EDITOR’S NOTE
United we stand ?
I
t is always inspiring to write the first edit of a new year. It is also that time of the year when people tend to step out rather bullish, with renewed plans and expectations. Introspection leads to change, dropping the unwanted and the sluggish and replacing it with goals and objectives that look possible and doable with a rejuvenated thought process. The travel industry is no exception to this. The industry like many others is going through its set of challenges and questions amidst the industry stake holders across the spectrum. Associations have done their reality check and have spelt out their broad plans for 2017 and what they intend to achieve over the coming months. Our cover story has capsuled their agenda and intent in this issue. The private sector has huge expectations from the government and there have been serious talks within the fraternity that the time has come for the tourism industry to get some serious support from the government. From taxation issues to request for industry status, the wishlist is in place. Apart from this, travel agents and tour operators have issues within their own fraternity for which they seek solutions. The primary concern that surfaces in regular intervals within the trade is that just like the airline industry, the hospitality sector too is giving the offline
HEAD OFFICE MUMBAI EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD® The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Business Publication Division 2nd Floor, Express Tower, Nariman Point Mumbai- 400 021 Board line: 022- 67440000 Ext. 527 Branch Offices NEW DELHI Prabhas Jha The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Business Publication Division Express Building, B-1/B Sector 10 Noida 201 301 Dist.Gautam Budh nagar (U.P.) India. Board line: 0120-6651500. Mobile: +91 9899707440 BANGALORE Mathen Mathew The Indian Express (P) Ltd. Business Publication Division 502, 5th Floor, Devatha Plaza, Residency road, Bangalore- 560025 Mobile: +91 9840826366
“The answer boils down to a general observation that the Indian travel fraternity only speaks about unity in trade but seldom practises it in reality. Need of the hour is to walk and talk as a united force”
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travel agents and operators a miss on few occasions. The general sentiment within the industry has been sombre especially due to this development. However, the question here is why is the industry facing this? The answer boils down to a general observation that the Indian travel fraternity only speaks about unity in trade but seldom practises it in reality. The need of the hour is to walk and talk as a united force and stand by each other to get the agenda through. The trade seems highly fragmented and are only placing their complaints on platforms that may not be in a position to provide solutions. The question about having a checklist and getting some strong rules in place before floating a travel company comes later. Travel agents in general need to respect their work and probably not be afraid to ask for a valid consultation fee for the work and research they put in. 2017, could be the year when companies within this trade may reshape their preamble and realign their business and policy to enjoy justified profitabilty. Change is always tough, but surely works well for those who believe in it.
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EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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January 2017
CONTENTS MANAGEMENT Vol 11 No 12 JANUARY 2017 Pages 40
28
Chairman of the Board
Viveck Goenka Sr Vice President - BPD
Neil Viegas Editor
Reema Lokesh* DUBAI'S NEW LANDMARK DUBAI PARKS AND RESORTS IS THE GRAND NEW GLOBAL TOURISM HOTSPOT IN THE MIDDLE EAST THAT IS ALL SET TO BE A MAJOR DRAW FOR BOTH, LEISURE TRAVELLERS AND THE MICE SEGMENT
Assistant Editor
Steena Joy Sr. Associate Editor
Sudipta Dev CONTENT TEAM New Delhi
Saloni Bhatia DESIGN National Design Editor
EDGE
Bivash Barua Assistant Art Director
Pravin Temble
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Senior Artist
Ratilal Ladani, Kiran Parker SCHEDULING & COORDINATION
Ashish Anchan Photo Editor
Sandeep Patil MARKETING Regional Heads
Harit Mohanty - East & West Prabhas Jha - North Marketing Team
Debnarayan Dutta Ajanta Sengupta Mathen Mathew CIRCULATION
NAVIGATION
2017
A HIDDEN JEWEL IN THE HEART OF INCREDIBLE INDIA AFTER A SUCCESSFUL FIRST EDITION OF JAL MAHOTSAV, THE MADHYA PRADESH STATE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TURNED THE ACTIVITY-BASED EVENT INTO A MONTH-LONG FESTIVAL THIS YEAR ON THE INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL MAN-MADE ISLAND OF HANUWANTIYA IN KHANDWA DISTRICT
As the New Year rolls out Express TravelWorld spoke to the leading industry associations to get their insights on what lies ahead for India's tourism sector
Mohan Varadakar
(22-27)
PRODUCTION General Manager
MARKETS
B R Tipnis Manager
Bhadresh Valia Express TravelWorld® POSTAL REGD. NO. MCS/163/2016 – 18 RNI Reg. No.MAHENG/2005/15993 Printed by The Indian Express (P) Ltd.
06
LIFE
MYLES TO BRING IN A NEW ECOSYSTEM IN THE CAR RENTAL SPACE IN INDIA
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AIR INDIA PLANS TO LAUNCH 6 NEW INTERNATIONAL ROUTES IN 2017
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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 & Administrative Offices:
P03 : EDITOR’S NOTE P35 : APPOINTMENTS
INTERVIEW WITH GUNENDRA PATIL, VP, DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, HAPPIEST MINDS TECHNOLOGIES
34 UBERFAUJI: EMPOWERING EX-SERVICEMEN UBERFAUJI INTRODUCED IN INDIA TO PROVIDE ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO EX-SERVICEMEN IS MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE
Express Towers, 1st Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400021)
P36 : WEEKEND
Copyright © 2017 The Indian Express (P) Limited. 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
IN THE NEWS
Myles to bring in a new ecosystem in car rental space in India Saloni Bhatia New Delhi PROMISING a dynamic change in the car rental segment, Myles Cars, known for its self drive car rental service is set to introduce key-less car transactions at 250 locations, starting next year. “An alternate ecosystem to car ownership in the country, the new technology is all set to make a huge difference to the transportation segment in the travel sector,” elucidates Rajiv Vij, CEO and MD, Carzonrent (parent company for Myles). Speaking to Express TravelWorld, he stated, “The upcoming Myles technology will enable the user to get access to a car at any of the designated locations through a virtual app key 10 minutes prior to the pick up time. The user can then take the car to the required destination. Once the
Rajiv Vij
Sakshi Vij
drop is complete, the user can leave the keys in the car and end the transaction through the app. This new initiative will reduce the human intervention in car transactions and change the self drive concept in the country.” Currently Myles owns a fleet of 1,200 cars at 250 locations spread over 21 cities across In-
dia. Talking about expansion plans, Rajiv Vij, added, “We have already done pilots in all the major cities and will now start implementing the system. The plan is to increase the fleet to 50,000 cars spread across 5000 locations in the country in the next five years. This will be by far the biggest revolution in the trans-
portation industry that will change the face of mobility.” Adding to the information, Sakshi Vij, CEO and founder, Myles Cars, stated, “Myles has shown a monthly growth of 3035 per cent. Indians are buying about 2.6 to 2.7 million car annually, which translates into a 11 billion dollar commitment to car ownership. The idea is to create an alternate ecosystem to car ownership. Mobility needs to be smarter and faster, therefore our new plan will enable the consumers to access cars which are not in use all throughout the year.” The company is doing around 10,000 transactions in a month, which translates into 25,000 car days in a month. These cars can be picked up from any of the 250 locations across India. This entire movement is overlooked by the company's National Command Cen-
tre in New Delhi. There is also a 24/7 roadside assistance service to handle problems faced by customers during their journey. In case a user is stranded, the company makes sure the car is fixed or the user is given another car. Sakshi further mentioned, “At the same time we are also experimenting with technology at the back-end, which tracks the car, checks driver behaviour and other intricacies and can predict accidents based on the pure analysis.” Making progress on the B2B front, Sakshi Vij mentioned, “Carzonrent will soon be available on global distribution systems. This will give access to international clients to make our booking similar to the way they book a hotel or a flight. Our technology will be integrated through the systems to be made available globally.”
Punjab banks upon waterways to push tourism Mohit Rathod Mumbai THE PUNJAB Government has launched its amphibious bus project – Harike Cruise – at Harike Wetlands, the largest wetland in North India. The inaugural ride was flagged off by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. The project, aiming to boost tourism in the state, has been set up at a cost of over INR 10 crore. Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Hussan Lal, managing director, Punjab Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), said, “Punjab
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has tremendous network of rivers, canals and inland waterways. These waterways have great potential in harnessing the tourist footfall. In order to achieve this objective, Government of Punjab has introduced water-based tourism through amphibious bus at Harike Wetlands. Such an activity will boost the tourism trade and will also help to generate revenue and employment for the state.” The amphibious vehicle has been built by Advance Amphibious Design in the USA, Amphibious Design India and Automotive Corporation of Goa and features chassis by Swedish automotive
company Scania. To make the project operational, a ramp has been constructed at left marginal bund of Harike wetland. For the ease of tourists who come from Amritsar, a tourist reception centre has been set up at the railway station, which will also provide transfer facilities to the boarding point at Harike. The total duration of the tour, including transfers, is around 3 hrs 45 mins. However, the operations will have been halted for the next 15-20 days as water level in the reservoir has receded to 3.5 feet due to the raising of the main gates of Rajasthan Feeder Canal and Ferozepur
Feeder Canal for repairs. The minimum water level required for operating the service is six feet. “The tour offers tourists a unique experience in the wetlands of Harike where they can enjoy the flora and fauna. A large species of birds and Indus dolphin are found at the confluence of Satluj and Beas. It will be a real feast for the bird lovers. The local populace, where tourists will visit restaurants and hotels for night stay, will also benefit. This will again generate more revenue,” Lal said, while adding, “If the project is successful and the revenue generation is good,
then in the next six months, two more buses will be procured.” The project also includes tourist facilities such as canteen, gazebos, parking, toilets, bird watching towers, bird watching trails among others. The tour is priced at INR 2000 with transfers to the railway station and INR 800 excluding it. In October 2016, Goa had launched its amphibious attraction, Duck Tours. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) also announced to operate amphibious bus service in the Arabian Sea, Mumbai.
IN THE NEWS
Air India plans to launch 6 new international routes in 2017
Saloni Bhatia New Delhi AIR INDIA recently launched the thrice-weekly New DelhiMadrid direct flight, adding to the airline's international routes. The national carrier will soon expand its international portfolio with new upcoming destinations. Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Ashwani Lohani, CMD, Air India, informed that the airline plans to launch six new international routes next year. He stated, "We are looking at Washington DC, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Copenhagen, Toronto and Stockholm for the upcoming destinations. We are also looking to add extra
flights to Australia and further connect Frankfurt to Mumbai in the near future.” Earlier this year, Air India had launched Ahmedabad to New York flight, apart from the Delhi to Vienna services. On the domestic front, he said that Air India will be adding 24 new planes in 2017, out of which, 14 will be Airbus aircraft and 10 ATRs. He also mentioned that these planes will fly to more routes in North East India. Talking about the competition in domestic market, he opined, “There is definitely competition from the domestic airlines, but our prices are also equally competitive.” Adding to his comment, Lo-
hani stated, “When there is high competition in the transport sector, the cost is pushed down and profit margins are low. While people are still following the mindset of being transported at a lower cost, the prices have not changed in the past five years. This makes the sector highly complicated as one single item of consumption, the fuel price, often changes the entire scenario for an airline.” Talking about the aviation sector, he opined, “Aviation is the mother of all sectors and is highly regulated as compared to other industries in India considering the safety standards involved in each process.”
DOME @ NSCI targets corporates for large MICE events Sudipta Dev Mumbai WITH THE Maharashtra government focused on positioning Mumbai as the events capital of the country, DOME @ NSCI-SVP Stadium has become a premium venue for some of the biggest events, including large corporate events. “In the coming years, we will focus on targeting more multinationals as well as organising international conferences and aim at becoming the first preference of most corporates,” said Mazhar Nadiadwala, MD, Dome Entertainment. The venue can host events ranging from 300 delegates to more than 8000 people. In the past DOME has organised large corporate events like Make In India launch, Aditya Birla Awards, BMW i8 launch (where a track was created inside DOME for test drive). MICE events include Asian Racing Conference, TED Talk, 150 years of Bar Council and others. Nadiadwala believes that having organised such major corporate events in the past, DOME should become the first choice for most of MICE events in the city. The massive indoor space at the Dome can be customised as per the need and requirement of an event. According to Nadiadwala there is flexibility to change the look and feel of the venue as per the event and preferences. “It helps the clients
Mazhar Nadiadwala
to explore more in terms of design of the ambience. Not only this, DOME has a superior engineering team which encourages creativity in terms of design and ambience of the event,” he said. Nadiadwala mentioned that after the Maharashtra government declared that at star hotels, auditoriums and other places only nominal procedures are required for organising an event, now a number of large, grand events are being hosted in Mumbai. “We saw some of the biggest events taking place at DOME @ NSCISVP Stadium. Some of these events were Pro Kabaddi Series, Nucleya concert, Arijit Singh’s concert (twice), Rumor Popup, and one of the most important is Beauty and the Beast musical,” said Nadiadwala, affirming that the city is proudly positioned as a film entertainment and event capital.
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IN THE NEWS
'DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES ARE REVOLUTIONISING THE TRAVELINDUSTRY' Gunendra Patil, VP, digital transformation, Happiest Minds Technologies on the unique blend of services and solutions his company is offering for various segments in the travel industry, including airlines, hotels, cruise companies, tour operators, distributors, transportation and logistic organisations By Sudipta Dev What are your key products and solutions for the travel industry ? Our services are to enable OmniChannel of customer experience, increasing business efficiency using the disruptive technology pillars- Internet of Things, cloud computing, social computing, mobility and analytics. We also offer infrastructure and security management solutions for risk and compliance, threat and remediation, cyber security. The major focus of our travel solutions and services are built on the 3R’s re-imagine customer experience by ensuring customer delight across Omnichannel; re-engineer business
efficiency by creating a nimble and agile organisation; and reduce business risks by creating a compliant and secure digital ecosystem. Under this third aspect we have cyber security and infrastructure management solutions and we have capabilities for disaster recovery and capacity planning. Who are your major clients? Are the solutions relevant only for big companies ? Our key client segments include theme/specialty resorts, airlines and airports. We serve all size companies who need these solutions. How can the thousands of
Gunendra Patil
small travel agents and tour operators across the country benefit from Happiest Minds technologies? The travel industry is expe-
riencing revolutionary changes powered by the disruptive technologies. The competition in this space is also becoming paramount. To tap into the benefits of these technology advancements, the travel industry players have to explore and realise the value of these technologies and how it can help them overcome the challenges of fierce competition in terms of service quality, reach and customer experience. Regardless of the size of the organisation, they need to care about having relevant information /packages available with them. In Happiest Minds we have some of our SaaS based solutions which cater to this segment on a ‘pay
per use’ basis. I feel the size of companies does not matter much, but what matters is their focus and readiness to adopt these new generation technologies. Any significant implementations you are particularly proud of? Digital Platform implementation for a leading ski tour operator. We built a complete system for the ski resort including mobile PoS system which can work in remote areas with limited network connectivity. The system is being used extensively by TUI for customer engagement, planning as well to increase cross sell/upsell.
Infiniti Software Solutions plans global expansion Mohit Rathod Mumbai IN THE WAKE of the growing corporate travel segment, business travel technology solutions have seen significant development as corporates are demanding faster and more efficient systems to control costs and reduce turnaround time. While the OTAs are leveraging upon technological advancements, business travel technology providers are also moving at the same pace. Infiniti Software Solutions, a Chennai-based travel techonology service provider to corporates, claims to be leading the
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Ananth Narasimhan
space in India. The company offers diverse solutions for the travel and aviation industry such as SME tool, expense manage-
ment, group revenue management, business travel management, airline forecasting tool, and airline CRM solution. Ananth Narasimhan, founder and CEO, Infiniti Software Solutions, said, "The role of technology in travel is gaining more importance, now that the world is changing more rapidly than ever. The aggressive adoption of technology has resulted in more operational efficiency and savings in terms of time and money. Business travel technology solutions have seen significant development as customers are demanding faster and more efficient systems to control costs
and reduce turn around time." "Atyourprice and group revenue management solution, GroupRM, are seeing significant demand across the world. With the launch of our expense management solution, ExpenseOut, we are poised to offer our customers a way to manage their employee expenses using a simple cloud based solution," he added. The company, which has a clientele of 160 who use the business travel solutions, plans to setup sales offices across the world over the next 12 to 18 months. Airlines such as Virgin America, Oman Air, SpiceJet, GoAir and Tiger Air are among
the 14 airlines using its revenue management solution. Narasimhan opined that travel analytics and data mining is a space that is seeing a lot of innovation and understanding structured and unstructured data will be key to enhance service levels. He added, "The age of personalisation in travel is very close as technology giants are aggressively trying to find ways to identify and present specific travel options and prices suited to each traveller. Business travel technology solutions companies are using data to present frequent travellers the most cost efficient travel options.”
AVIATION
Kazakhstan to target Indian MICE segment
Thailand strengthens focus on luxury tourism Mohit Rathod Mumbai
Saloni Bhatia New Delhi KAZAKHSTAN, one of the upcoming destinations of Central Asia, has also shifted its focus to India to attract more tourist arrivals. The country will be hosting Expo 2017, an international exhibition between June 10 and September 2017 in Astana, attracting MICE travellers from around the world. Bulat Sarsenbayev, ambassador of Republic of Kazakhstan to India, stated, “The exhibition is themed as 'Future Energy' and will talk about sustainable energy for the future. India will have a stall at the exhibition and August 15 will be celebrated as India Day. We are ex-
pecting a big delegation from India to attend the event. The city of Astana is well equipped with expo centres to host MICE travellers in big groups.” As a tourist destination, Kazakhstan recorded 10,000 Indian tourist arrivals till November 2016 as compared to 8,000 last year, informed Sarsenbayev. He added, “We are looking to increase our economic ties with the country and also take the necessary steps to boost tourism. This will include introducing some additional flights between New Delhi and Almaty, opening direct flights between New Delhi to Astana and also adding other flying destinations in India.” AirAstana, Kazakhstan's national carrier currently runs daily
flights from New Delhi to Astana and there are some private charter flights coming to Goa during the peak season. Talking about the visa norms, he stated, “We are looking to simplify some visa regimes, for instance, make it easier for business and group travel. From January, the embassy is entitled to issue business visas through independent charge and not seek invitation from Kazakhstan. We have also proposed to the Indian government to appoint an agency to grant group visas for the tourists as our own government plans to work on introducing e-visas. The coming years will see ease in travel norms between the two countries.”
THAILAND is directing efforts to develop itself as a luxury tourism destination in the India market. As part of the plan, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently organised the fourth edition of its luxury roadshow in India. The tourism authority had initiated the luxury roadshow in 2013 – then a two-city campaign – which now covers four cities, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Kolkata. Speaking to Express TravelWorld in Mumbai, Soraya Homchuen, director, TAT – Mumbai office, said, "We have identified the spending power of the people of Mumbai. Thailand has a lot of luxury offerings and various experiences for high-end travellers. As the Indian
economy is growing, we are tapping the luxury segment in the country." Homchuen also pointed out that the number of online visa applications from Mumbai has increased. "About 15-20 per cent of Indian tourist arrivals to Thailand are luxury travellers, majorly from Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. We are targeting at least 10 per cent growth from the India market for 2017. Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai are two of the major luxury destinations in Thailand. In 2017, we plan to promote Northern Thailand," informed Homchuen. Alongside leveraging the luxury offerings of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, TAT has also identified cruise lines' role in promoting luxury tourism. The tourism authority is working with cruise lines for pre and post tours.
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IN THE NEWS
Netherlands expects 30% growth in Indian arrivals Mohit Rathod Mumbai AWAITING tourism statistics for 2016, the Netherlands is expecting a 30 per cent growth in Indian arrivals in the year, with a key proposition being Jet Airways' connectivity between India and the Netherlands. The Netherlands Board of Tourism and Convention (NBTC), along with Jet Airways and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, recently held a travel trade meet in Mumbai. Being one of the fastest growing inbound markets for the Netherlands, India contributed 101,000 visitors to the destination in 2015. "After being inactive for a couple of years, we started our promotional activities in the India market in 2016. Before 2011, we
have been present in this market for around seven to eight years, but this year we have created a plan which is mix of both, travel trade and consumer activities," said Carola van Rijn, project manager, NBTC. The average stay duration of Indian visitors in the Netherlands is two nights, and about 90 per cent of Indians go to Amsterdam, whereas the other cities are not visited to that scale. Addressing this, Rijn expressed hope to create more awareness about other destinations, which will subsequently increase the stay duration and spend. She added, "The MICE market from India, at the moment, is smaller than leisure. However, from my interaction with the travel trade, I have observed that MICE is a signifi-
cant market. We are also trying to create iteneraries that fall into a certain theme, to promote experiental tourism." Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, which celebrated 100th anniversary in September 2016, is expecting a nine per cent growth in the number of passengers. Wilco Sweijen, director, aviation marketing, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, stated, "In 2015, passenger traffic between India and the Netherlands was around 200,5000, but with Jet Airways' connectivity we hope it will grow to over 400,000 in 2016." The airport is focusing on operational efficiency and has introduced new facilities such as passport control, iris scan, self-service check in, and selfservice drop off points. In July
The average stay duration of Indian visitors in the Netherlands is two nights, and about 90 per cent of the Indians go to Amsterdam, whereas the other cities are not visited to that scale last year, it also introduced a new security process for passengers. "We are promoting ourselves not just as an airport, but as an airport city by given passengers an experience of Holland in the airport itself. At certain times of the year, we also conduct various events at
the airport. The response from the India market has been very good. We are trying to make Amsterdam Airport Schiphol the gateway to Europe for Indian travellers," said Sweijen, while adding that the airport will roll out more check-in facilities, which is expected to grow its capacity.
TTF2017 series to kick-start in Chennai ETW Staff Mumbai CHENNAI Trade Centre, Nandambakkam is serving as host to Travel & Tourism Fair (TTF). The three-day TTF Chennai, held from January 6 to 8, will see 120 national and international participants. This year, the show has grown by 25 per cent over last year, indicating that even post-demonetisation, the travel industry is anticipating growth and positive trends. Participants from six countries and 20 Indian states and union territories are participating in the trade show. These include state tourism boards, national tourist offices, hoteliers, airlines, tour operators and
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travel agents, online travel companies, railways, cruises and other travel marketers. Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are the partner states for the event, whereas Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Telangana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Jharkhand and Andaman and Nicobar are the feature states. SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka, is participating at TTF Chennai as the partner airline. “With the most recent expansion into India, SriLankan Airlines now operates to 11 cities in India with a weekly frequency of 106 flights,” said S P Mohan, manager for Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. TTF Chennai is also having
participation from Haryana, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Whereas country representations at Chennai include Malaysia, Singapore, Russia, Nepal and Sri Lanka. First half of the show (from Friday to Saturday till 2 pm) is reserved for the travel trade, after which it is open for all (from Saturday afternoon till Sunday evening). The TTF Series is supported by India Tourism, which is also participating in TTF Chennai as in the past. Besides states and country representations, other exhibitors include India B2B Solutions, Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC),
Southern Travels, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), Tamara Coorg, Itzcash and more. To enhance and showcase their respective offerings, participating states and countries at TTF Chennai will also present cultural events and marketing presentations to trade visitors and the media. Sanjiv Agarwal, chairman and CEO, Fairfest Media (organiser of TTF), commented, “TTF Chennai provides an important opportunity to be present in a hugely strategic market of South India. The trade show, now in its 28th year, has resulted in creating a firm and strong network for the travel industry to explore the full potential and opportuni-
ties in domestic and outbound travel.” Immediately after Chennai, TTF will take place in the subsequent weekend in Bengaluru (January 13-15). TTF is supported by Incredible India, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI), Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI), IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI) and SKAL. Fairfest Media is also a member of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI).
IN THE NEWS
Germany aims for 2 mlln Indian tourist arrivals by 2030 Saloni Bhatia New Delhi GERMAN NATIONAL Tourist Office, India (GNTO) recently concluded a four-city roadshow in India. The event witnessed participation of eight travel partners. Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Romit Theophilus, director, sales and marketing, GNTO, informed, “India has recently shifted to the top 20 destinations for inbound tourists for Germany. The country has already recorded over 500,432 overnights from India for the
period of January-August 2016 with a growth of 4.4 per cent over the same period last year. We are hopeful to touch 600,000 overnights by the end of 2016. Germany has been the top destination for Indian travellers in Europe for the past five years and we hope to once again establish it as a leisure destination in 2017.” The workshops helped facilitate interactions between German partners and the Indian travel trade on latest offers, highlights and attractions for Indian travellers. The event saw participation from Köln-
Düsseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt AG, the city tourism board of Cologne, the state tourism board of Saxony, Stuttgart and Southwest Germany, the city tourism board of Baden-Baden, AirBerlin, Lufthansa German Airlines and Maritim Hotels. One of the partners, Wolfgang Gartner, head, international marketing, Visit Saxony, stated, “Saxony as a city has a better connect with Indian travellers. Majority of tourists visit the city for day tours and therefore, there has not been a significant increase in the
overnights.” Gregor Gosciniak, head, marketing, Cologne Tourist Board, informed, “2016 has seen a decline in Indian tourist overnights because last year saw a major convention which pulled more traffic. We are sure to bounce back with the numbers in 2017.” Gosciniak also introduced the Köln card among the agents which can be used as tickets for tourist spots or transportation in Cologne. Mark Spivey, director, international sales, Maritim Hotels, stated, “Maritim holds five per cent of the market share of In-
dian tourists coming to Germany. Earlier the major traffic was of business travellers, but the recent years have seen a rise in leisure travellers as well.” Germany will be focusing on marketing initiatives through social media in the coming year, informed Theophilus. The GNTO campaigns in the coming years will feature sustainable holidays, Luther, the 500th anniversary of the reformation in 2017, Culinary Germany in 2018 and 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven in 2020.
Tirun announces Celebrity Constellation's maiden Mumbai voyage ETW Staff Mumbai TIRUN, the exclusive India representative of Royal Caribbean Cruises, has announced the arrival of Celebrity Cruises’ Millennium-class ship, Celebrity Constellation, in Mumbai, for the first time. The Millennium-class cruise ship docked in the city as part of its existing Asia sailings. A plaque and key ceremony was conducted on-board to welcome Constellation. The ship, targeted at discerning travellers, provides facilities such as staterooms, spa, technological amenities and more. Celebrity Constellation offers various features, activities, entertainment, and dining options. The 66 newly
furnished staterooms, including spa-inspired Aqua Class accommodations, have been designed to revitalise guests. In addition the cruise also features Celebrity Suites with private verandas. Concierge Class guests can enjoy priority check-in services, custom blended bath amenities, wine, fresh fruit and more. The exclusive lounge, Michael’s Club, features a large-screen TV, reading areas stocked with magazines, newspapers, and books and a selection of cuisine. The Tuscan Grille, Canyon Ranch SpaClub, and the vodka pairings that can be sampled at an icefilled table at Crush, are other experiences onboard the cruise. Speaking on the arrival of Constellation, Ratna Chadha,
chief executive, Tirun, said, “Tirun is continually striving to make cruises accessible to Indian travellers. We are therefore delighted to introduce the mar-
vels that Celebrity Constellation holds to our domestic cruise enthusiasts. The fact that the ship will dock in Mumbai also underlines India’s emerging position
as an ideal cruise destination. The elegant ship has a reverielike vibe, which is perfectly complemented by Mumbai’s status as the Maximum City.”
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IN THE NEWS
Sapphire Ventures focuses on specialised packages Saloni Bhatia New Delhi FOCUSING on the B2B wholesaling of domestic tours, Sapphire Ventures is a subsidiary of Click to Travel. The company specialises in domestic tours for Himachal, Uttaranchal and Rajasthan apart from international tours to South Africa. Speaking to Express TravelWorld about prevailing travel trends, Siddharth Jain, founder, Sapphire Ventures, shared, “The market size today has risen exponentially because people have started to travel more. The segment has also expanded because more people have started travelling and are exploring new destinations. Therefore it becomes important to reach out to the sector with a niche focused
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Siddharth Jain
product.” Established in 2004, the company offers extensive knowledge of the destinations. The hotels are handpicked and personally inspected by the team. When asked about the competition, Jain, opined, “We
are not competing in the price war as we rather sustain through providing good service. It is important to package good service along with your product to survive in a competitive market. But that said, travel is bound to grow more in the future and it is best to create a niche in the market by entering a specialised segment.” Continuing about the need to be focused, Jain added, “We will be creating more itineraries for South Africa as it is still an unexplored market for the Indian travellers. There is immense potential in the destination because of its adjoining states which can be added to the itineraries. The coming time will see more traction to these areas as Indians are seeking new adventure and cultural destinations as well.”
Holdiay Merchants to expand network to 100 offices globally Saloni Bhatia New Delhi HOLIDAY MERCHANTS, the travel agency which provides end to end solutions to its travel trade partners has 43 franchise offices across India with one office each in Nepal, Canada, USA and Kazakhstan. Started in the year 2009, the company offers global services in outbound packages, series departures, bespoke travel, FIT, leisure, incentive travel, conference management, visa facilitation, and business travellers. Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Vikas Khanduri, chief executive officer, Holiday Merchants, stated, “We want to be seen as the biggest consolidator for travel packages in Central Asia. This year we plan to create a network of 100 offices in India and abroad. The main focus will be on Middle East and African destinations as they are bound to do well in the coming year.” Further discussing the plans for the year ahead, Khanduri, informed, “In the short haul destinations, the upcoming places will be Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Russia, Azarbaijan, Slovenia, Romania and Bulgaria. We will promote packages to these destinations as they have been unexplored by Indian travellers. For long haul destinations, we will be looking at South America and exotic island destinations like Australia, Bora Bora, New
Vikas Khanduri
Zealand and Tahiti.” Also heading Viva Voyages, the representation company, Khanduri plans to promote his partners in Tier II and Tier III cities. He stated, “Currently, Viva Voyages handles 14 countries namely Latin America, Hong Kong, Greece, Russia, Morroco, Kenya, Tanzania, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand among others. We will request our partners to host travel educational programmes in Tier II and Tier III cities like Chandigarh, Surat, Lucknow to tap a diverse market in India.” He added, “At the same time, under Holiday Merchants, we have started a Direct Selling Agents (DSA) programme which will enable people to sell packages by themselves. Many people like housewives, freelancers will get the chance to get the required destination knowledge and start selling travel packages. We are yet to finalise the process for the same.”
IN THE NEWS
Global Tourism Council to provide industry services Mohit Rathod Mumbai THE GLOBAL TOURISM Council (GTC) has been recently launched, bringing together industry professionals as one body, aimed at contributing to the advancement of the global trade and tourism industry. The body, headed by Iqbal Mulla who serves as chief council, consists of industry professionals such as Rajiv Duggal, CEO, Lavasa Corporation and Manoj Gursahani, founder and chairman, Travelmartindia.com. With focus on tourism and hospitality industry, GTC offers services such as advisory on investments, mergers and acquisition, skill development and education, film tourism and destination promotion, branding and strategic communication, industry reports and studies, real estate solutions, trade facilita-
GTC is banking upon its advisory council, consisting of sectors such as hospitality, education and skill development, B2B travel, real estate, entertainment, tourism and civil aviation among others, each looked after by industry professionals tion and tourism consulting. Speaking on the launch, Mulla said, "After going through my experience in the travel industry, I realised that we need one platform where all issues of the tourism and hospitality industry can be addressed. Tourism is not a small subject; it includes many aspects. After gaining knowl-
edge and having interacted with the industry, we came up with GTC. We want to build bilateral relationships with other countries through tourism." Gursahani added, "There are huge opportunities in the industry. We can build relationships with countries around the globe, through these opportunities. We want to let our ac-
tions speak for us." Reiterating the council's mission to partner, facilitate and consult with a minimum of 100 industry players of the global trade and tourism industry by 2020, Duggal, deputy chief council, GTC, commented, "Getting the right people to work with us is important, as it is a global council, and our mission is of key importance. We are not an association; we will work like PWC and Ernst & Young." GTC is banking upon its advisory council, consisting of sectors such as hospitality, education and skill development, B2B travel, real estate, entertainment, tourism and civil aviation among others, each looked after by professionals with respective industry background. For instance, Vivek Kumar, CEO of Hotel Sahara Star & Aambey Valley City takes charge of the hospitality sector in GTC;
and international trade is looked after by Dr Salva Abdel Aziz, chairperson, Salva Group of Companies Egypt, and chairperson, Egypt India Business Council. The advisory council also includes Sunil Kallyat, regional manager – Western India, Emirates; Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia; Ankush Nijhawan, MD, Nijhawan Group among others. Commenting on being part of GTC, Aziz stated, "I support GTCT, through which, I want more co-operation between India and Egypt. Trade, tourism and investments are my focus areas and this initiative will help investments and trade between the two countries." GTC has also announced certain developments such as MoUs with Global Panorama Showcase, Dome Entertainment, International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT), etc.
Assam to get new tourism policy soon ETW Staff Mumbai ASSAM TOURISM Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said the state government will soon announce a new tourism policy to create employment, attract foreign tourists and promote the state’s tourism, ‘Awesome Assam’. “The tourism policy will be announced soon and we have decided to increase the state’s tourism budget to `460 crore,” he said while addressing Assam Travel Trade Conclave.
“Assam is probably one of the world’s most naturally beautiful destinations. We are also a state of villages and simple, but beautiful people and we have considered to highlight these aspects to make tourism sustainable in the state. After a lot of research, we are convinced that leveraging the key strengths is needed to position the state as the world’s leading destinations for transformational sustainable tourism and the ideal location to rediscover yourself,” added Sarma. This is expected to generate more tourism revenue for the
state and lead to sustainable job-creation. “The state government was taking various steps on-ground to make the ‘Awesome Assam’ brand a reality, but in today’s world of branded communication, it was necessary to communicate these efforts to the rest of the world. It is for this reason that we have appointed actress Priyanka Chopra as the brand ambassador and the face of Awesome Assam to take our story to the world at large,” the minister said. (PTI)
The state government was taking various steps on-ground to make the ‘Awesome Assam’ brand a reality, but in today’s world of branded communication, it was necessary to communicate these efforts to the rest of the world EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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ASSOCHAM urges govt to approve inflight Wi-Fi in Indian skies ETW Staff Mumbai PITCHING for an early approval to the proposal of providing in-flight Wi-Fi services over the Indian airspace, the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has said that the move would not only enable the fliers stay connected even when they are mid-air, but also improve flight safety. D S Rawat, secretary general, ASSOCHAM, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has also said that various customer surveys findings suggest that travellers expect to stay connected via their smart devices and laptops even while flying. The copies of the letter have also been marked to home minister Rajnath Singh, civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju and communication minister Manoj Sinha. Globally, many airlines are
already offering Wi-Fi for passengers, but they currently have to switch off the facility when they enter the Indian airspace as such services and phone calls are not allowed on flights under the present regulations. “In-flight connectivity (IFC) promises to substantially improve safety of airlines as it enables flight tracking in respect of aircraft in near real time reporting latitude, longitude, altitude, true heading and ground speed; streaming of flight data recorder off the aircraft in real time; and facilitating real time intervention for safety and security based on flight data monitoring,” ASSOCHAM said in the letter. Numerous countries and airlines have already operationalised the in-flight connectivity, ASSOCHAM indicated said in the letter adding, even Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal have permitted IFC in planes over-
flying their territory while India is yet to take any decision. “As a result, each time an aircraft equipped with IFC enters Indian air space, it is forced to switch off the service to the passengers till it passes the Indian skies, causing hardship to the passengers,” Rawat said. Significantly, Raju had early this month told the Parliament, “The department of telecommunications has already moved a proposal for providing in-flight connectivity for voice, data and video services for consideration of the committee of secretaries.” However, Raju also said providing on board Wi-Fi services in Indian airspace involves amendment of provisions of Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 as well as Indian Telegraphy Rules made thereunder. The ASSOCHAM letter stated besides increased safety, the IFC would enable the passengers to stay con-
nected and make use of several services. “Aviation is facing a technological revolution. As aircraft become smart, fully connected machines, new services can be introduced to benefit the passenger experience, grow revenue for operators and improve safety. All this relies on stable and safe connectivity – from the cabin to the cockpit. IFC can in fact cover both cabin service provision to the passengers and cockpit safety and security services, such as flight tracking,” the letter stated. Chicago Convention facilitates the use of radio equipment when crossing over multiple jurisdictions. Many countries have already given rights to satellite service providers for in-flight connectivity in the aviation sector. Generally, Wi-Fi facility for fliers can be provided either through air-to-ground technology or satellite connectivity
and the latter will be expensive. ASSOCHAM also said that the IFC was imperative for businessmen or other individuals to stay connected, but its absence in the Indian territory which consumes on an average two hours of a journey, disrupts the communication. “The earlier India permits the IFC, the better both for the air passengers as also for India’s image as a progressive country,” it said. Vast majority of fliers covered under various surveys wants IFC and choose an airline based on broadband availability, it said adding, a number of airlines (72 airlines by the end of 2015) have already installed or announced plans to install passenger connectivity system on board. The number of connected commercial aircraft is increasing rapidly due to the satellite high-speed internet, it said. (PTI)
Char Dham Highway project to aid tourism in Uttarakhand: PM Modi ETW Staff Mumbai PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi has launched the 900-km-long Char Dham Highway Development Programme in Dehradun with an investment of `12,000 crore. The road, once constructed, will ensure round-the-year, hassle-free travel to these shrines and the famous Sikh
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shrine Hemkund Saheb. Modi said that the Char Dham project would offer employment opportunities for the people of Uttarakhand. He said that he could see that Uttarakhand wanted development and tourism is the biggest asset of Uttarakhand. The project involves widening the existing, geometrically deficient highway that connects the four abodes.
Apart from widening, the road transport and highways ministry plans to improve the stretches to two-lane carriageway with paved shoulders, protect landslide hazard zones, construct bypasses, long bridges, tunnels and elevated corridors to ensure safety for the users. A team of experts is already on the job to identify zones that are prone to landslides. Environ-
ment friendly techniques are being incorporated in the design to make these zones safer. The cost would include civil construction as well as land acquisition, forest clearance and utility shifting. Work on the project amounting to ` 2,000 crore has already been started under the Char Dham programme, particularly on the stretches which are free
from encumbrances. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari expects the project to be completed by 2018. The highway network along Char Dham got severely devastated following the cloudburst in 2013. Assuming charge, the Modi-led dispensation decided to upgrade the national highways network in the upper Himalayan region.
IN THE NEWS
Thomas Cook hosts first ever India Travel Summit 2016
Goa-Mumbai coastal way on lines of Vegas-Pacific Coast under consideration ETW Staff Mumbai
ETW Staff Mumbai THOMAS COOK India recently hosted the first ever India Travel Summit – an initiative aimed at providing a platform for exchange of ideas benefiting the travel and tourism industry. The half-day summit included three panel discussions addressing challenges and highlighting opportunities related to security and consular assistance, outbound and inbound travel and repositioning India as a premium tourist destination on a global platform. The summit was attended by over 100 travel professionals from across and was by invite only. The panel discussions were moderated by Mahesh Iyer, chief operating officer, Thomas Cook India; Vishal Suri, managing director, SOTC Travel Services; and Dipak Deva, MD, Travel Corporation India. In his welcome address, Madhavan Menon, CMD, Thomas Cook India, said, “With economic uncertainty, terrorist attacks, political unrest being
the ‘new normal’ it is challenging for the travel and tourism industry to facilitate a safe and unhindered travelling experience to travellers. India’s travel story is going to be much bigger and it is fast emerging as one of the most significant markets for tourism, both inbound and outbound; hence there is a clear need for stakeholders in the travel ecosystem to plan the way forward, in sync with current realities.” Menon elaborated, “The event has been organised with a strategic aim to provide a common and candid discussion platform for stakeholders and decision-makers in the travel and tourism industry in the country.” Martin Oppus, deputy consular chief, USA, said, “We have close to 900,000 visa applications in a year and our approach is to focus on customers, which is why we have introduced certain measures like pre-clearance at Abu Dhabi – this is a unique travel model and we are planning to implement this in various other cities too.” Colin Jones, UKVI, regional
operations manager, British High Commission, UK, added, “India is a key market for the UK and we witnessed an 11 per cent growth in visa applications in 2015 and we are confident of touching a 15 per cent growth figure in 2017. Brexit has not had an impact on the plans of Indian tourists and the travel process doesn’t change. We believe that there will be an increased effort towards digitisation of the travel process as a result of this.” Suman Billa, joint secretary, ministry of tourism, Government of India, believes that India has the potential to attract a larger number of tourists than it does today. “Initiatives like visa on arrival are steps in the right direction,” he added. Talking about taking a marketing approach in promoting tourism, David Scowsill, president and CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) said, “There lies a good opportunity for public-private partnerships to create a structure jointly and then having a professional marketing organisation to go out and promote the destination.”
UNION TRANSPORT Minister Nitin Gadkari has said the government is contemplating the possibility of developing a coastal highway connecting Goa to Mumbai on the lines of one on the Las Vegas – St Francisco Pacific Coast. “I have been to the USA recently. I had an opportunity to travel on the St Francisco – Las Vegas Pacific Coast highway. I travelled for almost 12 hours by road,” Gadkari said after laying the foundation stone for 4/6 laning of NH 4-A and 17 in Goa. Gadkari said during his visit to the Pacific Coast highway, the concept of developing Goa – Mumbai coastal highway on similar lines struck his mind. “I thought that we could similarly develop a Mumbai – Goa coastal highway for tourism purpose. An international agency has been assigned work of preparing a detailed project report on Mumbai – Goa coastal highway,” the minister said. Gadkari said the coastal highway requires construction of 22 flyovers. “During my tenure as PWD minister in Ma-
harashtra government, I completed 18 flyovers. We have to construct four more fly overs. One of the important bridges has to be constructed connecting Revas to Alibag which will be a sea link costing `500-600 crore. The work on coastal highway will begin from next year,” he stated. Gadkari informed that during his visit to the USA, he saw a road which, between a bridge and the sea, houses hotels and restaurants. “We want to develop Mumbai – Goa coastal highway on similar lines,” he commented. “I am happy to inform you that during our tenure we constructed new national highways of 330 kms for which `3,500 crore were spent,” he added. The minister informed that the new bridge over Zuari bridge would be a “world attraction” which is being constructed at the cost ` 2,500 crore. There will be towers at the both the sides of the bridge and there will be a road via river to reach to these towers. “All the works which are taken up in Goa would be completed by 2018,” he added. (PTI)
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AVIATION
Odisha gives nod to develop 30 ecotourism spots ETW Staff Mumbai THE ODISHA Government has approved an action plan to develop 30 places in the state as ecotourism destinations. The action plan was approved in the ecotourism board meeting held under the chairmanship of chief secretary A P Padhi, who has directed the department of for-
est and environment to plan the projects on self-sustaining mode. Padhi also asked the department to create more employment opportunities for local youths through these projects. “It was decided to keep the nature tourism spots open throughout the year. The chief secretary has suggested the department to publicise the
spots through tour operators, tour websites and hoteliers in national and international forums,” said S C Mohapatra, secretary, department of forest and environment. These 30 places include Mangalajodi and Berhampura under Chilika Wildlife Division, Barakhandia and Dhodrokusum under Hirakud Wildlife Division, Kumari and Jamuani under Baripada
Wildlife Division. It was also decided that a master plan for comprehensive development of these spots will be prepared, Mohapatra informed. Principal chief conservator of forests, Sidhant Das, said the booking for nature tourism at these places can be made online through the portal www.ecotourodisha.com. “So far around 1,200 people have booked their visits
through this site. This portal has also been integrated with billing and payment gateway along with SMS and email information system,” Das said. Around 27 youths have been trained on hospitality and housekeeping at the Institute of Hotel Management and Nutrition for providing services at the ecotourism spots. (PTI)
J&K to leverage tourism potential of Nubra Valley ETW Staff Mumbai PUSHING for development of the Nubra Valley, J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has announced setting up of a tourism development authority and said INR 17 crore will be spent to develop the area. Mufti said that Nubra-Turtuk Valley has “immense” tourism potential and the need of the hour is to utilise this to the optimum. Addressing a public meeting, she said, The government has already started various tourism development projects in Nubra valley and with the setting up of the authority, these projects would get a focused attention. A cultural institute would be set up at Turtuk for the promotion and preservation of local culture, music and language. Similarly, an interpretation centre would be set up for the information and guidance of tourists visiting the area. Also wayside facilities and residential accommodation for tourists besides upgradation of infrastructure would be undertaken.” Mufti expressed that she was personally aware of the
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problems of the people of the area, more so on account of connectivity, and efforts would be made to redress them. A survey on Turtuk-Haanu road would be conducted and once constructed, the road would reduce the distance between
Nubra and Kashmir Valley. Chairman of Legislative Council, Haji Anayat Ali; Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar; Minister for Cooperatives & Ladakh Affairs, T Dorjey; Chairman of LAHDC, Leh, Dr Sonam Dawa; executive
councilor, MLA, Anjum Fazili; secretary (tourism), Farooq Ahmad Shah and deputy commissioner, Leh, P Ramaswamy and other senior officers were also present on the occasion. Earlier, the CM inaugurated an 80 metre-long bridge at
Kharpon-Thang over Shouq river. Built at a cost of INR 7 crore, the bridge would connect Thang village with Leh district and consequentially with the rest of the state. (PTI)
AVIATION
New business models to improve aviation sector’s efficiency: Report ETW Staff Mumbai NEW BUSINESS and process models will help the aviation sector in optimising cost and improving efficiency, stated a report. Titled ‘Impact of ICT on Indian Aviation’, the report said digital solutions could also revolutionise the way talent is skilled and groomed to enter the sector. “The country’s aviation sector is on the cusp of aggressive growth and technology disruption,” it said. Prepared by KPMG and technology solutions provider for the airlines industry SITA, the report emphasised that key to success for airports and airlines would be to create a carefully crafted digital strategy and road map. “The right approach to rethinking aviation in the digital paradigm is to design new business and process models rather than simply automation/ digitisation of the various process areas for ease of traversing customer journeys/ increasing efficiencies and cost optimisation,” the report noted. As the outlook for demand in the sector for the next five years, the report also said both airports and airlines need to smartly deploy cutting edge digital solutions such analytics and artificial intelligence. This would help to increase operational efficiency as well as enhance revenue generation, it added. In another instance, emphasising that the domestic avia-
tion sector is on the upswing, Union civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said there has been an exceptional growth in recent years, but lack of timely capacity expansion at airports remains a cause of concern. “Air connectivity can be an enabler for the country to move to a higher growth trajectory,” he said. Domestic air passenger growth has been more than 20 per cent for nearly two years, while local carriers are also embarking on fleet expansion plans. Striking a note of caution, the minister said (lack of) timely capacity expansion at airports at big cities and metros remains a cause of concern. “Though the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as well as other private and greenfield airport operators have signifi-
cant investments in the pipeline, they run the risk of falling behind the passenger growth figures. With India’s changed international image, an improved economic environment, increased regional business potential and growth in tourism, we are strategically placed to launch into higher trajectory of growth by using air connectivity as an enabler,” Raju noted. Last month, the civil aviation ministry launched Air Sewa – a one-stop solution for aviation related needs and governance. Raju also said more than 200 nodal officers have been identified and trained in the overall aviation ecosystem for quality disposal of grievances received through Air Sewa. (PTI)
Initial bids for Navi Mumbai airport to open in Jan 2017 ETW Staff Mumbai THE INITIAL bids for development of the Navi Mumbai International Airport are likely to be opened early next month, with companies including GMR and GVK expected to be in the fray. The Navi Mumbai airport, which is expected to help in easing the congestion at the existing CSI Airport, is to be developed through a public-private partnership. City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) proposed the development of the airport. Sources said the bids received following the issuance of Request For Qualification (RFQ) are likely to be opened in the second week of January, 2017. A clutch of entities, including GMR, GVK and Hiranandani groups as well as Tatas, are believed to have put in their bids for the project, sources added. In February this year, CIDCO invited RFQ and
the deadline for submissions was extended a few times. It was first extended to July 30, then September 2 and October 31. Finally, after another extension, the deadline ended on December 10. The project requires around 2,268 hectares out of which 1,160 hectares would be utilised for aeronautical purposes. It is to be developed through publicprivate partnership by way of setting up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). In the SPV, CIDCO and its nominees would have 26 per cent stake. “The total project cost of the Navi Mumbai International Airport project, including cost of the pre-development works is estimated at `14,574 crore (FY 13 prices). The cost of pre-development works is estimated at `2,358 crore (comprising of part airport site development and shifting of extra high voltage transmission lines),” as per CIDCO website. (PTI)
The Navi Mumbai airport, which is expected to help in easing the congestion at the existing CSI Airport, is to be developed through PPP
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OTOAI holds its maiden meet in Ahmedabad ETW Staff Mumbai THE MAIDEN OTOAI Member’s meet in Ahmedabad was recently held at Hyatt Regency Hotel. It was well attended by 90 guests, sponsors, and office bearers of OTOAI. The agenda for the meet was to introduce OTOAI to the industry in the city, use it as a networking event with members of OTOAI and non-members, with intention to increase the membership base in the state. Along with the networking, the event also included destination, product presentation and presentation by Anil Bhargavan from Tally Solutions, on the implications of GST in the industry. The office bearers present at the event include Guldeep Sahni, president; Riaz Munshi, vice
president; Himanshu Patil, executive committee member; Sujit Nair, executive committee member; Ankush Nijhawan, executive committee member and Vineet Gopal, chapter head, Northern Region. The event was kick started with a welcome speech by Mahendra Vakharia, chairman, Western Chapter, OTOAI, who welcomed OTOAI office bearers and members, and guests including airline heads based in Ahmedabad. Vakharia urged partners to keep updating the knowledge, and be proud of being part of an industry which is one of the top contributors to world. It was followed by speech and insight on OTOAI from Sahni, who spoke about the future and potential of the outbound tourism industry, and about the Turkey EduCon in
March. Saugat Nandy, director, Western India, Marriott International, explained about the merger, group strength, and about the SPG Pro preferred
partner programme for the industry. Whereas other presentations include Nijhawan Group, Dubai Parks & Resorts, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Reunion Island.
"The feedback and response from agents is very encouraging and will definitely motivate us to have many more such events in the future," OTOAI said in a release.
ATOAI elects 2016-18 office bearers ETW Staff Mumbai
Whereas, the elected executive committee members include: ● Mohan Tickoo, MD, Kash Venture Travels ● Sanjay Basu, MD, Far Horizon Tours ● Vishwas Makhija, MD, India Insight Tours ● Anirudh Chaoji, MD, Pugmark Eco Tours ● Shashank Gupta, director, Rucksack Tours
●
ADVENTURE Travel Operators Association of India (ATOAI), at its annual general meeting and elections held at The Park Hotel, New Delhi, has elected the office bearers and executive committee team for next two years unopposed. The elected office bearers will include Capt
Swadesh Kumar, MD of Shikhar Travels India, as president; Ajeet Bajaj, MD of Snow Leopard Adventures, as senior vice president; Tejbir Singh Anand, MD of Holiday Moods Adventures, as vice president; Rajesh Ojha, cofounder of Banjara Camps & Retreats, as secretary; and Vaibhav Kala, founder of Aquaterra Adventures, as honorary secretary.
Vinayak Koul, director, Snow Lion Expeditions ● Akshay Kumar (immediate past president), CEO, Mercury Himalayan Exploration Apart from resolving issues for adventure tourism in the country, ATOAI office bearer team's main objectives would be to widen its membership base pan-India, making risk assessment for tour operations a priority within
the membership, capacity building workshops in first aid/ CPR etc, for adventure guides, staff and for various state tourism departments, educational seminars and FAM tours for members, opening new avenues of new upcoming products under adventure and active tourism and creating pool of trained human resources available to the membership.
Vaibhav Kala
Ajeet Bajaj
Capt Swadesh Kumar
Rajesh Ojha
Tejbir Singh Anand
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IN THE NEWS
Taj, Shangri-La double footprint with loyalty programme integration Are both iconic hotel brands headed for a broader strategic partnership? Sudipta Dev Mumbai MARCH 2017 will see the official launch of 'Warmer Welcomes' programme, a first of its kind loyalty alliance between Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces and Shangri-La Hotels. With this, the six million loyalty programme members of both brands will be able to stay at 200 hotels in 27 countries and 131 destinations. In an exclusive interaction with Express TravelWorld, Chinmai Sharma, CRO, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces said, “For a loyalty member it is almost like Taj has become 200 hotels from 100 hotels. Prospective members will find more reason to come into the programme because of joint port-
folio strength.” As both the iconic brands have similar culture and service philosophy the alliance has started with loyalty integration, Sharma revealed that in the future it could be a larger brand alliance, where they can cross sell each other - through their website or call centre. “In the long run we could have sales people of respective brands sell a larger portfolio. These are some possible areas where we could do better economies of scale,” mentioned Sharma. The hotel brands have mutually exclusive footprint, with only three cities where both have some presence. Warmer Welcomes will integrate Taj InnerCircle and Shangri-La’s Golden Circle guest loyalty
Chinmai Sharma
programmes. “From a loyalty members' perspective the value addition is huge because now not only will they get recognised across 200 hotels but they will be able to earn and burn their points whichever way they want,”
mentioned Sharma, adding that a significant segment are corporate travellers. “A trend we have noticed among corporate travellers is that they stay at city destinations for business and go to leisure destinations with family. Our loyal members can now redeem their points and stay for free at a lot of destinations, or earn currency and choose to put it in their Taj bank or Shangri-La bank. The programme and the currencies are transferrable,” he mentioned. Wee Kee Ng, VP of loyalty, Shangri-La Hotels, affirmed, “This industry-first hospitality alliance bridges two iconic Asian brands who share similar brand values and service philosophies but have minimal overlap of prop-
erties. By partnering together, we are effectively doubling our footprints and will provide our guests and loyalty members more value, more destination choices and experiences and more reasons to stay with us.” The benefit for members will obviously be more from outbound travel perspective. “Both the brands have significant number of properties in India and China markets, but nearly half of Shangri-La's hotels are outside China and we have 16 international destinations,” said Sharma, pointing out that they will be watching the travel patterns closely, particularly as India and China are forecasted to have the largest outbound market for travel.
India to be a key source market for Marriott hotels in Greater China Sudipta Dev Mumbai MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL had recently organised the China Week in India, which saw participation of 15 hotels from Greater China. The top MICE cities for incentive travel in China include Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shenzen, Macau. Marriott hotels in Greater China (including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) have seen a steady growth from India outbound in the last two years, almost 78 per cent, while in some destinations in mainland China like
Shanghai and Beijing the growth has been almost 10 per cent. “India will be a key source market for us. When we look at the growth pattern, the numbers have been very encouraging,”said Henry Lee, chief operations officer and managing director, Greater China, Marriott International. Almost 80 per cent of MICE bookings come from professional conference organisers, wholesalers and intermediaries. Marriott International works closely with them. Marriott currently has 265 operating hotels in Greater China and 300 in the pipeline,
Henry Lee
to open between now and the next five years. There are 17 operating brands, with brands
like Fairfield and Autograph to open soon in the region. “More brands will be coming in to cater to all segments of customers. Our portfolio is great and business of India outbound to China is looking very bright. Brands like Renaissance, Marriott, Sheraton (in Macau) are popular with the Indian MICE segment. Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel and Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre (because of the location, restaurants and banqueting spaces) are other popular hotels,” mentioned Lee. There has been a lot of focus in the last few years to po-
sition Marriott hotels across China for the Indian MICE and business travel market. “Particularly in terms of F&B, we have been working with our sister hotels in India on how we can cater to the market. We had set up an exchange programme so that F&B service and kitchen staff can come down to India and learn the culture, habits, the flavours and food that Indian guests like,” mentioned Lee, pointing out that it is easier when they are catering to groups as it is prearranged. In buffet breakfast they try to include Indian food.
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IN THE NEWS
Aiana Hotels to focus on hub and spoke model for growth First Indian brand to open hotel in Mecca soon Sudipta Dev Mumbai AIANA HOTELS and Resorts that has crossed eight hotel projects between India, Saudi Arabia and Qatar is looking at a hub and spoke model for growth. “Going forward, we are taking on projects which fit into existing circuit or completing something we have not ventured into yet. We have crossed the 1000 room mark, and are in a comfortable position as a new business in terms of stability,” said Amruda Nair, joint MD and CEO, Aiana Hotels and Resorts. Nair is looking at more projects in Kerala to
complete the whole experiential circuit. “We have started with Munnar, Aiana is all about experience so we want to do projects by the backwaters, by the beach, also a religious destination like Guruvayur which has no branded products. We want to extend the brand across the circuit so that someone who comes to Kerala can stay with Aiana for 15 days,” she mentioned. Similarly in Karnataka, a 50 acre site with 75 villas will come up at Hassan in fractional ownership model. It is a unique coffee plantation project. Following this Nair is keen to do a sanctuary project in Karnataka and a tea experience
Amruda Nair
project in Coorg. “The idea is to create a circuit where the guests stays in multiple properties,” remarked Nair.
According to her the hub and spoke model has worked, particularly with new owners. “The good thing is that we are doing multiple projects with the same owner. We can benefit from economies of scale. We are lucky to have found owners who want to be with a new brand. For many owners the comfort is that as opposed to larger organisations we are a small lean company, they talk to me directly. My Qatari partner is also an owner himself, he owns 30 hotels across the world,”she stated. Aiana is the first Indian brand to enter Qatar, and Mecca, Saudi Arabia. After a few months a 614 rooms prop-
erty will be launched in Mecca. “We are doing a big pilgrimage product and once we have a presence in the Holy City, the country knows your brand and then we can look at extensions,” remarked Nair, adding that in Saudi specially, the company is looking at a mid market play, as a long term strategy. Nair wants every property to be unique, there is no cookie cutter approach. “We don't want every Aiana to look the same, there has to be local elements - colour, texture, art, to give a sense of place. In terms of being a new brand we have done things that are different,” she affirmed.
AccorHotels expands presence in budget segment in India market Mohit Rathod Mumbai ACCORHOTELS IS expanding its presence in the budget segment with its Formule1 brand. The hotel operator has recently launched its ninth Formule1 property in the India market with Hotel Formule1 Nashik. The 101-room property is the brand's latest addition in India, with the existing presence in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Gurugram, Pune Hinjewadi and Pimpri, Noida, Hyderabad, and Chennai. The launch of the Nashik property is followed by the recent opening of Hotel Formule1 Chennai OMR.
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Speaking to Food & Hospitality World, Sandip Satange, hotel manager, Hotel Formule1 Nashik, said, "There are many budget hotels in the area, but there is a lack of branded hotels in the segment. In this segment, we currently have the biggest room inventory in Nashik." Hotel Formule1 Nashik, being situated on the Mumbai-Agra Highway, is leveraging its location to cater to short-stay guests. Elaborating further, Satange said, "We are targeting corporate, pilgrimage and fast-moving tourists, due to the region's significance in pilgrimage tourism, the hotel's location and the proximity to Maharashtra Industrial
Development Corporation (MIDC) sites." Nashik and the surrounding regions are the largest producers of Indian wine. With the presence of various Indian wineries, Nashik has gained recognition for wine tourism in the country. Hotel Formule1 Nashik aims to leverage upon this and draw guests from this segment of tourism, as the city witnesses year-round visitation of both, domestic and foreign tourists, for its wine offerings. "The guests are appreciating our service concept and facilities like free Wi-Fi, refreshing buffet breakfast, access controlled and sound proof rooms. We will also
be focused on tapping the wine tourism segment," added Satange. Alongside its self-service design, an USP of the Formule1
brand is sound-proof rooms. The hotel features one multi-cuisine retaurant, Denim Bistro, which is operated by a Bengalurubased restaurant chain.
SPOTLIGHT
High flier for 25 years Understanding the dire need of simplifying visa processes for the travel trade segment, Rajan Dua, managing director, Udaan, established his company as a one stop visa processing facility in the country. As Udaan completes 25 years in the industry next month, Express Travel World speaks to Dua on his momentous journey By Saloni Bhatia
U
daan was started in 1992 as an end to end visa facilitation centre headquartered in New Delhi. Realising the true potential of visa processes from the southern market, the company targeted the region, later expanding to west and east India. Soon, the company bagged many clients from western and eastern markets making it one of biggest visa providers of the time. Udaan currently functions through nine offices across India. Speaking about why he started a visa only agency, Dua, shares, “Everyone was selling hotels, packages, travel facilities at that time and the only factor missing to complete the circle of travel was visas. I realised there was a huge opportunity in visa processing as there were few agencies working exclusively on visas.” Dua's one year experience with a travel agency and connection with embassies came in handy for the growth of the company. “South was a big market for us as all the embassies were based in New Delhi. So we strengthened our clientele in the southern market before expanding to west and east. The urgent visa facilities provided by us highlighted our efficiency in the business as we started building good relationships with the embassies. A lot of homework and training went to make sure that each day was utilised to its best. The quickness and prompt thinking helped us to stand out as reliable agents at that time.”
Rajan Dua
Travel has changed drastically in the past 10 years and now there is more digital transactions. People are already well aware about destinations and the visa process of most countries is online. The ones who don't evolve with technology or the needs of the sector will perish or fade out The company initially faced huge challenges because of sudden growth in business but the team kept pace with new work. Sharing one of the transforming moments for Udaan, Dua remarks, “We became the member of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) in 1996 which changed the demographic for us as an agency. We started meeting majority of agents
under one roof, which helped us diversify our portfolio. In fact in 1999, SITA Travels was the very first company to shut down their visa division and outsource their work to Udaan. Soon others followed suit and we were handling major clients like, Cox and Kings, etc.” In 2002, the company took a technological step forward by creating an online portal
udaanindia.com where agents were give login ids to track their visa processes, and following the idea of creating a niche in visa processing, the company then expanded to other cities with regional offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad in 2007. The brand also upgraded to handle corporates over the
years which now amounts to 60 per cent of revenue, mentions Dua. He adds, “Udaan will continue to concentrate on corporate clients as it is one segment where travel is unperturbed by other seasonal factors.” Commenting on how the market has evolved, Dua opines, “Travel has changed drastically in the past 10 years and now there is more digital transactions. People are already well aware about destinations and the visa process of most countries is online. The ones who don't evolve with technology or the needs of the sector will perish or fade out.” Udaan launched a Destination Marketing Conglomerate (DMC ) last year to represent selective destinations in Europe and Asia. Talking about the future of the business, Dua states, “We are only focusing on bringing MICE to these destinations and already have a few queries for the month of February and March. We will be participating in two of the largest travel trade shows in India to make people aware about the immense opportunities in these destinations.” Udaan has also recently ventured into medical tourism with the Caring India initiative. Dua adds, “Medical tourism is on the rise in the industry and we have tied up with major hospitals in India to bring patients from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Africa. It is important to grow with the times and foresee upcoming potential markets.”
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PP KHANNA President Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) demonetisation of `1000 and `500 rupee notes replacing it with new `2000 and `500 coupled with Budget 2017-18 and the GST (Goods and Service Tax) for tourism sector, it is a wait and watch situation as to what lays ahead. We have to keep our fingers crossed and hopefully there will be a smooth transition in our economy leading to optimism in travel trade industry as well.
Major challenges
The year ahead We are not sure what is in store for us in the coming year. With
Online Travel Agents (OTAs) will continue to impact the business of conventional travel agents/tour operators. This topic is discussed in each and every travel trade forum and we have to find a viable solution through negotiations with hoteliers who deal with
Knowing well that online business is here to stay we have to find a way out for the survival of travel agents to improve their business. Hopefully with concerted efforts by the fraternity with hoteliers there can be some viable solution OTAs on account of bulk business the latter give to hoteliers thereby giving special rates and discounts.
Strategic solutions Knowing well that online business is here to stay we have to find a way out for the survival of travel agents to improve their business. Hopefully with concerted efforts by the fraternity with hoteliers there can be some viable solution to the problem in the coming year. Domestic tourism will continue to grow at the same pace but
inability to provide sufficient cash by banks through ATMs and over the counter will definitely affect tourist movement, specially pilgrim tourists, who mainly depend on cash transactions. Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) has recently launched its new chapter in Rajasthan. Mahinder Singh, director, K K Holidays and Travels will be heading the chapter which consists of 22 members. (As told to Saloni Bhatia)
SWADESH KUMAR President Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI)
The year ahead The upcoming year looks very exciting as there is an overall positive growth in adventure tourism industry in the country, whether it is inbound tourism or the domestic market.
Major challenges Mushrooming of travel agents and tour operators who are not trained and have no clue about this specific field of tourism is a risk. Therefore, the industry requires a lot of self control to stop these agents and to see that it has experienced manpower.
The government also needs to ensure that these negative trends are restricted. Another challenge is to have a control over the large number of agencies who are in the business. We have over 1600 plus travel agents who are promoting such tours around the country and they need be brought into the mainstream for better coordination and skill
development to ensure that they follow basic minimum standards of the industry.
Strategic solutions The strategy we should adopt is to ensure that all state governments accept the basic minimum standards which has been made by ATOAI and also accepted by the ministry of
The strategy we should adopt is to ensure that all state governments accept the basic minimum standards which has been made by ATOAI and MoT
tourism. Unfortunately, though some of the states have accepted the document, others are still debating among themselves as to what to do. The dynamic document is being further worked on with the help of central and state governments. If they accept it as an official document, it would greatly promote the business. The ministry of tourism has created a National Task Force (NTF) on adventure tourism at the request of our association and its main objective is to help promote adventure tourism activities in coordination with the states who are actively promoting it. We do hope that the NTF will play a very crucial role in the growth of adventure tourism in the country. (As told to Saloni Bhatia)
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cover ) GP. CAPT. RAJESH KUMAR BALI (RETD) Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) would remain a big challenge. This would be most true when the initial demand for regional connectivity is going to emanate from major metros. We hope the government will quickly work to give equitable share of slots to business and general aviation industry for facilitating regional connectivity flights from metros.
Major challenges
The year ahead As always, this year would bring new challenges for the aviation industry in India. While greater opportunities are being provided through the government’s push for regional/ remote connectivity, infrastructural constraints
A major challenge for our industry is the need for consolidation. Small aircraft operate in regions where demand is still uncertain. There are far too many aircraft types which are being used for the purpose. Aircraft management companies can help reduce establishment cost and optimise use of the scarce trained man power. We do hope this concept takes off quickly in India and market driven consolidation of the industry happens during the coming years.
Aircraft management companies can help reduce establishment cost and optimise use of the scarce trained man power.We do hope this concept takes off quickly in India
Strategic solutions With regard to infrastructural constraints, we need to plan business and general aviation airports within 50 to 150 km from existing metro airports and provide them with quick road and rail connectivity. Government should consider rationalising the existing import duty structure since no domestic production of passenger aircraft is envisaged during the next 10 years. This will facilitate import of greater number of aircraft to meet the expected growth inregional and remote connectivity, as envisaged in the NCAP 2016. There is an urgent need of digitalisation for all aviation approvals and transactions. We are already lagging behind the target date for operationalising e-GCA project at DGCA. There is a need to find immediate solution to existing bottlenecks in this project as manual movements of files in DGCA cause unacceptable delays and discourage new players. (As told to Sudipta Dev)
STEVE BORGIA We need to get this across and look at sustainable and responsible tourism very seriously through all the stake holders, which includes the local communities and the government as well The year ahead
Major challenges
As the president of Ecotourism Society of India, I feel we need to be more active through our activities and presence. Since this year is International Year of Sustainable Development, India needs to move miles ahead in the sector. India is lagging behind in sustainable development than countries like Germany and France. Since India has been a sustainable civilisation from the beginning, it becomes all the more important to think on the lines of protecting the environment.
Sustainability does not seem to be a pressing need as exemption from taxes for the industry. We need to get this across and look at sustainable and responsible tourism very seriously through all the stake holders, which includes the local communities and the government as well. The local state governments and stakeholders need to realise that the the travel to eco sensitive areas need to be controlled with the number of flights and buses.
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President Ecotourism Society of India (ESOI)
Strategic solutions The association needs to firstly become the eco and responsible tourism society of India in order to promote sustainable tourism. We will be opening state chapters and involve local stakeholders to raise awareness
about the issues. There will be regular programmes to educate people. Community participation is important and regular workshops will be held under the leadership of ESOI to promote eco and responsible tourism in the country. We will create sustainable model products for all the stake holders to emulate and also work with the media to broadcast what we talk, do and feel. A master plan and execution can majorly affect the industry to pay attention to sustainable tourism. Thankfully the younger generation is more aware and self conscious about these issues and I am hopeful they would work for the betterment of the environment. (As told to Saloni Bhatia)
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SARAB JIT SINGH
which we see as a problem for the services sector this year.
Vice Chairman Federation of Association of India Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH)
Strategic solutions
three years. Fortunately, the ministry of tourism has finalised the media plan for next year and have already started promoting India in the international market. We hope that this media campaign will start showing results by the last quarter of 2017 onwards. Secondly, the GST (Goods and Service Tax) roll out which is very much a certainty holds its own challenges that will definitely have adverse impact on the tourism sector, initially. Overall, we hope 2017 will be slightly better than 2016.
The year ahead The new year seems to be mixed up again as initially the foreign tourists will take time to get the required confidence to travel to India post demonetisation. Firstly, India was not being promoted internationally for almost
Major challenges
The year ahead
Tier II and Tier III cities, cleanliness, security, marketing, language guides, highway facilities and trained manpower. Taxation structure toward tourism and limited use of technology, social media for tourism operations, liberal charter policy to boost volume of tourists, etc, are also bottleneck areas for sustainable growth of tourism.
Inbound to India has been very static and has shown very marginal increase towards the last quarter due to demonetisation. But with the evisa streamlined to double entry and advance visa application period extended to 120 days, there is high hope for next year. All this would augur well for sustainable growth in 2017, minimum upto 15 per cent. Due to the ministry of tourism's increased efforts in marketing and global campaigns, India is now visible in the international market. It has developed a favourable confidence for India's holiday destinations. The government has also shifted focus on liberal aviation policy, development of infrastructure and extended services that would ease travel in the country.
Major challenges Some of the major challenges today is of airport facilitation, bio metric facilities and seat capacity. There is going to be increase in traffic from markets like South Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc, for which we'll need budget accommodations in
International competition is growing as new destinations are aggressively campaigning with much better offers that has an impact on inbound to India. Since there were no international
promotions done by India over the last three years, there is no staff at the overseas India tourism office. This matched with the GST roll out are all indicators that the service sector will be severely hit. But the government does not seem to be worried about the services sector. The whole focus is on the manufacturing sector
The government should have policies to support tourism which is the most taxed
(As told to Saloni Bhatia)
PRONAB SARKAR President Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO)
Strategic solutions Some of the strategic solutions are
Due to the MoT's increased efforts in marketing and global campaigns, India is now visible in the international market
The government should have policies to support tourism, which is unfortunately, the most taxed sector in India. Contrary to the policy of the government to not export any taxes, India exports 25 per cent tax on the tourism sector. This is one of the major reasons why tourists favour other destinations than India. If the government rolls out GST, it will support tourism and we will be able to see immediate results and growth. Despite all efforts put in by the private sector over the year, the growth in international tourism has never been beyond four-six per cent per annum (from tourist generating countries). The proper analysis of the situation shows that nothing else can give a boost to the tourism sector other than the collective approach by various ministries of the Government of India, along with the private sector.
streamlining for e-visas to more countries, regional air connectivity, development of highways through
major tourist destinations, regular skill development programmes to ensure availability of skilled guides, cleanliness drive, safety of tourists, promotional material in overseas offices, FAM tours with respective delegates, increasing road shows in new markets like Latin America, Africa, South East Asia countries, Eastern European countries/Baltic Region and regular markets like USA, UK, Germany, France, Australia, etc, aggressive global marketing, providing tax incentives, constantly improving the brand image among other things. Media should be supportive of our efforts and provide the requisite support to promote tourism in the country. (As told to Saloni Bhatia)
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cover ) GULDEEP SINGH SAHNI President Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) market. On the other hand tourism boards of other countries are also pumping funds into India to promote their products. As there is huge inventory available, airlines will also come forward to woo passengers. Passengers will be looking for new destinations and activities. Online and offline agencies will continue doing well for
The year ahead Although outbound tourism will be on the rise, there will be a slight slowdown due to market conditions on account of demonetisation, stock market impact and real estate. Taxes will be the other factor that is going to impact the
President Travel Agents' Association of India (TAAI) It will be a tougher year than the previous ones. There are several reasons. The demonetisation is a healthy trend towards a stronger economy for India. However, it will have its own toll, particularly since tourism is not as important a priority in business leaders investing to bring in reforms to encounter the changed scenario. The second reason comes from the fact that a number of international airlines are announcing their “promo fares”. This is reflective of their hurriedness to capture the market. The progressive percentage of growth, as perceived in the past by many, will be a certain happening since the number of travellers is on the rise. This does confirm that there
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Strategic solutions Major challenges GST regime, when it unfolds, will determine the impact of thousands of tour operators of the country and their families and people they em-
The only way out is if government bodies and the ministry include outbound tour operators in the dialogue and understand the reality.Training will become vital and need of the hour
SUNIL KUMAR
The year ahead
passengers who want personalised service and the younger generation who wish to experiment on their own.
will be an increase in the number of travellers but when this gets set off against the reduced numbers, this growth may turn out to be very limited or stagnant during 2017. The industry’s good health is measured by volumes as well as the success levels of stake-holders. In view of the perceived threat of dropping numbers, the competition may turn fierce with volumes ticking without profits.
Major challenges Reducing profits – The curve continues to slide down, which is a wrong happening. ● Our competition with our principals. This is a curse on us. Our principals have invested heavily on technology and personnel and thus would
ploy. In case GST is imposed on services of another country, tour operators in India will become expensive by the percentage of GST imposed as online portals or hotels overseas will attract direct bookings and this will create huge unemployment in this sector. Offline agency staff will have to keep themselves updated with every information a passenger wants to compete with online agencies.
like to have their own connect with the end consumer, who should actually be serviced by us. This results in competition with the principal, which is a rare challenge. ● Fierce competition between our principals is taking a toll on the agencies. ● The growing market share of online portals and online shopping has challenged several middle size agencies. We are bogged down with too many procedures. Important time of our limited staff is getting drained by more routine work and fulfillment of procedures. We have lost adequate time in service tax matters, assessing taxes, filing returns and paying a huge amount to consultants, when the profits are limited. It is unfortunate that we go through these cumbersome procedures which kills our creative time.
●
Strategic solutions Firstly, there is a need for the principals and agencies to formulate their unique approaches and not create disparities in marketing products and ending up as lose-lose players.
The only way out is if government bodies and the ministry include outbound tour operators in the dialogue and understand the reality. To update the agency staff, training will become vital and need of the hour. Tourism boards will work closely with associations and their members. Personalised service will be the factor which will keep the passengers loyal to an agency. Tour operators will have to go beyond just the hotel and air tickets to planning experiences for their passengers. Specialised knowledge of a particular destination will be handy. (As told to Saloni Bhatia)
Teaming up to offer quality service can help both and reduce chaos. The model of pricing must be reviewed and if required, revamped. The current dynamic pricing model is not very effective and consistent in planning growth. View from the top: A fast growing industry with diminishing returns leading to stake-holders diversifying into other industries. (As told to Mohit Rathod)
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PRAVEEN CHUGH
technology. Another challenge or rather opportunity is how to reach the tertiary markets. The smaller Indian towns have the potential where the outbound market needs to be tapped.
President Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) the scope of e-tourist visa to medical tourism and business trips. India is a major source of outbound market and the sector will continue to grow this year. Demonetisation will not have an impact on outbound travel, be it short haul destinations like Thailand or long haul like Europe. The Indian economy has been buoyant in spite of global economic slowdown which has been one of the key factors for outbound travel growth.
Major challenges The year ahead The new year looks promising for India's tourism sector. While the inbound tourism has grown at an average rate of 10 per cent last year, the new year looks equally promising with the Union Cabinet expanding
The year ahead India is all set to become the third largest aviation market by 2020 and the largest by 2030, with its current market size estimated to run into trillions of rupees. The government’s kick-start of the regional air connectivity scheme (RCS) with around 22 under-served cities set to figure on India’s aviation map from January 2017, will definitely boost the ticketing segment. To supplement the objective of promoting the travel and tourism sector, the government must resolve the ongoing issues and provide a streamlined tax model in the final GST law. Travel and tourism being a foreign exchange earner needs to be classified as an export service. We are hopeful that the government will put this sector in the lowest slab and under no circumstances should it be more than five per cent. This will result in uniformity of taxes. Also, the scope of service tax applicability on airline ticketing should be enhanced to all passengers travelling from/to India, irrespective of where the ticket issuance takes place. The new civil aviation policy and the Aero-
One of the challenges for offline travel agents has been how to look for new business opportunities and face the stiff competition from predatory pricing strategy of the OTAs. The expertise of offline travel agents is unmatched and extends to travel
Strategic solutions consultancy. At TAFI, we are committed to educate our members to adapt to new business realities and
Technology is the reality of today and offline travel consultants should not ignore this fact. It can benefit everybody
Technology is the reality of today and offline travel consultants should not ignore this fact. Contrary to the myth that adopting technology is expensive, it is a cost effective method which can benefit everybody. At the same time social media has opened new opportunities for us but only the right content can help us reach out to the new age travellers. TAFI will soon launch an online marketplace for the members which will help us generate an additional revenue system. The Indian government’s demonetisation strategy for a cashless economy is a good move. The finance minister, Arun Jaitley announcing the government’s decision to reduce tax liability by up to 30 per cent for small businesses augurs good for small travel agents as well. (As told to Saloni Bhatia)
BIJI EAPEN President IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI) space and Aviation Sector Skill Council supported by National Skill Development Corporation set up to provide quality training accreditation, will enhance professionalism and give a facelift to our airline reservation to customer service as well as airport and aircraft handling, through which, one can expect better professional services of an international standard.
Major challenges Disunity among associations is the real tragedy in India. Since November 2008, accredited travel agents in India have been reeling under various actions taken by airlines like the denial of commission, the illegal implementation of the Ticketing Authority Process (TAP) through APJC India and the Weekly Payment System (WPS). The
illogical decision taken by the APJC India in the Agency Remittance policy, restricting payments through Deutsche Bank that has only 17 branches in nine states of India, should be abolished. The government must look at national banks like SBI having more than 18,000 branches.
Strategic solutions The APJC India is yet to be formatted as per the IATA Passenger Agency Conference Appendix “F” Guidelines of 2014, as its present policies are neither influenced by considerations for the Indian economy nor the travel agents’ welfare or aspirations, but solely by some vested interests. We need dedicated and committed representatives in APJC. A new revenue model, Indian
Travel-Agents Own Portal (i-Top) will be launched shortly. The first portal of its kind in the history of the aviation world, created solely for the agents, by the agents. i-Top will allow a member to function as an individual agent using his own BSP capping, IATA validation and BSP reporting and payment systems and also enjoy the benefits of a consolidator with the collective productivity of all the members bringing it an equal share of the incentive, regardless of the individual turnover. (As told to Mohit Rathod)
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IN FOCUS
DUBAI'S NEWLANDMARK Dubai Parks and Resorts is the grand new global tourism hotspot in the Middle East that is all set to be a major draw for both, leisure travellers and the MICE segment, with its unique themed attractions, including the world's very first Bollywood Parks By Sudipta Dev
T
he Middle East's largest integrated theme park destination was officially opened recently under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai. It was the official inauguration of three theme parks - the much talked about Bollywood Parks Dubai, Motiongate Dubai (a collaboration between Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks and Lionsgate), and Legoland Dubai. The grand festivities that marked the opening was attended by the world media, along with leading dignitaries from the region. Raed Kajoor Al Nuaimi, CEO of DXB Entertainments PJSC, the owner of Dubai Parks and Resorts said, "We celebrate the opening of the entertainment landmark of the Middle East. Dubai has always dazzled the world with its creativity and limitless ambition. Dubai Parks and Resorts has the best of the East and the West. This vast desert has become a destination that everyone looks at with pride." Remarking that the project started with a vision, he stated that it has the support and encouragement of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Nuaimi mentioned that Dubai Parks and Resorts is a legacy that will be there for many years. "It is a legacy for residents and tourists who will come here again and again," he stated. The parks are not targeted towards one nationality, even the Bollywood Parks is not just focused on the India market. It's
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all about the vibrancy of Bollywood which can be enjoyed by everyone across the globe. Motiongate is about Hollywood, but appeals to all ages.
F&B and events Dubai Parks and Resorts offers a wide range of F&B options – there are as many as 50 restaurants so visitors are spoilt for choice. Bollywood Parks alone has eight restaurants and about 18 food carts. The options are varied according to the interest of the visitors for various types of cuisines and dietary requirements. Though the major income for the parks is the tickets, the F&B is a part of in-park spend. The restaurants are immersive in the theme - from the Victoria Station Cafe in Bollywood Parks to the quaint Very Smurfy Cafe in Motiongate. Each park has the possibility to cater to unique themed events, there is multipurpose venue in Riverland and also outdoor areas. Whether a wedding or a MICE event, there are many possibilities. The various venues of Dubai Parks provide an excellent opportunity for both corporate events and social functions. In fact, the parks can host large scale events ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 people. There is a lot of versatility in terms of venue offerings.
For Bollywood buffs For Bollywood Parks a lot of research has gone into putting up the attractions, all aimed at not just the Indian visitors but also those from Africa and Europe who have a keen interest in Bollywood. “We picked what we think are the biggest stars -
Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, you name them and we have got them all. Of course, some of the movies like Sholay, are older but they are classics; Laagan is also a classic, which has been created
like a roller coaster ride with a swinging cricket bat. The first was to choose movies with the biggest movie stars and then create them into a ride,” said Thomas Jellum, general manager, Bollywood Parks Dubai.
The fact that the Bollywood film industry is very much male centered is reflected in the park as well, albeit Jellum feels that he would have liked to have more leading ladies' themed attractions. Considering that
IN FOCUS
Bollywood Parks has a lot of scope for expansion, hopefully visitors will get to see that as well in the future. For now, from being rescued by Krrish and a virtual reality experience with Ra.One to watching a Bollywood musical Jaan-e-Jigar at the beautiful Rajmahal Theatre, there are many treats in store for Hindi film buffs. They can also grab some peanuts from Chulbul Pandey's very own kiosk or have an elaborate meal at Mughal-e-Azam restaurant. For bringing back home there are a range of memorabilias on sale – from the Heroes Vault (for Hritik and Shah Rukh fans) to the Bollywood Haat.
Motiongate and Legoland Motiongate Dubai occupies the largest area in the park. Every theme park has its own castle and at Dubai Parks and Resorts it is the Hotel Transylvania, which though it appears eerie is a perfect non-scary experience even for children. You can also join the battle between the vampires and the Lycans at the Underworld 4D experience or enjoy a highspeed roller coaster chase at the Green Hornet. The Smurfs Village with colourful mushroom shaped houses is yet another attraction that will appeal to young visitors, and also those young at heart. Legoland was the first park to open. Over 200 model builders have built the models of Legoland over three years. Over
20 million Lego bricks have been used in Miniland alone, and 60 million all over the park. The highlight of Legoland is the Miniland which has beautifully showcased Dubai's modern architectural marvels built with Lego bricks. For Indian visitors it is of much interest to see the beauty of Taj Mahal aptly captured in the model. Other architectural marvels like the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, Jor-
dan's Petra city, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque enthrall visitors in Miniland. Riverland Dubai is all set to be a themed retail and dining destination in Dubai, with its four zones. The 501 room Polynesian themed Lapita Hotel is yet another highlight of Dubai Parks and Resorts, for both MICE and leisure travellers.
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DESTINATION OUTBOUND
Sunshine has a soul More known for its white sand beaches, the Sunshine State Florida is also a cultural melting pot. From state-of-the-art museums and design districts to fine dining restaurants, high-end shopping, a vibrant nightlife, and iconic theme parks, tour operators can package this US coastal state for urban Indian families By Steena Joy
W
herever you look, the beach is not far in Miami. Set just south of Bal Harbour and north of Miami Beach, Surfside is a family friendly beach town with a clean beach and biking paths. Nestled in this trendy beach district, is the modern all-suite hotel (complete with kitchenettes) The Residence Inn Marriott, a two-minute walk from Surfside Beach. Then there is South Beach, the postcard beach featured on umpteen American television shows. But Florida is much more than just beaches. Ocean Drive is a party hotspot and is lined with nightclubs and cafes like the very popular Mango Tropical Cafe. This glamorous neighbourhood is also famed for its colourful art deco buildings with porthole windows and eyelids. The area has around 800 structures of historical significance, mostly built between 1923 and 1943. Some of them have featured in many Hollywood movies such as the 1936 wedding cake-style Beacon Hotel and especially the 1935 Colony Hotel, which is a Miami icon and is the most
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photographed art deco building by tourists. There is also Casa Casaurina - the large white, 1930 Spanish-style mansion, once the home of Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace, who was shot to death in 1997 on the steps. The home has been turned into a private, members-only party mansion. There are walking tours that give a peep into the history behind these historic buildings. Also make sure to include Lincoln Road in the itinerary. In 1962, eight blocks of Lincoln Road were closed to cars, creating a pedestrian-friendly shopping paradise, dotted with restaurants and eateries. Stroll around while looking at amazing window displays.
Cuban siesta Miami has a strong Cuban influence which is reflected in the cafes and cigar shops that line Calle Ocho street in Little Havana, South Beach. This vibrant street is known for its Cuban restaurants and bakeries and colourful street dancing. Stop for a cup of strong Cuban coffee and drop in at the legendary Maximo Gomez Park,
locally known as Domino Park. Named after a famous soldier, Maximo Gomez, who fought for Cuban independence from Spain, this is a popular hangout for local Cubans, smoking handmade cigars or discussing the latest news, over a game of dominoes. From here make a visit to Aventura Mall, an upscale super-regional shopping mall in a northern suburb of Miami. It is the largest conventional shopping mall in Florida, having a total leasable area of 2,700,000 square feet, and is the third largest shopping centre in the USA. It has a food court with eighteen fast food eateries, as well as several chains and fine dine restaurants at the mall's entrance like The Grand Lux Cafe. Jungle Island, earlier known as Parrot Trail, is a must visit attraction for families. Created by Franz Scherr, a place where birds could 'fly free', Parrot Jungle was originally located in south Miami and was known primarily for the world-famous pink flamingos who prominently featured in the opening credits of the television series Miami Vice. A private VIP Tour gets guests
DESTINATION OUTBOUND
up-close and personal with some of the park’s most fascinating inmates like the orangutans Peanut and Pumpkin - fraternal twins, a rarity in the animal kingdom, and the lemur nursery where guests can personally interact with these endangered mammals. They can also get to hold Johnny, belonging to the rare breed of white faced Capuchins. With its newly renovated Treetop Ballroom and picturesque outdoor spaces including a private beach, the 18 acre park is also a great events destination.
From canvas to palate The former warehouse district of Wynwood has become the art hotspot of South Florida. It started with murals, street art, and graffiti – encouraged by the
neighbourhood's early developers. Today, it is the art hub of Miami with more than 70 galleries and museums showcasing a blend of reputed and upcoming artists and museums as well as new restaurants and bars. Another soul of art and culture is the Design District - apart from its funky galleries, curated boutiques and unusual art, it is also a shopping mecca for luxury labels like Prada, Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Hermes. The district is also home to restaurants by Miami's renowned culinary names like Michael Schwartz and Michelle Bernstein. The next stop is the Frost Science Museum. Sitting on four acres within downtown Miami’s waterfront Museum Park, the 250,000 sq ft Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science divides
into four distinct buildings: the Aquarium, the Frost Planetarium, and the North and West Wings. The walls of the main building called the Living Core are covered with thousands of individual circular ceramic tiles, some concave, some flat, and some convex, for protection form extreme weather events like hurricanes which are quiet common to Florida. The Gulf Stream Aquarium is a 100-foot wide, 500,000-gallon cone-shaped vessel with a corner-less design that allows open-water marine species such as tuna and sharks to swim continuously as they would in the actual Gulf Stream. The centerpiece of the museum’s three-level aquarium is the gigantic Oculus lens which serves as the massive viewing portal into the aquarium. The 31-foot
wide, 13.5-inch thick acrylic lens weighing almost 80,000 pounds had to be transported using a unique motorised platform – similar to the ones NASA uses to move space shuttles! The museum forms a constellation of downtown cultural organisations in Miami’s Arts and Entertainment District, including the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). Apart from culture, Miami's culinary offerings are unique and varied. An interesting stopover is the Uruguayan restaurant, Quinto la Huella at the new EAST, Miami hotel on top of Brickell City Centre. Don't miss the infinity mirrors in the elevators while going up to the restaurant. Also check out Sugar, the hotel’s 40th floor rooftop bar and garden, which offers cocktails and Asian tapas. For a taste of French cuisine, there's Stephen Starr's Le Zoo, the 200-seat French brasserie at Bal Harbour Shops and for that authentic Mexican fare, Cantina La Veinte Mexican in downtown Miami.
Iconic entertainment From Miami to Orlando, home to iconic theme parks. Universal Orlando Resort has two theme parks (Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adven-
ture). The most riveting attraction is without doubt, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter where you can visit the Hogwarts castle and explore Hogsmeade village, enter the Gringotts Bank and travel on the Hogwarts Express. And of course, no trip to Orlando would be complete without meeting Mickey. Visitors can spend the whole day at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom with its classic attractions like Peter Pan's flight, It's a Small World and family rides like Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. A must see is the Disney Parade with Disney characters and floats that leaves everyone, including adults with an enchanting memory. EPCOT, the acronym for Experimental Prototype Community for Tomorrow, is an educational theme park at Walt Disney World Resort. It is believed that EPCOT is based on Walt Disney’s unrealised dream of creating an actual, inhabited city based on utopian ideals and cutting edge technology. One must not miss the Frozen Ever After boat ride based on the Disney movie Frozen. Also memorable are the small-scale recreations of various countries in the World Showcase like Norway, Mexico, China etc.
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EVENT ROUNDUP
A HIDDEN JEWEL IN THE HEART OF INCREDIBLE INDIA After a successful first edition of Jal Mahotsav, the Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation turned the activity-based event into a month-long festival this year on the incredibly beautiful man-made island of Hanuwantiya, near the Indira Sagar Dam in Khandwa district By Saloni Bhatia
I
ndira Sagar is one of the largest man-made dams in the country and the land of Hanuwantiya enjoys pristine views of the large reservoir of Narmada river built by the dam. Making the best use of this location and its novelty, Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) transformed the land for Jal Mahotsav in order to showcase the potential and possibilities for travel and adventure tourism in the state. The event was inaugurated by Shivraj Singh Chauhan, chief minister, Madhya Pradesh in the presence of other dignitaries of the tourism industry in December 2016. An entire tent city was built with Swiss cottages, designated play areas, culture centre and food hall. The event was managed by Aum Event and Promotion India, an Ahmedabad-based event company. It was extended to a month long festival due to its popularity among domestic travellers. Several water-based activities such as wind surfing, parasailing, water skiing, jet skiing, water zorbing and air activities such as hot air ballooning and para motors were organised like in the first edition of the event. The Swiss cottages were tented to enjoy the best views of the river and guests had easy access to the main areas. People were also seen hiring cycles from the booth, free of cost, to enjoy rides in the open area.
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The land and water based activities were the major attractions as many tourists, regardless of their age, were keen to enjoy the experience. Keeping in mind the families visiting the festival, the activities were organised for all age groups. While kids were seen enjoying activities like adventure sports, parents were indulging in cultural activities and shopping. A special craft zone was created to display the various products created by local artisans and craftsmen.
EVENT ROUNDUP
Earthen pots, local handicrafts and paintings were displayed among other things. The new attraction this year were the houseboats. Built in the Kerala and Kashmir styles, the houseboats had three rooms and the upper deck was well equipped as a meeting area. While in the day time, the deck was used for rides across the river, at night it offered a private dining place for about 35-40 people. Cruise, Jalpari and motorboat facilities were organised to transport people to Hanumatiya. The staff positioned at the water-based activities area were well trained and certified to ensure the safety of tourists. On the cultural front, guests enjoyed the regular cultural shows which included regional dances and play. While a magician kept people occupied during the dinner time, families were seen enjoying games post dinner. In the same manner, visitors were seen indulging in early morning Yoga sessions, right next to the river. The nearby attractions include cultural cities like Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Indore, Mandu and Mandaleshwar. Each of these cities is unique in culture, architecture, religion and nature. Omkareshwar known for the temple of Omkar Mandhata is a religious centre visited by tourists riund
the year, and is located about 85 kms from Hanuwantiya. While Maheshwar, 150 kms away, is famous for its temples, fort and ghats. The city of Mandu glorifies medieval architecture. All the cities can be visited while on the way to the main city Indore. Talking to Express TravelWorld on the latest footfall, Bharat Kundalia, director, Aum Event and Promotions India shared, “The New Year weekend witnessed 100 per cent occupancy and the first week shows only a small downfall to 60 per cent. New Year's day saw more than 100,000 tourists visit the festival. The people had to be sent back in order to avoid heavy rush and crowding.” He added, “While a minimum of one night stay is selling best, there are couples who have also extended their stays to four nights and five days.” The ideal duration of the stay at Hanuwantiya can start from two night three days and extend upto four nights and five days. Travellers can also pick nearby destinations to explore more about the state. The best way to reach Hanuwantiya by air is to reach Indore and then commence the threehour-long journey to the island. The nearest railhead is Khandwa, which falls on the Delhi-Howrah and MumbaiHowrah line.
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HUMAN RESOURCES
UberFAUJI: Empowering ex-servicemen UberFAUJI that was introduced in India to provide entrepreneurial opportunities to ex-servicemen is making a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of former Indian Army personnel who still have many productive years left post their retirement By Sudipta Dev
U
ber India launched UberFAUJI in 2015 with the aim of providing an opportunity to talented and skilled exservicemen who can be gainfully engaged during their productive post-retirement years. The initiative makes a positive difference to the lives of former Indian soldiers. “Through this programme, we have been able to create and expand economic opportunities to numerous ex-servicemen and women who were transitioning from army to civilian lives, looking for flexible and dignified entrepreneurial opportunities,” says Shweta Rajpal Kohli, head of public policy, Uber India, pointing out that the service tenure of most end at an average age of 35 years – significantly earlier than most jobs in the world. Every year, over 60,000 exservicemen and women falling under the age group of 35-40 years retire or complete their term of service with the Indian Army. “After years of living the army life, transitioning to civilian life post retirement can be challenging. In the last two years of being in India, we already have hundreds of ex-servicemen who are driving on the Uber platform and serving the citizens of their cities,” mentions Kohli, adding that UberFAUJI is an extension of a successful programme earlier rolled-out in the US market – UberMILITARY.
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Uber India has partnered with the Army Welfare Placement Organization (AWPO) and the key department of ex servicemen under the Ministry of Defence to provide them entrepreneurial opportunities. “Through UberSHAAN as well, we have enabled ex-servicemen get onboard the Uber platform,” she says. During the recruitment process only, those with valid documentation are made driver partners, after a comprehensive background check and a mandatory soft skill training. “In our experience, our
Shweta Rajpal Kohli
ex-servicemen are undoubtedly amongst the country’s most talented, skilled, hardworking people. We are proud and honored to be able to partner with such incredible individuals, who contribute to making Uber a service of choice for people across India,” affirms Kohli. They have the flexibility to opt for parttime work while they look for a job, to a full-time opportunity. They are also assisted in getting financing for their vehicles, at lower than market rates. The ex-servicemen can begin with a single car and end up owning/ managing a fleet. “They are free
to either drive themselves or manage a fleet of hired drivers on our platform which then gives them the liberty to plan their future income accordingly with flexible working hours,” states Kohli. A pan-India initiative, exservicemen can partner Uber across the 29 Indian cities the company operates in. “We believe our technology platform has the potential to empower these ex-servicemen and women. It helps them find flexible economic opportunities at a time when they need it the most,” remarks Kohli.
MOVEMENTS Jet Airways Jet Airways recently announced the appointment of ALDRIN KENNETH as the country manager for Thailand and Indo-China. Under this role, Kenneth will be responsible for Jet Airways’ performance in the region including its commercial aspects and overall operations. He will leverage his airline experience to use innovative means to grow the business and take steps to engage with key consumer communities to strengthen the airline’s brand story and value propositions. An industry veteran with over 17 years of experience with global airlines, Kenneth joined Jet Airways as the area manager for Dubai/Sharjah and Northern Emirates in 2008 and helped establish and strengthen the airline’s footprint in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Kenya Tourism Board Kenya Tourism Board has recently appointed its new CEO, BETTY RADIER, who comes with over 18 years of senior
Tourism New Zealand Tourism New Zealand recently announced the appointment of STEPHEN ENGLAND-HALL as chief executive. EnglandHall will join the tourism office after having worked for three
Air Canada
Stephen England-Hall
years as the chief executive at Loyalty, New Zealand. Prior to that, he was the chief marketing officer of Syncapse Corporation and chief executive officer for Razorfish in London with Razordish being the global media agency of Tourism New Zealand. He has worked across New Zealand, the United Kingdom and North America.
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, IAAPA The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA),
Betty Radier
management experience in marketing, strategy and operations. Prior to her appointment, Radier served as managing director of Scanad Kenya, JWT and Scanad Advertising Tanzania, McCann Kenya, and Lowe Scanad Uganda.
Virginia, USA, has inducted RAJEEV JALNAPURKAR, CEO of Ramoji Film City into its Asia Pacific Government Relations Subcommittee. Jalnapurkar would be serving the committee for the year 2017. He is also the only Indian to be selected for this position. He is the director of IAAPI and Education Subcommittee of Education at Asia.
Rajeev Jalnapurkar
Air Canada has appointed LUCIE GUILLEMETTE, previously senior vice president of revenue optimisation, as executive vice president and chief commercial officer. Guillemette, who is based at the airline's Montreal headquarters, joins the executive committee and continues to report to Benjamin Smith,
Lucie Guillemette
president, passenger airlines. In her new role, she will be responsible for Air Canada's commercial strategy and revenue generation, including marketing, sales, network planning and revenue management. Prior to her appointment as senior vice president, revenue optimisation in May 2015, she was vice president, revenue management, a role held since February 2008.
British Airways British Airways has appointed NOELLA FERNS as regional general manager for Greater China and Philippines. Based in Hong Kong, Noella will lead a region-wide team of over 27 people and will report to Richard Tams, executive vice president for Greater China. Ferns has worked for British Airways for over 20 years in various roles including senior management, sales and airport operations across Asia Pacific and more recently Greater China and Australia. Previously, she led the Hong Kong, Philippines and Taiwan sales teams to
drive growth in corporate accounts, trade partnerships and new business, while also overseeing the airline’s channel shift strategy.
Jimmy Yiu
Peter Wu
gistics industry where he oversaw operations and capacity procurement for a number of global freight forwarders in Hong Kong and China. He also has experience in contractual partnerships with offline and online carriers with a focus on innovative multi-model solutions for key shippers.
to vice president and regional general manager for Sabre Airline Solutions Asia Pacific, Dasha Kuksenko, Wu will lead Sabre’s airline IT business in China. He will be responsible for driving further market growth and expansion across Mainland China, as well as establishing customer engagement and local support. An airline business veteran, Wu has over 22 years of experience within the aviation sector. Most recently, he was director of strategy and business development for commercial aviation services for China at Boeing.
Emirates SkyCargo
Sabre Airline Solutions
Emirates SkyCargo has appointed JIMMY YIU as cargo operations manager in Hong Kong. Yiu has over 20 years of experience in the lo-
PETER WU has been appointed as senior director and general manager of Sabre Airline Solutions Mainland China. Reporting
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E V E N T S
MAGICAL MOMENTS L-R: GB Srithar, regional director (SAMEA), Singapore Tourism Board; actor Alia Bhatt; David Lim, GM, Singapore Airlines and Adrian Kong, area director (South Asia), STB, at the event announcing STB's partnership with Bhatt's movie Dear Zindagi
CONNECTING THE WORLD Emirates launched its 11th destination in the United States with the start of a daily nonstop service between Dubai and Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport
PROVIDING INDUSTRY SERVICES Etihad Airways Engineering and Lantal Textiles AG have launched the first Flammability Test Laboratory in the Middle East, for regional customers within the aviation industry
IMPETUS TO TOURISM Maharashtra tourism ministerJaykumarJitendrasinh Rawal and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at MTDC's painting exhibition at the recent Sarangkheda Chetak Festival 2016
ESSELWORLD TURNS 27 Ashok Goel, promoter of EsselWorld and Water
ARGENTINA SHOWCASE National Institute of Tourism Promotion in
Kingdom (left), at the cake cutting ceremony to celebrate EsselWorld's 27th anniversary
Argentina (INPROTUR) recently conducted a multi-city roadshow across Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru to promote the destination in India
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E V E N T S
FOOTBALL CONNECT As part of its promotional drive for the start of its recent Delhi-Madrid operations, Air India organised a "Football Futsal" event at the Air India Colony Sports Ground in Mumbai
HIGHLIGHTING EXCHANGES French President Francois Hollande (left), accompanied by H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, recently toured the Louvre Abu Dhabi site and reviewed the progress in construction of the cultural landmark
MOTIVATING PARTNERS The annual Ambassador's Travel Awards soirĂŠe, an initiative by Atout France - France Tourism Development Agency - under the patronage of the Ambassador of France to India, recently took place at the Chambers Terrace, The Taj Mahal Palace and Towers, Mumbai
A FITTING REWARD Etihad Airways recently hosted its leading travel trade partners in Southern India on a familiarisation trip to watch Premier League soccer club Manchester City in England
FOR PASSENGER EXPERIENCE SWISS has been honoured with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Fast Travel Platinum Award for its range of self-service facilities
HONOURABLE VISIT HE Alexandre Ziegler, Ambassador of France to India (third from left), recently visited the construction site of the Novotel Hotel & Convention Center Vijayawada
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REGD.WITH RNI NO. MAHENG/2005/15993,POSTAL REGD. NO. MCS/163/2016 – 18,PUBLISHED ON 11TH EVERY MONTH, POSTED ON 12TH,13TH,14TH OF EVERY MONTH, POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE,MUMBAI – 400001.