europe and the Middle East. The current acquisition is subject to regulations. In the next two months probably all the approvals will be completed and the deal will be closed.” Speaking about Finland as a destination for Indian travellers Nanda added, “We have a history of creating destinations. Most of the destinations where we are pres-
With the increase of stake in Holiday Club, we see a huge potential for synergy ent was quite unexplored. Now this will be our attempt to create Finland as a popular destination amongst the Indian travellers. Finland has a lot to offer like the Northern Lights, The Midnight Sun, etc.” Nanda also spoke about the possibility of investing EU 10 million as working capital to accelerate the growth of the company in the near future. Holiday Club Resorts Oy is a vacation ownership company in Europe with 32 resorts out of which 24 are located in Finland, two in Sweden and six in Spain. Kavinder Singh, managing director and CEO, Mahindra Holidays said, “With the increase of stake in Holiday Club, we see a huge potential for synergy between the two market leaders in the areas of technology, new products, and member services. Our 1.83 lakh members will now have an added choice to visit HCR’s resorts in Europe.”
IN THE NEWS
SBI and MakeMyTrip to unlock synergy between banking and tourism Travel forms an integral part of a customer’s lifecycle and comprises almost 65 per cent of the total e-commerce market today. The key lever of future growth will be offline-to-online, or rather, offline-to-mobile shift
ETW Staff Mumbai STATE BANK OF INDIA (SBI) and MakeMyTrip.com have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, identifying areas of cooperation to expand the market for online travel services in India. This strategic association will enable both partners to capitalise on the opportunity presented by India’s burgeoning internet economy that is driven by a boost in adoption of e-commerce and m-commerce. The two partners seek to unlock the array of business opportunities available in this segment across various spheres, by becoming integral to all the segments of the consumers’ lifecycle. SBI is aiming towards driving synergies between banking and various other aspects of a customer’s lifecycle including the travel segment and positioning itself as the 'go-to' bank for all of customers’ needs. Make-
Arundhati Bhattacharya and Deep Kalra
MyTrip.com is focused on expanding the travel market opportunity by driving the offlineto-online adoption in the hotels and packages business, and meeting the travel aspirations of Indian customers. The levers of this alliance include: partnership with personal banking unit for consumer facing propositions – including EMIs on purchase of holidays and international travel, cus-
tomised travel products like forex cards and travel products that inspire SBI customers to travel. Secondly, partnership with SME and acquiring business of MMT suppliers, such as two-three star hotels, franchisees, trade and travel partners will get access to SBI products, loans, bank guarantees, PoS payment instruments at preferential rates. Partnership with Cards for promoting card
usage will help in pushing the agenda of a 'less cash economy'. Speaking on the association, Arundhati Bhattacharya, chairman, SBI highlighted, “Travel forms an integral part of a customer’s lifecycle and comprises almost 65 per cent of the total ecommerce market today. Our alliance with MakeMyTrip.com will work towards providing value to each of the stakeholders along the entire value chain of
the travel and tourism business.” Deep Kalra, chairman and group CEO, MakeMyTrip.com, elaborated, “The overall macro sentiments are positive and we believe this is the right time to identify and execute opportunities to unlock the market potential. The key lever of future growth will be offline-to-online, or rather, offline-to-mobile shift. This alliance will help catalyse this shift.”
TripAdvisor launches dedicated airport pages ETW Staff Mumbai TRIPADVISOR has added dedicated airport pages to its website, enabling travellers around the world to get information about what to do, where to eat and where to stay at 200 major airports around the world. When travellers search for an airport on TripAdvisor, they will be directed to a dedicated airport page with reviews, ratings and other information about hotels
nearby as well as restaurants and attractions in both public and transit areas. Amenities including duty free stores, boutiques and airport lounges will also be listed on the page. Adam Medros, senior vice president, global product, TripAdvisor said, “Over 3.1 billion travellers pass through airports each year with the average traveller spending 150 minutes of airport dwell time from arriving at the terminal to the doors of the plane closing at the gate. We want to
With the launch of airport pages on TripAdvisor, travellers will have access to airport information at their fingertips
help them quickly find things to do on the site while they’re waiting to catch a flight, or book an airport hotel when they need a place to stay.” With the launch of airport pages, not only will travellers have access to airport information at their fingertips, but businesses will also be able to market themselves directly to travellers worldwide searching on TripAdvisor.” Changi Airport was the first to be added, with hundreds of its amenities listed on
TripAdvisor. Other major airports including John F Kennedy International Airport and London Heathrow Airport will be launched by July 2015. TripAdvisor airport pages will be available on all 45 TripAdvisor sites and in 28 languages globally and on the TripAdvisor mobile app. Travellers will be able to use the “Near Me Now” feature on the TripAdvisor mobile app to find amenities nearby through the smartphone’s GPS when they are at the airport.
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IN THE NEWS
Master plan to boost tourism in Chilika Lake on the anvil Joy Roy Choudhury Kolkata IN A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT, a master plan to boost tourism in and around the Chilika Lake in Odisha is on the anvil. Ashok Chandra Panda, minister of tourism and culture, Government of Odisha informed Express TravelWorld, “The tourism master plan for the Chilika Lake and its catchment area is being prepared under the Central Government's 'Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project', funded by World Bank and would be submitted to the state government soon.” The objective of this is to prepare a regional tourism plan for the Chi-
lika Lagoon and the catchment area with an aim to not only promote tourism including ecotourism and community-based tourism but also focus equally on conservation and use of natural resources and in compliance with environmental/ecological laws and regulations. It will also identify project profiles for tourism investment opportunities, which would be promoted by the state government including as PPP projects. “The master plan will outline a roadmap so as to make the stay in the lake area more exciting for tourists for whom the major attraction till now has been boating. Now, adventure and water sports like wa-
ter skiing, wind surfing, sailing, trekking and other activities might be added to the itinerary of tourists coming to the lake, so that they stay there longer,” he informed, adding that, “We already have several tourist destinations in and around the Chilika like Rambha, Satpada, Barkul and the master plan will work through the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) in coordination with other state government departments and agencies, so that the fishing communities around the lake will also benefit.” Meanwhile, IFC (International Finance Corporation) Advisory Services has entered into a partnership with the state government for imple-
Adventure and water sports like water skiing, wind surfing, sailing, trekking and other activities might be added to the itinerary of tourists coming to the lake so that they stay there longer menting private sector development which includes developing and promoting opportunities for private sector investments in tourism facilities and services in and around Chilika. The focus would be on sustainability, the concept revolves around enhancing
tourism potential of the area, utilisation of local materials, engagement of local population in hospitality and tourism products/solutions, and rediscovering the local art and culture, thereby creating a range of business opportunities for the private sector.
Swosti Group to set up luxury resort at Chilika ETW Staff Mumbai BHUBANESWAR-BASED Swosti Group will soon be expanding its hospitality portfolio with the launch of its highend luxury resort – Swosti Chilika Resort on the banks of the Chilika Lake, the country's largest coastal lagoon. Confirming the development, JK Mohanty, managing director, Swosti Group of HotelsResorts-Travels-Education said, “Swosti Chilika Resort is being developed on a nine acres parcel of land located on the banks of Chilika Lake. The work at the site has started and the resort is likely to be operational partially from October next year.” “We have received the required environmental clearances from the authorities for
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the project. Chilika Lake is one of the major attractions of high-end domestic as well as international tourists. “By putting up an international standard luxury resort at Chilika Lake and ensuring our highest service standards, we are confident that this resort will fill-up the requirements of both high-end domestic and foreign tourists visiting the
area as well as boost the brand image of Odisha,” he added. The Group has engaged one of the most renowned international architectural firms from Thailand for putting up this resort, which will have 70 keys with a mix of presidential suites, villas, quad villas, spa villas and the hotel block. The major attractions of
the resorts are houseboats, spa, spa on the houseboats, yoga centre, lush green landscaping, business centre, library, handicrafts souvenir shop, water sports, water scooters, facilities for water surfing, boating facilities around 26 hideaway islands. The other facilities will include horse riding, kennel, badminton and tennis court,
mini golf course, bird watching tower, bicycle tours for foreign tourists, village tours, boat restaurants, lake side open air tandoor restaurant, a trendy sports bar, facilities for conference, lawn for marriage facilities. Cooking classes for foreign tourists will be another added feature of the resort.The Group currently operates two hotels and a resort, including the 60-keys Swosti Hotel and 140 keys Swosti Premium, in Bhubaneswar. The third property, Swosti Palm Resort (20 keys) is a beach-front resort located at Gopalpur-on-Sea. The company has also acquired land parcels for hotel and resort projects at other popular coastal tourist spots of the state like Puri, Satpada and Bhitarkanika for future expansion.
HOSPITALITY EVENTS
FHW’s silver edition rolls out in Bengaluru This edition of Food Hospitality World (FHW) witnessed many firsts. The Professional Housekeepers Association participated for the first time while a Baking Contest with live demos by Institute of Baking & Cake Art (IBCA) and the ‘Hospitality IT’ sphere through the CeBIT Insight Series made their debuts he 25th edition of Food Hospitality World (FHW) 2015 exhibition concluded recently at the White Orchid Convention Centre in Bengaluru. This three-day exhibition held from June 11-13, 2015, was inaugurated by Chef Surjan Singh Jolly, director- F&B, J W Marriott Bengaluru; Bakkappa Kote, chairman, Karnataka Wine Board, Government of Karnataka; K N Vasudeva Adiga, honorary president, Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association; K Syama Raju, president, South India Hotels & Restaurants Association; P K Mohankumar, hospitality consultant and industry expert, and former managing director and CEO, Roots Corporation and Madhukar M Shetty, hon-
T
orary secretary, Karnataka Pradesh Hotel & Restaurants Association. Speaking at the inauguration, Chef Jolly stated, “It is an honour to be at the FHW 2015 exhibition. This exhibition befits the requirements of the hospitality industry for it provides exposure, a platform to exchange thoughts and ideas, and bring creativity to life. It also provides networking opportunities and enables the sharing and use of best practices.” Sharing his perspective, Shetty opined, “The food industry in India is facing several challenges and exhibitions like FHW helps to run our industry smoothly. Presently, we need to have more modern technologies to run this industry.” Adding to the same, Adiga
stated, “FHW is running successfully for its 25th edition. This exhibition is beneficial to the hospitality industry for it showcases the latest technologies needed by the hospitality industry. It is also encouraging to see that the state and central governments are providing support to the Indian hospitality and travel industry. International fast food brands like KFC, Domino’s, etc have taken over our market and we need to promote Indian cuisine and hoteliers should focus on doing so by promoting it across the world.” Giving a word of advice Mohankumar said, “The hospitality industry is thinking about globalisation. The Indian hospitality industry has reached a certain level of maturity. During the initial stages of my career,
we used to import all food ingredients, but times have changed now. At present, the ancillary and the hospitality industry needs to network as they are hardly networking. There needs to be more awareness about international equipments in the Indian market. South India is a powerhouse of the Indian economy and it is time that the hospitality industry recognises this. There is also a huge tourism potential down south and there is a need to improve connectivity among Kochi, Puducherry, Chennai and Bengaluru. The south has a robust hotel presence with the highest number of investments taking place across budget, mid and luxury segments. Big strength is also coming from independent restaurants and people in
Bengaluru are dining out five days a week. There is also a huge opportunity in the breakfast segment. Presently, no brand in south India can deliver like the QSRs; for example deliver breakfast at home. We need to develop technology in this area.” The exhibition, spread over a floor space of 6,000 sq mtrs, witnessed a total number of 150 exhibitors. This year’s exhibition witnessed exhibitors coming from different segments of the food and hospitality industry like F&B, interiors, kitchen equipment, housekeeping, bakery and others. The FHW exhibition is organised by Global Fairs & Media– a joint venture between Hannover Milano Fairs India and The Indian Express Group.
Chef Surjan Singh Jolly
Madhukar M Shetty
K Syama Raju
K N Vasudeva Adiga
P K Mohankumar
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IN THE NEWS
Kuoni DVMS launches Bahrain Visa and meet & greet services ETW Staff Mumbai
Dubai introduces Gourmet Bus tour Sudipta Dev Dubai THE NEWLY introduced double decker Gourmet Bus does city tour of Dubai while serving guests a delectable five course dinner. The two hour tour includes the best attractions in the emirate in the aesthetically built state-of-the art coach incorporating the latest technology. After Barcelona, Dubai is the second city to introduce a Gourmet Bus. All the guests can see the route on the iPad that is incorporated in the dining table so they get to know details about the landmarks as the bus goes around the city. Audio commentary is available in many languages. The tour starts from Dubai Mall and passes through Burj Khalifa, Palm
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Wissam Shaiban
Jumeirah, Zabeel Palace, Sheikh Zayed Road and Burj Al Arab. The final stop is Madinat Jumeirah. The bus has a glass roof which provides a panoramic view of the city. It has a small kitchen. Interestingly, dinner is not served while the bus is moving. “It is parked
next to Burj Al Arab and guests are offered a five star gourmet dinner,” said Wissam Shaiban, general manager, GourmetBus, adding that international cuisine is served during the tour including cold starters, hot starters, main dish and desserts. Guests have to book in advance and inform about their choice – whether they want to be served vegetarian, chicken or fish. This new luxury dining experience on wheels can also be hired for MICE events. At a time 30 people can dine in the double decker coach. In summer time the tours will be in the evening from 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm, later according to Shaiban, more tours will be introduced. “There are also plans to introduce afternoon tea tours soon,” he mentioned.
KUONI DVMS (Distribution. Visa. Marketing. Services.) has launched Bahrain Visa and Meet & Greet Services as a part of its product and service offerings. DVMS customers would now be able to avail of Bahrain eVisa for business as well as visit purposes by approaching DVMS directly or through its affiliated agents. Both business as well as visit eVisa would be inclusive of Silver meet and greet services offered by DVMS partner Marhaba at Bahrain International Airport. Customers would be able to avail of 14 days (multiple re-entry) business eVisa service and for visit eVisa service they can apply for seven days (single entry), 14 days (multiple re-entry) and 30 days (multiple re-entry) for Bahrain visas. Apart from this customers would also be able to book additional meet & greet services at Bahrain International Airport for Marhaba/ Awal lounge, Limousine transfers, etc. Speaking at the launch, Manoj Chacko, CEOKuoni Business Travel said, “DVMS as a leader in its segment has always believed in adding new prod-
Being the only authorised member for Bahrain eVisa services we can assure our customers of hassle free and seamless service ucts and services offerings for meeting its customer needs. Offering Bahrain visa is a part of our strategic roadmap and we expect to add more countries to our DVMS product portfolio in the coming months.” Clevio Monteiro, business head, DVMS said, “With the new visa policy offered by Kingdom of Bahrain in 2014 which offers stress-free access to the country and longer duration for stay, I expect more and more Indians to take advantage of this and travel to Bahrain. Being the only authorised member for Bahrain eVisa services we can assure our customers of hassle free and a seamless service experience while applying for their Bahrain eVisas.”
CRUISES
Griffon expects upto 30% business growth this year Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai MUMBAI-BASED Griffon, a reputed outbound operator and the India representative of Pullmantur Cruises in India, is working on educating Indian travellers about cruising holiday options. Pullmantur Cruises, the Spanish cruise company operating cruises in Europe and the Carribbean, recently had a Bollywood movie shot onboard. Apart from targeting Bollywood, the cruise company is looking at targeting television and regional movies too. Vivek Jain, managing director, Griffon said, “Cruise tourism is developing steadily in India. Even though there is fair bit of understanding of what cruises are, an average Indian traveller does not know what to expect from a cruise liner completely.
Hence there is a need to educate travellers about cruising holiday options. It is the most cost effective holiday option for MICE and wedding segments, apart from families and groups. Our company has been in the cruising business since over 15 years. India is still a very small market in the cruising business worldwide.” Post the movie, the company has been receiving more number of enquiries by travellers. “We are expecting 20-30 per cent business growth this year,” mentioned Jain. He informed, “Through the movie Dil Dhadakne Do, directed by Zoya Akhtar, the onboard amenities, alike a fivestar hotel that a tourist can enjoy at a nominal cost was showcased. The cruise ship stops at several ports and the tourist can visit many countries without the hassle of
packing, repacking and waiting at the airports. The movie showcases various areas of the ship like restaurants and
bars, huge lobby areas with glass lifts, auditoriums where one can see different shows/ plays, swimming pools and
open decks. The movie also shows the hospital facilities available on the ship in case of any emergency.”
Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas introduces wearable technology ETW Staff Mumbai MULTIPURPOSE wristbands, not keycards, will welcome passengers aboard Royal Caribbean's MS Anthem of the Seas along with partners Assa Abloy Hospitality. The wristbands use flexible RFID technology to upgrade the cruise experience for both passengers and crew. As passengers approach the
gangway, crew members can quickly scan the wristbands, which contain all the necessary identification data, making it faster and easier to embark and disembark from the ship. The wristbands act as a room key, but also allow access to other areas of the ship, such as the spa. Passengers can even keep track of their tabs at the bar and restaurant or pay for professional photos
The wristbands offer an alternative payment for vending machines and casinos
taken on the cruise. Plus the wristbands offer an alternative payment for vending machines and casinos, providing the potential for greater revenue. Gerald McMillan, vice president- Marine, Assa Abloy Hospitality said, “As the cruise industry moves to develop ships with ever-increasing passenger capacities and services, cabin and passenger security will play an integral
part in ensuring continued satisfaction, safety and convenience. By fully leveraging RFID capabilities, we are pleased to provide the technology that allows MS Anthem of the Seas to provide the newest generation of cruise ship vacationers with the augmented services that they increasingly demand.” The Anthem of the Seas, the third largest cruise ship in the world, has 2,090 cabins.
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DOES YOUR BOTTOMLINE LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA? For today's travellers, social media has become one of the key influencing factors while planning a holiday. Express TravelWorld explores the social media savviness of the Indian travel trade and its marketing strategy to monetise this social channel BY AKSHAY KUMAR
F
or a long time one statement which is quite frequently used in the travel space is, ‘Personalisation is the way to go’. Social media has created an avenue where this personalisation can be easily achieved. With easy access to social media, every
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segment in the travel industry namely tour operators, OTAs, airlines, car rentals, cruises, etc, are using social media to increase their brand visibility and create a set of loyal audience, who can later become potential customers. By gaining access to travellers' social media profiles and engaging with them, understanding their personality traits, companies are aiming to deliver
more personalised services. Speaking on this current trend, Chetan Kapoor, research analyst, Asia Pacific, Phocuswright states, “In general, we see airlines and hotels being ahead in terms of social media usage and fans/followers. This has to do with their increasing focus on customer service through social media. Specific to travel agents, mostly online and larger tour
operators have a meaningful presence and maintain high levels of customer engagement on social media websites. They have their dedicated teams tracking customer mood and feedback, producing and curating content for social channels, which smaller tour operators can’t typically keep up with.” Today, Internet is penetrating rapidly across India. Also,
people have started travelling more than ever. In such a scenario, social media has become one of the major influencing factors for holidays. Monica Samuels, a social media expert, freelance digital marketer and trainer, Web Marketing Academy, Bangalore, says, “Some years back, travel and tourism agencies were skeptical of social media’s fit with their business.
(
Over the last four - five years though, improved internet coverage, especially in Tier II and Tier III cities along with e-commerce popularity have compelled the industry to match their strategy with changing consumer behaviour. People today rely on referrals from friends and family on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter when they look for holiday destinations, hotels, or packages. Travel companies are focusing on engaging people, sharing compelling content, real stories, reviews and testimonials on social media as they have realised that these are the main influencing factors today.” Ankush Nijhawan, managing director, Nijhawan Group of Companies explains, “Social media usage in India has in-
creased in leaps and bounds, as number of internet users in India reached 302 million by December 2014. Over 75 per cent of India’s online population are digital consumers (who use digital for all, or part, of their purchasing journey). Trust in a company and brand is no longer dependant on company-controlled traditional mass channels, but rather on communities and peers through social media and other digital channels. This clearly indicates that businesses will have to allocate significant percentages of their marketing budget to digital and social media marketing in order to successfully reach and market to these cus-
tomers. Going with the trend Nijhawan Group will further strengthen their social marketing roadmap through team work and development of apps to build community, generate leads, enhance customer service and highlight our latest news and updates.” Online travel agent Musafir.com has been active on almost all social media platforms. For the company, social media channels have driven changes in the most expected
TRAVEL COMPANIES ARE FOCUSING ON ENGAGING PEOPLE, SHARING COMPELLING CONTENT, REAL STORIES, REVIEWS AND TESTIMONIALS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS THEY HAVE REALISED THAT THESE ARE THE MAIN INFLUENCING FACTORS TODAY
THE MAIN FOCUS
and unexpected ways. Vijay Kesavan, CEO, Musafir.com claims, “Building a strong social media presence is a key focus area for Musafir.com. We have been actively using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube, Google+ and Whatsapp to reach out to potential travellers and create brand awareness. In this ever-changing segment, a brand like us has to stay ahead. We are looking at developing new social media tools to connect with our current and potential customers. We are also looking at turning our video channel into a powerful and effective social marketing tool. It’s a simple rule – Experiment and Adapt.” To increase brand presence and monitise by using the power of social media, brands like Riya Travels are investing a lot of time to enthrall its audience on social media platforms. Manoj Samuels, CEO,
Riya Travels states, “Nowadays to increase brand presence, it is very necessary to be active on all forms of social media platforms. Social media marketing is the next big thing and an upcoming powerful trend. We are currently present in Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn. Till now we have received a very good response and the focus is more on improvising it and having a tremendous payback.”
#Currently trending Within the past four to five years, almost every player in the travel industry - small or large - have tried to have a strong hold on all the social media platforms. Some have attained a lot of success in monitising, while the rest are still trying to find out the perfect formula. Monica Samuels explains the trend which she has been witnessing since a couple of years, “Small to large travel agencies are taking social media seriously now. The return on investment (ROI) of social media campaigns is being measured in
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“The increased mobile web penetration is a key contributor for increasing growth of social media” Manoj Samuel, CEO, Riya Travels
“The simple rule is – Experiment and Adapt” Vijay Kesavan, CEO, Musafir.com
“Social media cannot be relied on as being the whole & sole medium of communication with your target market” Veena Patil, Managing director, Veena World
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smarter ways, with engagement, reach and branding becoming as important KPIs as closures. Also, customer service is becoming an important aspect of social media management for travel agencies. Social media is becoming a community building platform versus one-way communication. Travel companies are experimenting across multiple social media platforms, even new ones. One of the most important trend is that, video is proving its power and travel companies are catching on.” The travel segment has also realised the power of videos and pictures, which indeed says a thousand words. The video and picture blogs have tremendous following online. Kapoor avers that social media trends continue to evolve and two-way communication is getting more nuanced. “Instead of looking back, companies should predict what’s next instead. Few months ago, very few companies would have been able to predict the present popularity of videos in social media channels. Moving away from static video uploads on Vine and Instagram, travel companies are now using live video streaming services such as Meerkat and Periscope to showcase their products and destinations, and host celebrity talk shows to inspire travellers,” adds Kapoor. Monitoring social media channels to deliver real-time resolutions to traveller's feedback remains a priority for most travel companies on social media. “Increasingly, companies are also updating their CRM to integrate with customers' Facebook and LinkedIn profiles so as to provide richer personalised services while travelling,” points out Kapoor. On the contrary, Veena Patil, managing director, Veena World believes that just posting videos and sharing destination pictures do not help always. According to
KEY POINTS FOR A PERFECT SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY ■ Use social media to research your audience and understand what attracts them. Come up with unique ways of delivering value – make the experience from enquiry to trip completion memorable. ■ Focus on meaningful engagement on social media pages and conversions will follow. Personalise communication wherever possible. ■ Create compelling content that strikes an emotional chord. Such content is shared often. ■ Experiment with paid and organic campaigns – contests, polls, surveys, quizzes, early bird gifts, limited period offers, ads, videos, travellers’ stories, best photos, thank your guides, cobranding offers, online scrapbooks, etc. ■ Listen to social chatter and address negative feedback first.Too many travel agencies ignore disgruntled customers, choosing to focus on people sharing positive sentiments alone.
■ Incentivise travellers to become brand ambassadors and content creators. ■ Understand the scope and potential of different social media platforms to use them well – Facebook,Twitter,YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. ■ Use call to actions strategically across content to drive desired actions. ■ Combine social media with other digital marketing channels – emails, remarketing, location-based campaigns, search and display ads, etc. ■ Creativity is key on social media – use attractive images and videos, build useful how-to and informational content, etc. ■With social media, travel brands can extend their reach beyond geographical borders of states and countries. ■ Build content that oozes life. Don’t bore your readers. Courtesy: Monica Samuels
her, novelty is the X- factor which the audience are looking out for. Patil advises, “Today if you look at the travel industry in India, all of the major players have an active social media presence. However, some have been successful in their social media endeavours whereas others just have a presence to check that box. If you are going to just keep posting destination
pictures on your page or videos on your channel, you might not be able to get the most out of your digital marketing efforts. What we have found is that the audience will start talking about you only if you have something on offer which no one else does. So many companies have started having contests and quizzes to keep everyone involved. It is one thing to get your audi-
ence to your page, the difficult part is to keep them interested.” One of the fastest growing OTAs in India and the Middle East, Musafir.com is focusing extensively on social media to gain an extra edge over its competitors. Kesavan states, “The e-commerce ‘Book Now’ button is an interesting marketing tool on Facebook that has picked up and is expected
( to be the most powerful tool for the travel industry. The steady shift towards mobile social media has worked to our advantage for the last two years. Content marketing on social media has also helped us a lot on this.”
Challenges on the Wall With the tremendous growth of social media, a greater number of challenges have risen which needs to be addressed. Audience engagement and retention is one of the biggest challenge that the industry is facing. Coming up with innovative and engaging content strategy takes constant and consistent brainstorming and effort. “We have to connect, inspire and earn their trust for life. Your future is based on your online reputation today,” says Kesavan. Patil fears that in near future this medium of communication will for sure kill all the traditional mediums and that will create a hurdle. “The major challenge today is over reliance on social media. There is a lot of talk about social media being the next big thing. No doubt, the conversation with your actual guests in more in depth on social me-
@ A GLANCE ■ With consumers connecting with a travel brand via multiple touch points such as a website, social ad, physical office visit, mobile ad, etc, tracking and measurement of social media campaigns becomes complex. ■ Keeping up with technology trends (from social to mobile) as well as new social media platforms are challenging. ■ Brands are still focusing more on customer acquisition versus retention. ■Travel companies in India are not handling consumer grievances on priority.This has detrimental long-term effects. ■ Response time on social media should be very low for optimal engagement. Brands are not on par yet. ■ Creating a genuine culture of customer service through the ranks is a huge challenge, one that cannot be overcome without leaders walking the talk and developing work policies that support this ambition. Courtesy: Monica Samuels
dia, however it cannot be relied on as being the whole and sole medium of communication with your target market. You have to have a well thought out strategy from the very start to be successful in this space.” Kapoor believes that privacy and context are the major challenges. While companies aim to deliver richer on-travel experience by
knowing their customers better through the use of social media channels, they need to keep in mind consumers right to privacy. In addition, targeted communication is likely to get more clicks and conversions than a 'one-size fits all' campaign. Social networks are getting efficient and providing companies with better tools to target customers based on geography, demographics and
device. Social media, as a tool of marketing, has not been a success story for everyone in the travel space. Samuel claims, “Though we have gradually increased our activities on social media platforms but it is difficult to justify the ROI against the effort and time used on it. But as we move forward and have more social engagements as compared to now, we will have a system in place to quantify it.” Samuel feels that most of the travel companies that are jumping on the social media bandwagon without devising a clear strategy first fall short of their potential. Nijhawan explained, “One of the major challenges we face is to successfully measure effectiveness of social media engagements. As social media budgets increase, we will need more clarity on the effectiveness of social media activities and how to optimise our spend on social media, analysing the ROI for the amount spent. This will further require investments in measurement and analytics tools as well as training and skill development of our team.”
THE MAIN FOCUS
“Need more clarity on the effectiveness of social media activities and how to optimise our spend” Ankush Nijhawan, Managing director, Nijhawan Group of Companies
“Monitoring social media channels remains a priority for most travel companies” Chetan Kapoor, Research analyst, Asia Pacific, Phocuswright
“People today rely on referrals from friends and family when they look for holiday destinations, hotels, or packages” Monica Samuels, Trainer, Web Marketing Academy, Bangalore
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DESTINATION OUTBOUND
Myriad Mauritius For years, Mauritius has been one of the most preferred wedding and honeymoon destinations for travellers worldwide. However, this island has more to offer - from a rich cultural heritage and world-class golfing facilities to high-end MICE venues and adrenaline pumping water sports By Rituparna Chatterjee
‘M
AURITIUS was made first and then heaven; heaven being copied after Mauritius.' This expression of Mark Twain aptly describes the mesmerising charm of this world-in-one island. While its name conjures up images of majestic lagoons and reefs, cobalt-blue seas, white sandy beaches, Mauritius is more than just that. It is a melting pot of diverse cultures (African, Indian, European and Chinese), historic sites, geographic variations and limitless activities to keep every traveller engaged. Situated in the south west of the Indian ocean, about 2000 km from the African coast, Mauritius forms a part of the Mascarene archipelago which also includes Reunion and Rodrigues. The capital city of Port Louis, situated north west of the island, is a bustling administrative and commercial hub hosting several interesting sites including the Central Market, Champ de Mars Racecourse, Citadelle, among others. Mauritius' history dates
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back to many centuries. Though the island was known by the Arab navigators since the 10th century, Mauritius was officially discovered by the Portuguese in 1505. In the 17th century, the Dutch occupied the island and named it after Maurice van Nassau the stadhouder ('the one who conquers the place' in Dutch). At the beginning of the 18th century, after the departure of the Dutch, the French named the island Isle de France before it was conquered by the British in 1810. The island became independent in 1968 and a republic in 1992 with a democratic parliament inspired by the British model.
A sea of opportunities According to Kuoni's 2015 trends report, Mauritius retained its top position as the best destination for weddings in the world, thereby cementing its top four position since 1999. Besides, the island was also ranked in the top five destinations out of 30 global tourist hotspots as the most sought-after honeymoon destination.
Though this report reflects Mauritius' growing popularity as a wedding and honeymoon destination, the island has a lot more to offer to different segments of traveller including golfers, MICE, adventure enthusiasts among others. For instance, under the British rule, Mauritius became the third country in the world to be introduced to golf. The island boasts of eight 18 hole golf courses and five nine hole golf courses. Some of the golf courses have been designed by renowned players like Bernhard Langer, Ernie Els and golf architect Rodney Wright. Like the Tamarina 18 hole Championship Golf Course, designed by Rodney Wright, is spread
over 43 hectares and offers magnificent views of Mount Rempart. In 2008, Mauritius was also awarded the title of Golf Destination of the Year – Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf States – by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO). Mauritius also offers a varied range of water sports including kite-surfing, deep-sea fishing, sailboat charter, sea kayaking, among others. A recent addition to these has been the seakart excursions by Fun Adventure Mauritius. The company has its base at Black River, and there is a security boat to escort the adventure enthusiasts from the starting of the excursion to the end. An-
other unique experience is the submarine ride provided by Blue Safari Submarine, which offers a breathtaking view of the sea 35 metres under over a duration of 45 minutes wherein passengers are shown the shipwrecked ‘Star Hope’, corals, a 17th century anchor and other marine life. An interesting variation to this is the sub-scooter, which is a 35 minute underwater experience wherein individuals or couples are accompanied on their sub-scooter by qualified scuba divers. Mauritius also offers a number of land adventure activities like horse racing at Champ de Mars Racecourse at Port-Louis, wildlife safari at Casela, hiking at the Black River Gorges Na-
DESTINATION OUTBOUND
tional Park, among others. Other notable attractions include the Chateau de Labourdonnais, a heritage site built by Christian Wiehe between 1856 and 1859, SSR Botanic Garden Pamplemousses Mauritius, L'Aventure du Sucre, Curious Corner of Chamarel, etc.
Conference calling There is a wealth of accommodation to choose from in Mauritius – ranging from small to medium-sized hotels and luxury villas to resorts. The island has several major hotel groups
like Accor, Apavou Hotels, Attitude Resorts (like Bluemarine Attitude Mauritius), Beachcomber, Club Med, Constance Hotels, Indigo Hotels and Resorts, Lux Island Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Sun Resorts, Veranda Resorts and Heritage Resorts, One&Only Resorts, etc. Some of the hotels and resorts even come equipped with MICE facilities – for instance, the InterContinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort boasts of five meeting rooms ideal for events such as cocktails, dinners, conferences,
meetings and weddings. The Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort can host small MICE groups and has dedicated coordinators to organise groups and handle enquiries. The Maritim Crystals Beach Hotel Mauritius has three multi-functional airconditioned conference and event rooms for up to 375 people including an air-conditioned 323 sq m ballroom. Apart from hotels, the Swami Vivekananda International Conference Centre (SVICC) in Pailles is built on a surface area of 53,865 sq m and can host large MICE
'15 PER CENT OFALL ARRIVALS INTO MAURITIUS ARE MICE' Vijaye Haulder, deputy director, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) ■ Mauritius is popularly known as a wedding, honeymoon and family destination. How are you reinventing the destination for the Indian clientele? We are organising a luxury roadshow from August 23-29,2015 across Delhi,Mumbai Vijaye Haulder and Bengaluru to promote Mauritius as a high-end destination and will be inviting only national tour operators for the same.Presently,Mauritius is regarded as a honeymoon,family and wedding destination among Indians but we want to reposition it as a high-end golf,MICE,shopping,Bollywood and adventure destination.At present,50 per cent of our arrivals comprise of high-end tourists and over a period of three years we want to increase it to 60-65 per cent. In recent years,Mauritius has been experiencing a significant amount of MICE movement from different markets.This year we will have a few MICE groups coming in from India.Usually we receive MICE groups of approximately 200-500 pax and 15 per cent of all arrivals into Mauritius are MICE.We also have world-class golfing facilities with eight 18 hole golf courses all around the island. Hence we are looking at hosting golf tournaments and are also organsing the Mauritius Shopping Fiesta from August 16 to September 6,2015. ■ Are there any hospitality projects in the pipeline for Mauritius? Presently,we have 12,000 hotel rooms and we are not planning to add any more since we are experiencing excess supply.50 per cent of our hotels are under the five star category,while the rest are under the three-four star category. However,from July 1 this year we will be officially classifying hotels.Hotels will have to apply and meet certain criteria to get a particular classification. ■Where does India stand as a source market as compared to other international markets? What are the steps the tourism authority is taking to develop the market further? Tourism contributes about eight per cent to the island's GDP.France,UK,Germany,Reunion Island,South Africa, Switzerland are some of the major source markets for Mauritius.The Eastern European (Poland, Hungary,etc) market is now developing,while the Russian market has shown a decline.Whereas India and China are sharing the same position. Last year,Mauritius received 61,200 Indian tourists from among one million international tourists,thereby recording a 6.9 per cent growth from India and 4.6 per cent overall growth.We are targeting a 10 per cent overall growth this year. The average Indian spend is approximately 1000 euros,which we want to increase to 1500 euros.Though the travelling numbers from India are encouraging,the problem is that there aren't enough flights to cater to this demand. Furthermore,charter flights are also very expensive and the current challenge is to increase the number of flights.At present, we are trying to connect Kolkata,Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and are in talks with Air Mauritius.
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IN FOCUS
ADESERTAGENDA
Popular for one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, ‘Petra’, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has much more to offer. With a bouquet of conference facilities and incentive products, the kingdom is keen to display some Jordanian hospitality to the Indian MICE travellers By Akshay Kumar
A
country located in the western part of Asia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is already known for its beautiful landscape. From a historical perspective the country offers one of the mysterious lost cities, ‘Petra’, but on the other hand wellness tourism has also been in existence for centuries due to the presence of the Dead Sea. Moving beyond these destinations, the country has advanced and aggressively entered into the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Events) business. Recently, Jordan tapped the opportunity and
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showcased its conference facilities by hosting the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa 2015 at the King Hussein bin Talal Convention Centre. Located on the shores of Dead Sea at a distance of 45 km from Amman, the capital city of
Jordan, the King Hussein bin Talal Convention Centre is managed by the Hilton Group. This three-storied convention centre offers around 27 conference halls, lounges, foyers and several outdoor terraces. The centre can accommodate conferences ranging from 500 to
3,000 people with exhibition space of 1,310 sq m and boardrooms for smaller workshops, meetings and training sessions. One of the highlighs of this convention centre is that they have their own Indian F&B manager,
who can cater to every food preference. One can even host a convention or an exhibition in the city of Amman at the Zara expo, managed by the Hyatt Group. This centre has three exhibition
IN FOCUS Petra by the Night Chariot racing at Jerash
A night at Wadi Rum
Mud spa at Dead Sea
halls with space of 3000 sq m each. The expo is attached to the Grand Hyatt Amman which has 311 guestrooms including 16 suites, Grand Club and accessible rooms.
Myths debunked
FIVE THINGS MICE OPERATORS CAN INCLUDE IN THEIR ITINERARY: ■ Trekking at Wadi Mujib Nature Reserve Located along the east coast of the Dead Sea region, the Wadi Mujib is one of the best attractions for water adventure activities.An ideal activity for an incentive group itinerary. ■ Chariot racing at Jerash MICE groups can cheer for their favourite charioteer at The Roman Army & Chariot experience.The performance can also be branded with corporate logo at a private function. ■ Mud spa at Dead Sea Known as a medical and wellness retreat, incentive groups must consider a relaxing mud spa therapy at the Dead sea. ■ Petra by the Night Every Monday,Wednesday and Friday, after 8.30 pm, the Treasury is lit by few hundreds of candles. Corporates can exclusively book the area on request, Petra Kitchen gives the delegates an opportunity to cook their own Jordanian dinner.This is a unique activity where MICE groups can experience the Nabatean lifestyle. ■ A night at Wadi Rum Spending a night amidst the desert in exquisite Bedouin tents can surely be a good team building activity. Many local hospitality operators, offer authentic experience of a Bedouin, but there are also a few luxury camps available with all the amenities.
With all these world-class MICE facilities, the destination faces one big challenge, which every corporate thinks about. Is this destination safe? This nation shares its borders with some of the countries which have been recently in the news for infamous reasons. But due to a strong resistance from the government towards these anti-social elements, the country is extremely safe for travellers. The major tourist sites namely Amman, Dead Sea region, Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, etc are visited by international tourists throughout the year and is safe as any other tourist destination around the world. Also, despite being surrounded by desert, the country enjoys a pleasant weather
which is very much like the Indian subcontinent. Middle Eastern cuisine is primarily known for its kebabs and Shawarmas, which are quite popular amongst tourists. Whereas, India is one of the nation where vegetarianism is strongly followed, there are also some special food demands from certain communities. For these travellers, Jordan is an ideal destination, as a large part of the cuisine includes vegetarian food. Right from salads and dips to the main course, the Middle Eastern cuisine has an array of dishes for the veggies. Pita Bread; Shrak; Fatoush; Tabouleh; Shanklish; Hummus; Moutabel; Baba Ghanoush; Muhammara and Falafel are a few must try vegetarian dishes and of course there is a lot for the non-vegetarians as well. Apart from these options, most of the major hotel chains can arrange for an Indian chef, who can cater to every need of an Indian traveller..
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SPOTLIGHT
Dubai differently From international musical concerts to homegrown pop-up art sales, from seaplane tours to gourmet experiences, Dubai's evolving tourism offerings have something unique for tourists every time they visit the emirate By Sudipta Dev
D
ubai keeps reinventing its tourism attractions and this is one of the factors that draws repeat visitors to the emirate. For those looking to discover new aspects of Dubai beyond the glitzy malls and the ubiquitous desert safaris there are many interesting tourism options – all reflecting the changing face of Dubai and its multicultural populace. Dubai is fast emerging as a
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hotspot for musical performances across all genres. Blended invites international artists to perform in Media City Amphitheatre grounds. This year's lineup included Robin Thicke and Kool & the Gang. The arrangements are impressive while a majority of the audience enjoy the concert in a picnic like atmosphere on the grounds, there is also a VIP lounge area where guests are provided com-
plimentary food and drinks. There are food trucks and stalls around as a primarily expatriate crowd catch up with their friends and enjoy a Friday evening of music and fun. For those interested in arts, the Alserkal Avenue is the place to be. The whole area comprises of art studios and galleries that encourage many homegrown talent. Art and craft lovers can find a better bargain here than
the high-end galleries of Dubai International Financial Centre. There are in fact 20 art galleries in the vicinity. A4 Space is the main meeting point for artists. Every three months they organise a pop-up sale of their creations. For those visitors looking out to buy something eclectic these sales are perfect opportunities to pick up interesting creations of budding talent from the field of fashion to jewellery de-
sign. It is also very different from the usual mall experience that is synonymous with Dubai. Those who never had a chance to go on a seaplane tour of Dubai, must not miss this opportunity the next time they are heading for the emirate. Seawings seaplane tour is a highlight for most visitors to Dubai. The eight-seater planes gives a window view to every passenger. The panoramic aerial views of
SPOTLIGHT
Dubai and its development in real sense give an insight into the soul of the city as it stretches out before you in the 25 minute Dubai Creek Silver Tour. From the imposing Burj Al Arab to the World Islands, the tour is a breathtaking sightseeing experience. With prices starting from US$ 407, the luxury aerial sightseeing tours operated by Seawings does not come cheap, but the experience is worth it. There are also special packages for MICE and groups. Despite being a modern global city, heritage is at the heart of Dubai's culture. From the restored Al Bastakiya area to the still thriving gold souk and spice market, centuries old traditions have been preserved for the modern day visitor to admire and appreciate. Al Bastakiya is an old Iranian village. Many Iranians settled here, mostly trading in textile and food. The textile souk was also restored. An abra (water taxi) ride will take visitors to the spice and gold souks.
many as 200 nationalities, the world of cuisines is also as diverse and rich. While the Rib Room in Jumeirah Zabeel Saray offers mouthwatering steaks, Nobu at Atlantis The Palm is perhaps the best Japanese restaurant in the city serving creations of legendary Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. For a quick lunch, one of the perfect dining options is the buffet offering at the Deli in Armani Hotel, Downtown Dubai. Alta Badia at Jumeirah Emirates Towers is a leading Italian restaurant in the emirate. Named after a ski resort in the Dolomities, the restaurant is located at the 50th floor of the hotel. It do es not just offer authentic food from the heart of Italy but also spectacular views of Dubai city. Qbara restaurant is an interesting dining venue, not just because of the food arabesque cuisine with a modern twist - but also because of its fascinating interiors. Having won many design awards since its opening, the restaurant is a must visit.
Gourmet capital Dubai has over the years emerged as a gourmet capital in the region. For a city that takes great pride in its cosmopolitan culture that has embraced as
At The Top The highest outdoor observation deck in the world is located at, not surprisingly, the tallest building in the world - Burj Khal-
ifa. At The Top, Burj Khalifa SKY is located at level 148 in Burj Khalifa. Adding to the experience is the element of luxury and hospitality that so typifies Dubai. The entrance to At The Top is inside the Dubai Mall. A briefing session is conducted in At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY lounge, where visitors are offered dates, sweets and Arabic coffee. Audio guides are handed over by guest ambassadors who escort visitors to special high speed elevator that takes them to level 148. It is a thrilling moment for visitors to look down at the city sprawled before them from the 555 metres high observation deck. Here also hospitality has been incorporated in the heart of the whole experience as guests can relax for sometime in the luxurious lounge and sample delectable Arabic sweets and sip in refreshing mint lime cooler. Level 125 is at 456 metres which houses the Falcon’s Eye View experience. One of the highlights is the exhibition on the ground floor which gives behind the scene stories of how Burj Khalifa was built. There are giant posters of the teams who made the vision possible. It is a proud moment to see many Indian names and faces among them.
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CORPORATE FILE
Diversifying creatively 600 people across 20 offices pan India and still raring to go, Creative Tours & Travels (I) is growing with a clear vision. Established in 1979, it takes pride in diversifying creatively but also cautiously in today’s challenging business environment By Reema Lokesh
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he journey of Creative Tours & Travels (I) began way back in 1979. Its founder VS Abdulkareem stepped out of his home town Kerala in 1976 to establish the parent company Creative Enterprises in the Nagpada area of Mumbai as a travel consultant business. From its humble beginnings to the present strength of 20 offices pan-India, with over 600 plus staff and with an annual turnover of around `800 crore, this company has come a long way. In an industry such as travel and tourism, which especially in today’s time is highly volatile and competitive, one is compelled to ask visionaries of such long playing companies as to what keeps them going. The man behind this establishment V S Abdulkareem confidently says, “It’s all about being totally focused on your business and to survive the business downs, the key is to diversify surely but steadily. You cannot afford to put your eggs in one basket as it is important to strike the right balance and manage your business prudently. One should not be rigid and must change with time and must not depend on just one source of revenue especially in our kind of industry. One can easily diversify within the tourism portfolio.” When the parent company was established, the entire business scenario of the country was different. They sensibly tapped what made business sense during that era. Ticketing was a strong business option and hence the company ventured into the ticketing space under the Creative Enterprises banner. As times changed
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V S Abdulkareem
the company adapted accordingly and in 1993 the company applied for IATA accreditation and was recgonised as an IATA accredited travel company under the name Creative Tours and Travels. However in 1997, the company further underwent change and was finally called Creative Tours & Travels (I).
Focused approach The group ventured out aggressively into the tourism business the moment they sensed that that the ticketing business will soon not give in enough of revenue due to the trend of diminishing airline ticket commission since 1995. Predicting this decline, the plan to get into organising tours for both, groups and FITs made business sense, which clicked well. The outbound market showed promise
and growth. Eventually the company diversified into providing ancillary services, like insurance, etc as it firmly believes that diversification does help the business better especially in this trade. Another interesting niche that the company focused on was on religious and pilgrim tours. As official agents of Haj, Umrah and Ziyarat tours, the company also does well in the Christian tours space. It offers special packages of 21 days Christian tour for six Schengen countries that covers Vatican and ends in Paris. Under the pilgrim and religious tourism portfolio the company caters to a large number of countries, namely Israel, Jordan, Damascus, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Uzbekistan amongst others. Having successfully established its outbound business, the com-
pany is also strengthening its place in the inbound and domestic space further.
The domestic connect Sensing the power of 'India' as a strong tourism destination and also a peaceful country for tourism, the company is focused on growing its inbound division and also promote India further in the Middle East market. Abdulkareem says, “I belong to the state of Kerala and we are keen to work as a full fledged destination management company to promote Kerala along with other parts of India, both for the domestic and inbound market. We are doing very well with Kashmir as well. However, in 2009 we started with our plans to market Kerala to the Middle East clientele.” The company has a strong presence across India as the
founder feels that a physical presence in other cities helps to connect locally as each market has its own share of demands and requests. Technology has changed the style of business but the connection with the people that a local office has cannot be replaced, feels Adbulkareem especially in India's emerging town and cities which is the future. The future looks bright for this well established travel and tourism company as it is not being over ambitious and moving ahead with time and embracing change rightly. The next in line in business, Adl Abdulkareem, the son of the founder has entered the business arena but as a management trainee to learn on the job. The company is scheduled to open two international offices in 2016, one in Dubai and the other in Saudi Arabia, to promote India in the international markets. The company is surely growing and diversifying creatively and cautiously rather than competing in an environment that is challenging in today’s times.
CASE STUDY
Aglobal model for preservation Internet of Things turning New York's Lake George into 'World’s Smartest Lake'
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he Jefferson Project at Lake George, one of the most ambitious research projects to deploy Big Data and analytics technology to manage and protect a body of fresh water, is entering a new phase in which enormous amounts of data will be captured from sensors and analysed. Scientists anticipate that insights uncovered from the data collection and discovery stage of the project will not only help manage and protect one of America’s most famous lakes, but also create a blueprint to preserve important lakes, rivers and other bodies of fresh water around the globe. Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains, in the northeastern portion of New York. The potential impact of these new developments extends well beyond the shores of Lake George. By capturing and pooling data from all sorts of sensors and swiftly analysing it, scientists, policy makers and environmental groups around the globe can soon accurately predict how weather, contaminants, invasive species and other threats might affect a lake's natural environment. Armed with these new insights and a growing body of best practices, corrective actions could be taken in advance to protect fresh water sources anywhere in the world. A collaboration between IBM Research, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and The FUND for Lake George, the Jefferson Project involves more than 60 scientists from around the world and IBM Research labs in Brazil, Ireland, Texas and New York. The project is deploying Internet of Things technology on a grand scale in conjunction with research and experimentation
to understand the ecology of large lakes and the impact of human activity. Thirty-five years of monitoring the chemistry and algae in Lake George by scientists at Rensselaer’s Darrin Fresh Water Institute, in collaboration with The FUND for Lake George, have demonstrated the lake is changing. Chloride inputs from road salt have tripled, algae have increased by one third, and five invasive species have been introduced. These factors threaten the entire regional economies driven by water recreation, boating and other forms of tourism on fresh water lakes, rivers and streams. The new phase of the project is the culmination of several milestones. An array of sophisticated sensors of different shapes and sizes, including underwater sonar based sensors; customised software programmes and solar energy systems to power off-grid equipment have now been deployed, tested and refined. These enhancements have led to greatly improved measurement data
that will be used to better understand the lake and lead to improvements in the accuracy of four predictive models built by IBM researchers that precisely measure weather events, water run-off from the surrounding mountains into the lake, inputs of road salt to the lake, and water circulation.
From physics to fish The computing infrastructure powering the Jefferson Project involves multiple computing platforms, ranging from an IBM Blue Gene/Q supercomputer located in a data center on the Rensselaer campus to embedded, intelligent-computing elements and other Internet of Things technology situated on various sensor platforms in and around the lake. “The Jefferson Project provides an unique opportunity for biologists and environmental scientists to work closely with engineers, physicists, computer scientists and meteorologists to understand large lakes at a level of detail and intensity that is simply unprecedented,” says
Rick Relyea, director, the Jefferson Project at Lake George, adding, “Together, we will make tremendous inroads into understanding how lakes naturally behave and how human activities alter biodiversity, the functioning of freshwater ecosystems, and overall water quality.” “The world’s important bodies of fresh water such as Lake George are precious to people, essential to life and drive the economy, but they're under siege from a growing list of threats," says Harry Kolar, IBM distinguished engineer and associate director, the Jefferson Project. “The key to protecting this precious natural resource lies in the data, and the stage is now set to discover a deluge of insights about the delicate ecology of the lake and the factors that threaten it. The results of our efforts will help drive new ways to protect bodies of fresh water around the world," he adds. "Never in the history of any freshwater lake in the world has the caliber of science and technology now being brought to
Lake George been applied for the purpose of sustaining lake health, 'from physics to fish'.The empowered science of the Jefferson Project will empower people to ensure the lake is protected for future generations," says Eric Siy, executive director, The FUND for Lake George. For the past 35 years, research on Lake George was conducted manually, with scientists laboriously collecting water samples by hand for analysis in the lab. Now with the Jefferson Project, this important work is being digitised and accelerated, augmented with automated real-time data monitoring via a customised network of sensors that collect massive amounts of information and transmit it to supercomputers for analyses and modeling using sophisticated 3-D visualisation technology. The project is also developing new tools, such as image recognition software that identifies plankton from data collected via a GPS-enabled towable camera, as well as state-of-the-art data visualisations that bring new data-driven discoveries to life for scientists, tourists and local residents. More than ever, saving and protecting bodies of fresh water around the world is critical. Fresh water comprises only three per cent of all water on earth, yet two-thirds of it is frozen. The profound impact of fresh water – underscored by the severe drought in California and recent devastating floods in Texas – vividly demonstrates how closely water is linked to the economy and the welfare of people and all living things. Fresh water is the lifeblood of agriculture and industry, and the entire regional economies are driven by water recreation, boating and other forms of tourism dependent on lakes, rivers and streams.
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STRATEGY
The weekend strategy A new kid on the block, The Weekend Plan promises unique weekend breaks especially for pet owners, mothers and women group travellers who want hasslefree getaways By Reema Lokesh
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his is an idea that was born out of sheer need. The question here is where can families who own pets go for a weekend break? Hotels and resorts in general are not yet 100 per cent pet friendly in India. The second reason that further motivated the conceptualisers of ‘The Weekend Plan’ website (a dedicated site for premium weekend villa options in India) was the fact that where can a group of women go to if they truly want to party in privacy and enjoy their time at a swimming pool without being constantly worried about decorum and modesty, where she hopes to unwind without being judged. The answer to these questions was the `1.5 crore JV initiative between the Mafatlal
Group and Forecast Group that gave birth to The Weekend Plan, an idea that was germinated by one of its co-founders Vridhi Dodani and Satish Dodani, supported by co-founder Chirag Mehta, of Forecast Group and Nishant Amin. The three musketeers decided to offer their clients weekend villa options that come fully loaded with a cook (offering local cuisine options as well) and other facilities for a comfortable stay. Catering primarily to the family groups, it also targets all women travellers, senior citizen groups amongst others. Speaking passionately about the initiative, Dodani, says, “It was something that was born out of necessity and we are overwhelmed with the response it
has generated in a short span of time. We are clear that our business has to offer the best in villa options space and are only looking at offering specialised quality service to our clients from the hardware to the software. From indoor sports facilities, to outdoor adventure options, from an in-house cook to that of doctor on call, we have most of the requirements in place. We want to tap the only girls group segment, for which we have a few properties which are girl friendly with privacy and security and some also have indoor swimming pool facilities.” Amin added that, “Our aim is to constantly upgrade our product and providing quality service to our clients who should have a hassle free break."Dodani also adds
that, "We are for the mothers who really needs her break, where her kids are looked after well at our villa." Their strategy does not stop at only renting out villas for weekend breaks. They go a step ahead and adopt the villas in a way by renting it out from the owners, taking over the maintenance and upkeep of the place. They are also insisting villa owners to insure their property for safety reasons and encouraging them to tie up with insurance companies. Further, the com-
pany has also introduced a policy of not charging premium rates on special weekends, which is a popular trend in this space. Mehta concludes that, “We definitely want to increase our footprint in other parts of the country. It will be interesting to pick up properties in areas such as Sikkim, Coorg, Mt Abu, Kullu, etc. We have a reasonably strong presence in Maharashtra and have entered Goa, but this is just the beginning. The company aims to add around 500 villas in its portfolio by 2020.”
EVENT ROUNDUP
GREAT learning platform England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, were present in full force to showcase their world to the APMEA (Asia Pacific and Middle East) world at Destination Britain APMEA 2015 event. From countryside to culture, from literature to luxury there was more to see and explore By Reema Lokesh
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HE VISIT BRITAIN (VB) organised Destination Britain APMEA event designed for the Asia and Middle East market provided a unique opportunity for Britain’s tourism businesses to reach new markets. It proved to be a networking ground for all regions within its periphery namely, England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Britain’s tourism strategy by 2020 clearly stated a spend of 31.5 billion pound to bring in 40 million visitors adding to an additional 8.7 billion pound foreign exchange earnings. The Britain Tourism Strategy aims at focusing on four areas: 1) Image –build Britain’s GREAT image (in sync with the campaign) 2) Product- Improve the range of products, 3) Travel Trade- to get Britain on the shelf and 4) Access- make it easier to access the region. The APMEA region (that includes Asia and the Middle East) is considered as a high priority market for Britain’s inbound business. According to Visit Britain, since 2008, the spend from this region has grown to a tune of 35 per cent, which is 24 per cent of Britain’s tourism revenue. The forecast for 2015 stated that the volume of inbound tourism business is predicted to be around 2.5 per cent with the spend to go up by around 4.5 per cent. Visit Britain aims to continue with the ‘GREAT’ campaign which was launched in seven markets, and is a 125 million pound mar-
keting campaign. Customer focus will continue to be priority, providing them with the right content at the right time. VB also aims to go big on the social media platform and plans to redevelop its digital and mobile platforms which will be tailored to meet the consumer’s increasingly individual needs. In terms of building accommodation facilities across hotel categories, London is preparing itself to add capacity. The city will see more number of rooms added to its existing capacity in the next three years, with a list of new developments in the pipeline from Inter Continental from The O2 to the Four Seasons Trinity Square to the Mercure at Hyde Park, to name a few. The tourism board also shared their focused B2B initiatives namely, from the retail website concept to the travel trade website. From training programmes, trade shows to sales missions and FAM trips, VB has chalked out a strategic plan to bring in the business. Sounding upbeat about its growth expectations from the APMEA region, Christopher Rodrigues, chairman, VB, clearly spoke about the critical importance of APMEA to the economy and tourism growth. He said that, his team clearly intends to expand partnership programmes, and nurture key secondary markets. Their aim is to enhance their trade engagements and focus on hub carriers and finally develop a strong digital and mobile platform.
Trade connect and visa queries VB aims to continue their
strong links with the trade and to endorse this further the board aims to provide benefits to the trade by offering discounted rates on purchases, increased discounted rate to qualified BritAgents, affiliate links to earn commissions, discounted bulk offline sales of oyster cards, London maps and souvenirs. For India as the target market VB clearly intends to work on three major groups of travellers: 1) the value driven explorers, who are the young travellers 2) family travellers 3) the sophisticated affluent travellers. The department of visa UK was represented by Tony Moore, who candidly spoke about further improving the visa procurement procedures. He did address grievances with a forthcoming approach with an aim to carry the message forward to the authorities on issues concerning visas and its pricing systems. The travel trade delegation for India too found the event a worthy learning experience as they got to upgrade their product knowledge and enhance their business connections. Shefali Gupta of Amigo Travels, clearly stated that such events are great learning platforms and also effective grounds to meet their partners in the business. “We also get to learn about new options and products in the market and upgrade our itineraries and over all knowledge on the region,” she added.
Campaign calling From a rather generic showcase to a specific one, the campaigns promoted by VB has touched upon varied interests and preferences of their
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WHAT’S ON OFFER IN 2015-2016 AND BEYOND Film inspired holidays - The Bond is Great campaign with Spectre, Tarzan, Shrek attractions, Warner Bros Stuidio Tours London, Back to the Future musical, Hunger Games the musical, Harry Porter experience Rugby World Cup 2015 Year of Food and Drink Scotland 2015 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death Wales year of Adventure Lierary Links – 125th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s birth, 100th anniversary of Roald Dahl’s birth, 150th anniversary of Beatrix Potter’s birth 200th anniversary of Charlotte Bronte’s birth The novel Alice in Wonderland turns 150 in 2015 and to celebrate, follow an Alice in Wonderland trail in Llandudno, Wales 2017 Hull- UK’s City of Culture London’s first purpose built cruise terminal 2018 A new theme park for Paramount Pictures in Kent 2019 England will host the cricket World Cup
visitors, from music, heritage, culture to luxury, countryside and more. The countryside campaigns spoke about getting off the beaten track and experiencing the rural life. The luxury campaign highlighted the exquisite element of the place under the 'Luxury is Great' campaign. From a cultural showcase to a literature trail, from adventure in Wales to Scotland’s cuisine experience, the event highlighted all this and more. Music festivals and tours are being heavily promoted under the 'Music is Great' campaign. In 2013, 6.5 million tourists attended a festival or music gig generating 2.2 billion in spend. While overseas tourists account for six per cent of music tourism visits, they contribute 20 per cent of music tourism spend. From Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, each region had something to highlight that was
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unique to its set up. While Visit Scotland spoke about its castles and Bollywood connections , its cuisine and Whiskey specialties, Visit Wales launched a series of themed years, beginning with the Year of Adventure in 2016. Wales boasted of new iconic attractions such as Zip World and the world's largest underground trampoline. From Mountain Biking facilities at centres such as Coedy Brenin, Bike Park Wales and Antur Stiniog to that of a 1200 km of Wales Coast Path the longest continuous path along a nation's coastline, Wales is soon coming into focus. Wales has announced that 2017 will be The Year of Legends and 2018 as the Year of the Sea. The Surf Snowdonia at Dolgarrog in North Wales is also scheduled to be open in 2015. Ireland proudly spoke about the Titanic showcase amidst other attractions.
THE TORCHBEARERS
Home is where the heart is Joerg Drechsel and Txuku, founders and directors of Malabar Escapes have reinvented luxury travel in Kerala through the unique experiences showcasing the arts, crafts and culture of the state to their global clientele By Sudipta Dev
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ORN IN GERMANY, Joerg Drechsel fell in love with India when he travelled across the country in 1972. Almost two decades later he returned here with his Spanish wife Txuku and bought a heritage bungalow in Fort Cochin and converted it into a hotel. Malabar House is the first Relais & Chateaux member in India, and Drechsel is both the chairman of the Asian chapter of Relais & Chateaux and the joint secretary, Indian Heritage Hotels’ Association. In the last two decades as the Drechsels showcased the best of Kerala before the world through their beautiful properties and the unique experiences of Malabar Escapes, they created a special place for themselves in Kerala's travel and tourism industry. Talking about what inspired him to start Malabar Escapes when Kerala was nowhere on the international tourism map, Drechsel says, “I came the first time as a young man to Fort Cochin and was blown away. The location along the old port, dotted with Chinese nets, the layers of history surrounding me and a lifestyle formed by a composite culture, the whole mix was and is inspiring. When we, my wife Txuku and I, bought the Malabar House in 1995, Fort Cochin seemed to be a dying city with business houses moving out and the Anglo Indian population migrating.” He reminds that today Fort Cochin
Txuku and Joerg Drechsel
is a destination magnet, full of boutique hotels and home stays, art galleries and the fabulous biennale, lifestyle shopping and diverse dining experiences. “My wife and I take great pride that we started this revival,” he states. When queried on how tough it has been for a foreign national to create a niche in the chaotic world of India's travel industry, Drechsel comments, “Coming from a design background, we were very clear what we wanted - small hotels that create personalised comforts and showcase the best of local culture, combining heritage through inherited craft skills with exiting contemporary design.” He ac-
knowledges that to realise this was not easy, in particular in the initial stages when they had to navigate through the administrative labyrinth to obtain all required permits without violating the law. Not surprisingly, for the Drechsels, it was a cultural crash course.
Many milestones There have of course been many milestones in the last two decades - state tourism awards, five national tourism awards, World Travel Award last year, the first Green Globe certification in India, among others. “All these accolades have been milestones,” adds Drechsel. And, what according to him
have been the greatest learnings? “My wife and I had both no hospitality background when we started Malabar Escapes, nor were we accustomed to the Indian legal and business system. It was learning by doing. We got a lot of personal support on this route - Amitabh Kant and Dr Venu both at some stage secretaries of tourism encouraged us. Dipak Deva, today CEO of Kuoni destination management, met us at an early stage and realised that we can create something new. Jose Dominic and his brothers, owners of CGH Earth, have given us a lot of valuable advice and the Indian Heritage Hotels Association, under the guidance of its president, HH Gaj Singhji of Jodhpur and the general secretary, Randhir Vikram Singh Mandawa took me with open arms into their executive committee,” he says, adding that, the late HN Sanghvi, chartered accountant and finance director in their company, taught them Indian business practices, financial planning and prudence. “This is a long list, and many are still missing, but the learning is that you should look out for people who understand your way of thinking and doing and then have confidence in them. We learned a lot about integrity and loyalty,” asserts Drechsel. Every time the Drechsels return to India, the immigrations officer takes their passports and asks them when they will leave the country and return. “We explain that we
are actually coming home since we have been living and working for more them two decades in Kochi,” he says, not forgetting to add that India has welcomed them with open arms. “But we wish that there will be in future a tool similar to the Green Card, which recognises us as people living and working in India and contributing to its growth.” In the future, Drechsel wants to add more personalised experiences for guests into Malabar Escapes circuit and add a few new destinations. “As a person and the creative director, I want to focus more on my core skill as a ‘taste maker’, focusing on the development of crafted architecture and design rooted in the vernacular crafts vocabulary,” he states. Drechsel advises the next generation in the industry to develop new destinations instead of adding more room capacity to existing destinations. “India is full of exiting opportunities. Instead of copying others, develop your own vocabulary and identity. Work with the principles of responsible tourism and create activities which interlink the guests with the host community,” he adds with conviction. His single biggest wish for the growth of inbound tourism is that the central government relaxes and simplifies the visa rules. “This will make a huge difference since there is a great capacity for growth,” he asserts.
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MOVEMENTS Airbus Group Airbus Group has consolidated its divisions in India under Airbus Group India. Taking responsibility of the new company as president is PIERRE DE BAUSSET, a 25-year veteran of Airbus Group and its former corporate secretary. The Group is tying up with Indian partners to target several ongoing defence acquisition programmes. It has submitted a joint bid with Tata to offer
will continue in that capacity, and Muilenburg has been elected as a member of the board. TIM NOONAN has been appointed as vice president of training systems and government services (TSGS), effective immediately. Noonan replaces Bob Gower, who is retiring this month after nearly 30 years with the company. Noonan will lead more than 2,200 employees at six major TSGS sites within the company’s Global Services and Support division. The business develops and delivers aircrew and maintenance training, infrastructure support and logistics information management systems to customers all over the world. It also includes Tapestry Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company that provides advanced logistics and supply chain solutions to defense and commercial customers.
Pierre de Bausset
Atout France
the C295 aircraft as a replacement for the Indian Air Force’s ageing Avro aircraft. The Group also plans to develop and manufacture electronic sensors here with a local partner.
SHEETAL WADHWA MUNSHAW has been appointed as director- India, Atout France. Munshaw has over a decade of experience in the
Boeing The Boeing board of directors has elected DENNIS A MUILENBURG as the company's 10th chief executive, succeeding W James McNerney, Jr, who held the position for the past 10 years. Muilenburg, whohas served as Boeing president and chief operating officer since 2013, becomes president and CEO on July 1, 2015. McNerney Jr, who joined Boeing's board of directors in 2001, continues as its chairman. To ensure a smooth transition of his CEO responsibilities to Muilenburg, he will continue working as a company employee until retiring at the end of February 2016, and continue advocating on issues important to Boeing's US and global customers, partners and stakeholders, including ongoing Washington DC, engagement. Kenneth M, Duberstein, Boeing's independent lead director,
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Sheetal Wadhwa Munshaw
travel and tourism industry and was earlier the deputy director of Atout France in India (200405) prior to starting her own representation company, Avant Garde Consulting. She succeeds Catherine Oden, who will now head Greater China and will be based in Beijing in her new assignment.
IATA ANDRES CONESA, CEO of Aeromexico, has assumed his duties as chairman of the IATA Board of Governors for a one-year term, effective immediately. Conesa is the first Mexican to hold this position. Conesa succeeds Calin Rovinescu, CEO, Air Canada, whose one-year term expired at the conclusion of the association’s 71st Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Miami, Florida. Rovinescu will continue to serve on the Board of Governors and the Chair Committee. Conesa has led Aeromexico, Mexico’s largest airline, since 2005 after a career spanning several key, finance-related posts in the Mexican public administration. Conesa has served as a member of the IATA Board of Governors since 2008. IATA also announced that WILLIE WALSH, CEO, International Airlines Group, will serve as chairman of the board of governors from June 2016, following Conesa’s term.
Sabre Airline Solutions Sabre has appointed JEFF FULLMER as vice president and regional general manager of the Americas for the company’s Airline Solutions business. In this role, Fullmer will oversee the sales team for the Americas, including North America and Latin America and will work closely with airline customers in this region. He has 19 years of sales and customer management experience at IBM, where he most recently served as managing partner, Infrastructure Services. He has also held general manager, area general manager and regional manager positions within IBM. His predecessor, MIKE DOUGLASS, has taken on a new role as vice president, global head of strategic sales, managing large airline software portfolio engagements, including working with airlines who require a complex set of solutions from the
Empire Aviation India Empire Aviation India, a division of Air Works India and sister company to Dubai-based Empire Aviation Group (EAG), has appointed PRYANK SHARMA as new head of sales for northern India. He will lead the development of new relationships with private aircraft owners looking for professional aircraft management services. He brings with him more than 14 years’ experience and achievement in leadership roles in managing airline and general aviation sales in India. He was previously with Air Works India (a partner of EAG) and has also held senior positions with major commercial airlines, leading large teams
deepest and broadest portfolio in the airline industry. Both Douglass and Fullmer will report to Gilchrist. Fullmer earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Utah.
Bombardier Business Aircraft DAVID M COLEAL has been appointed as president, Bombardier Business Aircraft, effective June 15, 2015. He succeeds Éric Martel, who is leaving the company after 13 years of service to pursue other career opportunities. Before Coleal first joined Bombardier in 2008, he was president and chief operating officer of Cirrus Design Corporation. He also held various management positions at McKinsey and Company, Caterpillar and New United Motor Manufacturing. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology from California State University (CSU), Sacramento, and an MBA in Management Science from CSU, East Bay. Bombardier has also appointed JEAN-PAUL
and building national businesses and substantial corporate accounts.
PELLISSIER as a special advisor to conduct an extensive review of the company’s supply chain. Pellissier is an industry veteran with 25 years of experience at Dassault Aviation, most recently as senior vice president responsible for procurement. His focus will be to improve sourcing processes and supply chain efficiency. Bombardier has appointed JIM VOUNASSIS as vice president, operations strategy, effective June 15, 2015. In this new position, Vounassis will conduct a detailed review of the company’s operations and implement strategies to increase value creation across the organisation. In addition, he will lead Bombardier’s global action plan, focusing on improving profitability and execution to transform the business into a high performance organisation. Vounassis started his career at Kraft Canada before moving to Pratt and Whitney, where he spent nine years and fulfilled various management roles, including vice president, Strategic Sourcing from 2007 to 2009.
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E V E N T S
ANNIVERSARY BASH ETAA, South India Chapter recently celebrated its third year anniversary at Hotel Citrus, Bengaluru
GRACIOUS WELCOME West Bengal Tourism in association with IATO, West Bengal Chapter hosted the 'Experience Bengal Evening', a programme welcoming the travel industry delegates from Sri Lanka, held in Kolkata
HEARTFELT RECOGNITION SouthWest German Tourism Board recently organised a press conference at Hotel Ambassador, Mumbai to recognise 2015 as the year of the Indian traveller and the travel trade
EMERGING GATEWAY Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) invited travel professionals in Indore over an evening of discovering the multi-faceted attractions of Abu Dhabi
APPRECIATING EFFORTS Atout France recently organised the French Ambassador's Travel Awards Soiree in Mumbai. The Awards is an initiative launched by H.E. Francois Richier, Ambassador of France to India, to appreciate the efforts of travel agencies who incorporated France in their published travel itineraries
FLYING HIGH H E Akbar Al Baker, group chief executive, Qatar Airways was felicitated with the Airline of the Year, Best Business Class Airline Seat and Best Airline in the Middle East awards at the recently concluded Annual Skytrax World Airline Awards held at MusĂŠe de l'Air et de l' Espace, Paris Air Show
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WEDDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS Serbian actress, Vjera Mujovic and a doctor from Germany, Stefan Preis tied the knot on a Turkish Airlines Belgrade-Istanbul flight, after meeting each other a year prior on another Turkish Airline flight
RESURGENT RAJASTHAN On the occasion of the Ambassadors’ Roundtable Conference in New Delhi, the chief minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje (centre) unveiled the new Rajasthan Tourism Unit Policy, 2015
TOP-UP TRAVEL Shibani Phadkar, senior vice president and head - leisure travel outbound, products and operations, Thomas Cook (India), at the launch of the company's ‘Top-Up Holidays’
GREEN INITIATIVE Coinciding with the coronation of His Majesty the Fourth, Druk Gyalpo and the Social Forestry Day, 100 Bhutanese attempted to plant 50,000 trees in one hour with the objective to beat the current world record of 40,885 trees planted by 100 heads in one hour
Celebrations galore
Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) – Eastern Region recently organised its annual bash for the travel trade at The HHI, Kolkata
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L-R: Sheila Mehra, sales head, Jet Airways; Tran Chi Cuong, vice director, Danang City Tourism, Vietnam; H E Vu Son Thuy, consul general of Vietnam; Jay Bhatia, chairman tourism council; Valsa Nair Singh, secretary tourism, Government of Maharashtra and MD, MTDC at the MoU signing ceremony for promoting bilateral Indo-Vietnam tourism co-operation held in Mumbai
REGD.WITH RNI UNDER MAHENG/15993/05, MH/MR/SOUTH-156/2013-15 PUBLISHED 11th OF EVERY MONTH AND POSTED ON 12, 13 & 14 OF EVERY MONTH POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE.