Express Travelworld (Vol.13, No.10) November, 2018

EDITOR’S NOTE

Great expectations

T

he world of travel and tourism will crisscross each other at Heathrow to finally unite at Excel, London to once again, meet, greet and then retreat to meet again. Well that is the world of travel and tourism, a story that is never ending as travel by its very definition is constant and ongoing. It is an industry that is vulnerable as it faces pressures due to both natural and manmade adversities happening in the world; it is also an industry that is proud of its resilience to always bounce back with a refreshed action plan. India Tourism is also all set to make its mark at WTM. The Incredible India 2.0 campaign is rather futuristic and is looking at making the right impact in markets across the globe. The minister of tourism, Government of India, K J Alphons, recently spoke at the Indian Express exclusive Tourism Round Table (RTC) in a voice that was strong and stately. He spoke in a candid and clear tone speaking about issues head on. From marketing, to people behaviour, from monument adoption to cleanliness and hygiene, the minister was grounded in his words. He was clear that there is so much more to do and achieve though a lot of action has taken place over the last four years. The subsequent panel discussion with industry thought leaders highlighted the importance of working towards bringing in quality tourists, resolving taxation issues, seeking infrastructure status for the tourism and hospitality sector, e-visas, better air connectivity and

“ The coming year is being looked at with great expectations from tour operators.

The future will call for operators who can predict,pre-empt and present products before the client says, 'What’s new on the travel scene ?”

more. From improving KPIs in tourism to clearing the coloured perceptions that markets have toward India.

(To read more, refer to our cover story.) WTM is one of the ideal platforms to speak about the India story right and to clear the coloured perceptions. The world needs to view India as a quality travel destination that gives its visitor a seamless and serene travel experience.

Further, speaking about new initiatives and policies, from Udaan scheme to Prasad and Swadesh Darshan schemes, the cruise tourism sector is also gaining some momentum. Recently the Mumbai-Goa cruise service was flagged-off. However, such policies need to be consistent and constant to get the ship moving in the desired direction, without facing rough weather. With regard to air travel, IATA's 20 year air passenger forecast predicts 8.2 billion air travellers in 2037, with India being in the third place by 2024. The coming year is being looked at with great expectations from tour operators as traveller demands are getting more crisp and cutting edge. From multi-country general travel to cherishing the finer elements of travel, the future will call for operators who can predict, pre-empt and present products before the client says, 'What’s new on the travel scene?'

REEMA LOKESH Editor editorial.etw@expressindia.com

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CONTENTS IN FOCUS Vol 13 No 10 November 2018 Pages 38

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Chairman of the Board Viveck Goenka

Sr. Vice President - BPD Neil Viegas

Asst. Vice President - BPD Harit Mohanty

PARADISE NEEDS NO MARKETING Even as the J&K Tourism department grapples with allegations of mismanagement of a recent Autumn fest familiarisation tour as a result of which heads have rolled, one thing remains unchanged - Kashmir’s eternal beauty. As one Kashmiri hotelier said, Paradise needs no marketing

Editor Reema Lokesh*

Assistant Editor Steena Joy

(20-23)

DESIGN Assistant Art Director Pravin Temble Chief Designer Prasad Tate Senior Designer Rekha Bisht Graphics Designer Gauri Deorukhkar Senior Artist Ratilal Ladani DIGITAL TEAM Head of Internet

Speaking at the recently held The Indian Express Round Table Conference (RTC) in New Delhi, the tourism minister said that the sector is contributing over 6.8 per cent to India’s GDP and employs 84 million people. The theme of the RTC was '20 Million Inbound Travellers by 2020'

IN FOCUS

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MARKETS

Viraj Mehta SCHEDULING & COORDINATION Santosh Lokare

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KERALA CONDUCTS TOURISM READINESS SURVEY

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'WE HAVE MOVED FROM MULTI-COUNTRY ITINERARIES TO LIFE EVENT HOLIDAYS'

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Photo Editor Sandeep Patil

'NDC IS A CHANGE AND FOR EVERY CHANGE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY': CHAMPA MAGESH, AMADEUS

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62ND AAPA CHARTS PRIORITIES FOR FUTURE AVIATION DEVELOPMENT The AAPA 62nd Assembly of Presidents held in Jeju, Korea this week strengthened the resolve of its airline leaders to maintain pressure in resolving current regulatory issues relating to safety, environment, infrastructure and passenger rights

ACISO (FATIMA) ORGANISES WORKSHOP IN MUMBAI

MARKETING Prabhas Jha Debnarayan Dutta CIRCULATION

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Mohan Varadakar

SABRE HOSTS FIRST AIRLINE LEADERS’ FORUM IN MUMBAI

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QATAR'S CRUISE SEASON SETS SAIL WITH THE ARRIVAL OF BOUDICCA

SPOTLIGHT

PRODUCTION General Manager B R Tipnis Manager

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Bhadresh Valia

Express TravelWorld® POSTAL REGD. NO. MCS/163/2016 – 18

BRAND USA ORGANISES INDIA TRAVEL MISSION FOR THE SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

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CZECH REPUBLIC WITNESSES 128 PER CENT GROWTH IN INDIAN ARRIVALS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS

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(Editorial & Administrative Offices: Express

P05 : EDITOR’S NOTE P34 : MOVEMENTS

Towers, 1st Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400021)

P36 : WEEKEND

ROOF-TOP RESTAURANTS AT STAR HOTELS RECEIVE NOD FROM STATE EXCISE DEPT. TO SERVE LIQUOR, HRAWI WELCOMES MOVE

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INVEST IN OUR TOURISM SECTOR, SAYS MP TOURISM Heritage building Minto Hall looking spanking new after a Rs 64 cr refurbishment was the venue of the fifth edition of the Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart which showcased the state's varied tourism offerings to industry stakeholders

Copyright © 2018 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

Kerala conducts Tourism Readiness Survey Steena Joy Mumbai IN A BID TO CHECK out Kerala’s readiness to welcome visitors to its globally renowned destinations, the department of tourism, Kerala recently conducted a Tourism Readiness Survey. Speaking to the media, Rani George, tourism secretary, Government of Kerala informed, “The Department of Tourism, Kerala conducted a Tourism Readiness Survey from September 5 to 15 covering the 14 districts of the state. We identified 70 major destinations to find out the status of the connectivity and the hotels in these destinations. Tourism officials actually visited these places to determine their readiness to open for tourism business. We did the survey to collect the database and also to tell the reality to the world.”

In 2017, the state popularly known as God’s Own Country saw a 11.39 per cent increase in arrivals with 10.91 lakh international visitors and 146 lakh domestic visitors. The private sector has estimated a loss of nearly `500 crore for August and a loss

of another `1000 crore if tourism does not revive.

She added, “Thankfully, with each passing day Kerala is bouncing back. Under the able leadership of our chief minister, many NGOs, defence and police personnel all came together for rescue and relief operations. Including the local fishermen.

Thanks to them, almost 90 per cent of the popular tourism destinations like Munnar, Wayanad, Kumarakom, Alappuzha became operational one month after the floods. This was possible due to the tourism fraternity’s support and strong support from other trade associations.

Eravikulam National Park where the Neelakuruniji has bloomed after 12 years opened to the public on September 1 with a temporary bridge. Neelakurunji has blossomed in many parts of Munnar as well. Boating in Thekkady too has resumed.

Except for Thrissur (Vayachal/Atthirapilly Waterfalls) and Palakkad (Parambikulam Tiger Reserve) which are two districts that are still not fully ready due to connectivity issues.” Kerala Tourism has been holding several partnership

Rani George

meets across the country in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, etc.

Kerala Tourism won many awards at the recent PATA event. The department won four awards including the PATA Gold Award for the Yalla Kerala campaign created for the Middle East market. Five awards were won by private tour operators.

George commented, “Our biggest award however would be when Kerala gets back its top position on the world tourism map and visitors start arriving in

huge numbers.”

She also informed that Kerala’s fourth international airport will open on December 9 in Kannur. “This will give the much needed connectivity to the Malabar region with a high potential for tourism but was being bypassed due to connectivity issues. Our focus will be in the northern part of Kerala which has a vibrant rich cultural heritage,” she said. The region also has many rivers so the department will soon be starting the Malabar River Cruise. The department will be setting up boat jetties and terminals so that private operators can run cruises on these waterways.

When asked whether the local fishermen who have been honoured by the state government for their heroic efforts during the rescue operations would be a part of future tourism campaigns, she said that in the coming month, a film for which the photoshoot is already being prepared will reveal a different aspect of Kerala and will show the state in a different tourism perspective.

Elucidating about the new projects, George said, “The

hugely popular Kochi Biennale will be held again this year - it has placed Kochi as the art capital of India. Then the newly opened Jatayu Earth Centre, a PPP project where the government provided the land on lease.

The project has a cable car system imported from Switzerland and an international standard virtual reality museum scheduled to be launched in November.” She also added that the department has plans to introduce a Champions Boat League next season which will include all boat races in Kerala so that visitors arriving in Kerala between August to November will be able to see one boat race every Saturday. “Also, for the Village Experiences package, we are looking at including the flood affected areas so that the local communities can be benefitted. We will also be implementing the Thalassery Heritage project soon,” she said.

For safety purposes, the department has introduced a GPS tracking system for houseboats to monitor their whereabouts and appointed local residents as Tourism Wardens to look into any safety concerns.

New domestic cruise terminal in Mumbai inaugurated ETW Staff Mumbai THE UNION minister for road transport and highways, shipping and water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation, Nitin Gadkari and chief minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated Mumbai's new domestic cruise terminal. The much-awaited Mumbai - Goa cruise service 'Angriya' was also flagged off on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering,

Gadkari said that the domestic cruise sector will provide employment opportunities to 2.5 lakh youth in next five years. It will cater to nearly 30 lakh passengers from Mumbai in the next ten years. He said that India has the potential to attract 40 lakh cruise tourist passengers by 2041, out of which 32 lakh would visit Mumbai; he said that the domestic cruise terminal as well as the soon-to-be inaugurated international cruise terminal will hugely benefit them. The minister also said that works to

the tune of `2.5 lakh crore have been earmarked for ports under the Sagarmala project.

The chief minister said that Gadkari has opened the east coast of Mumbai to the common people. He said that the domestic and the international cruise terminals will create jobs and have a positive impact on development. Speaking of various transports modes such as water, coastal roads, monorail and metro rail, Fadnavis said that the ticketing systems of these various modes will soon be inte-

grated. The Mumbai - Goa Cruise Service is India’s first luxury cruise liner. It would sail to Goa three days a week. It would give a new dimension to cruise services and help expand its horizons in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Kerala.The new terminal is centrally airconditioned, with façade lighting.

Mid-size cruise vessels with a carrying capacity of 300 - 400 passengers would be operated from Mumbai to Goa from the new terminal.

Interacting with the media

on board the maiden voyage of Angriya, Gadkari said that 100 cruises such as this will be started, giving a boost to Mumbai Goa connectivity. He said that such services will be launched in rivers too. Water hotels will be set up along the Thane - Virar route. Water taxis will become operational for the new airport and for Panvel. He added that the Central Government is ready to build a jetty to facilitate water transport from Thane. A sea plane too is being planned, said the minister.

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IN THE NEWS

'NDC IS ACHANGE AND FOR EVERYCHANGE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY' NDC (New Distribution Capability) launched by IATA will enable the travel industry to transform the way air products are retailed to corporations, leisure and business travellers, by addressing the industry’s current distribution limitations: product differentiation and time-to-market, access to full and rich air content and finally, transparent shopping experience. Champa Magesh, vice president, Asia Pacific, Amadeus speaks to Steena Joy on the benefits of NDC and its impact on air content distribution Why did IATA introduce NDC? The airlines especially the Full Service Carriers (FSCs) are in a very highly competitive environment.

From their standpoint they are looking at competing more effectively with LCCs and having to address their cost structure. Also travellers want more personalised experiences, they want to be able to get offers that are more customised and also which will provide them end to end services. So taking all this into account, airlines are trying to increase revenues as well as trying to boost loyalty with their travellers. And they are also trying to gain control in terms of their offer to the travellers. These are the objectives that airlines are trying to achieve in rolling out NDC. How will it benefit the airlines? And the travel agents?

It is a change and of course for every change there is an opportunity.

From an airline perspective, as I said earlier, this gives them an opportunity to offer more choices to the traveller. To provide a more personalised offering to travellers. More choices are always good from a consumer perspective because travellers are looking for choices, depending on the

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context of the travel like for example a traveller travelling with family may look for a fare package that includes baggage versus a student going away for a weekend who may be more cost conscious, doesn’t want to pay extra for baggage or seat allocation.

So it’s about travellers having the choice to pay for what they want and for airlines to be able to make a personalised offer to them.

And in airlines being able to do this helps travel agencies as well, because the whole area of merchandising opens up new revenue streams for them. Agents who can personalise these offers for the traveller can obviously charge for those services. Or provide a package which gives them greater revenue and also helps them retain the loyalty of the traveller.

I think there are definitely benefits to be had for travel agencies from looking at how they can effectively retail to travellers. So the BIG change and shift in the industry is that this is no longer about booking travel; it is about travel agencies considering how they can retail travel to the traveller because he is not just looking at the booking. Booking in itself is not complicated anymore from the traveller’s perspective because there are multiple ways of booking travel these days. But what travellers are looking for,

There are multiple sources of content these days. What travel agents not just globally but in India too need in order to be successful is to be able to access all that content and then be able to personalise it to suit their customers Champa Magesh

and where travel agencies can add value is the end to end experience.

The industry seems skeptical of NDC? This is perhaps because of how NDC was perceived earlier. Initially, NDC was seen as a way to change the business model but in reality, NDC is just a communication protocol. It's a communication protocol standard in XAmow for API. Fundamentally, NDC in itself is nothing earth shattering - it is just an element of technology that has to be adopted. But there are other aspects of the change to be considered - what is the business model, how are the airlines going to deploy it, whose going to pay for it, how is this cost of change going to be funded, etc. these

are all open questions and it needs industry collaboration. Because in any eco system you have multiple players like the indirect channels to the agencies, then the airlines, the technology partners like Amadeus, search engines, meta search engines, etc. and there needs to be collaboration, not just among the airlines.

How is Amadeus planning to collaborate?

We have already announced several pilots between travel agencies, ourselves and airlines where all three of us are working together. To pilot the NDC solutions, we are building and investing in the Amadeus travel platform which will enable not just the NDC but allow the NDC and the GDS

and other sources of content to coexist together. And we are running pilots on a global scale and including travel companies with FCM, GTB, CWT, etc who are global but have a footprint in India. We are working with IATA as well and that way we are uniquely positioned because we host 130 airlines and work with many travel agencies so we are able to help facilitate that collaboration.

Content is getting fragmented there are multiple sources of content these days, it is not like in the 80s where the only source of content was the GDS and what travel agents not just globally but in India too need in order to be successful is to be able to access all that content and then be able to personalise it to suit their customers.

IN THE NEWS

ACISO (FATIMA) organises workshop in Mumbai ETW Staff Mumbai ACISO - Business Association Ourém-Fátima, in collaboration with the Municipality of Ourém and the Shrine of Fatima and with the support of Turismo de Portugal and Turismo do Centro de Portugal recently organised a workshop in India. This workshop provided an in-depth knowledge of Fátima in Portugal to be promoted as a religious destination. The delegation in-

cluded João Gomes, sales manager, Fatima Hotels Group; Sofia Jorge, sales and marketing manager, Steyler Fatima Hotel, Congress & Spa; Helder Pimentel, sales manager, Quasar Travel; Domingos Neves, president of the Board, ACISO Business Association of Ourém - Fátima and Pedro Mafra, management advisor, ACISO Business Association of Ourém - Fátima.

Fatima is one of the most important Catholic shrines in the world dedicated to the Virgin

Mary. Fatima’s fame is due to the apparitions of Our Lady of the Rosary that appeared to three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos and her two younger cousins, Francisco and Jacinta.

Between May and October of 1917, the three children witnessed several apparitions. The last one, on October 13, was confirmed by a miracle witnessed by 60,000 people known in the Catholic world as “The day the sun danced”.

Fatima now attracts thou-

sands of pilgrims from all over the world, particularly on the pilgrimage days in May and October. The large torch-light processions in the evening are particularly impressive, often

lead by Cardinals and Bishops.

The pilgrims gather in Cova de Iria an enormous plaza where a little chapel was built and where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared to the children.

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IN THE NEWS

'WE HAVE MOVED FROM MULTI-COUNTRY ITINERARIES TO LIFE EVENTHOLIDAYS' Vishal Suri, MD, SOTC Travel, speaks about SOTC's vision for the coming year, market temperament and more. By Reema Lokesh How do you see the business evolve in the coming year 2019-20?

SOTC is a mainstream travel business. Our focus is to give our customers a quality holiday experience. We wish to spread the message that travel and holidays are an integral part of one's life and travel does bring people closer. Today the travel business is growing and people are moving away more from the typical multi-country itineraries to that of holidays celebrating milestones. We are focusing on multiple segments and we are here to offer our customers a travel journey filled with memories and experiences. We at SOTC are ready and focused to cater to every market segment. We will continue to being innovation in

travel and cater to the needs of the traveller. We are into a phase of a healthy double digit growth. The MICE segment has more than doubled, while I have full faith in the growing business of the domestic market. People are exploring newer destinations in India and moving away from just Goa. The Udaan scheme will definitely connect more towns and cities within the country and give a fillip to travel. To aid that further, the perceived value associated with travel has also increased, which helps our business. The demand for micro trips, longer weekend trips are sharply on the rise and people prefer taking shorter breaks every 3 months. As I said, today there is no broad brush single customer segment for us at SOTC.

store experiences, to customer friendly apps to that of investing in the online space, analytics and inculcating VR in our system to provide our customers with quality experiences, even before they travel with us is something we have invested in.

Our travel experiential store in Bengaluru is worth a visit. The customer journey begins with us before they even join our tours.

Vishal Suri

Any new investments to meet the growing demand of the traveller?

We are investing heavily into technology. From self service in-

Any observations for the future?

I am certain that though group travel will increase, there will be more emphasis on experiences rather than just visiting a particular place. We would like to further broaden our portfolio not just with destinations but experiences within the destina-

tion and outside of it. Our Darshans - crafted spiritual experiences by SOTC receives encouraging response from travellers. To cater to the growing demand of spiritual tourism in the country, we launched Darshans in association with ePuja, India’s first online portal for religious ceremonies. Further, to cater to the demand of rail holidays, SOTC has introduced Great Rail Journeys.

These itineraries have been created in collaboration with “Great Rail Journeys” a UK based operator. Travellers can get to discover the world through truly epic journeys travelling on iconic trains across entire continents such as Europe, Asia and Americas. We at SOTC are extremely upbeat about the future.

SOTC Travel wins 2018 PATAGold Award ETW Staff Mumbai SOTC Travel was conferred the prestigious 2018 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award for its entry in the Marketing Media- Travel Advertisement Broadcast category, for “Holidays Bring You Closer” at Langkawi, Malaysia. The 2018 PATA Gold Awards honoured the exceptional contributions to promote travel and tourism across the Asia Pacific region. This year’s awards attracted 200 entries from 87 organisations and individuals worldwide.

The PATA Grand Awards were presented to outstanding entries in four principal categories: Marketing; Education and Training; Environment, and Heritage and Culture. The winners were selected by an independent judging committee consisting of fourteen senior executives from the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors.

SOTC Travel’s entry in the Marketing MediaTravel Advertisement Broadcast category “Holidays Bring You Closer” highlights the brand promise

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of ‘We are for holidays’ and inspires consumers to enjoy their holidays while creating memories for a lifetime. The jury members were most impressed with the high quality and exceptional standard of the entry submitted.

On winning the accolade, Vishal Suri, managing director, SOTC said, “It is a significant achievement

to be honoured with the 2018 PATA Gold Award.

This Award reiterates our position that “We are for holidays” and our commitment to deliver enhanced and memorable holiday experiences for our customers around the world. We will continue to strive to make their holidays memorable and for many more such recognitions in the future.”

IN THE NEWS

Sabre hosts first Airline Leaders’ Forum in Mumbai

MSC Cruises enters ultra-luxury segment by placing order for four more ships from Fincantieri ETW Staff Mumbai

ETW Staff Mumbai SABRE Corporation, the leading technology provider to the global travel industry, is proud to drive the rapid evolution of India’s aviation sector by providing innovation and expertise to companies that shape the travel industry. Hosting the first-ever Airline Leaders’ Forum in Mumbai, Sabre created a unique forum for airlines, travel agents and travel management companies from across the country to delve into industry best practices regarding merchandising, distribution and fulfilment that will enable a successful evolution towards the future of travel.

Sabre continues to bolster its leadership position in the India travel marketplace. In addition to providing a plat-

India has the potential to achieve some of the fastest growth of any aviation market in the world.

Sabre plays a leading role in this form that facilitates knowledge transfer between industry members, Sabre recently announced the renewal of a longterm, full content distribution agreement with Jet Airways.

Sabre also has a long-standing relationship with Air India, with whom it holds a full content distribution agreement for both India and international points of sale.

“India has the potential to achieve some of the fastest growth of any aviation market in the world. Sabre plays a leading role in the transformation of India’s aviation industry by enabling companies to adopt cutting-edge technology solutions that provide a significant market advantage,” said Rakesh Narayanan, vice president, Air Line of Business, Sabre Travel Network Asia Pacific.

“Through our strategic partnerships and thanks to our leading global travel marketplace, which connects over 425,000 agents to global airline content, Sabre contributes to the success of its customers on an international scale,” he added.

MSC Cruises and Fincantieri recently announced the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the construction of four ultra-luxury cruise ships for a total value in excess of EUR two billion.

The ships, the first of which will be delivered in Spring 2023, will have gross tonnage of approximately 64,000 GT and will feature 500 cabins. The other three ships will come into service one per year over the following three years. The ships will feature the best and latest environmental technology and other cutting-edge maritime solutions at sea.

They will also showcase highly-innovative design as well as introduce groundbreaking options for guest comfort and relaxation.

Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman, MSC Cruises said, “It is off the back of the great success of our ship-within-a-ship luxury concept that our guests asked us to enter into the ultraluxury segment, as a natural evolution of the MSC Yacht Club. These ships will be able to offer unique itineraries, thanks to their size, and the guest services will be taken to another level, including our personalised MSC Yacht Club butler service, available 24/7.”

Vago continued, “I am especially pleased to be able to further extend our partnership with Fincantieri

through this new order. The award-winning Seaside and Seaside-Evo class have already been recognised as ground-breaking and innovative designs. We are now introducing another new class, which will establish a new standard of ultra-luxury at sea with ships that will showcase the quality and highest standards that are associated with Made in Italy.”

Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, stated, “It is with pride that two great brands - an Italian one and one with a strong Italian DNA -, well-known all over the world, has announced an important construction programme. We are extremely satisfied that, to launch a new class of ships in the luxury segment, MSC Cruises has recognised that our design will help them create a new generation of ships that will be cutting edge both in terms of safety and technological content, and with particular attention paid to passenger comfort.” Angelo Capurro, executive director for India, MSC Cruises said, “Entering into the ultra-luxury segment, is yet another exciting development in our offering.

In addition to our MSC Yacht Club experience, Indian guests will enjoy from 2023 onwards an even wider choice of five-star cruise experiences in the highest segment of the market. Our future ultra-luxury ships will come as close as it comes to a private yacht experience.”

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IN THE NEWS

Qatar's cruise season sets sail with the arrival of Boudicca ETW Staff Mumbai THE 2018/19 cruise season kicked off in Qatar with the Boudicca docking at Doha Port last week. The season, which continues until April 2019, is expected to see nearly double the number of cruise ships that arrived in the 2017/18 season. Of the 43 ships scheduled to call in Doha Port, 10 ships will be making their maiden calls to Qatar.

And, with the majority of calls being megaships, this season is set to be the biggest yet for Qatar, bringing 140,000 visitors to Qatar's shores - nearly triple those that arrived last year.

In addition to being the biggest yet, this season will witness a significant first for Qatar: the arrival of two megaships at Doha Port at the same time - an occurrence that is due to happen a total of five times throughout this season.

Hassan Al Ibrahim, acting chairman, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) commented, “It continues to be an exciting period of rapid growth for Qatar’s cruise tourism sector, which will witness more firsts this season.

We are pleased to see our local partners join in our efforts to develop services and products specifically for cruise visitors.

They are an ideal complement to our partnerships with leading international agencies and we look forward to continue drawing a growing number of visitors to Qatar's shores to enjoy the country's pleasant winter weather.

These developments highlight the opportunities for investors to

develop authentic and memorable experiences that reinforce Qatar’s position as a hub to discover.”

QTA and Qatar's major transport services provider, Mowasalat recently signed an MoU to further develop tourist transport services, ensuring the growth in cruise tourism demand is matched with flexible and reliable transportation. QTA also continues to work with local

and international partners to carefully plan, develop and manage the cruise terminal facilities, infrastructure and operations needed to achieve sustainable growth. Qatar is expecting to receive 200,000 cruise visitors by the 2019/20 season and has plans to turn Doha to a turnaround port.

QTA recently signed an agreement with the German Aida Cruises and the Italian

Costa Cruises to place Qatar on the two companies' winter itineraries as well as to cooperate in designing special promotion packages for their passengers.

As part of the agreements, luxury ship AIDAprima and Costa Mediterranea are expected make their maiden trips to Doha Port this season. Between them, the two cruise lines will bring up to a quarter of this season's passengers to Doha.

Lufthansa’s India-Frankfurt flight now connects to Austin ETW Staff Mumbai EUROPE’S leading airline, Lufthansa, is launching a new direct flight from Frankfurt to Austin, Texas.

Commencing on May 3, 2019, Lufthansa will offer five weekly flights from Frankfurt Airport to Austin – Bergstrom International Airport. With this new flight offering, Austin will become the German carrier’s third destination in Texas, following

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daily service to Dallas and Houston.

Lufthansa will operate the Airbus A330-300 in a three class cabin configuration offering customers Business Class (42), Premium Economy (28), and Economy Class (185). Flights will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Optimally timed, flights arriving from India will connect perfectly to LH468 departing from Frankfurt at 10:05 am and arriving in

With this new flight, Austin will become the German carrier’s third destination in Texas

Austin at 2:20 pm. On the return LH469 leaves Austin at 4:05 pm and arrives in Frankfurt at 9:10 on the following day thus comfortably reaching all departures to India.

With the launch of the new route, Lufthansa opens up the world to all explorers. “With more and more Indians displaying a growing zeal for exploring the world, the launch of the new Frankfurt-Austin flight brings the world closer to Indians within the country

as well as the Indian diaspora in Texas and Europe,” said Paurus Nekoo, general manager sales, India for Lufthansa Group.

Lufthansa has 28 flights a week from India to Frankfurt, across four metropolitan cities making transit to Texas convenient and reliable. The new route will not only enhance overall connectivity, it will also make travel easier for business and leisure travellers as well as students going from India to Austin.

IN THE FOCUS NEWS

Brand USA organises India Travel Mission for the seventh consecutive year ETW Staff Mumbai BRAND USA, the destination marketing organisation for the United States, concluded its seventh annual India Travel Mission recently. This year’s mission was the largest to date with 64 delegates from 42 US tourism organisations participating. The delegation included representatives from tourism boards, hotels, receptive operators, tourist attractions, and other services.

Delegates visited Bengaluru, Mumbai, and New Delhi, and received an overwhelming response from the Indian travel trade with more than 830 people in attendance.

Starting in Bengaluru, the subsequent six days included B2B sessions, panel discussions, and networking dinners that provided the opportunity for visiting US delegates to closely interact with Indian business partners. One-on-one meetings with key stakeholders allowed both sides to renew or forge new business relationships. Indian attendees also enhanced their knowledge of US products and destinations, as delegates comprehensively updated travel professionals on the unique tourism infrastructure and possibilities available in the USA.

Christopher Thompson

Christopher L Thompson, president and CEO, Brand USA, said, “We are delighted to announce that visitation by Indian travellers to the United States has been growing consistently year–on–year. With 1.29 million visitors in 2017, India was the 11th highest ranked country by arrival numbers and ranked sixth in terms of visitor spends to the US. This sustained rise in tourist arrivals from India has been made possible through a range of focused in-market trade and consumer initiatives by Brand USA and certainly the annual India Mission that always has a positive response from our

Indian partners each year. Looking ahead, we are confident in continuing the momentum of welcoming more Indian visitors to the USA.” Sheema Vohra, managing director, Brand USA in India added, “The 2018 Brand USA India Mission has been a success, with the engagement in each city generating noteworthy opportunities and opening up avenues for future business with our Indian partners. I’m pleased to share that this year’s tremendous turnout promises further enhances the USA as one of the most preferred destination offering a diverse range of immersive experiences. India holds vast potential for increased tourism to the US and we anticipate significant growth in future, in line with our endeavour to effectively promote the destination across the country.”

The Indian invitees to the Mission included major stakeholders from the travel trade, airline representatives, hospitality and service professionals and operators.

The mission concluded with a dedicated media day, organised in New Delhi, where leading travel trade and consumer media were invited to interact with the visiting US delegation.

Travel Tours launches fifth retail store in Bengaluru ETW Staff Mumbai TRAVEL TOURS, the flagship leisure travel brand of FCM Travel Solutions - Indian subsidiary of Flight Centre Travel Group Australia, inaugurated its fifth store in Bengaluru recently. The store was inaugurated by Rakshit Desai, managing di-

of India. The launch is a further development of our expansion and strategic intent at Travel Tours across the Southern India.

Bengaluru contributes to 22 per cent of Leisure Travel at Travel Tours overall and 35 per cent in South India. This year has been exciting for us and as we expand rapidly into the year, we plan to open 50+

rector, India at Flight Centre Travel Group.

With the launch of this store, FCM Travel Solutions now has 30 operational Travel Tours stores across India.

The new Travel Tours store in Bengaluru aims to fulfill the diverse needs of travellers in the city by offering both personalised vacations and group tours. The store will cater to the needs of high-end urban consumers such as families, business travellers, honeymoon couples and large groups of travellers.

Expressing his thoughts on the launch, Desaivsaid, “We are extremely thrilled to launch our fifth store in Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley

stores by 2020.”

Travel Tours has expert travel consultants who are passionate about travel and have insider tips and personal recommendations for every holiday. Backed by the strength of a strong global network and expertise in designing travel experiences - Travel Tours delivers unbeatable holidays to the destinations of one’s choice. Travel Tours current footprint extends to a total of 30 stores across Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Anand and Nagpur via a combination of owned branches and newly opened franchise outlets.

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IN THE NEWS

Czech Republic witnesses 128 per cent growth in Indian arrivals in the last three years ETW Staff Mumbai THE CZECH TOURIST Authority - CzechTourism along with the Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi, successfully conducted three city roadshows in New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai to promote the unique attractions that Czech Republic the ‘Land of Stories’ has to offer. Air Arabia, the official airline partner for this event participated, along with various Czech partners.

As per the statistics shared by the Czech Republic Authority - CzechTourism, the destination has witnessed a significant rise in Indian arrivals over the years having seen a growth of 128 per cent from 2015-2017. In 2017, Czech Republic welcomed 85,680 Indians, a growth of 27 per cent in Indian arrivals over 2016.

With growing travel aspirations among Indians across demographics, activities such as

wine tourism, spa tourism, pristine nature stays have been driving Indian tourists to the Czech Republic.

On the occasion, H E Milan Hovorka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to India stated, “With the Indian economy growing at a pace no one has seen before, the number of people visiting other countries is skyrocketing. And it’s no surprise that the Czech Republic is very high on the list of countries to visit. We’re extremely happy to see this kind of growth and we believe that thanks to the event like this roadshow we’ll be able to connect the right people to ensure that every holiday in the Czech Republic will be as smooth and well-organised as possible.”

Veronika Janecková, head of International Markets Management, Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism added, “We see India as a promising market; Czech Republic has a lot to offer to the Indian travellers in

terms of unexplored destinations and unique experiences.

The country hosts a diverse array of natural landscapes that appeal to visitors of every kind be it architectural lovers or adventure seekers. Through this roadshow, we are able to reach out to new markets and further strengthen our relationship with Indian travel trade partners.”

Speaking on the occasion, Arzan Khambatta, head, Czech Tourist Authority - CzechTourism India said, “The road-

show has been an excellent platform for Czech tourism partners to network with Indian agents and tour operators. Indian tourists visit not only the capital city of Prague, but also Karlovy Vary and fairytale town Ceský Krumlov which is a favourite spot for honeymooners. As Czech Republic continues to be one of the most favoured destinations, we look forward to welcoming more Indians in years to come.”

He further added, “We are promoting the country as a pre-

mium destination targeting families, experiential travellers, business tourists, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) honeymooners and leisure travellers.”

Several Bollywood movies such as Rockstar and Jab Harry Met Sejal have been shot in the Czech Republic showcasing the natural beauty of the central European country.

VFS Global is the official Tourism Representative of CzechTourism in India since 2016.

VFS Global signs visa service contracts with eight European governments ETW Staff Mumbai IN AUGUST and September 2018, VFS Global signed eight contracts with existing and new client governments, to extend their visa service network. As per the new contracts, VFS Global will now provide visa services for: ● Belgium in Rwanda; ● Estonia in China, India, Belarus, Turkey, and Russia; ● Germany in China and 13 other countries in South East Asia; ● Hungary in India, Belarus,

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Kazakhstan; Italy in Bahrain and Ecuador; Lithuania in Ukraine; Slovenia in 13 countries (Australia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Canada, Iran, Kosovo, Mexico, New Zealand, Serbia, South Korea, Taiwan, UAE, UK, USA); and ● The Czech Republic in Vietnam, Mongolia and Uzbekistan.

VFS Global plans to open an additional 97 Visa Application Centres to meet the requirements of the new contracts and offers applicants a convenient and easy visa application ● ● ●

Zubin Karkaria

process in these additional countries. The rollout of all new operations is expected to be completed by mid-2019.

Zubin Karkaria, CEO, VFS Global Group, said, “VFS Global is grateful for the trust and goodwill the European member states have placed in us over the years. With the recent renewal /extension of our relationship with eight European governments across multiple regions, we are pleased to offer our high quality visa services to many more visa applicants.”

Chris Dix, head - business development, VFS Global, said,

“This has been a great quarter for VFS Global. Today, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 61 client governments, in large part due to our uncompromising approach to using technology as a key business driver, and constantly innovating so that visa applicants continue to enjoy streamlined and convenient visa services the world over.”

With 2709 Application Centres, operations in 141 countries across five continents and over 182 million applications processed as on September 30, 2018, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 61 client governments.

IN THE NEWS

Roof-top restaurants at star hotels receive nod from state excise dept. to serve liquor, HRAWI welcomes move ETW Staff Mumbai THE MAHARASHTRA State Excise Department vide a Government Resolution has granted permission to star rated hotels in the state to serve liquor in their open air terrace restaurants, which until now could serve only food. The permission will be granted only to those hotels that have obtained an NOC from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and from the Fire Department for statutory compliances. The GR also allows hotels to apply for a single composite licence covering all its restaurants, lounges and cafes making the process of applying for liquor licence simpler. The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has welcomed the move and has indicated that it will continue holding dialogues with the government for making the same applicable to restaurants too.

Mumbai is one of the biggest business and tourist hubs in the country for both domestic and international

tourists. Mumbai is also a preferred destination for many international visitors as a tourist gateway for travelling to various places in India.

“The association has been liasioning with the various departments of state for over a decade on this subject. We wish to thank the state government, the excise ministry and are especially grateful to Valsa Nair Singh, principal secretary of the state excise department for considering our suggestions.

While this is applicable only for star rated hotels as of now, we would be interacting with the department to include nonstarred hotels and standalone restaurants also. Classification and star rating by the government is to be used as a guideline, to be followed by the industry and is not a rule, therefore we shall be requesting the department to de-link the benefits to be derived through policies from classification and star ratings. The rooftop wine and dine culture is widely popular across all the major tourist destinations and global cities of the world. We

Gurbaxish Singh Kohli

Kamlesh Barot

can now offer our guests from abroad the option to wine and dine in an open to sky ambience which many of them prefer. Of course, our own Mumbaikars too can now experience the pleasure of this kind of a diner set-up,” said Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, president, HRAWI. The permission granted by the state government to serve liquor at rooftop restaurants in a hotel is now approved by the BMC. As per the BMC’s policy,

only if the entire structure is a star hotel by itself, can they serve liquor in their rooftop restaurant but the same should be applicable for stand-alone restaurants as well, if they have a restaurant with a kitchen below their terrace. This permission to serve alcohol therefore should be given to any hotel or restaurant, irrespective of their star category and having a restaurant and a kitchen below their terrace in their building.

“The decision to combine all the restaurant licences into one, simply eases the process. Under the composite licence, hotels will continue to pay the stipulated fees for each of its F&B outlets, but the permissions will be clubbed into one single licence.

While both decisions are great and will benefit hotels, we were also hopeful that the Government would include stand-alone restaurants for offering alcohol to their guests on their rooftops.

We will continue to engage with the authorities on this front, as well as request them to consider granting permission to all hotels and restaurants and not just the star rated ones to serve liquor on their rooftops,” says Kamlesh Barot, past president, HRAWI. “Mumbai is the commercial capital of India and a global city. Its practices should be in sync with the cities of the world to maintain its image and charm in the eyes of tourists visiting from different places of the world. This move will send out the right kind of message to international tourists and will definitely boost tourism,” concludes Kohli.

Cox & Kings opens new franchisee store in Cuttack,Orissa ETW Staff Mumbai COX & KINGS has announced the opening of its new franchisee store in Cuttack, Orissa.

Located at shop number 108, ground floor, Sumitra Plaza, Arunodaya Market, Badambadi, the new store marks the company’s first location in Cuttack. The store is owned and operated by Manas

Kumar Nayak who is a well-established businessman in the city.

This is Cox & Kings third store in Orissa. Other stores are located in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. Speaking on this development, Karan Anand, head-relationships, Cox & Kings said, “We see a huge potential in this market and we felt that it was time that we have our own dedi-

cated travel outlet to cater to this demand.’’

The new franchisee store will cater to our various brands namely, Bharat Deko domestic tours, Duniya Deko outbound tours, Getaway Goddess women-only tours, Curious Cat Chronicles education tours, Trip 360° adventure outings, Enable Travel- tours for differently-abled and Self Drive 365 that caters to self-drive holi-

days, among many others.

Other products such as insurance, foreign exchange and trade fairs will also be made available to them.

Commenting on the current travel trends from Orissa, Anand said, “Traditionally travellers from the state enjoy travelling in groups in the company of family and friends.

Apart from various domestic destinations, international des-

tinations in Europe and Far East are a huge draw from here. However, since the past few years, exotic destinations such as Egypt, South Africa, Turkey, Jordan and Israel are growing in popularity amongst travellers.

Cox & Kings has a total of 175 franchisee locations spread across India and it is in a rapid expansion mode to cater to the growing demand of travellers.

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IN THE NEWS

IATA’s 20 Year Air Passenger Forecast predicts 8.2 billion air travellers in 2037, India will be in third place by 2024 ETW Staff Mumbai THE INTERNATIONAL Air Transport Association (IATA) revealed that present trends in air transport suggest passenger numbers could double to 8.2 billion in 2037. The latest update to IATA’s 20-Year Air Passenger Forecast, shows that an increasing shift Eastwards in the center of gravity of the industry is behind the continued strong growth. Over the next two decades, the forecast anticipates a 3.5 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR), leading to a doubling in passenger numbers from today’s levels.

The association warned, however, that growth prospects for air transport, and the economic benefits driven by aviation, could be curtailed if protectionist measures are implemented by governments.

“Aviation is growing, and that is generating huge benefits for the world. A doubling of air passengers in the next 20 years could support 100 million jobs globally. There are two important things that stand out about this year’s forecast. Firstly, we are seeing a geographical reshuffling of world air traffic to the East. And secondly, we foresee a significant negative impact on the growth and benefits of aviation if tough and restrictive protectionist measures are implemented,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO From their standpoint they are looking at competing more effectively with LCCs and having to address their cost structure. Also travellers want more personalised experiences, they want to be able to get offers that are more customised and also

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which will provide them end to end services. So taking all this into account, airlines are trying to increase revenues as well as trying to boost loyalty with their travellers. And they are also trying to gain control in terms of their offer to the travellers. These are the objectives that airlines are trying to achieve in rolling out NDC. The Asia-Pacific region will drive the biggest growth with more than half the total number of new passengers over the next 20 years coming from these markets. Growth in this market is being driven by a combination of continued robust economic growth, improvements in household incomes and favourable population and demographic profiles.

China will displace the United States as the world’s largest aviation market (defined as traffic to, from and within the country) in the mid-2020s. The rebalancing of China’s economy

towards consumption will support strong passenger demand over the long term.

India will take 3rd place after the US, surpassing the UK around 2024. Indonesia is forecast to be a standout performer – climbing from the world’s 10th largest aviation market in 2017 to the 4th largest by 2030. Thailand is expected to enter the top 10 markets in 2030, replacing Italy which drops out of the ranking.

The 3.5 per cent CAGR to 2037 assumes an unchanged policy framework over that period. Policy shifts, however, are likely over time. Should protectionism continue to expand in a “reverse globalisation” scenario, aviation would continue to grow, but at a slower pace and deliver fewer economic and social benefits. Under a liberalised environment connectivity would generate significantly more jobs and GDP growth.

“Global prosperity depends

on air connectivity. Aviation is sensitive to policies that either support or undermine growth.

And these seem to be pointing in the wrong direction. Dampening demand for air connectivity risks high quality jobs, and economic activity dependent on global mobility. This forecast is a cautionary warning to governments. First, the industry will grow but they must clear the infrastructure bottlenecks to bring that growth to their home markets.

And secondly, governments must understand that globalisation has made our world more socially and economically prosperous. Inhibiting globalisation with protectionism will see opportunities lost,” said de Juniac.

No matter which growth scenario comes to pass, aviation faces an infrastructure crisis.

Governments must work closely with the industry, to be more ambitious in developing

efficient infrastructure, fit for purpose, and offering value for money. “The world stands to benefit greatly from better connectivity. However, at this rate, airports and air traffic control will not be able to handle demand. Governments and infrastructure operators must strategically plan for the future.

Decisions made now will have an impact on the value created by aviation for their regions,” said de Juniac.

The increased demand to fly creates a responsibility to expand in a sustainable manner. The aviation industry remains committed to its goals of carbon-neutral growth from 2020 onwards and cutting CO2 emissions to half 2005 levels by 2050. “Commercial aviation is one of the only global industries to take on such comprehensive environmental targets. With mandatory emissions reporting beginning on 1 January 2019 under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), this will help rally the industry to invest in more fuel efficient aircraft and sustainable aviation fuels,” said de Juniac.

Fastest growing aviation markets in terms of annual additional O-D passengers from 2017 to 2037 (constant policies scenario): China: 1 billion new passengers for a total of 1.6 billion.

US: 481 million new passengers for a total of 1.3 billion.

India: 414 million new passengers for a total of 572 millio.n Indonesia: 282 million new passengers for a total of 411 million.

Thailand: 116 million new passengers for a total of 214 million.

IN THE NEWS

38 per cent growth in Indian visitors to Western Australia from 2015 to 2017 ETW Staff Mumbai

dedicated marketing representative based in Mumbai. The minister is also holding key meetings with and delivering business cases to six Indian airlines in a bid to attract a direct service between India and Perth.

The first activity promoting WA in India will focus on cricket.

It will include a cooperative marketing deal with Thomas Cook, offering travel packages to Perth for the first-ever cricket test match at Optus Stadium, from December 14 to 18.

Activities to do and see around Perth, Fremantle and Rottnest Island will also be showcased in India through visiting sports media, social media influencers and media content partnerships during the historic

PEOPLE FROM INDIA are flocking to Western Australia with the state attracting more visitors from the India market than ever before. The number of people from India visiting Western Australia has increased from 20,000 in 2015 to 27,600 in 2017, representing a 38 per cent increase. Fifty–six per cent of those visiting Western Australia in 2017 were repeat visitors to Australia.

Tourism minister Paul Papalia, who was in Mumbai recently, announced that Tourism WA had committed funds to market WA in India for the first time and would soon appoint a

Perth test.

Renowned Indian cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle will share his experiences with his millions of followers on social media throughout the duration of his stay in Western Australia for the Test.

Papalia said, “The state government is serious about growing WA’s tourism industry, and entering a new market such as India, with the potential to deliver thousands more visitors, will help us achieve that goal. We are working with Perth Airport to secure a direct air link between Perth and India, and this marketing activity will help promote WA and create even greater demand for these flights once they begin.”

Emaar Hospitality Group organises three-city networking event in India ETW Staff Mumbai EMAAR Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure business of Emaar, the developer of the iconic Burj Khalifa, and the Expo 2020 Dubai Official Hotel and Hospitality Partner, organised a threecity networking event in India to highlight its differentiating strengths and to welcome guests from India, the largest tourism market of Dubai.

The networking events were held in Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi, in partnership with Nijhawan group, which handles the sales and marketing of Emaar Hospitality Group’s three hotel brands – the premium luxury Address Hotels + Resorts, the upscale lifestyle Vida Hotels and Resorts, and the contemporary midscale Rove Hotels, in addition to Armani Hotels & Resorts.

About 200 travel partners in the three cities attended the events, where Emaar Hospitality Group presented a compelling roadmap of its current portfolio of 14 hotels and three serviced residences – all of them in Dubai, except Al Alamein Hotel in Egypt.

Olivier Harnisch, CEO, Emaar Hos-

pitality Group, said, “India is the largest tourism market for Dubai, having welcomed over 1.3 million visitors this year already. Emaar Hospitality Group’s hotels, serviced residences, leisure clubs and restaurants are highly sought-after

by Indian visitors. With all key cities in the country just under four hours flying

time from Dubai, the city is one of the fastest-growing destinations for tourists. Through our networking events, we wanted to highlight our homegrown competencies in delivering exceptional hospitality experiences for all segments of travellers - from luxury seekers to the value-conscious millenni-

als. We also expect to gain significant visitor arrivals with the preparations for Expo 2020 Dubai gaining pace.”

Emaar Hospitality Group highlighted the appeal of its hotels to Indian tourists - be they free and frequent independent travellers, families and groups, or corporate visitors as well as for destination weddings, and MICE events.

The events were attended by Mathew Roberts, corporate director of sales; Margaret Nazareth, assistant director-trade distribution and Kavita Bhimwal, senior sales manager of Emaar Hospitality Group; and Ankush Nijhawan, managing director and Priyanka Nijhawan, director - representations of Nijhawan Group.

Ankush Nijhawan said, “The Indian travel market is constantly evolving.

With the volume of outbound travel increasing every year, India is one of the fastest growing outbound travel markets in the world, especially to Dubai.

With outbound Indian travellers to reach 50 million by 2020, there is a strong prospect for Emaar Hospitality Group to welcome more visitors. The networking events will also help build its brand value which will support its expansion plans to the country.”

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IN THE NEWS

Aviation marks ten years of emissions strategy, reaffirms carbon commitments

Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) will be back for its 24th edition from December 26,2018 to January 26,2019

ETW Staff Mumbai

ETW Staff Mumbai

THE INTERNATIONAL Air Transport Association (IATA) joined air transport businesses and associations to reaffirm its commitment to a sustainable future as the aviation industry marked ten years since agreeing an ambitious joint strategy for reducing carbon emissions.

“Ten years ago, the entire aviation sector committed to a joint strategy for carbon-neutral growth and to work towards a carbon-free future.

That was a daring goal. But with hard work and solid commitment of industry and government, carbon-neutral growth from 2020 will be a reality. And we are already looking beyond. By 2050 we will cut our net emissions to half 2005 levels,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO, speaking at the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) Global Sustainable Aviation Summit in Geneva.

In 2008, as airlines reeled from the financial crisis, and oil prices were at historic highs, aviation leaders from the airline, airport, air navigation and aviation manufacturing sectors signed a Declaration, committing to a four-pillar plan for carbon reduction: ● Investment in new technology (including sustainable aviation fuels) ● Continuous operational improvements ● Better use of infrastructure ● A single global marketbased measure In the decade since, avia-

DUBAI SHOPPING Festival (DSF) will be back for its 24th edition from December 26, 2018 to 26 January 26, 2019, attracting shoppers from all over the world featuring exciting events, promotions and opportunities for enjoyable shopping experiences, coupled with fun and entertainment for all families.

Organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), DSF will kick off with innovative initiatives and memorable experiences built around the three pillars of the festival – shopping, winning and entertainment.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) said, “As Dubai gears up to host yet another successful edition of Dubai Shopping Festival, we are focused on creating a vibrant ambience for visitors to further enhance the emirate’s position as a leading tourism destination that offers unforgettable

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tion has turned the Declaration into solid progress.

Flying is 20 per cent more fuel efficient. Sustainable aviation fuels have proven that they are effective. And a historic agreement reached at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Assembly in 2016 - the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) - will facilitate carbon-neutral growth from 2020.

The immediate priority on the aviation sustainability agenda is to successfully implement CORSIA as the single global market-based measure.

“Persuading more states to volunteer for CORSIA is important. In tandem, we are working with governments to prevent actions that undermine the agreement, such as the unilateral implementation of environmental taxes.

The ICAO Assembly next

year provides an opportunity for governments to reaffirm CORSIA as the single global measure for aviation climate mitigation. It’s a top priority for CORSIA to be effective,” said de Juniac.

Reducing carbon emissions to 50 per cent of 2005 levels by 2050 (2050/minus 50) will be an even greater challenge.

“Progress in technology, operations, and infrastructure – especially air traffic management – will match or better our fuel efficiency achievements of the past decade. But our 2050/minus fifty goal will test our resolve even more. We will not move forward on a consistent glide path, but we are on the right trajectory. The industry is ready for the next stepchange in technology in the 2030s: hybrid and electric planes, and the large-scale rollout of sustainable fuels,” said de Juniac.

and rewarding shopping experiences. With DSF being a key pillar of Dubai’s retail sector, we are keen in keeping up the momentum, provided by the previous edition, to help boost business in Dubai during this period.

We are grateful to the government and the private sector for their enormous contributions to DSF year after year, and with the 24 th edition of DSF set to dawn in December, we are working closely with all our partners to ensure that DSF truly lives up to its reputation as a global attraction.”

There will be more reasons to celebrate the upcoming edition of DSF, with state-of-the-art malls offering attractive retail sales, deals and discounts from a diverse range of top global brands, along with mega raffles and the chance to win life-changing prizes from luxury cars, gold and cash.

In addition, DSF will offer an extensive line-up of events and activities for visitors to choose from, including spectacular fireworks shows and free-to-attend family-oriented activities in malls and activations by leading brands.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

DoubleTree by Hilton Goa – Panaji G

lobal hospitality chain, Hilton, has launched DoubleTree by Hilton Goa Panaji. This launch marks Hilton’s 18th property in India.

Nestled on the banks of Mandovi River, this resort will be the first in Goa to offer Mangalorean cuisine at its specialty restaurant Feliz. In addition, this resort also boasts of multiple dining options that include Comida a multi-cuisine restaurant and Rio Salao, the lobby lounge. With 160 well-appointed guestrooms in-

cluding nine suites, equipped with signature DoubleTree by Hilton amenities, the resort features environmentally friendly smart lighting with motion sensors. The rooms also have outdoor balconies and walk-in showers.

The resort offers a 24-hour fitness center, an outdoor infinity pool, a steam room and a full-service spa – Serena, extending both Ayurveda and international treatments. The hotel offers a number of choices of indoor and outdoor

venues for conferences and events - a grand ballroom, two boardrooms and Sunset lawns along with state-of-the-art au-

diovisual technology.

DoubleTree by Hilton Goa Panaji, is ideally located and easily accessible to the Dabolim

The Fern Hotels & Resorts Jaipur, Dwarka and Bhuj T

he Fern Hotels & Resorts has launched three new properties in Jaipur, Dwarka and Bhuj, thereby taking the tally of operational properties to 56 hotels in 37 locations. All the three properties operate under the Fern brand. Last month the company opened two new properties in Madhavpur (Gujarat) and Parbhani (Maharashtra).

The Fern Residency, Jaipur is a midscale hotel located in the city centre of Jaipur and is the second hotel in the Pink City.

The hotel has 85 well-appointed rooms with contemporary design. Dining options include a multi-cuisine restaurant-Aura and a RestoBar-100 ft Above.

The large banquet facility-Emer-

ald is equipped with the latest business services for conferences and social events.

The Fern Sattva Resort, Dwarka is an eco-friendly luxury resort spread over three acres with 81 luxurious rooms and

Layla,The Den Bengaluru T

he Den Bengaluru, a millennial luxury hotel announced the launch of Layla, a rooftop Mediterranean Restaurant along with a grand opening reception of the first property by The DAN group (Israeli) in India. Layla's menu emphasises on the food habits of Middle East, Greek, Italian, Spain, South France, Italy, Morocco, Turkey and Israel. The menu offers different types of Mezze’s to cater to the needs of all individuals who would like to experience quick and authentic Mediterranean cuisine. The beverage menu showcases several innovative cocktails along with extensive choice of beverages from the Mediterranean countries. Located on 21st floor of The Den, Bengaluru, the breathtaking location of the rooftop restaurant makes it an ideal place for a dining experience with a sky view.

suites. The facilities include a Krishna Temple inside the property, Urban Nirvana-Herbal spa and wellness centre, a multipurpose sports court, a gaming zone, a kids play area, swimming pool and gym.The hotel has Tan-

dul Bhog-the saatvik restaurant, Flute Café-the only 24 hrs seafacing café in Dwarka, Agashithe terrace tea/coffee lounge with sea views, Sudharma Sabha conference hall, Vrundavan-the lawns which is ideal for saptahs, kathas, weddings and social gatherings.

The Fern Residency, Bhuj, is a mid-scale 43-room hotel offering contemporary accommodations with chic interiors.

Other attractions at the hotel are a finely-designed multi-cuisine restaurant, three state-ofart banquet halls, a swimming pool and poolside lawns. The hotel is situated in the Madhapar area, just 5 km from the city centre.

International Airport as well as to many of the landmark and popular traveller’s spots and beaches of Goa.

‘Sky Dhaba’ Rooftop Lounge, VITS Upper Thane

V

ITS Luxury Hotels has launched Sky Dhaba Rooftop Lounge, Punjabi themed dhaba at VITS Upper Thane. The restaurant is especially for those who admire to be in the presence of a live kitchen while enjoying their mealtime.

Sky Dhaba serves multi-cuisine food in Indian, Chinese and Italian cuisines and the ambience is presented as an authentic dhaba. A live bar counter will serve wide choice of wines, beers, vodka and scotch and guests can choose from a variety of handpicked authentic cuisines.

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THE MAIN FOCUS

Speaking at the recently held The Indian Express Round Table Conference (RTC) in New Delhi, the tourism minister said that the sector is contributing over 6.8 per cent to India’s GDP and employs 84 million people. The theme of the RTC was '20 Million Inbound Travellers by 2020'

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ndia should target 20 million inbound tourists by 2020, said Union tourism minister KJ Alphons during The Indian Express Round Table Conference (RTC) in New Delhi recently.

“Last year, we crossed the 10 million mark in inbound tourists but that’s really nothing. India needs to do so much better and reach the target of 20 million by 2020,” Alphons said. He added that “tourism is contributing over 6.8 per cent to India’s GDP and the sector employs 84 million people”. The theme of RTC was “20 Million inbound travellers by 2020”.

However, the minister admitted that there are some areas we need to work on to reach the am-

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bitious target. “Our monuments need to be better maintained, so we came up with this idea of Adopt A Heritage.” He added that even though big protests happened, the ministry held their ground. “It’s all about all Indians feeling that this is my heritage, and not some babu sitting in some dusty office saying no one should touch the monument,” said Alphons, adding that he hopes the “protests are now behind us.”

As per the Adopt A Heritage scheme, while Delhi’s Purana Qila has undergone a facelift in collaboration with NBCC, the minister said that Red Fort complex is being redone along with the Dalmias. However, “the only thing I won’t give for adoption at the moment, till elections are over, is the Taj Mahal,” he said.

The minister also touched upon other problems hampering tourism such as cleanliness is-

sues. “India fundamentally has a lot of problems. Swachh Bharat has dramatically changed things in the last four years. And that’s where tourism is going to benefit greatly. Cleanliness just got to get into our DNA otherwise tourism just won’t work.”

Alphons also spoke about some of “our habits that need to change”. “Why can’t we leave people alone? When we see a white woman, people want to get closer. Why is this a national sickness?” he remarked. But he added that the number of such cases in India are few compared with many other countries. The minister also extolled the states to invest more in tourism.

“We have an incredible opportunity for adventure tourism since 70 per cent Himalayas are in India. Guidelines for adventure tourism have also been put in place but enforcement depends on states. But for the

states, tourism not a priority at all. That’s hugely shocking because tourism has biggest multiplier effect,” he said.

Talking about his ministry’s focus areas in the coming days, Alphons said they are going to focus on getting tourists from China and also on cruise tourism. In that context, he said he has sought a five-year tax holiday for the nascent cruise tourism industry.

An hour-long insightful panel discussion on the subject followed the minister’s address.

Moderated by Reema Lokesh, Editor, Express TravelWorld and Express Hospitality, the panel comprised Suman Billa, joint secretary, ministry of tourism; E M Najeeb, chairman & managing director, Airtravel Enterprises Group; Dipak Deva, MD, Travel Corporation of India and Kamal Hingorani, chief customer service officer, SpiceJet.

The panel discussion witnessed some candid and clear thought provoking ideas and pointers to prove further impetus to the inbound tourism potential of the country. The panel touched upon a series of pertinent concerns from taxation issues, visa concerns, marketing strategies and focus, from infrastructure development - land, sea and air - to sheer mindset change, there was a lot that was highlighted.

The discussion began with some pointed questions placed by the moderator to the panel.

E M Najeeb, was has been one of the architect and team member of the well established Kerala Travel Mart appreciated the present government's effort to push tourism across the board from Prasad to Swadesh Darshan Schemes from Udaan to evisa. He also felt that what was discussed for years to have a in-

(

ternational standard mart finally became a reality with the India Travel Mart 2018. He said that Kerala Travel Mart is what it is today due to complete dedication from both the public and the private sector to make it happen.

He said we can achieve major milestones if the PPP model is looked at with utmost seriousness.

He further when on to say that for India to get the numbers, one has to focus on big ticket events and especially on the MICE segment. He once again reiterated that India needs convention centres and facilities to support the incoming MICE business. We do not need fancy convention set ups but rather functional ones which can take in the capacity and deliver quality. Convention centres need to be built away from the city to avoid any kind of infrastructure issues. Convention business is also all season insulated. He gave an example of ITB Berlin, wherein the weather and travel conditions may not be favourable at that time but the

world comes into the city for the event. One such event gives a boost to other connected businesses in tourism namely hotels, ground services, aviation etc .

His views were further supported by Kamal Hingorani, who was positive about the government's Udaan policy. He feels connecting smaller towns and cities is highly encouraging and their airline is also upbeat about this hopeful move. However he did touch upon the fact that aviation turbine fuel cost needs to be addressed, as the writing is clear that the aviation sector in India is bleeding. But he feels there is hope for an India that is extremely attractive for the inbound business and the aviation sector will only help aid this growth.

Dipak Deva, brought in an interesting perspective that the time has come to stop obsessing about 20 million. India is much more than numbers.

We are number 13 in the tourism receipts, India emerges 3rd in the WTTC's power ranking marking ab-

solute growth along with the US and China, the sector has created 14.62 million job opportunities in the country in the last four years. We have to focus on improving these Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Ours is a fantastic tourism economy and it’s important to see how to change these KPIs. Countries today are moving away from numbers. It is about bringing in the quality tourists, who will spend and benefit the economy in general. Further, he feels that there are two things that has caused an impact, one is the e-visas development and the other is the Incredible India 2.0 campaign, which according to him is world class and was implemented with a futuristic approach. Having said, that he feels, India is a complex destination, it cannot be sold like countries such as Singapore or a straight forward destination. One has to tailor make the promotions and the products. How we approach that is important. We

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are on the right track on the marketing front. It is work in progress. PR agencies are being appointed across the world which is very critical. We have a perception problem and that has to happen to change perceptions. The ministry is no doubt working on it. It is important to focus all marketing resources on the consumer and at different stages of their life. Consumer targeting is important to look at as India has a tourism product that fits all.

The round table was powerfully concluded with the thoughts of Suman Billla. He was clear that a target like 20 million in 2020 works, its not about numbers. This thought came in as we felt we need to make this a target not only for the government but for the industry. We have hit the 10 million and now we need to hit 20 million. We have to do it as a counter challenge. We have to go up to those who holds the keys to open the doors for us and we need to ask them to clear certain bottlenecks to achieve this tar-

get. That job still remains unfinished. We need to work on three pillars, one is to unleash the potential of the entrepreneur. We need to make the industry competitive by lowering the rate of tax. 28 per cent is just bad optics.

The government needs to take an entrepreneurial position here by saying that if one lowers the rate of tax what will the government earn five years or three years hence. Secondly, one need to bring the tourism industry, the hotel industry within the ambit of infrastructure status. Today we are falling between two stools, we are neither real estate and the RBI says we are not infrastructure. Tourism is getting the worst of the deals. If one believes that tourism is the one that augments employment in an framework that is environmentally successful, then one has to bring it into infrastructure status. We have to make our voice heard. Further, we have to change the game plan and think more aggressively and attack the market. One has to do a lot more deepening, he said.

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Paradise needs no marketing Even as the J&K Tourism department grapples with allegations of mismanagement of a recent Autumn fest familiarisation tour as a result of which heads have rolled, one thing remains unchanged - Kashmir’s eternal beauty. As one Kashmiri hotelier said, Paradise needs no marketing. What IS needed to bring in the wary tourist to this Paradise, is to put infrastructure in place and garner the political will to create awareness that it is as safe a destination as any in India. By Steena Joy

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here are no two words about it. Kashmir, or as a famous poet described it ‘Jannat’ (Paradise) is a must-see destination on every traveller’s bucket list. So why are tourists staying away from it? Because of the general perception that Kashmir is not safe for tourists. In a bid to change that perception, J&K Tourism recently invited travel agents, media and travel bloggers to come and experience the tourism products in the state and help revive its once thriving tourism industry.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Kashmir Autumn Festival 2018, Rigzin Samphel, tourism secretary, Jammu & Kashmir said that the figures were encouraging. “J&K has seen a 45 per cent increase in foreign tourist arrivals in 2017 and we want more and more tourists to come. For that we want the industry stakeholders, media and influencers like travel bloggers to convey the message to people outside the state that it is perfectly safe to visit us. Perception is something we are working on. The Valley has endless list of beautiful places. Doodhpatri, Gurez are all new destinations that can compete with Gulmarg. In fact, in J&K, destinations compete among themselves. We are organising this meeting in the off season to show that in Kashmir there is no off season - it is an all seasons destination,” he said.

Need to promote a positive image He added that all industry stakeholders had a moral responsibility not only to talk

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about Kashmir, but also to visit it. “You all have a stake in the tourism of this state. You all are ambassadors of J&K Tourism.

We must work together to increase tourist arrivals into the state. A coordinated effort is needed so that we can hope to have a better year. Please project a positive image of Kashmir, as a safe destination like any other place in India,” Samphel urged.

Governor of J&K Satya Pal Malik was the chief guest at the event. Malik said, “Today, I walked the broadwalk adjacent to Dal Lake all on my own, with no security. So if I can do it, so can any tourist. People die everywhere, in Patna more people die than in Kashmir. We want to give our youth a normal life. We plan to start coffee shops, a cinema etc so that they have some source of entertainment. We are also trying to get cricket events like IPL here.” Be it cricket or golf, organising such events will help to send a loud and clear message that Kashmir is a safe destination to visit and fans can come and enjoy themselves as tourists and sports lovers.

Golfing has long been one of the main attractions of the Kashmir valley in the summers. The Lidder Valley Golf Course in Pahalgam is a 18 hole international standard golf course which opened in 2011. It was accessible only to members but will soon be open to the public for an entry fee. The golf course at Gulmarg situated at an altitude of 2,650 m, is the highest green golf course anywhere in the world.

The layout of the course too is strikingly different from most golf courses – the land slopes

and inclines along the complete area of the course, which has a par of 72. The historic Gulmarg Golf Club was started in 1911 by the British who used the place as a holiday resort. The origin of Gulmarg as the Golfing Mecca of India goes back to the late 19th century when a 6-hole course was made in 1890-91 by Colonel Neville Chamberlain - the greens were known as browns in those days. The first Golf championship was played at Gulmarg in 1922. The Nedou's Cup was introduced in 1929. Gulmarg is also home to the Gondola, one of the highest ropeways in the world, drawing nearly 4,000 visitors each day.

Recently, an amount of Rs 2000 crore has been earmarked for the development of tourism infrastructure at various destinations in the Jammu and Kashmir under the Prime Minister's Development Plan (PMDP) projects. According to reports, the Travel Agents Society of Kashmir (TASK) has demanded upgradation of public infrastructure at tourism resorts and her-

Satya Pal Malik

Rigzin Samphel

itage sites besides the launch of laser show at Dal Lake and sound and light show at Shalimar Garden.

TASK has also apprised the tourism secretary of airport immigration problems and hassles in getting airport passes for bonafide tour operators. It has also demanded the classification of hotels and houseboats as per the criteria laid down in the Tourist Trade Act besides fixing their tariffs. TASK has also ex-

pressed dismay over the dilapidated condition of roads leading to various tourist destinations like Yusmarg, Gurez, Doodhpathri and Toshimaidan.

Getting the numbers Raja Rani Travels has long promoted Kashmir even during the days of militancy. Vishvajeet Patil, director, Raja Rani Travels who was one of the delegates on the FAM tour said, “The potential is tremendous. Time and

IN FOCUS again there have been such efforts like this FAM tour for promoting the Autumn Fest and the J&K Tourism department has been very proactive in taking up such initiatives in getting travel agents and media to try and promote tourism in the Valley. But unfortunately when just prior to the start of the season there have been incidents which have a complete washout effect on the tourist flow in terms of the Burhanwali killing or the floods, etc. These incidents have happened at strategic times when the rest of the country is planning to visit Kashmir. Kashmir has always been the number one destination of choice for Indians the world over and I think it is time that we decide what we can do for Kashmir, not what Kashmir can do for us.

There is a lot of inflow of tourists from Malaysia, Indonesia and China. Europeans and Americans, the numbers are down because they follow travel advisories and this has an impact. But flow from the Far East has really increased.”

He also mentioned that at one time Kashmir was the most easily connected hillstation with direct connectivity from Delhi and Mumbai but now with less tourist inflow, direct flights have stopped and connectivity is via Delhi or Jammu so it takes longer to reach Kashmir.

Commenting on MICE movements to Kashmir, he added, “We have tried to promote all segments but it has been mostly leisure. However, corporates need to come here in big numbers because this helps tide over the off season lean times. Kashmir has shown interest in getting corporates. Slowly international hotel brands are coming in and Kashmir has lots of hotels of good quality. However, in terms of infrastructure a lot needs to be done such as toilet facilities, roadside amenities and even how the shikara owners or pony owners haggle with tourists over the price of rides which is very unprofessional.

There has to be a proper system and though there are already fixed government rates, what is important is that this should be implemented.”

Another avid Kashmir pro-

moter since pre independence has been Kesari Tours started

by Kesari Patil. Pramod Dalvi, vice president - PR, Kesari Tours was also part of the FAM tour. He said, “Kesari has always been one of the leading tour operators selling Kashmir. In 2016 we sent around 17,000 visitors here.

But in 2017, terrorism brought this number down to 13,000.

We had then suggested to the tourism department to issue a

letter saying that it is safe to visit Kashmir. We would keep this letter in all Kesari branches across India so that if visitors are wary of going to Kashmir, we can show them this letter as assurance. But sadly, it never happened.”

He also pointed out that media has an important role to play in changing the perception of Kashmir. “If anything happens in a small place like Uri, they say Kashmir is not safe. Floods hap-

pen everywhere in Kerala and even in Florida. Earthquake, floods etc are not in our control.

But such manmade incidents can and should be controlled.

Everything is blown out of proportion. We can tell them it is safe but if they see in the papers or TV, they want to cancel. I have suggested to at least some security like a discrete liasion officer like an air marshal on flights to accompany tourist groups to make them feel secure.

The good news is that many things have changed for the better in Paradise. It is easier to get a prepaid phone connection now with Aadhar cards, the baggage identifying process at the Srinagar airport has also been stopped.

Most importantly, the smiles and warm hospitality of the people of this land has remained the same. At least for them, a visit to this Paradise is worth the while.

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62nd AAPA charts priorities for future aviation development The AAPA 62nd Assembly of Presidents held in Jeju, Korea this week strengthened the resolve of its airline leaders to maintain pressure in resolving current regulatory issues relating to safety, environment, infrastructure and passenger rights, whilst recognising the need to address other challenges including future manpower development and efforts to combat wildlife trafficking

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espite numerous challenges that threaten future profitability and sustainability, Asia Pacific carriers continue to play a key role in leading the growth of the global air transport industry. The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), a trade association for scheduled international airlines based in the Asia-Pacific region held its 62nd Assembly of Presidents in Jeju, Korea recently. A series of resolutions were passed

by AAPA. Overall safety performance in the Asia Pacific region has continued to improve, and AAPA remains vigilant on the need for effective safety oversight in the region. AAPA sees further opportunities to enhance aviation safety performance, through the formation of regional and national safety teams, working within a “Just Culture” framework built on mutual trust between regulators and industry.

The agreement on the Carbon Offsetting & Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) was reached at the 39th ICAO Assembly in 2016 and is now approaching a critical stage in the implementation process, with full emissions reporting by carriers commencing in January 2019. The airline industry is demonstrating full commitment to the CORSIA process, but AAPA is concerned that some governments are imposing variations or additional requirements, which could un-

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dermine the integrity and environmental effectiveness of the scheme. The prospect of continuing strong passenger traffic and airline fleet growth over the next 20 years dictates the need for commensurate expansion of both airport and air traffic management infrastructure to avoid increasing congestion and flight delays in the future.

The capital intensive nature of infrastructure investments raises important questions about planning and financing, and the necessity for appropriate regulatory oversight by governments. AAPA is concerned about the effect on user charges, and arguing for a more coherent debate on how such infrastructure is best funded and regulated in the future.

AAPA has identified new challenges in the area of passen-

The prospect of continuing strong passenger traffic and airline fleet growth over the next 20 years dictates the need for commensurate expansion of both airport and air traffic management infrastructure ger rights, where many governments have introduced aviationspecific consumer protection regimes. These actions are often uncoordinated and sometimes inconsistent with existing international treaties, which results in confusion for consumers and operational difficulties for airlines.

Of particular concern are instances of mass disruption as a

result of extreme weather events or other natural disasters, where the focus should be on wider service recovery efforts.

The substantial growth in demand for air travel is also creating challenges in recruiting the required numbers of aviation professionals including pilots and maintenance personnel.

AAPA sees the need for govern-

ments and industry stakeholders to work together to promote manpower training and development including support for ICAO’s Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) programme.

Some of the world’s most endangered wildlife species are threatened by criminal groups seeking to profit from trafficking wildlife and wildlife products

IN FOCUS

around the world. Airlines have a role to play in helping to address this issue through closer collaboration with governments, law enforcement agencies, airports and freight forwarders.

“Asia Pacific carriers lead the development of the global air transport industry, but the long term profitability and sustainability of the industry risks being undermined by inappropriate government legislation and short-term policy thinking,” said Andrew Herdman, AAPA Director General. “More so in Asia than anywhere else, the air transport industry is a key driver for business, economic and social development. In this respect, the Association will work energetically to challenge constraints that could restrict the aviation sector from reaching its full potential.”

RESOLUTIONS Aviation Safety Governments and air transport industry players working in partnership have made commercial aviation the safest form of travel and are responsible for maintaining the highest levels of safety and security for the travelling public. To improve the industry’s already impressive safety record requires focus,

commitment and cooperation by all stakeholders.

Aviation safety performance can be further enhanced through the effective implementation of ICAO Annex 19 “Safety Management”. AAPA urges governments and industry to establish regional and national safety teams, supporting voluntary reporting of safety incidents and events on the basis of mutual trust in line with “Just Culture” principles.

Aviation and Environment Air transport is the first industry sector to commit to CO2 emissions reductions through the use of a global market-based measure. AAPA urges governments and operators to work together to ensure the effective implementation of CORSIA and refrain from imposing duplicate requirements on international aviation CO2 emissions. In addition, the Association urges the ICAO Council to finalise its guidance on the CORSIA Emissions Unit Criteria to enable operators to have broad access to recognised carbon offsets.

Airport Infrastructure The provision of cost effective and efficient airport infrastructure is critical in order to

meet the projected growth in passenger and cargo traffic demand. Governments play a key role in coordinating aviation infrastructure planning, and balancing the respective interests of airports and aircraft operators. The regulatory framework for the economic oversight of airports must also take into account different ownership structures and operational arrangements of airports.

AAPA calls on governments to ensure that regulatory frameworks on airport infrastructure investment are fit for purpose and properly balance the interests of airlines, passengers and airport operators, and to adhere to the principles of non-discrimination and transparency of user charges in line with ICAO guidance.

nated and sometimes inconsistent with existing international treaties, which results in confusion for consumers and operational difficulties for airlines. The Association urges governments to ensure that mandated regulations related to consumer protection are designed from the outset to be non-prescriptive, practical, and cost-effective.

During periods of mass disruption, the focus should be on wider recovery efforts to restore services to the travelling public.

AAPA calls on governments to recognise the key roles of multiple stakeholders including regulatory agencies, airports, airlines, ground handlers and other service providers in jointly developing appropriate contingency plans for system recovery following major disruptions.

Passenger Rights

Aviation Manpower

The air transport industry is extremely complex with multiple stakeholders including governments, regulatory agencies, airlines, infrastructure operators and other service providers working closely together to ensure that the system runs smoothly. Many governments have introduced or are proposing to introduce aviation-specific consumer protection regimes.

These actions are often uncoordi-

ICAO has forecasted that the aviation sector will require large numbers of qualified aviation professionals over the next twenty years including 620,000 pilots, 1.3 million aircraft maintenance personnel and 125,000 air traffic controllers.

AAPA calls on governments to support ICAO’s NGAP initiative by partnering with the aviation industry to invest in education and training of future

aviation professionals. The Association also calls on governments and other aviation stakeholders to promote best practices in human resource development including a renewed commitment towards the further diversification of the workforce and gender equality.

Wildlife Trafficking Illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products increasingly threatens the survival of endangered species, with criminal groups exploiting the connectivity of the air transport industry through the trafficking of wildlife and wildlife products around the world. Airlines recognise that they have a role to play in helping to address the problem of illegal wildlife trafficking, through close collaboration with governments, law enforcement agencies, airports and freight forwarders. AAPA calls on governments and law enforcement agencies to commit additional resources to combat illegal wildlife trafficking, with the support of the air transport industry in raising awareness and monitoring efforts. AAPA encourages airlines to support the principles outlined in the Buckingham Palace Declaration of the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce.

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SPOTLIGHT

Invest in our tourism sector, says MPTourism Heritage building Minto Hall looking spanking new after a Rs 64 cr refurbishment was the venue of the fifth edition of the Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart (MPTM) which showcased the state's varied tourism offerings to industry stakeholders from across India and invited them to invest in its tourism sector through an attractive tourism policy. By Steena Joy

M

into Hall, the venue of the opening ceremony of the recently concluded fifth edition of Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart (MPTM), is Bhopal’s first international convention center. The heritage structure built in 1909 just underwent a `64 crore refurbishment by the state government recntly and is now open for business.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Hari Ranjan Rao, principal secretary, MP Tourism said, “We take pride in telling the world that the heritage Minto Hall has been converted into a first class international standard convention centre. It was a very challenging project to convert a 100 year old heritage building into a convention centre, ensuring that it did not lose its heritage character while equipping it with the most modern conferencing amenities. Conservation architecture is a subject we should be proud of because India has such rich heritage which needs to be conserved.”

Alongwith Rao, the MPTM was inaugurated by Pramod Kumar, tourism minister of Bihar; Captain Swadesh Kumar, president, Adventure Tour Operators’ Association of India (ATOAI); P P Khanna, president, Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) and T Ilaiya Raja, managing director, Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC).

The ministry of tourism has declared 2018 as Year of Adventure Tourism in India and

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Bhopal is hosting the first Adventurenext event organised by US-based Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) from December 3 to 5 for the first time in Asia at the new Minto Hall. Around 40 adventure travel operators from all parts of the world are expected to attend.

Captain Kumar said that in the coming years adventure tourism will become more important and that this activity should be pro-

moted in this context in MP so that the state’s full potential can be realised.

Around 75 buyers from more than 25 countries and 125 buyers from different Indian states, including tour operators, travel agents, hoteliers, stakeholders from the travel fraternity attended the MPTM. Rao stated that Minto Hall was just one of the heritage properties MP has opened up for

SPOTLIGHT tourism. “Through our progressive Tourism Policy, we have attractive incentives for setting up tourism projects in MP and are keenly inviting private players to come forward for investing in our tourism sector through a transparent bidding process.

Around 30 new projects have already been sanctioned. We are also bringing a lot of heritage forts and palaces out of the conservation embargo and offering these to private players to convert them into heritage hotels at reasonable rates. Data tells us that MP has more number of forts and palaces than Rajasthan. Four such palaces have already been given for restoration. We have also allotted land to hotel brands like Orange County in Mandu, Club Mahindra, etc who are already working on projects ready to open soon,” he said.

Rao added that film tourism is another new activity which the tourism department is looking to tap. Lot of film producers are coming to MP to shoot their movies. The new Bollywood movie Sui Daaga – Made in India starring Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma was filmed in Chanderi, a town in MP known for its textiles. Again, tourists come to MP not just for its wildlife but also for religious and water sports tourism. He said, “We have huge dams that have created backwaters that range from 500 sq km to 900 sq km and we have opened up these large water bodies for tourism. We have started houseboats, cruise boats, speedboats which take visitors to islands where they can camp overnight and do water sports, wildlife spotting, etc.” MP Tourism won 10 National Tourism Awards this year.

From being the state with the largest forest area and wildlife hotspots (10 National parks & 25 Wildlife sanctuaries), 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Monuments of Khajuraho, Cave shelters of Bhimbetka and the Stupas of Sanchi) to events like the Khajuraho Dance festival, Malwa Utsav, Tansen Festival, Allauddin Music fest (cultural and musical extravaganzas), the state has variety of products to offer.

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KTM 2018 invigorates tourism in God's Own Country Kerala made milestone advances in tourism by charting steps to stir up the crucial industry that contributes to a tenth of its economy, as the state went ahead with organising its biggest travel event Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) in a bid to reinvigorate the sector recovering from the recent floods

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he pall of gloom that had descended on Kerala’s globally famed tourism and hospitality industry in the wake of the August floods appears to have lifted if the message filtering from the recently concluded Kerala Travel Mart - 2018 (KTM) is any indication. With the state ticking all the boxes to win back the confidence of tourists, God’s Own Country has bounced back with an incredible resilience, removing any lingering apprehension about its preparedness to receive visitors in the October-March tourist season.

It is true the initial portents were extremely unnerving for the state’s tourism in-

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dustry. The floods had rampaged through 12 of Kerala’s 14 districts. The tourism infrastructure, especially roads got affected while a string of bookings were cancelled in August. In effect, Kerala Tourism was staring at a loss of `1,000 crore, a sector that contributed `33,000 crore in 2017, accounting for 10 per cent of the state’s GDP and a little over 23 per cent of its total employment. In fact, there were doubts whether the KTM (September 27-30) would be held at all. But the biennial showpiece event, India’s biggest conclave of tourism sector stakeholders from across the world, was not only held but it also turned out to be an unqualified success.

Breaking new records Facts speak for themselves: 35,000 business meets involving 1,635 buyers shortlisted from 7,000 applicants (545 of them from 66 foreign countries - the highest in the KTM history so far), 325 sellers in 400-odd stalls and the highest number of foreign buyers from US and the UK. That definitely showed the trust of global tourism industry in Kerala.

Speaking about the event, Rani George, secretary, Kerala Tourism, said, “It is historic, coming as it is a month after the worst natural calamity our people faced. I even wonder how our tourism would have got back to track but for this KTM edition coming at the right

SPOTLIGHT time.” Her sentiments were echoed by P Bala Kiran, director, Kerala Tourism.

“KTM lent a smile of hope to the faces in the industry in contrast to a general gloom that prevailed among its captains till a week ago. This edition proved that KTM is not a celebratory event, but a business meet. It’s a positive lesson not just for us in Kerala, but the whole of India and even the world,” he noted.

A major advantage of KTM was that it successfully built confidence among tourists and other stakeholders of the industry in particular and made a perceptional change among the people in general about the post-floods Kerala. It also sent out a screaming message to the world that the state had brazened out the adversity with a remarkable degree of gumption and resilience and speedily too. More than that, it gave a platform to the government and other stakeholders to discuss the future roadmap for the tourism industry, which is the third highest revenue-earner after remittances from the Malayali diaspora and the animal husbandry.

KTM, inaugurated by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, announced plans to reinvent its decade-old responsible tourism, update customised packages, strengthen tools of publicity, broaden the tourism map and spruce up heritage spots to increase the footfalls.

When put into practice, it would give a huge fillip in further promoting public-private participation in the fields of travel and hospitality, wellness and culture.

Take the example of Nefertiti, the Egyptian themed luxury vessel of the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC). To be launched by this month-end, it may chart a new course in cruise tourism in Kerala.

Named after the beautiful Egyptian queen Nefertiti, it will have several features to remind the people aboard of one of the oldest civilisations of the world. The Chaliyar

River Challenge 2018 (a 68-km kayaking championship), which is aimed at tapping the potential of adventure tourism in the state, will also be held as per the schedule.

The recent installation of a giant sculpture of the Jatayu bird mentioned in the Ramayana, a new addition in the inventory of Kerala Tourism, and the Muziris Poject are sure to woo the visitors.

Further, the slant on Responsible Tourism (RT), a major USP of the tourism industry that has completed a decade in Kerala, is likely to trigger schemes that promote jobs. The RT-related schemes currently provide jobs to 30,000 families, while 7,800 of them are direct beneficiaries.

According to experts, RT will give jobs to one lakh people by the end of FY 2017-18, while 10,000 RT units will be set up in the state by November.

A visibly relieved tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran appeared to be more than happy on the occasion. “A survey will be conducted seeking the possibility of offering job opportunities through tourism for people in the state’s flood-hit areas. Students of Kerala Institute Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS) will conduct the survey among the natives in this regard. It will help bring more people to the tourism sector,” he said.

He added, “The government has earmarked `700 crore for the tourism sector under the Nava Kerala reconstruction activities. The administration is also mulling about modifying certain laws for better tourism practices in the state. Kerala is back on track. God’s Own Country is ready to welcome tourists once again.”

Kerala Tourism has surely found its feet once again. But it needs to learn lessons from the catastrophe, lend an aggressive edge to its tourism revival plan and develop new products and services for realising the government’s target of increasing tourism’s share to 20 per cent of its GDP by 2020.

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November 2018

SPOTLIGHT

'THE PROPOSED CRAFTS SCHOOLWILL HAVE FULLYEQUIPPED WORKING STUDIOS FOR ALLTHE 28 CRAFTS OFKUTCH' Shrujan (meaning Creativity in Sanskrit) is a not-for-profit organisation working with craftswomen in Kutch to revitalise the ancient craft of hand embroidery. LLDC- Living and Learning Design Centre is a pioneering new effort of Shrujan to revitalise and promote this glorious craft heritage of Kutch. Ami Shroff, director and spokesperson of Shrujan Trust elucidates about this unique initiative and the proposed Crafts School. By Steena Joy What was Shrujan’s aim in setting up the LLDC? While Shrujan is aimed at providing a platform for artisans to earn a livelihood, LLDC has a larger agenda, that of ‘Preserving and reviving the Craft culture and tradition’ of the Kutch region. It is first of its kind, kaarigar dedicated multi-dimensional craft education and resource centre. We realised while working with different generations of artisans and craftspeople that there is strong need for a place that can preserve these craft and embroidery gems for future generations to see and learn from.

That is where the idea behind the LLDC began.

The centre was launched in January 2016 and it aims to train, educate and support kaarigars to practice their traditional crafts for contemporary markets so that they can once again earn a dignified and prosperous livelihood through their skills.

The LLDC serves three groups - practising kaarigars, aspiring kaarigars and rural youth - irrespective of their skill and education level. It aims to provide intensive, need-based training to practising kaarigars so as to strengthen their craft practice and make their craft

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Ami Shroff

products relevant and marketable.

The LLDC campus lies amidst 9 acres of fruit orchards near Ajrakpur village, 16 kms from Bhuj, Kutch.

Apart from the kaarigars and villagers, LLDC is dedicated to other audiences as well. In fact, it houses one of the largest Crafts Museums in India. The museum and the learning centre help inspire and encourage urban designers to explore the potential of the crafts, provide a one-stop destination for craft lovers and educate urban visitors about their role in preserving and promoting the crafts.

How do the artisans (kaarigars) benefit? Is there a

SPOTLIGHT cooperative platform where they can earn a living? How many families does it support?

At LLDC, artisans find space to innovate and experiment with their craft form and gain knowledge from experienced contemporary designers helping them to incorporate a modern sensibility into their ancient craft forms.

LLDC not only provides a perfect platform for collaborative experiences but also global exposure that can earn these craftspeople a livelihood and recognition. With LLDC we provide a platform not only for the embroidery work emerging from this region but also the other rich craft forms such as pottery, lacquer work among others. Additionally, the museum helps these communities gain a sense of pride in their art form and helps to preserve centuries old craft forms that are no longer in practice but can now be revived with the research and data we have gathered. Our training centre acts as perfect learning ground for the future generations to adopt these ancient craft forms and add their own sense of aesthetic to the work they do, while receiving the right guidance from varied experts who are associated with LLDC. Which are the 50 rare embroidery arts LLDC is trying to preserve?

The embroidery traditions of Kutch are rich and varied. Working with craftswomen over the last five decades, Shrujan has been able to identify 50 distinct embroidery styles. Each also has a deep cultural history attached to it which Chandaben Shroff, the founder of Shrujan, set out to discover and document painstakingly. These embroidery styles are practised by 12 different communities of Kutch such as Ahirs, Meghwaad Maru, Jat Garasiya, Mutva and Mochi to just name a few. Many of these communities practice more than one embroidery style

and in fact even different subgroups within a community may have different styles.

What are the facilities available at the centre? Any new ones being planned?

The LLDC campus houses a first of its kind Crafts Museum, library and crafts studios where artisans can come and practice their craft form and also explore collaboration opportunities with designers who come here to observe their work. While the exhibits in the museum display specially commissioned pieces exhibiting the highest levels of creative and technical excellence, the crafts studio is for the craftspeople to practise their craft and share innovative ideas in. The 126seater auditorium is ideal for workshops and screenings.

And for those inspired to try their hand at these crafts we have a hands-on gallery.

While LLDC continues to grow, our ultimate goal is to open a Crafts School. We will continue to encourage practising kaarigars to use the LLDC campus as a learning ground and also invite aspiring kaarigars and rural youth to receive training for an eco-

nomically viable and creatively satisfying career in the crafts.

The Crafts School will conduct an Integrated Craft Course. This full-time course will run over a consecutive period of six months. The Crafts School will have fully equipped working studios for all the 28 crafts of Kutch.

This will make LLDC the single largest living and working craft environment in Kutch and perhaps in India as well.

Are you working with Gujarat Tourism to promote the arts and crafts of the Kutch region?

While Shrujan has become a well-oiled machine today, having been in the foray for over 49 years, LLDC is our new baby. As such it needs to be nurtured and grown with the right help and care. Our goal is to raise funds and work in a collaborative manner with any organisation that shares our vision and can enable us to reach our full potential.

How can LLDC be a part of the Rann of Kutch festival?

Our focus at LLDC remains to train, educate and support crafts persons to

practice their traditional crafts for contemporary markets so that they can earn a dignified and prosperous livelihood and also preserve the heritage craft forms that are from this region. LLDC is an institution for people to

come and visit and absorb the nuances of the craft and culture of Kutch, and as such the visitors to the Rann Festival will only benefit by visiting LLDC to get a clearer picture of the region and its traditions.

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November 2018

MOVEMENTS Cathay Pacific Airways

heading trade sales for Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon in India, based in Mumbai.

Cathay Pacific Airways has announced the following management appointments.

Anand Yedery - Regional head of marketing and sales for South

British Airways

Abhijit Abhyankar

Anand Yedery

Asia, Middle East and Africa. He will be responsible for overseeing the business of Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon passenger sales in the said regions and will be based in Mumbai, India.

Rajesh Menon - Regional head of cargo for South Asia, Middle East and Africa. He will be responsible for overseeing the

British Airways has appointed ANDREW BREM as chief commercial officer and a member of the British Airways Management Committee. He will report

head of marketing and digital sales for South Asia, Middle East and Africa. He will be heading marketing and digital and global contact centre sales strategy for the said region and will be based in Mumbai, India.

Neeraj Tyagi - Regional head of business development for South Asia, Middle East and Africa. He

Andrew Brem

Neeraj Tyagi

will be heading business development strategy for the said region and will be based in Delhi, India.

Tanu Lele - Head of corporate sales for India. She will be head-

to chairman and CEO, Alex Cruz. Brem's most recent position was as chief digital officer at Aviva, overseeing digital growth, transformation and customer propositions. Prior to Aviva, he was managing director of British Gas’ connected homes business, where he launched Hive.

Travelport Rajesh Menon

business of Cathay Pacific Cargo in the said regions and will be based in Mumbai, India.

Karthik Radhakanthan - Regional cargo services manager for South Asia, Middle East and Tanu Lele

ing corporate sales for Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon in India, based in Mumbai.

Naveed Ahmed Khan - Head of trade sales for India. He will be

Travelport has appointed MING FOONG as regional managing director of Asia, effective immediately. Since joining Travelport in 2012, Foong has been instrumental in growing Travelport’s business in the Asia Pacific region. His most recent role was managing director for Greater China Region and Online Busi-

Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN) the developer of the iconic Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC) project, has appointed through the Board of Directors of OCEC company SAID SALIM SAID AL-SHANFARI as CEO to lead the organisation through its next phase of innovation and growth. AlShanfari has successfully completed Oman’s National CEO Programme in 2017.

With his leadership skills and experience from the CEO programme, Al-Shanfari aims to promote Oman and OCEC as a hub for regional and international conferences and exhibitions along with live events, as well as showcasing the natural beauty and essence of Oman.

ness Group APAC. In his new role, Foong takes responsibility for managing and growing Travelport’s business in Asia (excluding Japan and India), providing leadership to the teams and partners in the region. Ming will continue to be based in Hong Kong and to report to Mark Meehan, managing director of Travelport’s newly formed Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region.

IATA KAREN CLAYTON will join IATA as the association’s corporate secretary effective April 2019. She joins IATA from Air New Zealand where

Karthik Radhakanthan

Africa. He will be responsible for overseeing the operations of Cathay Pacific Cargo in the said regions and will be based in Chennai, India.

Abhijit Abhyankar - Regional

34 EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD November 2018

Naveed Ahmed Khan

Ming Foong

Karen Clayton

Al-Shanfari brings with him a wealth of experience as he progressed through various management positions during his eight-year tenure in Ooredoo Oman as director of business marketing and most recently as the general manager of marketing communication and performance at Omantel.

she has held the role of general counsel and company secretary since 2016. In her new role, she will ensure the integrity of IATA’s governance framework, including management of the Association’s Board of Governors and its various committees. The IATA Board of Governors is elected by the association’s 290-strong membership and consists of CEOs from 31 airlines and IATA’s director general and CEO.

Airbus Americas CHRISTOPHER P JONES has been appointed as head of sales and marketing for Airbus Americas’ commercial aircraft business, effective December 1, 2018.

In this capacity, Jones will be responsible for all aspects of the marketing and sale of Airbus passenger, freight and corporate aircraft in North America. Reporting directly to C Jeffrey Knittel, chairman and CEO Airbus Americas, and functionally to Airbus chief commercial officer Christian Scherer, Jones will lead the region’s sales, marketing, contracts, and sales finance teams.

MOVEMENTS Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat And Spa

Banyan Tree Phuket Banyan Tree Phuket is proud to announce the arrival of SHANNON CREADO as the new area director of sales and marketing.

Creado’s successful career spans across 24 years, including 20 years in sales and marketing. He brings strong leadership and public relations skills, combined with extensive experience across Asia and a deep cultural awareness that will benefit the resort’s

Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat And Spa has announced the appointment of SRIKANT PERI as the retreat’s new general manager effective October 2018. With more than 30 years of experience in the ‘Luxury

Ramandeep Marwah

Srikant Peri

Hospitality Industry’, Peri will play a major role in expand the business in India. His priorities will include strengthening partner relationships, strategic planning, managing and overseeing day-to-day operations and driving business development to meet growing business and consumer needs for effective wellness programme. Under his effective guidance, he is also expected to take the lead in carrying out the company’s strategy to further advance and continue the growth in both commercial and enterprise with a strong focus into core verticals such as ‘wellness and retreat’.

prising hotelier with over 19 years of experience, Marwah has worked with leading hospitality groups like Marriott; Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces; The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts to name a few.

Prior to joining JW Marriott Chandigarh, Marwah was working as the general manager of JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort and Spa, Marriott India’s first JW Marriott resort in the country.

Grand Hyatt Mumbai Grand Hyatt Mumbai has announced the appointment of SONALE ZAGADE as hotel manager. With 16 years of experience in the industry, she is a seasoned hospitality professional and has been associated with the Hyatt family for five years in the past. In her new role at Grand Hyatt Mumbai she will oversee the hotel operations to ensure the highest level of guest satisfaction and quality.

St Regis Mumbai St Regis Mumbai has announced the appointment of SACHIN MYLAVARAPU as hotel manager at The St Regis Mumbai. He brings with him 17 years of excellence in the world of hospitality. He joined as EAM Food & Beverage of India’s first St Regis in May 2015 and has since been an integral part of the successful launch of the brand in India.

He played an important and vital role in positioning the iconic brand as ‘The Best Address’ and as market leader in revenue and reputation over the last three years.

Mylavarapu graduated from

IHM Hyderabad and has a Masters in Hospitality Administration and Revenue Management from Cesar Ritz, Brig in Switzerland.

marketing efforts. Born and educated in India, Creado began his hospitality career in 1999.

pointment, Sharp was SVP and managing director of Travelport’s Air Commerce line of business focusing on airline and rail distribution as well as airline IT solutions. He has previously held senior management, strategy and consulting positions with HP Enterprise Services, EDS, UPS and Bain & Company.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel

Alila Villas Koh Russey Cambodia

Carlson Wagonlit Travel has appointed DEREK SHARP as managing director of CWT Meetings & Events. Effective November 1, 2018, Sharp will be based in London, report to Kelly Kuhn, chief customer officer of CWT and serve as a member of CWT’s Customer Organisation Leadership Team.

Immediately prior to his ap-

SEBASTIEN MENESGUEN has joined Alila Villas Koh Russey as general manager. He joins Alila Villas Koh Russey from Alila Jakarta, where he was general manager since August 2016. Since beginning his career in early 2000 with the Accor Group in the United Kingdom, Sebastien has taken up pivotal positions as a hotelier. Demon-

Hyatt Regency Chennai has announced TARUN SETH as the newly appointed general manager, where he shall be leading a vibrant team of four hundred professionals, while further building and strengthening the business and reputation of the enchanting 325-room property, with state of the art restaurants, event spaces, spa and fitness center.

Derek Sharp

Sebastien Menesguen

Tarun Seth

Shannon Creado

strating effective leadership and a self-described “detail-oriented” management style, he proved himself instrumental in opening three properties for Tauzia Hotel Management in Bali and acting as cluster general manager for three of their brands in West Java.

Hyatt Regency Chennai

JW Marriott Chandigarh RAMANDEEP MARWAH has joined as the new general manager for JW Marriott Chandigarh. In this role, he will oversee the hotel operations, including guest and associate satisfaction, human resources, financial performance, sales and revenue generation, overall performance and strategy execution of the hotel. An enter-

Sonale Zagade

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November 2018

weekend

E V E N T S

MACAO STARS TV celebrity couple Sanaya Irani and Mohit Sehgal recently visited Macao

ZIMBABWE CALLING Zimbabwe Tourism Authority recently hosted prominent travel agents from India on a FAM trip. The agents who travelled to Zimbabwe on Ethiopian Airlines were also present for the Sanganai/Hlanganani – World Tourism Expo 2018 held at Bulawayo city known as “City of Kings”

VIRGIN ATLANTIC BALLE BALLE Commemorating 18 years of successful journey in Punjab, Virgin Atlantic hosted a celebratory evening in Jalandhar for all its major trade partners and travel agents. The evening witnessed the presence of Virgin Atlantic’s senior management including Dave Hodges - country manager, Virgin Atlantic India, Sameer Duggal - commercial manager and Inderpal S Anand - sales manager, Punjab.

TEEING OFF IN ISTANBUL Turkish Airlines brought its ever-growing Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup to Kemer Golf & Country Club in Istanbul. The Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup Grand Finals will be held in Belek, Antalya

HOWZZAT! Tourism Australia and ESPNcricinfo have launched a content series, UnDiscover Australia, featuring Shibani Dandekar. Seen here is Dandekar (second from left) with John O' Sullivan, MD, Tourism Australia (centre)

FESTIVE FLAVOURS AT NOVOTEL Festive flavour was in the air at the traditional cake-mixing ceremony at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & HICC

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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.