Express Hospitality February 16-28, 2013 by Indian Express

I N D I A’ S F O R E M O S T H O S P I TA L I T Y P U B L I C AT I O N February 16-28, 2013 ` 40

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FORTNIGHTLY INSIGHT FOR THE HOSPITALITY TRADE

VOL 8 | NO. 9 | PAGES 64

Contents February 16-28, 2013

Vol 8 No.9 February 16-28, 2013

Chairman of the Board Viveck Goenka Editor Reema Lokesh* Assistant Editor Steena Joy Associate Editor Sudipta Dev CONTENT TEAM Mumbai Sayoni Bhaduri, Kahini Chakraborty Kolkata Joy Roy Choudhury Editorial Associates Marcellus Baptista, H A Mishra, Harpal Singh Sokhi, P S Sundar, M S Ram Advisory Board Anil Madhok, Rajeev Chopra, Santosh Shidhaye, Homi Aibara, Param Kannampilly, K V Simon, Jiggs Kalra, Jose Dominic, Raju Shahani, N S Bhuie, Nirmal Khandelwal, Muralidharan Menon, Narendra Verma, Prakash Mankar, M Narayanan MARKETING Deputy General Manager Sachin Shenoy Marketing Team Dattaram Kandalkar, Rajan Nair Marketing Coordination Darshana Chauhan Asst.Manager - Scheduling & Coordination Arvind Mane

MANAGEMENT

MARKET

The Serai expands to Mangalore and Andamans ............05 Accor Ambassadors to touch 1000 this year ..................06 Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal brings international hospitality to MP's capital ............................................07 TripAdvisor offers hotels an upgraded Management Centre ......................................................08 Mizoram Tourism to handover 17 properties to private partners, to issue EoI soon ............................................09 WORLDHOTELS Asia Pacific ends 2012 with strong revenues....10 FHRAI seeks civil aviation minister's intervention on delay of clearances to hotels in Delhi's Aerocity ............11 CHEF PLATTER

Driving restaurant profitability ..................................28 Room for growth ......................................................29 A passion for pasta ....................................................32 Getting high on tea....................................................34 Reliving royalty ........................................................35 EDGE

A new challenge everyday...........................16

CIRCULATION Mohan Varadakar PRODUCTION General Manager B R Tipnis Production Manager Bhadresh Valia Layout Ratilal Ladani, Kiran Parker Asst. Art Director Surajit Patro Chief Designer Pravin Temble Senior Graphic Designer Rushikesh Konka Photo Editor Sandeep Patil

In the limelight ......................................................37

HIGH SPRITS

LIFE

Rising to the challenge ..39 Sharing oeno-knowledge................................................20

Express Hospitality Reg.No.MH/MR/SOUTH-44/2013-15 RNI Regn. No.MAHENG/2005/21391.

Published by Vaidehi Thakar on behalf of the Proprietor The Indian Express Limited from Express Towers, 2nd floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021 and Printed by her at the Indian Express Press, at Plot No.EL-208,TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai 400 710 (Editorial & Administrative :The Indian Express Ltd, 1st floor, Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai-400021). Editor Reema Lokesh* (* Responsible for selection of matter under PRB Act) Copyright @ 2011

February 16-28, 2013

Small is beautiful ..........................................................22 Embassy for Scotch whisky ...........................................23 REGULARS

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note ..................................................................................................................................................................4 Product Tracker ............................................................................................................................................................13 New Kids on The Block ................................................................................................................................................14 Movements ..................................................................................................................................................................40 Weekend ......................................................................................................................................................................60

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Gratifying gourmet journeys f one has to highlight the wealth and diversity that the world of food offers in terms of spices, tastes, cuisines, marriage of flavours and finally that something extra that stimulates the five senses, India will surely be placed in the top slot. Every state, district and town has its own food story to share which is unique.

I “Gourmet tours in India as a concept is completely in its nascent stage. There are a plethora of kitchens that can be explored, exposed and experienced to make India a well established gourmet tourism brand globally and a force to be reckoned with in the field”

However, gourmet tours in India as a concept is completely in its nascent stage. There are a plethora of kitchens that can be explored, exposed and experienced to make India a well established gourmet tourism brand globally and a force to be reckoned with in the field. The concept of professional gourmet tours have been popular in the west especially in parts of Europe, wherein regions offer the food lovers an experience that is wide spread, which range from budget food journeys to the high end and from the basic to the elaborate. Tours are designed with varied themes namely, from cooking tours that gets you involved from sourcing the basic raw material to that of accomplishing the final product; it is almost a start to finish cooking experience. There are certain tours that are conducted in natural setups, some in authentic kitchens, while others in five-star kitchens, the choice is far and wide. India is slowly waking up to this form of tourism and initial inroads have been made by a few experts in the field. Today leading multinationals are investing in the food business and master chefs are soon turning global celebrities into household names. Few state tourism boards in India have expressed interest to focus on their state’s gourmet trails and highlight their exclusive cuisine and recipes for tourists to experience. Holding food festivals and promotions in a city is well established and probably passé but experiencing the cooking journey is something that is considered exotic and meaningful. India is a place that has all the ingredients perfectly in place to venture into the world of well established gourmet journeys and our cover story this issue provides our readers an insight into this appealing and niche tourism business story. Reema Lokesh Editor editorial.eh@expressindia.com

E-mail: 4pdesigno@gmail.com

CHENNAI: Vijay Kulkarni, FORTNIGHTLY INSIGHT FOR THE HOSPITALITY TRADE

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February 16-28, 2013

Market

T H E B U S I N E S S O F H O S P I TA L I T Y

LEAD STORY

The Serai expands to Mangalore and Andamans SAYONI BHADURI – Mumbai

fter the success of three resorts in Karnataka, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts – a subsidiary of ABCTCL – is taking their leisure hotel brand The Serai, to Mangalore and Andamans. Sharing more about the expansion Anand Menon, head Marketing, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts informed that the Mangalore property will be operational by 2014. He added, “It is our chairman’s vision to have 10 resorts in the next five years.” These resorts will be owned and managed by the company. For the currently operational three resorts of Chikmagalur, Bandipur and Kabini, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts made an investment of approximately `80-100 crore. Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts will also launch a revamped website for The Serai. Menon said that it will be more interactive and user friendly. It will also offer information about the destination and not just the hotel. “We get around 15-18 per cent of our total bookings from our website and we are expecting it to grow up to 30 per cent with the new website,” he added. They have also introduced a six-day itinerary across the three resorts offering three different experiences. Known as The Serai Memories the package is clubbed with an offer of an additional complimentary night. For The Serai Bandipur, the company has initiated The Blue Mountain Trail where the guest gets to visit Ooty – visit a chocolate factory and a tea factory amongst other activities.

February 16-28, 2013

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Trusted by leading five star hotels.

“Hush has proved to be a supplier of choice for our furniture and soft furnishing requirements. We sourced a large part of our guestroom furniture, lobby furniture and other soft furnishings for our Westin (Mumbai) project from Hush. We are happy to place on records their timely service and tremendous attention to detail and strongly recommend Hush to our counterparts in the industry.” ~ Mr. Rajiv Mendiratta, Sr. Manager (Contracts), Oberoi Realty

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M|A|R|K|E|T NEWSTRACK

Leela group starts work on second hotel in Bengaluru STEENA JOY – Bengaluru

he Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts is ready to set up its second property in Bengaluru. Speaking exclusively to Express Hospitality, Andrew Hendrian, general manager, The Leela Palace Bangalore informed, “The upcoming hotel will not be a palace hotel, but mainly a business hotel in the five-star deluxe category and will have 300 to 350 keys. Construction has started and the hotel is expected to be ready three years from now.” The hotel which will be on the same lines as the The Leela Kempinski Gurgaon (and may be probably named The Leela Bangalore) is located close to the new airport and will be one of the three hotels being developed by Bhartiya City, a

mixed use project coming up in Hebbal. Bhartiya City is spread over 120 acres and will have residential and commercial units and a SEZ including an IT Park. The project also envisages a convention centre admeasuring about 45,000 square feet. Hendrian also informed

that the hotel chain was also rebranding all its inhouse spas as ESPA at The Leela. The spas in Mumbai, New Delhi and Udaipur have already been rebranded and by next year the Leela Palace Kempinski Bangalore will also be certified as an ESPA.

The Leela group already has a tie-up with ESPA of London, one of the leading spa management companies in the world, to manage their spas across all their properties. ESPA's spa treatments are holistic, use only the purest natural ingredients and are ethically sourced.

Accor Ambassadors to touch 1000 this year

STEENA JOY – Mumbai

early 1,000 travel agents are expected to join Accor Ambassador, the exclusive and interactive online Accor training programme dedicated to travel agencies. The e-learning programme was introduced in India last year. The programme which is designed to help travel agents develop their expertise on Accor brands so that

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they can better advise their customers, is a real sales tool. There are four different modules at present: Get to know Accor, Get to know Sofitel, Get to know Pullman, Get to know Novotel & Suite Novotel and Get to know the MGallery Collection. At the end of each module, the agent will be quizzed to determine his level of expertise and finally is certified as Accor Ambassador by the Accor www.expresshospitality.com

Paris office. “The programme has evoked a very good response in India. The programme creates a closed community of Accor Ambassadors. In 2011, we certified 30 Ambassadors which went up to 174 in 2012. In 2013 we expect the number of Accor Ambassadors to touch 1000,” informed A Palanisamy, director of global sales, Connect World Wide which runs the e-

learning programme for Accor. Accor expects strong growth in India, looking to open 90 hotels by end 2015, focussing also on tier II and tier III cities. Out of its nine global brands, Accor has six in India, including Sofitel, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure, ibis and Hotel Formule1 covering all segments - from budget to luxury. Another brand MGallery is expected in India by 2015. February 16-28, 2013

M|A|R|K|E|T NEWSTRACK

Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal brings international hospitality to MP's capital SUDIPTA DEV - Bhopal

hopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, got its first international branded property with the opening of the Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal. Located in the premises of DB City Mall, the hotel is owned by the Dainik Bhaskar Group. “Courtyard is Marriott's fastest growing brand in India and the world. This is the ninth Courtyard in the country and the 17th Marriott property in India,” said Rajeev Menon, area vice president, India, Maldives and Australia, Marriott Hotels India. He pointed out that the Courtyard by Marriott brand has established itself as the clear leader in upscale lodging segment. Marriott is focused on growing the brand faster than any other in India with 18 more properties planned in the near future.

Thanking the Agarwal family (Dainik Bhaskar Group) for their support and the project management team for meeting the international standards of the brand, Menon said, “We are thrilled to open the first international brand in Bhopal. We have collected a great team of Marriott associates in Bhopal. Most locals who are joining the team will be trained. We want to be a part of the local community and focus on local talent.” Talking about the long-term perspective Menon stated with optimism, “When we build hotels we build it for 30/40/50 years. We believe the city of Bhopal has considerable demand in the coming years and being the first international brand will give us the leverage.” Seconding his views, Elton Hurtis, general manager, Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal said, “We are optimistic of Bhopal as a mar-

ket. The city is growing dramatically. We would love to be part of the growth story.” Independent reports have showed that hotels in Bhopal have an occupancy of 70 per cent. There is a lot of hope centered around the government's focus on development of tourism,

more international travellers coming to the city, picking up of Buddhist tourism and better flight connectivity. “We are expecting 50 per cent occupancy in the next few months,” mentioned Hurtis. CSR initiatives being an integral part of Marriott's brand vision, in Bhopal the

hotel group will be involved with the Tiger Project. “In any city we go we like to see what issue is important to the community,” said Menon. One of the highlights of the the 101 keys property is the meetings and conferencing options including a flexible ballroom with terrace and pre-function area, a junior ballroom, three meeting rooms, etc. Almost 22,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor banqueting space in the property has positioned it as a preferred venue for MICE events and weddings in the city. There are special facilities for MICE clientele with dedicated event planners to cater to the segment. The F&B options at Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal include the MoMo Café (all day dining with interactive kitchen), Éclair The Bake Shop (deli and patisserie) and the Corner Bar.

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February 16-28, 2013

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M|A|R|K|E|T NEWSTRACK

TripAdvisor offers hotels an upgraded Management Centre SAYONI BHADURI – New Delhi

ripAdvisor is rebuilding and redesigning its Management Centre for hotels. TripAdvisor offers every hotel listed a Management Centre which has been rebuilt based on feedback and information. Hotels can monitor, engage and promote their hotels through this. Brian Payea, head of industry relations, TripAdvisor informed that in Delhi, The Lalit, Metrpolitan, ITC and The Oberoi are the most active in responding to reviews. The aim is to allow the overload of information to be converted into workable data and therefore actions.

Payea said, “We are rebuilding it to bring in more functionality and with a focus on management.” This will allow a hotel to understand areas of improvement and elements of customer service. The service is free to all hotels which are listed on TripAdvisor, Payea added that this will continue to be so. The Management Centre also allows managing business listings. Business listings were started by TripAdvisor in 2012. Payea said, “It grew out of demand.” To explain the potential of business listings, TripAdvisor conducted a MasterClass with 665 hoteliers across India last year. Business listing creates a com-

merce opportunity offering a direct connection with the consumer. “Hotels can list contact information or an online deal on prime real estate on the webpage,” he added. He also said that hotels have seen a positive ROI by investing in TripAdvisor. Discussing how social media is affecting travel patterns and decisions Payea said, “There are three forces which are driving changes – review sites, social networking sites and mobile.” He gave figures -- 92 per cent consumer trust information from people they know and 70 per cent trust consumer opinions. While TripAdvisor is a US based company, over

the years Europe has overshadowed the consumer base, while Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region. Facebook is the biggest player in the social media space and India has the third largest Facebook population in the world. “In 2010 TripAdvisor integrated their applications on Facebook to offer instant personalisation to consumers. 27 per cent more engagement was noted leading to higher conversion rates,” he said. Around six billion people have a mobile globally. China and India together account for 30 per cent of the global mobile usage. Almost 75 per cent of India has mobile services.

Global hotel leaders call for Smart Visas to stimulate world travel EH STAFF - Mumbai

ilton Worldwide and Marriott International addressed global business and travel industry leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos recently to urge governments to move quickly to adopt “Smart Visa” policies which stimulate global travel, create new jobs and spur economic development. The two companies represent more than 7,000 hotels in 90 countries, which include 600,000 employees at these owned, managed and franchised properties. They are working together to promote global action toward Smart Visa policies regionally by 2015 and globally by 2020. Smart Visas refer to safe, secure and sustainable solutions that promote mobility, maximise the use of technology, and expand programmes that facilitate travel while removing process inefficiencies caused by arduous visa requirements. As a result of Smart Visa policies, more data is collected and shared across borders, creating enhanced security, efficiencies that reduce government spending and enhanced customer experience. “In 2012, the UN World Tourism Organisation reported that more than one billion people travelled outside their

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Christopher Nassetta

Arne Sorenson

borders – a tremendous catalyst for global commerce and new jobs,” said Christopher J Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton Worldwide. “Enabling greater international travel is the low-hanging fruit that can create significant economic growth and employment,” he added. Arne Sorenson, president and CEO, Marriott International, added, “Smart governments are thinking about international travel and tourism as trade, and they are doing everything they can to remove barriers and be more strategic in addressing visas and other access issues that discourage people from traveling and doing business.”

Many countries are recognising the economic benefits of international travel and tourism and making secure and convenient travel a policy priority, including Turkey, which has more than doubled international visitation in a decade by providing visas on arrival; China, which has implemented visa-free travel for three days to Beijing for 45 countries; Russia, which is encouraging visa-free travel to and from the European Union; and Australia and the United Arab Emirates, which have been utilising electronic visas, where the process is on-line and takes minutes, not days or weeks. The ASEAN nations are moving to a common regional visa to

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promote economic development. Last year, US President Obama announced the development of a national travel and tourism policy. Since then, the United States has made significant progress, with an increase in international arrivals as the visa waiver programme was expanded to Taiwan and wait times for in-person interviews, most notably in China, Brazil, and Mexico, were brought down to under one week. “We applaud those governments who are taking visionary approaches to facilitating travel, enhancing economies and providing employment opportunities worldwide. We view the private sector and Forum leaders as powerful partners to ensure progress continues so that global visa and entry policies are augmenting and enhancing the free-flow of goods, services, and people,” said Nassetta and Sorenson. Globally, at nearly US$ six trillion in 2011, or 9.1 per cent of total worldwide GDP, travel and tourism contributes more to world economies than some of the largest manufacturing sectors, including automotive and chemicals. The industry directly employs 98 million people, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. February 16-28, 2013

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Mizoram Tourism to handover 17 properties to private partners, to issue EoI soon JOY ROY CHOUDHURY - Guwahati

n an effort to offer the best possible facilities to inbound tourists and promote public-private-partnership (PPP) in the tourism sector, Mizoram government has decided to partly offload its stake and handover 17 prime properties owned by the department of tourism to private partners. This information was divulged by Chetan B Sanghi, commissioner and secretary, department of tourism, Government of Mizoram. “We want the private partners to efficiently and professionally run and manage these properties. We are working on the modalities of this handover and an Expression of Interest inviting proposals from private partners to run these properties will be

February 16-28, 2013

issued soon,” he said. The private partners should have knowledge about the state in order to run these properties efficiently, added a senior tourism department official. S Hiato, tourism minister, Mizoram also added, “It is my pride to state that Mizoram is the ideal destination for adventurous and inquisitive travellers seeking new destinations to relax and embrace nature at its best.” He further added that in an effort to harness the potential offered by the topography and weather of Mizoram as well as to keep pace with the latest trends in tourism the department of tourism is looking at venturing into promotion of aerosport to increase tourist inflow. Last year, the department hosted International Sport Landing Paragliding Competition successfully

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and is promoting adventure clubs in a bid to launch the adventure sport segment in a big way. Aggressive steps are also being taken to promote rural tourism, ecotourism and trekking in the

state. Trekking has already been introduced and is conducted by local tour operators; the department of tourism is presently seeking funds to open new routes with basic facilities.

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M|A|R|K|E|T NEWSTRACK

Worldhotels Asia Pacific ends 2012 with strong revenues EH STAFF - Mumbai

he Asia Pacific division of Worldhotels has reported that in 2012 its overall APAC revenues climbed 7.3 per cent over 2011. Worldhotels generated US$108.2 million in revenue for its member properties in Asia Pacific last year, a 7.1 per cent increase over 2011. Reservations for the region were up 7.8 per cent. Globally, the group exhibited strong performance as well, with GDS sales for the year increasing 4.7 per cent, and OTA room booking ascending by a remarkable 55.8 per cent. The release of version 3 of the Resmaster hotel booking engine represented a significant enhancement to the Worldhotels technological advantage. Member properties that switched from Resmaster V2 to V3 during 2012 saw total revenues for the year jump by 22.34 per cent on average, a noticeably larger leap than their average revenue in the previous year. With innovative features that add flexibility and ease to the booking process, Resmaster V3 better enables hotels to drive direct room sales and decreases depend-

ence on third-parties. The new engine also helps increase hotel profits by providing up-selling opportunities such as room upgrade options and dynamic rooms and services packaging. A pay-per-click advertising module that enables real time rates and availability to appear in relevant Google Maps and Google Places pages is one of the many other advantages of the engine. Worldhotels’ new agreement with Room Key, an innovative hotel search and booking engine, will also help drive room sales for its hotels. Room Key provides travellers with hotel information straight from the source and the ability to directly book a room with the hotel of their choice. In 2012, Worldhotels also formed strategic alliances with Scandinavian Airlines, Baltic Airlines, TAM Airlines and Garuda Indonesia. Worldhotels guests can now earn frequent flyer miles from these airlines when booking rooms, a privilege that they already enjoy with United, Lufthansa, Air France/KLM and 17 other major carriers. In addition, Worldhotels

During 2012, Worldhotels added a total of 10 properties to its Asian network, in China, India, Vietnam and the Philippines has stepped up on MICE sales by forming a strategic alliance with StarCite, one of the leading global marketplaces connecting meeting planners with hotels, destinations and venue suppliers. The new partnership allows Worldhotels’ properties to gain prominent exposure within the StarCite Supplier Marketplace and reach a broad audience of qualified leads. "The upgrading of our Resmaster booking engine and the key strategic agree-

ments entered in 2012 are all geared towards one ultimate purpose, which is to elevate our hotels’ competitive edge in the global hospitality marketplace," said Roland Jegge, executive vice president Asia Pacific, Worldhotels. During 2012, Worldhotels added a total of 10 properties to its Asian network, the new members being distributed throughout China, India, Vietnam and the Philippines. Four of these new properties are Worldhotels’ branded hotels. The group intends to significantly expand its number of branded hotels in Asia over the next ten years, with a target of 75 branded hotels by 2021 for China alone. "2012 was another outstanding year for Worldhotels and particularly for its network in Asia" Jegge continued. "Worldhotels is making the region's hospitality marketplace more interesting for travellers by enabling the healthy growth of independent hotels with unique character and distinction. We look forward to bringing our unparalleled technology, sales and marketing, and training solutions to more of Asia's independently owned and managed hotels during 2013."

Chef Kunal Kapur set to pamper Lufthansa guests on board EH STAFF - Mumbai

irst and Business class passengers on Lufthansa flights to and from India will now enjoy a new selection of Indian culinary delights created by celebrity chef Kunal Kapur. ‘The Gourmet Guru’ and ‘Masterchef India’ judge is known as one of the best in his field and works as executive sous chef at The Leela Kempinski in Gurgaon. Kapur will indulge Lufthansa passengers with delicacies in line with The Leela’s philosophy of making the 'essence of India' tangible to guests. He joins his colleague Surender Mohan, corporate sous chef of the group at The Leela Mumbai, and a Lufthansa Star Chef since 2009. Under the Star Chef programme, the menu is changed every three months. Till March 2013, the First Class menu will include fruit chat with Tandoori Firdausi as the Indian option in starters, Chicken Chettinad, Paneer Butter Masala and mix-veg Thoran for main course and Kesar Pista Kulfi with Rabdi and Pistachio Garnish for dessert. And in Business Class, Bhindi Chat with Leek Flower, Curry Leaf

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Chef Kunal Kapur Pongal with Maharaja Dosa Melagu, Paneer Methi Palak with Dal Moong and Phirni Zafrani with Pistachio and Saffron are on offer. “I love experimenting with modern, creative preparation techniques to give

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classic dishes a new twist. Lufthansa’s popular Star Chef Programme is a great opportunity to innovate, since designing airline cuisine demands very special skills,” he explained. The chef won accolades for managing top Indian restaurants such as Made in India at Radisson Hotel in Noida, Dhaba at The Claridges in Delhi and Twice at Diya at The Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon. “It is a great pleasure to welcome one of India’s most popular chefs to our team. With their delicacies, Kunal Kapur and Surender Mohan are enhancing the on-board experience of our passengers from India, especially on the new First and Business Class products we introduced here last year,” said Axel Hilgers, director-South Asia, Lufthansa. “This is another milestone in our successful partnership with Lufthansa in India. The chefs at our luxury hotels around the country are known for culinary excellence and innovation, and we are delighted to extend the signature Leela dining experience to Lufthansa travellers,” added Rajiv Kaul, president, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts. February 16-28, 2013

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FHRAI seeks civil aviation minister's intervention on delay of clearances to hotels in Delhi's Aerocity EH STAFF - New Delhi

n a recent meeting with Ajit Singh, union minister of civil aviation, Government of India; Vivek Nair, president, Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) sought his urgent intervention in the matter of an undue delay in issue of completion certificates and other clearances to hotels in the upcoming hospitality district of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, 'Aerocity'. He expressed that as many as 13 hotels are being built in the Aerocity, at a combined project cost of approximately `10,000 crore. The hotels, which include marquee names such as the JW Marriott, will together contribute 5,500 much-needed additional rooms to the capital city's limited inventory of 11,000 rooms in the branded segment and generate direct employment for thousands of people. The construction of

some of these hotels is either already complete or in advanced stages. An inordinate delay in their commissioning would not only cause colossal financial losses to the individual developers but also put in peril, the vision of establishing a vibrant world-class hospitality hub, which was conceived as an integral component of the ambitious modernisation programme of the Delhi International Airport. It is pertinent to note that all these hotels are being developed in accordance with the duly approved master plan and requisite statutory clearances had been obtained, including NOC on height clearance from the Airports Authority of India, prior to commencement of construction four years ago. To impose structural modifications or alteration of building plans at this late stage, ostensibly to allay perceived security concerns, would be unreasonable and impractical. Moreover, it has already been clarified that

all buildings in the area will incorporate state-of-the-art security and surveillance infrastructure. Nair highlighted that in order to achieve the target of doubling foreign tourist arrivals from six to 12 million within the 12th Plan Period (2012-17), the ministry of tourism and the Planning Commission have estimated that 1,80,000 additional hotel rooms would be required across the country, entailing a massive capital investment of over `1,25,000 crore. Any prolonged and unwarranted uncertainty on receiving the final regulatory clearances can potentially undermine the viability of a landmark and prestigious project such as the Aerocity. The FHRAI president also expressed his concern that this would in turn, deal a severe setback to the hospitality sector's ability to attract the significant domestic and foreign investment (FDI) which is imperative to fuel its envisioned growth and expansion.

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EH STAFF - Mumbai

otels are responsible for the prevalence, or lack of mobile bookings for their properties, according to David Millili, chief executive officer of Pegasus Solutions. According to a recent survey from PhoCusWright, more than three-quarters of travellers are 'somewhat' comfortable researching travel via mobile device, but only 40 per cent said they are as comfortable purchasing a travel product. This resistance, according to Millili, is because hotels may not always have the right technology in place. “A smartphone or tablet may lead a traveller to a hotel website,” said Millili. “But, the site has to cater to that device – or any device – to allow them to easily book

February 16-28, 2013

once they get there. Hotels that have optimised their mobile site through responsive design and seamless booking will tell you, bar none, that travellers are comfortable with purchasing a travel product via mobile. Hotels that haven’t addressed the mobile experience are dumbfounded by the channel.” After becoming one of the very first hotel reservation solutions providers to offer responsive web design for hotels in 2011, Pegasus Solutions’ Open Hospitality division has seen clients realise gains as high as 15 per cent in mobile bookings. Responsive design allows hotels to deliver hotel content correctly formatted to any mobile device: iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Kindle, etc. Responsive

design leverages fluid widths, scalable images and adjustable layouts to allow bookers to quickly access important details via their preferred point of mobile contact. “Much has been made of mobile apps, but we see mobile sites driving the majority of mobile reservations,” added Millili. “Mobile is all about making the experience doable, and removing the risk of attrition in the booking process. I can guarantee the number of PhoCusWright respondents who will book via mobile would have been significantly higher if more hotels had the proper websites and mobile booking solutions in place. The technologists have given them the tools, it is up to us, as hoteliers, to give them the way.” www.expresshospitality.com

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InterContinental Hotels Group to open Holiday Inn at Lavasa by 2015 EH STAFF - Mumbai

avasa Corporation has signed an agreement w i t h IHG(InterContinental Hotels Group) to open Holiday Inn at Mugaon, the second town under development at Lavasa. Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon, a 200 room midscale hotel is expected to open by 2015. The 200-room hotel will offer an extensive selection of food and beverage outlets. A fully-equipped

business centre along with conferencing facilities and expansive banqueting facilities. Construction of the new hotel is likely to commence in the third quarter of 2013. Commenting on the development, Rajgopal Nogja, group president – development companies, HCC said, “We are pleased to partner with IHG, a reputed and established hotel operator for opening the Holiday Inn hotel at Mugaon. Tourist traffic to

Lavasa is on the rise with close to one lakh tourists visiting the city every month. The proposed development at Mugaon which includes theme parks, medi city, sports academies and the business hub will only augment the tourist numbers. The opening of Holiday Inn at Mugaon will help us further cater to tourist demand for quality hotel accommodation.” Douglas Martell, vice president- operations, South

West Asia, IHG said, “We are extremely excited to partner with HCC and welcome Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon – India’s first planned scenic hill station and an emerging tourist destination. With a growing economy and an expanding middle class, we foresee a strong demand for midscale hotels in the country, and the Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon will be a great product of the next generation of hotels planned for India.”

Starwood Hotels and Delta Air Lines partner to introduce loyalty programmes

EH STAFF - Mumbai

tarwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and Delta Air Lines have announced a comprehensive new partnership that offers exclusive new benefits to Delta SkyMiles Medallion members and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) elite members. The programme, called Crossover Rewards, will commence from March 1, 2013 and provides elite members of both loyalty programmes reciprocal benefits. Crossover Rewards allows Starwood and Delta elites to share programme benefits and earn more

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miles and Starpoints. SkyMiles Diamond and Platinum Medallion members will have access to added benefits including priority check-in, 4pm late checkout and free in-room internet access when staying at Starwood Hotels and Resorts. All Delta Medallion members also will earn one mile per dollar spent on eligible room rates when staying with Starwood in addition to the Starpoints usually earned for their stay. In turn, SPG Platinum members will receive one free checked bag, priority checkin and priority boarding when flying Delta. SPG elite

members will earn one Starpoint per dollar spent on eligible flights in addition to the miles usually earned for their flight. “Crossover Rewards allows Starwood and Delta to extend loyalty outside of our hotels and beyond the window seat by giving our respective elite members reciprocal benefits and earning power,” said Frits van Paasschen, president and CEO, Starwood. “This enriches the experience for our most valuable travellers, and gives both Delta and Starwood an opportunity to target frequent travellers who aren’t already part of our prowww.expresshospitality.com

grammes, enabling us to capture greater share of the global, high-end traveller,” he added. “Crossover Rewards is another example of Delta’s commitment to making the travel experience more beneficial and enjoyable for our customers,” said Tim Mapes, senior vice president – marketing, Delta Air Lines. “For our loyal customers, hotel accommodations are a vital component of the travel experience, which makes this new alliance with an innovative brand like Starwood a strategic addition to the SkyMiles programme,” he added. The companies’ global

alignment was key to uniting the two organisations for the creation of Crossover Rewards. With flights to more than 300 destinations and hubs in markets like Tokyo, Paris, New York City and Atlanta, Delta’s global reach complements Starwood’s worldwide hotel footprint including nine hotel brands in 100 countries around the world. “SPG continues to invest in one-of-a-kind benefits to reward those who reward us with their loyalty and business,” said Mark Vondrasek, senior vice president - distribution, loyalty and partnership, Starwood. February 16-28, 2013

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Pantheon from Cucine Lube India Electrolux has introduced a new addition to the line of refrigerators- Electrolux 90cm Side-by-Side Refrigerator which comes with digital display temperature control, ice water sispenser and home bar. The product has been priced at `181,000. The product features include: ● Mark-resistant Stainless Steel Door Finish ● Ice and Water Dispenser ● Door Alarm ● Multi airflow cooling system ● Spill Safe Shelves ● Crisper with Adjustable Humidity Control ● Clear Storage Basket ● Quick Freeze and Fast Chill mode

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Paloma from Obsessions Xclusif Obsessions Xclusif has launched a new range of Paloma collection of carpets. The Paloma collection is available in subtle tones in different patterns. February 16-28, 2013

Delhi • Mumbai • Bengaluru • Chennai Pune • Kolkata • Kottayam www.expresshospitality.com

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M|A|R|K|E|T QUICK BYTES

New kids on the block Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield Marriott International has opened Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield. The hotel offers 324 rooms which include 16 junior suites and one presidential suite. Coupled with state-of-the-art facilities and services, these rooms provide an elevated standard of design and décor. With over 10000 sq ft of meeting space, equipped with the latest technology and amenities, the hotel provides an ideal destination for business travellers.

Hot Chix, Mumbai Hot Chix, which offers both open-flame grilled and fried chicken on its menu, as well as a host of other delightful quick bites; both vegetarian and non vegetarian, has announced the launch of its first outlet in Mumbai. Located on the Andheri Kurla Road, Saki Naka, this 40-seater franchised restaurant is the fourth outlet of Hot Chix Restaurants.

The Ramada Chennai Egmore The Ramada Chennai Egmore is city’s first operational Ramada property from the globally renowned Wyndham Hotel Group. The hotel offers guests

Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal Marriott International has opened a business hotel in Bhopal. The Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal offers its guests 101 spacious rooms with contemporary décor including 20 twin rooms, 75 king rooms, three studio

a complete array of choices including 113 rooms, state-of-the-art pool, world class restaurant, bar and lounge, a fitness centre, conference rooms, business centre and a salon cum spa. The Ramada Chennai Egmore offers a choice of suites, executive, deluxe and classic rooms to cater to everyone’s needs.

SKKY, The Ramada Powai SKKY – a Pan-Asian Rooftop Resto lounge at Ramada Powai offers an ideal setting for an evening drink, dinner or a get together. Spread across an area of 8500 sq ft its décor has a rustic touch coupled with elements of fine dining.

suites, two Courtyard Suites and one specially abled room. Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal also offers a range of fine dining options, from Asian, Western and Indian which would appeal to the palate of discerning business and leisure travellers.

INTERNATIONAL Shanghai Marriott Hotel Pudong East

Mövenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa The new all-suite wing of the Movenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa that was once a barrack base that housed British artillerymen during World War II, has now been meticulously restored to offer discerning guests a sense of history that’s been fully updated with every contemporary comfort. The three-storey Heritage Wing now features 62 suites, an all-day restaurant, Tablescape, and a 250-brand whiskey lounge – WOW or World of Whiskeys – which is directly affiliated to the famous Waldhaus am See in St Moritz, recognised having one of the largest collection of whiskeys in the world.

Marriott International has announced the opening of the 323-room Shanghai Marriott Hotel Pudong East under a long-term management agreement with Shanghai Hengchang Industry. The hotel offers 1,705 square meters of banquet space, including a 655 square meter divisible and pillar-free grand ballroom, together with another 10 function rooms which feature natural light.

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February 16-28, 2013

M|A|R|K|E|T NEWSTRACK

West Bengal to draw investments worth `3560 crore for five tourism mega projects Also looks at investment for hotels, skill development centres SAYONI BHADURI – New Delhi

est Bengal is looking to develop five mega tourism projects and wishes to attract investments worth `3560 crore, informed Vikram Sen, principal secretary, tourism, Government of West Bengal. These include a tourism hub in Gajoldoba on a 208 acre piece of land with investment opportunities worth `1500 crore. The key focus here will be the 18 hole golf course. Kolkata will see the construction of a giant wheel, similar on the lines of London Eye. The total investment is pegged at `800-1000 crore. Apart from the giant wheel, the project will include development of a floating jetty and

other entertainment options at the location. The West Bengal state tourism department plans to promote Kunjanagar as an eco tourism hub with a focus on rural tourism, health and spa amenities. There are 90 acre of land available and a total investment of `410 crore is expected. Another 90 acre land has been allotted in Sylee to promote tea tourism at an expected investment of `350 crore. “There are 12 gardens in and around Sylee which can be promoted for tea tourism,” said Sen. The fifth mega project is to be developed in Jhadkhali. On an area of 99 acre and at a total investment of `300 crore various tourism projects are available for the pri-

vate sector to take up. Apart from these mega projects, the tourism department is providing ready lands for four- and five-star hotel projects in Dhatura (14 acre), Henry Island (10 acre), Digha (seven acre), Bhaluka Beel (five acre), Salt Lake - Kolkata (three acre). Sen also informed that the tourism department is giving out land for skill development projects like hotel management institutes in Chalsa, Gajoldoba, Barjora, Darjeeling and Budge Budge; food craft institutes in Siliguri, Digha and Panchla; and culinary institutes in Salt Lake-Kolkata and Hooghly. The state expects to process all bid approvals for these projects by or before August 2013. “As a matter of

policy, the state government has decided to embark on the PPP model for all of these projects,” said Sen. The government will provide single window clearance, safety and security measures, etc. Elaborating on the single window clearance, Sen said that there is an online application that an applicant has to fill in and then based on the project requirements the tourism department will gain clearances from various requisite departments. The state is also providing incentives to projects For projects costing more than `50 crore, apart from the mentioned benefits, the government will reimburse 75 per cent of VAT paid in the previous year provided in lieu of interest subsidy.

Goa Tourism formulates a tourism master plan Offers single window clearance for mega projects KAHINI CHAKRABORTY - Mumbai

oa Tourism is in the process of formulating a tourism master plan. The state tourism ministry has already floated tenders and will appoint a consultancy agency after the election process by end of February 2013. Talking exclusively to Express Hospitality about the tourism development plans in the state, Nikhil Desai, MD, GTDC, and director of tourism, Government of Goa said, “In order to develop tourism offerings of the state in a more effective manner, construction of infrastructure has already commenced. The state has received `two crore as investment for the infrastructure projects. We are building a big jetty in Panjim from where boat cruises take place regularly, a new tourism bhavan and amphitheatre complex. There are also new projects coming up in Baga.” The ministry is also building a hotel management institute which will help in creating additional manpower for the industry. On the anvil is the convention centre, theme park, family entertainment parks, expo cen-

February 16-28, 2013

tres, construction of golf courses through private initiative. Desai also informed that the state has started single window clearance system for all mega projects in the state where permissions are accorded rapidly. “With the tourism master plan which should be completed by end of this year, many reputed hotel brands have shown interest in building properties in the state. Hence the master plan will enable them to get faster clearances www.expresshospitality.com

for their projects. Currently our total room inventory is 50,000 along with the non registered guestrooms, bed and breakfast accommodations, beach huts and heritage homes, etc. As Goa's average occupancy rate rarely goes beyond 70 per cent, there is still a gap of 30-35 per cent which translates into huge volumes. Hence the tourism master plan will drive the growth for the industry, but we want to do it in a planned manner.”

In an effort to create a buzz about the destination Dilip Parulekar, minister for tourism, Government of Goa recently launched the dates for this year’s Goa Carnaval. The local event which has gained popularity will kick-start on February 8 and conclude on February 12, 2013. The other highlights of the event include a vintage car rally, Serenade parade, Harley Davidson Bike rally and King Momo’s lead float. EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

SPECIAL FEATURE

CHEF SPEAK

A new challenge everyday He is the executive chef of The Westin Mumbai Garden City, but Ajay Chopra is more remembered as one of the key faces of the Indian avatar of MasterChef television series. His has been an active career and he cherishes every moment of it. By Sayoni Bhaduri him to the world of hospitality. “We were from a small town, no one thought about hotel management. We didn't even know about it till my brother's friend came to our place,” he says. Once he applied and made it through to IHM Goa, there was not a thought given to medicine. Chef Chopra's grateful that his father fully supported his son's choice. “I never knew food could be so methodical, and for me to be able to take this up as a vocation just shows that God has his own ways,” he says of his early days at the IHM. In these early days he was chosen to be part of the food festival his college organised; his job was to peel chickens. “The aim was to finish the task as soon as possible to be able to do something else. The need for innovation resulted in me being able to peel chicken in 35 seconds,” he smirks. After his degree from IHM it was an aspiration to join Oberoi Center for Learning and Development (OCLD), “As any hotel management graduate's dream, it took me three years to get there,” he says. Right after IHM, Chef Chopra's first job which was at TGI Friday's as a prep cook, he reminisces that for six months, his only job was to cut lettuce in 4x4 inches. His break came when he got a call for a job in Cecil Oberoi in Shimla. It was after one and a half years of work at this hotel that he got through to the coveted OCLD. He is still in awe when he says, “Life changed once I joined OCLD. The institution is like an IIT for the hospitality industry.” He shares no disappointment or embarrassment in acknowledging, “I was not the best, but I was good. The quest however was always to be the best in whatever I did.” He later joined as a chef at Kandahar, the Indian specialty restaurant at the Oberoi New Delhi. hef Ajay Chopra's inspiration to enter the kitchen was his mother. “By now it is a cliched thing to say but I can't say anything different,” he says. The only difference in Chef Chopra's case was that since his mother was a teacher with a hectic schedule it was up to him to ruffle up something fresh for his brothers and himself. Youngest of three brothers, Chef Chopra

C 16

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enjoyed cooking food for his elder brothers. “I made my first cup of tea when I was in Class four,” he says with pride. “Being a chef was never a plan, I wanted to be an architect, while my parents wanted me to take up medicine,” says Chef Chopra. So while he prepared to sit for the medical entrance tests, he took up BSc degree. It was a chance meeting with a friend of his brother that introduced

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Old lessons stay forever It has taken Chef Chopra ten years from junior sous chef to become an executive chef. “I still remember the biggest lessons I learnt in my career. I have appreciated them and have kept those moments with me,” says Chef Chopra. He remembers how he was taught about consistency, eye for details through a February 16-28, 2013

C | H | E | F’ | S | P | L | A | T | T | E | R India to join Goa Marriott Resort & Spa. It was during his tenure here that the life altering opportunity, as Chef Chopra describes it, came his way – MasterChef India. “I consider myself blessed to have been given this opportunity,” he adds. Of his MasterChef days, he says that they were a roller coaster ride and it isn't as simple as it looks. The experience has been extremely educative, he adds. At The Westin Mumbai

Westin’s Kangan restaurant

tandoori roti. At the same time it has been a conscious decision for him to try new things, he is of the belief that if you do not try new things you are bound to stagnate. “There is a lot of monotony that can creep into one's life and people do not see the obvious,” he says, “The biggest advantage of working in the hospitality trade is that you do not take things for granted, simply because you are dealing with so many perishable products.” One learns to respect and appreciate the fragility in life. After his stint with the Oberoi’s, Chef Chopra moved to the Marriott with JW Marriott. He fondly remembers his time there. “That is where I learnt about the business of hotels, not just about kitchens. There were three of us – Vinay, Elton and I – and we had a vision about what we wanted to do,” he says. He adds that Lotus Cafe as it is today wasn't so in 2003. He said that he and his team was constantly being pushed to stay ahead, “It became addictive. We did 11 promotions in 13 months at Saffron then,” he says with pride. He continues this trend at The Westin Mumbai Garden City as well, his belief is there has to be something to bring people back to a restaurant on a regular basis and a set menu often isn't enough. For example the Phir Pehle Aap – an Awadhi food promotion at Kangan was held for the second year, and based on the success of the previous year's promotion was extended for a l o n g e r duration.

Garden City, he is responsible for the food and beverage operations of the hotel which includes ‘Prego’ the Italian restaurant, ‘Kangan’ acclaimed for its north west frontier food, and ‘Seasonal Tastes’ the 24-hour multi cuisine restaurant as well as the banqueting operations. Of the young generation who are joining the industry he says that they are on the roll. “If we are Gen X then they are Gen Y, there is a huge

difference in the two. They don't talk like us or think like us. If we are unable to catch up with them, we will be on the losing end. The older generation has to learn about the young, there is no way out of it – they are the future and the resources of the industry after all.” In the long run, Chopra wants to do something entrepreneurial, “It was an aim since my TGI Fridays' days and I would love to follow through with that,” he says.

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Cleaning & Hygiene Solutions Food safety in kitchens Kitchens are hotspots for food borne bacteria and precautions must be taken to enusre hygiene in food preparation areas, says A Ganesh ne of the gravest and life threatening dangers in the kitchen largely comprise of food borne illnesses. Food borne diseases causes approximately 76 million illnesses globally, 325,000 illnesses and 5,000 deaths a year in the United States alone according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In India, where there seems to be poor control over the rapidly flourishing food preparation joints, figures would not be appropriate because a very few cases are reported to public health officials. Food borne illnesses are caused largely by disease causing bacteria or by poisonous toxins which they produce. These bacteria can quickly spread and find their way into food via the food chain, i.e. from soil and water - raw produce - kitchen surfaces - hands of food handlers – food handling equipments – food service utensils – food served. The top three reasons for food poisoning include poor time – temperature controls, cross contamination and poor personal hygiene. Kitchens are hotspots for such opportunistic microbes. And moreover, during monsoons when diseases and infections are rampant, one would opt to be more careful on selecting the type of foods to be consumed. Here are a few tips from our experiences on preventing food borne illnesses in commercial and household food preparation areas and kitchens.

O A Ganesh

Food safety for commercial food preparation areas

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Supplier safety assurance While food safety starts with the supplier, ensure that food materials and ingredients are purchased only from reputed, known and approved suppliers. Ensure checking of all consignments as per specifications. Be selective about certain seafood like prawns, crabs, shellfish, etc which can harbour infectious germs.

can harbour infectious microbes. All water consumed as a drink must be thoroughly filtered and treated to render

Ensure safety conditions for water Water is an essential component of the human body and is consumed in its original stage and as a food ingredient. It is also used for washing foods and food contact surfaces. Contamination of distribution water can be rampant in rains due to leaking pipes and contaminated water at source which if not adequately disinfected and treated

Disinfection of food contact surfaces Use separate chopping boards and utensils including cutting and trimming implements for vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods. These should be disinfected between uses especially for nonvegetarian food and before being used to handle ready to eat food. Disinfecting can be carried out in boiling water for 2 minutes. Do not forget to disinfect knives and cleaning cloths.

it bacteria safe at household level (water purifiers may be used) or in the absence of the same water should be disinfected.

Time – temperature controls The temperature danger zone (TDZ) for disease causing bacterial build-up is from 5 – 600 Celsius. Hence the golden

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February 16-28, 2013

M|A|R|K|E|T Ensure that all drains are protected with drain traps for cockroaches. Conscientious hand washing Use soap and water with a rubbing action for 20 seconds to clean hands. The rubbing action should include the palms, the dorsal side of the palm, the area between the fingers and around the fingers, the nails (could also be done with a nail brush), thumbs

and the exposed part of the hand up to the wrist or beyond as applicable. The nails need to be short and rounded in any case. Wash hands after using the rest room, after break, before start of an activity, after touching body parts or garbage handling or any activity that could contaminate your hands. Remember, hands are an active carrier of microbes from the environment into your kitchen.

Hand disinfection after thorough washing is best carried out with alcoholic rub-in hand sanitisers.

Conclusion The more we know the less we fear. Man has to learn to live in harmony with the environment by rightly understanding the interactions between microbes and man. (The writer is Marketing Director, Diversey India Pvt.Ltd)

rule: Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. For frozen foods, the holding temperature should not exceed -120 Celsius or temperatures that permit thawing. If your fridge is not equipped with temperature monitoring device one needs to leave one inside to ensure that the temperature does not exceed 70 Celsius. Do not leave perishables /ready-to-eat food in the temperature zone for over four hours. Cook food properly. If microwave is used to prepare food, one must ensure that food is heated to at least 700 Celsius. Never allow food to thaw on the kitchen work surface but preferably in the microwave or refrigerator and always in a dish. Clean as you go Keep all food handling and storage areas clean and remove unwanted materials. Ensure that hidden and inaccessible areas are kept to a minimum and maintained clean to guard against pests which can spread diseases. Apply targeted use of an antimicrobial cleaning product for work surfaces which come into direct food contact like chopping boards, work tables, etc ; dish sponge, dish cloth and cleaning cloth; fridge shelves, handles and gaskets; and electrical kitchen appliances which come into direct contact with food. Food service and preparation utensils should be cleaned within two hours. Waste handling Do not leave garbage out in the open. It needs to be disposed off as quickly as possible in a proper manner. Get rid of decomposing food debris. Garbage bins may be lined with polythene and lidded when not in use to discourage flies and prevent cross contamination. February 16-28, 2013

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SPECIAL FEATURE RAISING THE BAR

Sharing oeno-knowledge Wine education is the need of the hour, believes Sonal Holland, wine consultant, educator and advisor. Foreseeing the potential and future she has also set up a wine academy. By Sayoni Bhaduri

Sonal Holland

here aren't many Indian sommeliers, Sonal Holland, wine consultant, educator and advisor laments. She also questions the need to hire expatriate sommeliers. “Many of the expat sommeliers that I have met, are very mediocre and not with credible certification either,” she said. There are many skilled sommeliers in India as well, who do not get the opportunity to showcase their skills and they need to be nurtured further. Holland who has conducted training for many five-star hotels including Taj, ITC, Oberoi, Sofitel, and Grand Hyatt says that training needs to be core and not value addition. “The industry needs to be willing to

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invest in wine professionals to train their staff. They need to take control,” she is vehement. Training in wine service needs to be conducted very neutrally, that is often missing because currently the training are initiated and conducted by the wine distributors and not as a conscious effort from the hotel/restaurants part. Training today is dependent on the wine distributors and importers. The opportunities in wine education in India are enormous. Education is a huge segment within the wine industry. It was with this ambition that Holland set up her own wine institution - Sonal Holland Wine Academy - in 2009. “I started this so that I could offer www.expresshospitality.com

training, tasting, easy access to good wines to those who want to learn,” she adds. The ultimate goal is to make this a world class education facility creating talent for the industry, and giving them opportunities to join the hospitality industry with assured placements. Currently, the Academy offers WSET courses, and as Holland herself receives her Master of Wine (MW) certification, the offerings at the institute will also increase. In another year and a half she plans to look at an association with one of India's wine producers. After June she is also looking at introducing Distance Learning Programmes in her institute. Holland is currently preparing for the last leg for

her MW certification. Once she has achieved that she intends to train and groom others who are interested in attempting it. She hopes to get ahead with this in the next two years. WSET courses have three levels – introductory, intermediate and advance. After this is the two years diploma course. These are short term courses and do not necessarily equip or allow command over wines, but they are a stepping stones to be better prepared for the diploma course. “These wine courses are expensive, not everyone will be able to afford them, in such a case it is even more important that the knowledge is imparted with no ego hassles,” says Holland. Of wines and growing interest in wines in India, Holland is pragmatic - “We are raving about miniscule increase in percentages in wine consumption, when China has now become one of the top five wine consumers in the world.” Consumption is the starting point and there has to be impetus to it. Government too has to look at wine consumption differently. “Here, I have to give full marks to importers, they have worked hard, dealt with challenges and continued to promote wines in the country.” She also believes that it is about time, that some rules and regulations were put in place for Indian wines and wine producers. Since, there are some great wines from India, they get a bad reputation due to malpractices of other wine producers. February 16-28, 2013

H|I|G|H| S|P|I|R|I|T|S WINE CELLAR

Small is beautiful A small family run winery with a focus on local grapes, Guerrieri Rizzardi has a long history in winemaking behind them. With Giuseppe Rizzardi, from the family explains the history and philosophy of their wines. By Sayoni Bhaduri

he Guerrieri Rizzardi wines are soaked in history. The ancient families of Count Guerrieri and Count Rizzardi came together to give the world very distinctive Italian wines. The Guerrieri family brought the vineyards and cellars of Bardolino, Valdadige Terra dei Forti while the Rizzardis had vineyards of Valpolicella and the cellars in Pojega. In 1970, Soave estate and the cellar in Costeggiola was purchased. Guerrieri Rizzardi is the only Veronese wine estate to own vineyards and cellars in the four different DOC Classico areas of Verona. The ownership today is in the hands of the Rizzardi family headed by Contessa Maria Cristina Rizzardi, the managing director and her two sons – Count Giuseppe Rizzardi and Agostino Rizzardi. Guerrieri Rizzardi have a total of 15 wine labels; apart from that they also have olive oil, grappa and amarone vinegar. The wines themselves are produced from grapes grown on estate vineyards and the

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wines are vinified in the cellars situated in each appellation. They have championed the cause of the local historical grape varieties – Corvina, Corvinone, Garganega and Marco Bona. They also have grape varieties like Barbera, Sangiovese, Merlot, Tocai Friulano, Cortese and Chardonnay due to their ability to adapt to the local soil. They strongly believe in the relationship between the land, heritage and tradition but at the same time keep track of innovation in the quest to create better wines. “Even our entry level wines have soul and character. There is full quality control on our vineyards,” says Giuseppe Rizzardi. The winery believes in a wine that is an expression of the essence of the land and the grape variety. “We do not extract too much from the fruits the aim is to have elegance and balance in the wines,” he adds; small yields is a crucial element for them to improve the quality of wines. Over the last couple of years, Guerrieri Rizzardi wines have reduced their pro-

duction per hectare, reaching a quantity level much lower than allowed by the DOC law. As if that wasn't enough Giuseppe Rizzardi adds that the sulphides are kept low for a healthy crop and grape. “Even though our viticulture is not biodynamic, we do believe in sustainability and respect plants,” he says. Age of the vines and the location of the vineyards play a key role in the quality of the wines. In 2011 and 2012 they moved to a protective style of picking and vinification keeping in mind the changes in the climate. “The use of technology in the old style of wine making is not so acceptable or prevalent in comparison to the new world wines,” he adds. But Guerrieri Rizzardi combines traditional methodology with modern winemaking techniques. For their red wines they extract elements from the skin of mature grapes. This is done to best represent the location and soil where the grape was grown. The white wines are given maximum aromas and texture by removing signs of February 16-28, 2013

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Guerrieri Rizzardi wines available in India Guerrieri Soave Classico DOP Guerrieri Valpolicalla Classico Rosso DOC Guerrieri Pojega Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC Guerrieri Costeggiola Soave Classico DOC Villa Rizzardi Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOC oxidation in the juice before vinification. Giuseppe Rizzardi reminisces about the times when he took over the vineyards, he says, “When I took over, no one was taking care of the technical aspects of viticulture. We had as many as 38 grape varieties on our estates. My goal was to create more precise viticulture practices and wines.” From the time he took over, there has been an evolution in viticulture and vineyard management. There have been improvements with a focus on the right grape variety. “Every grape variety has different needs and it is a long term process. You have to

work with one grape variety at a time. We now have 10-15 varieties,” he adds. Guerrieri Rizzardi wines have been present in India for almost two years now and are distributed by FineWinesnMore. Of the Indian wine market Giuseppe Rizzardi says, “The wine world in India with its interesting food and kitchen makes it interesting for us to be here. We think we are a right fit for the market. Our wines also travel well to India.” He also notes the difficulty in the taxation regime and says that the biggest challenge in India is the slow and long bureaucracy and the cost is also prohibitive.

Embassy for Scotch whisky Diageo launches larger, more luxurious Johnnie Walker House in Beijing, off the back of a successful Shanghai ohnnie Walker has opened the Johnnie Walker House Beijing, the world’s largest embassy for luxury Scotch whisky. Like its sister property in Shanghai which opened last year, the Johnnie Walker House Beijing is expected to provide consumers with bespoke experiences to immerse themselves into the world of whisky and Johnnie Walker. With China poised to become the world’s most powerful market for luxury goods, the Johnnie Walker House serves to meet consumer demand for luxury with substance. Blending a bar, museum, retail outlet and an exclusive members club, the Johnnie Walker House Beijing is a response to the demand from Chinese consumers for in-depth knowledge, not only of the specific luxury brands they indulge in, but also of the broader categories the brands fall under. Gilbert Ghostine, president, Diageo Asia Pacific said, “The Johnnie Walker House in Shanghai has been our most successful experiment in marketing and commercial innovation in Asia to date. This was a journey for our consumers, as well as our business, and we are happy today to share even more luxurious offerings through the Johnnie Walker House Beijing. This experience has

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brought incredible success and new energy to Johnnie Walker’s century-long story of progress in China.”

World’s largest luxury whisky embassy The Johnnie Walker House Shanghai played a part in shaping the international spirits landscape in China with luxury scotch. Since the House began operating in 2011, sales of super-deluxe Johnnie Walker whisky in China increased by 64 per cent year-on-year; this included Johnnie Walker Blue Label that grew 45 per cent over the same period. In Beijing, Johnnie Walker will be offering:

Luxury whisky The Houses are dedicated to the enjoyment of luxury whisky and they have some of the finest whiskies in the world available for patrons to sample and purchase. The Houses are home to collections that are available only for purchase on site such as the Johnnie Walker Epic Dates collection – retailing from RMB22,800 (GBP2,250) – and the Master Blender Series which will be a collection of whiskies aged at least 30 years. In addition, patrons can work with the Johnnie Walker Master Blender Jim Beveridge to create a personalised blend. Even with an www.expresshospitality.com

entry price of RMB800,000 (GBP80,000), this service has been so popular that one customer has created a blend that has become his family’s hallmark at celebrations. Jim Beveridge maintains a personal collection of his favourite whiskies in the House for use in creating these bespoke blends.

Luxury experiences The Johnnie Walker House Beijing offers an immersive environment with members-only whisky vaults, signature blends and private 'whisky-inspired' dining from the brand’s in-house chef. A total of only 200 patrons will have access to exclusive lifestyle experiences as well as private sections of the House. Among the many privileges for patrons is access to an exclusive concierge service. In addition, relationship managers get to know the preferences of each member in order to ensure the whisky experience is as personal as possible. Membership at the House opens a world of possibilities outside of China as members can also take advantage of the concierge service to arrange trips to Scotland where they have access to private distilleries and whisky collections, can sample some of the rarest and oldest whiskies in the world,

as well as stay in private castles and enjoy access to members-only golf courses.

Luxury spaces Johnnie Walker House Beijing is located at Ch’ien Men 23 – a historical meeting point of East and West in China and one of the most prestigious addresses in the city. The luxury spaces in the two Houses offer the brand a unique opportunity to engage VIP consumers and influencers through invitationonly experiences and rooms such as the Master Blender Suite in Beijing – a VIP-only space inspired by the original Johnnie Walker Blending rooms. The whisky experience is further heightened through design of the physical space, bringing Scottish history and culture to Beijing with a re-imagining of a distillery, a recreation of Johnnie Walker’s original grocery shop and a blending floor made from the ingredients used to make whisky. At the downstairs Distillery Bar, which will be open to the public, nearly 10,000 copper pipes have been used to simulate a working distillery. Diageo hopes to roll out this business model beyond China, with plans for Asia Pacific and, ultimately, worldwide development of the Johnnie Walker House concept. EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

Management

INSIGHT INTO HOSPITALITY OPERATIONS

A tour of the taste buds Indian food is beyond curries and kebabs and it is time to discover these elements as a potential to draw the coveted inbound travellers. Not just inbound, Indian food and its history is an educational experience even for the domestic travellers. Gourmet tourism is a new niche that the Indian hospitality industry needs to focus on. By Sayoni Bhaduri

ith the inquisitive nature of the fast evolving

Vikas Khanna

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Indian consumer regional cuisines have picked up well; this is well and good. The number of cookbooks specialising in these local styles – Bengali, East Indian, Saraswat – is proof of the growing popularity of Indian food. Indian restaurants abroad are flourishing and not to forget the ‘curry’ is the most commonly cooked dish in Britain. India’s rich culinary background needs no introduction. The length and breadth of this vast nation has strewn across her a rich network of cuisines that is easily a cause for envy to the world. But the question is, have we harnessed its true potential? Gastronomy tourism, gourmet tourism or food tourism, whatever one might choose to call it, offers a plethora of opportunities www.expresshospitality.com

waiting to be tapped.

Hidden potential “In the ten years of our food tourism industry’s history, we have seen only little movement in food tourism in, or to, the nation of India. India has a variety of cuisines of interest to foodies around the world, as well as a rich history and tapestry of many fascinating cultures, in short, the combination for a positive tourism experience. We’re surprised that we have not seen more movement in this space by smart and eager Indian entrepreneurs. The lack of movement in this space may reflect the impression that food tourism is not seen as a top priority by the various tourism offices throughout the country,” says Erik Wolf, executive

director, World Food Travel Association. He mentions that his association sees huge potential for India. To get food tourism truly on the radar throughout the country will require food tourism research and a food tourism strategy, which is yet to be seen out of India. “We continue to watch the country with great respect and anticipation,” adds Wolf. “Cuisine is a very important part of culture. A civilisation is built around its cuisines and food beliefs. The two are inseparable. In some ways, the food of a civilisation defines its culture,” explains Vikas Khanna, chef and owner, Vikas Khanna Hospitality Group. If a country has a large coastline, people will primarily eat fish, coconut and rice. Their lifestyles will February 16-28, 2013

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Sethaphan Buddhani

Nimish Bhatia

Catherine Oden

traditional in their regions. “Recipes for dishes like chhena poda from Orissa, papad ki sabzi from Rajasthan or menaskai from Karnataka are given, which are very popular in their own regions but practically unheard of in other parts of the country,” he adds. His book isn't alone, recipe books and their authors have been doing their bit for a long time now. There are others who have travelled across India, picking up their

share of local cuisines, anecdotes and history attached to the food. Chitrita Banerji's ‘Eating India – Exploring a Nation's Cuisine’ and Lizzie Collingham's ‘Curry – A take of cooks and conquerors’ are case in point. These books themselves are enough to pique interest in a food lover to travel in search of cuisines. Food facilitates conversation about culture. It gives an insight into how people live on a daily basis,

be laid-back, as coastal geography makes life easy. This can be seen in all coastal regions of India. In areas like the Middle East where life is harsh and natural resources are limited, the cuisine is less dependent on fresh vegetables. They eat more fried fruit, preserved meat and dry spices because of the climate. Nothing comes easy in the desert, this is clearly reflected in the food, a phenomenon repeated closer home in Rajasthan. China has lived for years in poverty; hence the people are by nature resourceful. They eat almost every part of an animal, chickens’ feet are consumed in a broth and offal is deep fried for a snack. Wastage is kept to the bare minimum, even critters and insects most cultures reject are eaten for protein. “Some of India's most popular dishes evolved from poor man's food as well like vada pav and zunka bhakar,” says Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, a food consultant. She also conducts food tours with her venture Masala Trails. “From a traveller’s perspective I believe that immersing oneself in the food and cuisine of any country we travel to is intrinsic to learning about it. From its history to its modern day culture,” she adds. India’s vast and varied food culture itself could be a major pull for travellers. Khanna had been touring the country for six months and planned his entire itinerary around just the food available in different places. “In India, food is considered sacred and so many of our traditions and rituals are centred around agriculture and agricultural produce. So by studying the food, one actually studies so much more about the place, the people and culture,” he says. In his latest book 'My Great India Cookbook' the effort has been to represent dishes that are new at the same time February 16-28, 2013

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Chaitanya Rathi what produce grows in a region, reflects religious beliefs and much more. “By just travelling through the length and breadth of India, I could collect so many precious gems of Indian cuisine. And the best part is, these things keep evolving with time, so every time you revisit a place, you’ll find the same dish served to you with variations, which I think is not wrong,” Khanna adds.

Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal

Collingham's book on the Indian curry has in great detailed traced and tracked its evolution not just across India but also abroad. She tracks not just local, but Mughal and colonial influences on Indian food. This is just an example of the evolving nature of food. Cultural preservation is also a key facet as modernisation overtakes everything else – food culture too suffers.

Global flavours In the international arena, tourism and food

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have been paired extremely well. Countries like France, Italy and Spain are fore runners, and others are close in the pursuit. The famed French art de vivre includes gastronomy as a major element. France is also the only country to French cuisine listed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage for its intangible cultural heritage. What makes French cuisine unique are the various techniques it uses; they have mastered culinary techniques that are used globally by contemporary chefs. Many of these techniques have local regional variations depending on which nation one is in. Catherine Oden, director, Atout France – India says, “The art de vivre of France encompasses broadly its culture, gastronomy, wine and a lifestyle typical to France. A lot of care and attention is paid to minute details, ensuring that every experience is as close to

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perfection as possible. The concept of art de vivre is largely composed of sharing good times with family/friends and creating unforgettable memories. This could involve something relatively simple such as partaking a good meal accompanied by fine wine, enhanced by a convivial ambience. This is precisely the sort of experience that we would like our visitors to acquaint themselves with when in France. A vacation is composed of many such small moments that stay etched in memories long after the holiday is over. We would like our guests to cherish these intangible souvenirs of their time in France.” Oden describes how France did it and how she is planning to lure Indians into it too. She says wining and dining establishments create a welcoming ambience for their clients and provide assistance in selecting and pairing the right cuisine with the right wine. The country

has a wide array of traditional and contemporary events that could incite the traveller to acquaint himself with a variety of gastronomic experiences. Oden gives examples, “Every year the wine growing villages in Alsace organise a wine festival or a gastronomic walk. Wine tastings and folk animation add a lively touch to this festival. For those wanting a contemporary flavour, Bordeaux organises an event known as Les Epicuriales every July. The Allees de Tourny in Bordeaux welcomes no less than 300,000 people who come there to drink, dance and have a good time. Entertainment in the form of music concerts, street theatres, an evening art and craft market and food and wine tasting all contribute to the success of this event. La Fête de la Gastronomie actively promotes French cuisine to its visitors. An annual celebration, this event sees the active participation of hoteliers, restaurants, regional tourism boards, fine dine establishments all proposing special offers for visitors. We encourage all our visitors to bring their appetites when they come to France.” French wines have garnered such a reputation that no one can challenge them. Regions of BordeauxAquitaine, Dijon-Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace, Rhone Alps, Provence and the Loire Valley are the most popular for tourists informs Oden. Even finicky eaters like Indians have taken to French wines. “We have observed a growing interest amongst travel agents to promote itineraries based on wine routes in France. We have observed and even assisted in the creation of customised itineraries created by agents centred on wine regions in France,” adds Oden. Paris office of Atout France also

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M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T organises a biennial workshop Destination Vignobles, focusing on oenotourism and related aspects. This workshop provides a common platform of interaction between travel agents/tour operators interested in developing this segment of tourism and our French suppliers specialising in this field. In the eastern hemisphere, there are the south east Asian nations of Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore welcoming tourists to savour some authentic local and some mix bag of cuisines. Australia on other hand has become a force to be reckoned with it comes to experiencing some quality contemporary cuisine. The much abused term ‘fusion’ cuisine has an altogether different meaning in the country. In the cities of Melbourne, Sydney and even Adelaide there are restaurants big and small which will only whet a traveller’s appetite even more. Sethaphan Buddani, director Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Mumbai observes, “We have realised that Thai street food is a hit amongst travellers. They relish the spices, the sea food, the ambience of the open air eating joints in the markets of Thailand.” He further says that food is a key essence of Bangkok. “At TAT we have continuously made efforts in promoting Thai cuisine in varied ways. With the continuing rise of tourism to Thailand, the world is now interested in all things, most notably Thai food. Hands-on cooking classes are offered by hotels and resorts in major tourist areas, such as Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Samui, Hau Hin and Pattaya. Additionally, there are cooking schools that provide the basic skills to prepare a Thai meal in your own home, or even training to professional standards,” Buddani informs.

Scope for growth “Gastronomy is important for overall tourism to almost every destination. We wish to promote Thai cuisine in a big way and hope that people will travel to the country only to experience the culinary delights of the land,” says Buddani. This sentiment also holds true for India. Khanna firmly believes that India is becoming a destination for food explorers. There are so many Westerners whose first choice of travels for food is India. Nimish Bhatia, corporate executive chef, February 16-28, 2013

Oeno-tourism

Lalit Suri Hospitality Group (LSHG) says, “Food industry is always in search of novelty and the geographic maps of Indian food offer exactly that. It can be divided into various regions and then into states. And not just state but also communities and even households.” He has accosted 39 different cuisines which are unique. In Karnataka alone, there are around five indigenous styles, he adds. France has had long history of commercial cooking, they have also pioneered in the study of cuisine and cooking techniques. “Restaurants and the food industry in India is young in comparison. But it is on a fast track,” he said, adding that, “As the number of restaurants and commercial food set ups increase, the whole world is watching India carefully.” But the practicality of it all is assured that it will take at least a decade more to make India the number one food destination. “I was at the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore, we served Indian dishes with a modern twist like Paan Panacotta, Venison Gushtaba, Nadru Kofta Yakhni to name a few and the response we got was unbelievable. I also held a workshop there and was pleasantly surprised to see that the participants knew a lot about Indian cuisine. They were aware of the different spices and dish names. It just shows that interest in Indian cuisine is growing internationally and that is a good sign,” says Khanna. Bhatia adds that chefs too are better qualified today than they were three decades ago. The path to India's culinary genius has already

been laid, and there are already a few who are doing their bit in the tourism front. Musnshaw Ghildiyal runs a food tours called Masala Trails says, “I travelled from north to south India when we were planning this project and there are brilliant people doing fabulous things all over the country that do not come into the limelight because they do not know how to market themselves or do not realise the good work they are doing. Some are even exploited by big name chefs and hotel chains. We need to protect these people, nurture them and give them their due credit. Empower them to do what they do, well.” She adds that she has not received any help from tourism authorities and nor was she looking for help, but she acknolwledges that help with spreading the word and marketing would be great, “Perhaps one could even work with the right people to develop a culinary identity and offerings for the country,” she adds. Another of Munshaw Ghildiyal's project is the APB Studio where she makes an effort towards making food lovers become aware of the rich food culture that India has. “For instance, my Tadka classes focus on local spices and their usage. They are attended not only by Indians, but a lot of ex-pats and travellers who wish to understand our culture a little better. We also offer a host of regional cuisine classes at our studio and welcome mothers, aunts and grandmothers who wish to teach the next generation who we believe are the real Master Chefs in Indian cuisine,” she says. LSHG as part of it's hotel www.expresshospitality.com

promotions began an initiative called Unified Flavours of India, Bhatia said that the vision was to talk and showcase India. “We got chefs from different local regions. For nine days of the promotion regional cuisine were served for both lunches and dinner,” he adds. While food promotions in hotels today are not unique but the effort to package and market it as a product for not just travellers but local clients is something which is commendable. Bhatia also adds that having these activities are very important, otherwise it will be very monotonous not just for the guests but also for the hotel chefs. There are more such initiatives, in Delhi a group passionate food lovers have started Delhi Food Adventures who take food enthusiast on a culinary journey through Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place and Kamla Nagar in Delhi. Similarly in Kolkata, The Calcutta Walks organise food tours for clients on special requests. Mumbai Magic is another such example. Apart from private entrepreneurs taking initiatives, internationally there are many tour operators who have created custom itineraries to discover Indian food. “If a tourist can eat like a local, they will get a real sense of the cultural identity of a nation. But one has to be careful that cuisine does not get commoditised in the process. Authenticity should be maintained. I am appalled at some of the ridiculous things that are added to tourist itineraries in the name of food experiences without research or knowledge,” says Munshaw Ghildiyal.

Interestingly, Indian wines which are still in its nascent steps have taken proactive steps to promote wine tourism. The region of Nasik in Maharashtra is the wine hub for India and many of the producers are looking to lure wine enthusiasts and travellers alike to experience the ‘Indian vineyards’ and vinification processes. Leading the way is Sula Vineyards, followed by Fratelli Wines and others. Chaitanya Rathi, associate vice president, Business Development, Sula Vineyards says, “At Sula, tourists are offered not only with a selection of vintages and best priced brands, but also organised vineyard and winery tours, wine tastings, wine festivals and vineyard holidays among others. In fact, over the past decade, many wine regions around the world have found it financially beneficial to promote wine tourism and we intend to continue this trend.” Visitors are still predominantly from Mumbai, Pune and Nashik due to close proximity and good connectivity Rathi says that tourists from all major regions of India and the world are coming down to Sula. “We see a footfall of over one hundred thousand visitors per year who visit our vineyards,” he adds. Sula’s endeavours started with the Tasting Room, a wine bar, six years ago. Soon they added a restaurant to complement the bar. Within the estate there is an amphitheater spread over 50,000 sq ft which not only hosts private events but now popular SulaFest. A little distance away Sula has a 29 room resort and villa – Beyond, a little slice of paradise. Fratelli Wines, a younger winery offers a two nights-three days couple’s getaway for `12,999. This includes a double occupancy room, meals, Vineyard and Winery Tour – Motiwadi / Garwad / Cellar, two wine tasting sessions, amongst other things. This sector is purely driven by the private players with little or no interest from authorities. Gourmet tourism is a sure shot and a fool-proof way for the future. There is not much needed in terms of infrastructure as accommodation and travel is same as any other tourism segment. What is needed is thorough research and detailed planning for this to be successful. EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T SPOTLIGHT

Driving restaurant profitability Restaurateurs meet on a knowledge platform to share ideas and best practices on the key aspect of driving profitability

he National R e s t a u r a n t Association of India (NRAI) recently held a seminar on 'Driving Restaurant Profitability' which saw a good turnout from the NCR region. The event began with a welcome address by Samir Kuckreja, president, NRAI and founder and CEO, Tasanaya Hospitality, who said that the purposes of holding NRAI seminars is to discuss the key challenges and opportunities areas of running a restaurant business. These programmes aim to use the knowledge delivered by speakers who are the domain experts and share ideas and best practices happening across the world. Adding to this, he said that the various sessions at the NRAI seminars are specifically designed around a particular topic and have

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been useful to those who attend. These sessions have relevant practical learning and information which people can take back and apply at their jobs. Gaurav Marya, president, Franchise India, addressing the session on Franchise Development shared that India is the second largest franchise industry in the world. He said that the Food franchising is the second largest franchise industry in India after business services, highlighted the need for sharing vision, ideas, knowledge and systems by the franchisors. He said that the guiding principle of open dialogue between the franchisor and franchisee would make the model a win-win one. A ‘12 point analysis’ was also detailed out to define successful franchisability of a

concept. While myths related to franchising business were discussed, Marya also communicated the keys to building successful franchise system. “The goal of menu engineering is to maximise profitability by subconsciously encouraging customers to purchase items you want them to buy and you can improve your restaurant’s gross margin by doing this regularly,” highlighted Kuckreja, during his session on Menu Engineering. He defined menu engineering as a mathematical model for analysing the relative sales/profit earning potential of the individual items on a menu. Kukreja also focussed on the intrinsic areas of psychology, managerial accounting and marketing

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strategies in his session. He also introduced the concept of Boston Consulting Group Matrix for menu engineering with practical examples. He gave tips for designing a good menu, recommendations on menu pricing strategies including differential pricing across cities and locations and festivals, and suggested marketing and promotions tactics that gave the participants food for thought. Speaking on Cost Control and Inventory Management, Ajay Singhal, AVP, finance and accounts corporate and Arvind Vats, VP, management assurance and investor relations, Jubilant Food Works took up the discussions on inflationary pressure, ever changing consumer preferences and paucity of resources of man, material and machine. They

spoke on cost efficiency through inventory management, logistics optimisation, business partnering and bringing competence at the store levels. The bottom-up, collaborative approach of empowering people was the focal point raised by them. Successful strategise and practices at Domino’s India were extensively detailed by them. Kapil Malhotra, director, Total Solutions Incorporated spoke on mechanisms in an organisation that will work towards better profitability. He shared the approach on mystery shoppers and mystery audits that can play a significant role in building a culture of making employees go that extra mile on their job and build commitment towards the organisation. He added that audits should be integrally embedded into the systems to ensure the prevalence of healthy competition in an organisation. He held that audit tools should be built consistently as they gradually become the positive enablers that bring honesty, integrity, accountability and empowerment in an organisation that leads to better customer service and drives profitability. The NRAI seminars as always are committed to channelise engaging and exchanging platforms. The sessions saw good rounds of interaction where delegates expressed their opinions. The workshops are also good way to network and meet some leading service providers to the industry.

February 16-28, 2013

M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T EVENT ROUNDUP

Room for growth In an effort to understand what the state governments are doing to address the issue of tourism infrastructure, FICCI in association Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) conducted Conclave on Investment on Tourism Infrastructure (CITI) 2013. By Sayoni Bhaduri

nfrastructure has been the bane of the Indian tourism sector. While the new projects coming up are state-of-the-art, but speed of these becoming active leaves a lot to be desired. This is hurting the investment opportunities that can come into the country in the tourism sector. To address these issues CITI 2013 brought together five states of India and AAHOA delegation. The two day event began with Dr Arbind Prasad, director general, FICCI; Rahul Chakravarty, director, FICCI; Alkesh Patel, chairman, AAHOA; Amitabh Kant, CEO and MD, Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation; Usha Sharma, additional director general, ministry of Tourism, government of India and guest of honour Dr Amit Mitra, finance minister, government of West Bengal discussing the potential of the tourism sector in India and impetus for its growth. Reiterating the power and impact of tourism in India's economy, Dr Prasad said, “As much as 6.4 per cent of India's GDP is from tourism, this is set to grow further in 10 years time. Even domestic tourism is seeing a growth of 12-14 per cent.” He also threw light on the need to develop smaller cities and their tourism potential. Kant with his extensive background in the travel and tourism space further built on the tourism potential discussing the sector's great multiplier effect. He added that tourism is all the more critical for India and job creation.

February 16-28, 2013

States in focus The government too is looking at the tourism sector as a mode to alleviate poverty. “This is why tourism has been given prominence in the 12th Five Year Plan,” said Sharma. The ministry of tourism is looking at doubling the number of tourist arrivals into India by 2015, this needs better infrastructure. Sharma also informed that 54 new destinations have been identified and the ministry of tourism is looking at promoting and supporting them in a big way. “We are in the process of identifying more such sites,” she added. She went on to mention the other proactive steps that India government has taken to promote tourism including the infrastructure status to threestar and above category hotels, 100 per cent FDI in hotels, establishment of the Hospitality Development Promotion Board, Hunar Se Rozgar scheme and focus on sustainable ecotourism. A key area of focus was how the states are also looking for investment opportunities. An enthusiastic Dr Mitra said, “We are looking at tourism not just to create jobs but also to bring in investment back to West Bengal.” Locations like Dooars, Darjeeling and Sunderbans are the state's pride and Dr Mitra wants to leverage them to bring in more tourism. “The PPP model has been formalised with a structured step by step process,” he said. The state has also become technologically progressive with the purchase of Oracle's biggest servers. He added that all government tenders now www.expresshospitality.com

can only be bid for via the online medium. Taking off where Dr Mitra left off was Vikram Sen, principal secretary, tourism, Government of West Bengal. His reasons to invest in West Bengal included – ready land available for projects, government has made tourism a thrust area for growth and there are diversified tourism investment opportunities. The state is also looking at infrastructure expansion. There are airports scheduled at Durgapur, Cooch Behar and Malda. The existing airports of Kolkata and Bagdogra are being expanded. New roads are being built by the State Highway Development Corporation; many of these are under the PPP model. Kolkata and Haldia are the only two ports in the state, there are plans to develop ports in GangaSagar and Rasulpur. Sen informed that West Bengal has five mega tourism projects in the offing which will cost `3560 crore. There is also land available for fourand five-star hotel projects in five destinations as well as land for skill development projects like hotel management institutes, food craft institutes and culinary institutes. The other state which has sprung up on the tourism landscape is the state of Gujarat. Making a case for investment in Gujarat were Manish Rege, director and CEO, Gujarat Tourism Opportunity (GUJTOP) and Sanjay Kaul, commissioner of tourism, Government of Gujarat. Rege informed that by 2017 it is projected that Gujarat will have 100,530 rooms from

the current 60,000 plus. He then elaborated on GUJTOPs plan of developing 16 beach locations, eight ecotourism locations, four locations for religious tourism, 10 Buddhist tourism locations and 17 locations for water sports. “Of these we have successfully closed one bid for beach location, two for ecotourism, while six projects have been bid out for the water sports project,” he said. Kaul added that the enthusiasm to invest in Gujarat was also visible at the Vibrant Gujarat 2013 with 279 MoUs being signed. Other states who offered similar presentations were Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.

Private interest Signs of investments waiting to enter India are there; Asian/Indian hotel developers who have set high benchmarks in the US are in search for open doors. Patel who lead the delegation from AAHOA reaffirmed the communities faith in India, “We are looking for opportunities despite the existing challenges.” AAHOA brought in its delegation of ssenior veterans from the American hotel industry. Roger Bloss, president and CEO, Vantage Hospitality Group; Doug Collins, chairman and CEO, America's Best Franchise; Nancy Johnson, EVP, Development Americas, Carlson Rezidor; Mukesh Mowji, president and CEO, VanMYT Hospitality and Vilas Pawar, CEO, Choice Hotels India. Johnson said, “The hotel industry needs to come together with the government to create better policies. India has to push for better policies,” when discussing making hotels a stronghold for the tourism sector. Patel added that if the investment makes sense nothing can stop them from making it. The veterans went on to explain that it takes foresight and vision to create a brand and hotel which is a landmark. Realistic approach is imperative to make hotels a successful venture for any investor/developer. CITI also hosted an exhibition featuring hospitality suppliers. EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

LIST YOUR COMPANY FOR FREE Amusement, Leisure & Health Club Equipment A01 Advertising Balloon A02 Air Hockey A03 Amusement Park / FEC Equipment A04 Beauty Salon Equipment A05 Boats A06 Bowling Alleys A07 Chemicals for Swimming Pool A08 Coin Operated Toys / Electric Cars A09 Electronic & Battery Filtration Plants A10 Fountains A11 Garden Furniture A12 Garden Umbrella A13 Golf Equipments A14 Guest Amenities (Refer F20-Guest Amenities) A15 Guest Transportation A16 Health & Fitness Equipment A17 Inflatables A18 Juke Box A19 Playground Equipment A20 Pool Table Manufacturers A21 Redemption Machine A22 Ride Stimulator A23 Swimming Pool Equipment & Supplies A24 Walkway Tents & Marquees Bakery B01 Automatic Pillow Pack / Biscuit Packaging Machines B02 Bakery Enzymes B03 Bakery Equipments B04 Bakery Fats B05 Baking Pans B06 Biscuits B07 Blenders B08 Bread B09 Bread Slicer B10 Cake Decoration B11 Cakes B12 Confectionery B13 Dough Kneader B14 Dough Sheeters B15 Ingredients & Additives B16 Moulds B17 Ovens B18 Planetary Mixers B19 Ready - Made Cake Mixes B20 Sugar & Sweetener B21 Wheat Flour & Rice B22 Yeast B23 Zero Calorie Sweetener (Refer C46 - Zero Calorie Sweetener) Food & Beverage C01 Beverages-Alcoholic C02 Beverages-Non Alcoholic C03 Canned Foods C04 Cashew C05 Cocoa & Chocolate Products C06 Coconut & Coconut Milk Powder C07 Coffee C08 Custard Powder C09 Dry Fruits C10 Dry Tea C11 Edible Oil C12 Flavour C13 Food Paste C14 Fresh Fruits & Vegetables C15 Fresh Meat, Poultry & Sea Food

C16 Frozen Foods C17 Fruit Pulp Concentrate C18 Grocery Products C19 Health Products C20 Ice Cream C21 Instant Custard Powder C22 Jam & Jelly C23 Milk & Dairy Products C24 Mukhavas & Supari C25 Natural Foods C26 Noodles C27 Olive Oil C28 Pasta C29 Rice C30 Ready to Eat Food C31 Roasted / Salted Almonds C32 Salt C33 Sauces C34 Snacks C35 Soups C36 Speciality Foods C37 Spices C38 Sweets & Savour C39 Tea / Tea Bags C40 Vanaspati Oil C41 Vegetable Oil C42 Vermicelli C43 Wheat Flour & Rice (Refer B21-Wheat Flour & Rice) C44 Whipping Cream C45 Wines C46 Zero Calorie Sweetener F & B Service D01 Aluminium Foil D02 Aluiminium Foil Containers D03 Ash Trays D04 Badges & Signages D05 Bags & Caps D06 Banquet Frills D07 Bar Equipment & Accessories D08 Candle & Candle Stand D09 Casserole D10 Chafing Dishes D11 Chafing Fuel D12 Chafing Pan D13 Coasters D14 Coffee Machine D15 Crates D16 Chocolate Fountain Machine D17 Crockery D18 Cutlery D19 Dining Table Accessories D20 Dinner Set D21 Disinfectants (Refer F13-Disinfectants) D22 Disposable Plates & Containers D23 Foil Rolls & Cling Film D24 Fuel {Solid, Liquid & Gel} D25 Glassware D26 Holloware (Refer H27 - Holloware) D27 Hotelware D28 Insulated Boxes D29 Kitchen Accessories D30 Kitchenware D31 Knives D32 Marking & Coding Material D33 Matches & Lighter D34 Melamine Crockery D35 Menu Folders & Covers D36 Microwave Dishes D37 Microwave Ovens D38 Non Stick Cookware D39 Packaging Materials

D40 Paper Napkins / Tissues D41 Paper Products D42 Pepper Mills D43 Plastic Food Containers D44 Polythene Bags D45 Portion Packed Sachets & Blisters D46 Restaurant Linen (Refer G41 - Linen) D47 Sign Board (Refer E60 - Signages) D48 Silverware D49 Straws D50 Table Mats D51 Tableware {Ceramic} D52 Tableware {Porcelain} D53 Thermoware D54 Tinplate D55 Tongs D56 Toothpick D57 Trays D58 Trolley D59 Vending Machines Tea / Coffee (Refer H15 - Dispenser-Vending Machines) D60 Water Coolers (Refer H63 - Water Coolers) D61 Weighing Scale D62 Wine Chillers Engineering & Technology E01 AC Plant & Boiler Maintenance Chemicals E02 AC Repair & Maintenance Service E03 AC Spare Parts & Refrigerant Gases E04 Access Control System E05 Air Conditioning E06 Air Pollution Control Systems E07 Air Purification E08 Audio / Visual Equipment E09 Auto Water Level Controller E10 Automatic Sliding E11 Blowers E12 Boilers & Geysers E13 Building Management Systems (BMS) E14 Cable Accessories E15 Cables E16 Cash Registers E17 CD ROM E18 CRM Solutions E19 Chilling Plants E20 Computer-Hardware & Software E21 Conferencing Equipment E22 Cooling Systems E23 Cooling Towers E24 Data Centre / Infrastructure Management E25 Data Mining / Business Intelligence E26 Disc Jockey Equipment E27 Drain Cleaning Equipment E28 Dryers & Dehumidifiers E29 Earth Moving Equipment E30 Electrical Equipment & Supply E31 Electronic Ballast E32 Electronic Door Locks E33 Electronic Safes E34 Elevators & Escalators E35 Energy Conservation Systems E36 Energy Control Systems E37 Fire Fighting Equipment E38 Generator Sets E39 Hotel Management Software E40 Hotel Online Reservation Systems E41 In-room Entertainment Systems E42 Insulation Materials E43 Internet Service Provider E44 Key Tags E45 Kiosk E46 LCD / LED TV

E47 Locks E48 Luminaries E49 Mobile Applications E50 Office Automation Products E51 Online Marketing E52 Peripherals E53 Point Of Sale {POS} E54 Process Control Instruments E55 Property Management E56 Pumps & Spare E57 RFID Solutions E58 Safes E59 Security Equipment & Supplies E60 Signages E61 Solar Energy Equipment E62 Sound System E63 Steel E64 Survillence Equipments E65 Switch Gear E66 Telecommunications E67 Television / Interactive TV E68 Temperature Control System E69 Thermal & Acoustic Insulation E70 Touch Monitors E71 Trackball E72 Tube & Pipe Fitting E73 UPS System E74 Valves E75 Video Conferencing Equipments / Softwares E76 Web Services E77 Wi-fi E78 Workforce Management Housekeeping F01 Air Curtains F02 Air Fresheners F03 Bed Spring / Rollaway F04 Bird Control Systems F05 Blanket / Duvets F06 Brooms F07 Brushes F08 Brushes / Mops / Scrubbers F09 Cleaning Products & Equipments F10 Contract Housekeeping Companies F11 Curtains F12 Cushion & Cushion Covers F13 Disinfectants F14 Disposal Hand Gloves & Aprons F15 Down & Feather Products F16 Dryers-Hair & Hand F17 Floor Cleaning Machine F18 Fly Traps / Killers F19 Garbage Bags F20 Guest Amenities F21 Hangers F22 Housekeeping Services F23 Irons / Ironing Boards F24 Kitchen Towels Rolls F25 Ladders F26 Laundry Equipment F27 Laundry / Newspaper Bags F28 Linen Bath (Refer G41 - Linen) F29 Linen Bed (Refer G41 - Linen) F30 Madeup F31 Mattress (Refer G46 - Mattress & Cushion) F32 Mini Bars F33 Mirrors F34 Napkins F35 Napthalene Balls F36 Odour Control Systems F37 Pest Control

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G38 Lamps & Lamp Shades G39 Light & Light System G40 Lighting Control Solution G41 Linen G42 Locks G43 Marble Tables G44 Marbles G45 Matting System G46 Mattress & Cushion G47 Mirrors Cabinets G48 Paintings G49 Paints G50 Pavers & Tiles G51 Plating G52 Plywood G53 Rubber Wood / Solid Wood Furniture G54 Spiral Staircase G55 Stained Glass & Related Products G56 Switches G57 Tent & Roofing Fabrics G58 Venetian Blinds G59 Vertical & Roller Blinds G60 Wall Covering / Paper G61 Wall To Wall Carpets G62 Weather Sheets G63 Window Covering G64 Window Tracing Products G65 Wood Lacquers G66 Wooden Floorings G67 Wrought Iron Furniture Kitchen Equipment H01 Automatic Gas Operated Pizza Ovens H02 Bain Marie (Refer H10 - Commercial Kitchen Equipment) H03 Bar Equipment (Refer D07 - Bar Equipment) H04 Bottle Coolers H05 Bottled Water Dispenser (Refer H64 - Water Dispensers) H06 Can Openers H07 Catering Equipments H08 Centrifugal Blowers H09 Combi Ovens H10 Commercial Kitchen Equipment H11 Cutlery (Refer D18 - Cutlery) H12 Deep Freezer (Refer H51 - Refrigeration Equipment) H13 Dish Washer H14 Dishwarmer H15 Dispenser-Vending Machine H16 Display Counter / Refrigerated Display H17 Dumb Elevator H18 Electric Chimney H19 Electric / Gas Deep Fryers H20 Exhaust Fans & Ventilators H21 Fryers H22 Garbage Processing Machine

H23 Gastronorm Pans H24 Gelato H25 Griller H26 Grinder / Mixer H27 Holloware H28 Hot Plate (Refer H10 - Commercial Kitchen Equipment) H29 Ice Box H30 Ice Carving Sets H31 Ice Cream Bags H32 Ice Cream Dispenser H33 Ice Cream Freezer H34 Ice Cream Machine H35 Ice Cube Machine H36 Induction Cookers H37 Industrial Mixers H38 Kitchen Cleaning Solution H39 Kitchen Design & Planning H40 Kitchen Equipment Maintenance & Service Kitchen Exhaust System H41 Kitchen Utensils (Refer D30 - Kitchenware) H42 LPG H43 Mincer H44 Noodles & Pasta Machines H45 Ovens (Refer B17 - Ovens) H46 Popcorn Making Machine H47 Portable Cabins H48 Pressure Cooker (Refer H10-Commercial Kitchen Equipment) H49 Refrigerated Display Counters (Refer H51 - Refrigeration Equipment) H50 Refrigerated Transport Containers H51 Refrigeration Equipment H52 Sauce Pans (Refer H10 - Commercial Kitchen Equipment) H53 Shawerma H54 Slush Machine H55 Softy Machine H56 Stoves & Burners (Refer H10 - Commercial Kitchen Equipment) H57 Tandoor H58 Thick Shake Machine H59 Turnkey Project Consultancy (Refer J19 - Turnkey Project Consultancy) H60 Utility Vehicle (Refer H10 - Commercial Kitchen Equipment) H61 Vegetable Cutting Machine (Refer H10 - Commercial Kitchen Equipment) H62 Walk-In-Cold Rooms H63 Water Coolers H64 Water Dispensers Waste Management & Water Treatment Technology

I04 Food Waste Treatement System I05 Non-Chemical Water Treatment I06 Reverse Osmosis Plants I07 Sewage Treatment Plants I08 Solid Waste Management (Wet/Dry) / Garbage Disposal Systems I09 Water Chlorinator I10 Water Disinfectant I11 Water Filtration Plant I12 Water Purifiers I13 Water Related Technologies I14 Water Tanks I15 Water Treatment Chemicals I16 Water Treatment Plants Consultants J01 Acoustic Consultants J02 Architect J03 Bar Consultants J04 Civil Consultants J05 Environment Consultants J06 F& B Consultants J07 General Insurance for Hotels J08 Hotel Consultants J09 Interior Consultants J10 Kitchen Consultants J11 Landscape Consultants J12 Laundry Consultants J13 Leisure & Amusement Park Consultants J14 Project Consultants J15 Real Estate Consultants J16 Recruitment Consultants J17 Spa Consultants J18 Technical Consultants J19 Turnkey Project Consultancy Spa & Wellness K01 Aromatherapy Diffusers K02 Beauty Care Products K03 Chill Shower Equipment K04 Cosmetology Equipments K05 Essential Oils K06 Hair Styling Equipments K07 Hot Water Generators K08 Hydrotherapy Equipment K09 Indoor Air Quality Equipment K10 Jacuzzi Equipment K11 Massage Chairs K12 Massage Tables K13 Nail Stations K14 Nutrition Supplements K15 Sauna Equipment K16 Spa / Salon Toiletries K17 Steam Equipment

I01 Drain Cleanng Equipment I02 Drinking Water Plants I03 Effluent Treatment Plants

Listing facility also available online at www.expresshospitality.com/hpf Company Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Person: ______________________________________ Designation: _____________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________ City: __________________________ Pin code: ______________________________ State: __________________________ Tel.: _________________________________ Fax: ________________________ Mobile: ___________________________ Email: ______________________________________________ Website: _______________________________________ Product Codes: _____________________________________________________________________________________ *Please attach extra sheet if contact details do not fit in the area provided. Yes I am intersested in paid advertising in HPF 2013 ONLY TEN FREE LISTINGS PER COMPANY WILL BE PERMITTED ENTRIES SHOULD REACH BEFORE 30TH MARCH, 2013 Mail all forms to: Darshana Chauhan, Express Hospitality, Global Fairs & Media Pvt. Ltd., 2nd Floor, Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400 021. For any other queries, Contact - Darshana Chauhan on Tel.: +91 22 67440499 â&#x20AC;˘ E-mail: express.hpf@gmail.com

M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T STRATEGY

A passion for pasta A quaint chain of restaurants is making sure Indian diners have more Italian cuisine options than just pizza. And with an aggressive expansion plan in place, The Pasta Bar Veneto chain is changing the food and beverage space especially in the south. By Steena Joy

t the intersection of Mission Street and Candappa Mudaliar Street, just across the Canal from the erstwhile White Town of Pondicherry (now Puducherry), The Pasta Bar Veneto Pondicherry is an old white corner house, obviously restored with great attention to detail. While creepers and bougainvillea lazily wind up to the roof, the shuttered windows in weathered wood and the glass door at the entrance give it the quaint old world look of a French colonial building. You enter into the lounge and bar area that is basically of wood and leather. The quaint bar stools lend themselves to this

Vinodh N Sharma

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feel of rustic, old world with textured walls in green and tan. The restaurant chain with six outlets (three in Chennai, and one each in Coimbatore, Puducherry and Ludhiana) belongs to Fifth Avenue Hotels & Resorts, part of the Chennaibased Fifth Avenue Group.

An idea bears fruit Reminiscing on the inspiration behind the Pasta Bar chain of restaurants, Vinodh N Sharma, executive director, Fifth Avenue Group says, “The Pasta Bar Veneto, was a passion that became a business, mostly; we started this when we saw the trends emerging of a well travelled Indian who wanted to have

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the best in the world at an affordable price. We saw that Italian will be like Chinese was in the 80’s an aspirational cuisine, taking the youth by storm. While pizza was already pushing into traditional bastions, pastas and lesser known parts of the cuisine needed to be experienced. We wanted to provide great food, in an inviting ambience and also ensure that it was as pocket friendly as possible. That was the genesis. The whole idea came to me and my brother on a road trip and we worked from there for over a year before starting the first one.” Each of the restaurants are styled painstakingly. “We try

to make every Pasta Bar conform to our design philosophy and at the same time make it unique. We want to contribute to enhancing the beauty and natural charm and so when we got this quaint house on Mission Street, we could see the possibilities. The décor is European though we have used stained cement flooring and windows with shutters all contributing to an amazing look. The architects were Contour Dakshin, but the interior philosophy is basically interpreted by Nirupa Sharma, the director in charge of design,” says Sharma. A certified hotel administrator and a passionate foodie, Sharma has worked with leading groups which include the Taj, Leela and Choice Hotels India, predominantly in the food and beverage space and general management. Stating his reasons for locating in Puducherry, he explains, “Puducherry is a town that is close to Chennai and a major international tourist destination. We needed to be present there. Puducherry has huge domestic and February 16-28, 2013

M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T We however, are clear that people are moving from optimum to experimental consumption and are keen to retain the interest and good food, good ambience, music and a reasonable price structure will be a winner. We have to constantly work on this, and we are trying hard. Next, we have to be tech savvy. We are planning to introduce a phone-based loyalty programme soon, that will keep up with this generation for whom the phone is everything,” he says. Opining on a hotel restaurant vis a vis a standalone restaurant, Sharma reiterates, “The world is already in the mode of independent restaurants. In international tourist potential that is not being exploited to the fullest.” However he feels that the current scenario is not as upbeat as one would expect; there is a recession in Europe and matters aren’t helped by the increase in taxes on food and beverages and the increased price of alcoholic beverages. “We find that though the political class is always willing to lend a ear, there is not much done on the ground to do a Kerala or Goa here. Believe me, that is possible, but one cannot be tied to narrow political considerations if one has to make an impact. From infrastructure to policies, there needs to be a cohesive thought process. Without that, Puducherry is in danger of being run in to a fast changing India looking for growth stories.”

Expanding the footprint The southern market has

February 16-28, 2013

evolved as a mature market to experiment with foreign cuisines like pastas. Commenting on how the tastes of the Indian consumer has evolved over the years, Sharma opines, “We were surprised when we saw the popularity in towns in the south and the exposure that people have. The Tier I and II cities and towns are fast catching up and the youth of today has exposure that is about 10 times what it used to be a few years ago; they are well informed, confident, travelled and knowledgeable. They are a connected lot.” He has plans to set up 20 more outlets by the year-end. “We have an aggressive expansion plan, which has been gaining momentum. We are looking at the markets in the south and also at the NCR and Punjab region for a start. We are also looking for master franchises in some of the major states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bengal

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and Rajasthan. We are already in Ludhiana in the north and will look to replicate in that area,” he adds. As competition heats up in the food and beverage space with big names like Starbucks entering the fray, Sharma has his hands full. “Every good eating place is competition.

most hotels abroad, restaurants are outsourced. I see the trend catching on in India too. Well one must say that the regulations in India are skewed in favour of hotel restaurants, due to archaic and outdated regulations in some states, such as bar licenses only for hotels, etc. I also believe that the plethora of licenses one has to get for a single restaurant is over the top and that is harder to handle for a single restauranteur who doesn’t have the resources to manage the system. But some of the best restaurants in the country are free standing. There is no question that there is a great amount of innovation and entrepreneurship amongst restaurateurs.” On plans to start their own hotels or manage hotels of international brands, he informed, “We already have land in Wayanad in Kerala and in Kodaikanal which we plan to develop into resorts with the right partner. We have plans but it is too early to speak.” Plans are also on to start two more chains by the end of 2013, if the economy picks up. EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T IN FOCUS

Getting high on tea Twinings has launched a new tea for British Airways, specifically designed to work at altitude

he British Airways signature blend tea will take to the skies from February 2013 for passengers in all cabins. With research to prove that taste can be reduced by up to 30 per cent at 35,000 feet, the airline commissioned Twinings to come up with a teabag that would taste as good in the sky as it does on the ground. Kate Thornton, head of product and service, British Airways says, “British Airways has decided to lead a campaign to improve tea in the air. With an incredible number of teas available from around the world, there is a real opportunity to create innovative new flavours, perfect for flight. At British Airways we serve 35 million cups a year and we are proud to have what we believe is the best traditional British cuppa in the air.” The airline conducted

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The reduced air pressure and humidity affect the functioning of the tastebuds, making things taste different. In addition, it was important that the new blend worked well with and without milk tastings on the ground and in the air with a panel of 19 customers, cabin crew and experts including Twinings www.expresshospitality.com

senior blender Mike Wright who says, “Water on board an aircraft boils at around 89 degrees centigrade, not the ideal 100 degrees for making black tea. The reduced air pressure and humidity affect the functioning of the tastebuds, making things taste different. In addition to this, it was important that the new blend worked well with and without milk. The new British Airways blend is balanced to create great-tasting tea at 35,000 feet.” Wright, adds that they had to develop a blend that satisfies and performs for a global audience with perhaps a British 'background' flavour. "After extensive in flight testing we found that a combination of Assam tea for body and roundness of cup, Kenyan for briskness, refreshment brightness of cup and high grown Ceylon for flavour and lightness. When combined, these

flavours produced a fantastic cup. We also found that a particular type of tea manufacture known as 'cut tear and curl' used in the Kenyan and Assam tea gave a fast and efficient extraction at altitude." The new tea is thus a blend of Assam, Kenyan and high grown Ceylon tea and has been specially created for British Airways in three-pint bags to enable cabin crew to serve the new blend straight from the pot. In First Class, customers are also being treated to a selection of speciality teas from the Twinings Whole Leaf Silky Pyramids range which includes English Breakfast; Earl Grey; Mint Humbug; Jasmine Pearls; Red Berry Fool and Honeycomb Camomile.In Club World, customers have a choice of Cranberry and Elderflower, Camomile and Peppermint infusions as well as Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Green Tea. February 16-28, 2013

M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T GM SPEAK

Reliving royalty Standing as a compliment to the Pink City where historical architecture has been incorporated blending along with bespoke modernity, Atul Lall, general manager, Fairmont Jaipur talks about what makes the property unique and the market dynamics. By Kahini Chakraborty eflecting royalty of the Mughal dynasty in a meticulously done up Rajasthani décor with a perfect blend of modern luxury is the Fairmont Jaipur situated amongst the Aravalli hills. Positioned as a gateway to the brand's landmark in the Pink City of Rajasthan offering 255 luxury rooms, the hotel boasts of its exclusive ‘hotel within a hotel’ feature-The Fairmont Gold Floor, apart from its villas and meeting space for weddings and functions and the 1,300 square meter Willow Stream Spa which will debut soon. The furniture and decor are hand crafted on site by traditional artisans. Retrieved from old forts the property also holds a 300-year old door at the Baggi entrance, inspired by the local Rajasthani artwork and carving. The hotel takes pride in its 5,500-squaremetre pillar-less conference centre, the largest in the city with five state-of-the-art meeting rooms and a sophisticated screening room. Giving his perspective on the same, Atul Lall, general manager, Fairmont Jaipur says, “Owing to the proximity to NCR and being part of the leisure tour route – the Golden Triangle, Jaipur has shown great potential as a MICE destination. One of the key focuses at Fairmont

Atul Lall

Jaipur is MICE and we offer a variety of service mix to business and leisure travellers. With the ability to accommodate a range of conferences and events, Fairmont Jaipur is fully geared towards MICE.” With a career spanning nearly two decades of working in a variety of hospitality positions, Lall's first job was at Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. He also held a series of progressive positions in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Maldives and India with brands including The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Taj Hotels, Palaces and Resorts and The Claridges, New Delhi. Holding a dynamic mix of experience and industry knowledge, Lall is quick to opine that consistent change has positively impacted the productivity of Indian hotel industry as it helped in increasing the functionality. “In the past one decade, the standards of facilities and services in the hotel industry has undergone major changes with the help of technology, environmentfriendly services, pricing and market segmentation. Also, opening up of several international hotel brands in the country has been a great development in terms of growth of the region, increase in employment opportunities and also strengthening India’s

position on the global scene,” he adds. Recently the Indian hotel industry has seen a good jump in room inventory in different hotel categories. “Challenges have always been part of our job. In the current business, we find challenges at every step and we try to work around in the best possible way,” he asserts. Reminiscing about his journey, he mentions that even though there were a lot of trails and tribulations while working with some of the best hotel brands, the journey has been enriching. “In my 20 years plus of experience I have had the opportunity to work with some of the best managers and leaders who influenced my thinking and my doing,” he adds. On his management mantras, he says, “Hospitality is all about people and understanding emotions that drive people and service. I strongly believe that it is essential that you work with your people rather than make them work for you.”

Management factors Commenting on the potential that the north India market holds for any brand, Lall believes that a number of factors determine whether a destination is a good match for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, in order to introduce prestigious projects in new and developing markets on the same lines as other iconic February 16-28, 2013

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hotels and destinations such as, New York’s Plaza Hotel, The Savoy in London, and Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai. “North India is definitely considered the fastest and largest market in India currently. Additionally, Jaipur’s developing urban region as well as it’s much celebrated location as part of the well known golden triangle, makes it a perfect destination for both business and leisure travellers alike,” he says confidently. Not only him but the staff also takes pride in being a part of a well established luxury international hotel group and the first Fairmont hotel in India. “Fairmont’s characteristic strengths of excellent services coupled with unmatched hospitality and a dedication to creating unparalleled stay experiences for our guests; will stand us in good stead in Jaipur/India. This in addition to a sensitive and detailed approached to customer needs and preferences, especially our Indian clientele will give us the edge over our competitors,” says Lall. The company which has about 68 properties worldwide, will look to develop world class city centre hotels in urban areas such as Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai, “while destinations like Goa will serve as an attractive location to grow our resort portfolio,” he concludes. EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

Event Tracker Hospitality Trade Shows in 2013-14

Date

Event

Venue

March 1- 3, 2013

New York Wine Expo

New York

March 4 - 6, 2013

Scothot

Glasgow

March 5 - 6, 2013

Food Technology & innovation Forum

Dublin

March 5 - 8, 2013

Foodex Japan

Chiba, Japan

March 14 - 18, 2013

AAHAR

Delhi

February 13 – 15, 2013

Hotel Gastrotech

Zagreb (Croatia)

April 1 - 3, 2013

Hotelex + Design & Deco

Shanghai

April 3 - 5, 2013

World Food Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

April 3 - 5, 2013

Wine & Gourmet Japan

Tokyo

April 3 - 6, 2013

Vinaria

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

April 3 - 4, 2013

HICSA

Mumbai

April 7 – 9, 2013

China International Green Food & Organic Food Exhibition

Beijing

May 14 – 17, 2013

Seoul Food & Hotel

Seoul (Korea South)

May 16 - 19, 2013

Olivtech

Izmir, Turkey

May 20 -22, 2013

London International Wine Fair

London

June 1 - 2, 2013

Great Japan Beer Festival

Tokyo

June 4 - 6, 2013

Top Wine China

Beijing

June 5 - 7, 2013

Indo Diary

Bali

June 7 - 9, 2013

Winexpo Georgia

Tbilisi, Georgia

June 6 - 15, 2013

Sweet Eurasia

Istanbul

July 11 – 13, 2013

FI Philippines

Manila

June 12 - 14, 2013

Food Hospitality World

Bengaluru

June 12 - 15, 2013

Propak Asia

Bangkok

June 12 -16, 2013

BBC Good Food Show Birmingham

Birmingham

June 25 – 28, 2013

Fispal Cafe

São Paulo (Brazil)

August 15 – 17, 2013

Hong Kong International Tea Fair

Hong Kong

September 8 – 10, 2013

Speciality Chocolate Fair

London

September 11-13, 2013

Food Ingredients Asia

Bangkok

September 17-20, 2013

Food & Hotel Malaysia 2013

Kuala Lumpur

September 20-23, 2012

Caribbean Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange

Jamaica

September 23-24, 2013

South American Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference

Bogota (Columbia)

Sept 29 - Oct 1, 2013

The Hotel Show

Dubai

October 18 - 22, 2013

HOST 2013

Milan

November 23 - 27, 2013

IGEHO 2013

Basel

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February 16-28, 2013

Edge

T E C H N O L O G Y F O R H O S P I TA L I T Y

TECHTALK

In the limelight Even the best interior decoration can look ordinary unless the right amount of lighting provisions are not in place. Javier Segovia, sales director - India, Lutron talks about the changing customer needs and innovation plans for the future. By Kahini Chakraborty

ust as colours have a positive or negative effect on the human mind, correct lighting complements the interiors to set the mood right. One of the most important elements for good interior design, lighting, which was overlooked in the past, has now been taken seriously by most interior designers. This

change in perception has definitely brought in the required growth in the lighting industry. If reports are to be believed, the Indian lighting market has grown at a CAGR of 12 per cent from 2005-2011, thanks to the influence of compact florescent lamps (CFL). Trends point to the fact that incandescent lamps which were

Product range Commercial Quantum total light management system, GRAFIK 4000, Javier Segovia

5000, 6000 and 7000 centralised lighting control systems, LCP128 lighting control system, SoftSwitch 128 switching system, Occupancy Sensors, photo Sensors Shading solutions Sivovia QED (quiet electronic drive) & Sivoia QS shading sytem including roller shades, drapery and skylight shades Residential Wallbox Dimmers, GRAFIK Eye preset lighting control system, GRAFIK Eye QS preset light and shade control system, HomeWorks whole-home lighting control system

February 16-28, 2013

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initially the quintessentially used lighting product have now given way to LED as the widely adopted green light source which has in turn been replaced by CFL. This change has been due to customers today looking for more intelligence and integration of lighting with other devices such as motorised shades, AV or even HVAC. “By doing so, they can simply press one button to control multiple devices at the same time, like lowering the shades, dimming the light and turning on the TV and DVD to create a home theatre experience,” asserts Javier Segovia, sales director India, Lutron. Active in the lighting industry since 1961, Lutron Electronics Company offers more than 15,000 products to cater to residential and commercial projects. Over the years, Lutron has done many projects in India such as: Park Hyatt, Goa; Oberoi Udai Vilas, Udaipur; Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur; The Grand, New Delhi; Westin,

Hyderabad; Claridges, Faridabad; Aman Resorts, New Delhi; Crowne Plaza, Gurgaon; Vivanta by Taj, ITPL, Bangalore; The Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon. “Lutron products adjust the intensity of virtually every kind of light, and we remain to this day the only company that provides an integrated solution for controlling both natural daylight as well as electrical lighting,” informs Segovia. Commenting on the business revenue segmentation, he says, “LED revenue has been growing while CFL and halogen may have reduced. The same will happen to fluorescent tube lamps as the price of LED tube lamp reduces. The revenue for lighting controls is growing as people now are demanding more sophisticated control of electric light and daylight, rather than just switching on/off or manual open/close.” Elaborating on specific areas of lighting requirements, Segovia mentions that for offices, LED have been EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

E|D|G|E commonly used due to its green features, despite its relatively higher price. While for homes, where green and energy saving is still not many users’ first concern, there are traditional lighting options like incandescent, halogen or CFL. For hotels and restaurants, some use LEDs but a lot still prefer halogen or incandescent bulbs for better colour rendering necessary for a perfect ambience. “In general, they all require some kind of intelligent control. People are no longer satisfied with switching to turn the light on/off only. They want to be able to vary the light levels for different activities and create the ambience they want,” he adds. Again they prefer automatic control as per time schedule for public area but for ballroom or meeting room, it has to be done manually per activities. The lighting control system must be flexible enough to allow partition of space. For guestrooms, more and more hotels are asking for occupancy sensors to turn the lights off when the room is vacant. When guests first enter their room after check-in, some hotel opera-

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tors want to greet their guest with a 'welcome scene', that is lighting turn on softly, sheer and blackout curtains open during the day and only the blackout curtain open in the evening. Some operators even want their lighting control system integrated with HVAC so that when the room is vacant, the temperature will go up to save energy (for tropical regions). Restaurant operators especially want a system which can vary the lights and shades according to the time of the day to create the ambience required for breakfast, lunch, happy hour or dinner. All this can be done automatically as per time schedule with time clock so that their waiters can focus on serving their customers without worrying about to adjust the lights and shades. He adds that for offices, people want to adjust their overhead lighting according to their personal need as different work areas require different light levels, such as higher for paper work and lower for working on computers. Office workers also want to have access to daylight as it’s refreshing and

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can enhance their productivity. Hence they want automated shades which can adjust according to the position of the daylight. Ideally, the electric light level should adjust according to the incoming daylight to maintain a constant light level. This can be done with astronomical time clock and daylight sensor, which is offered by Lutron. After catering to the needs of the market for several decades, the company has recently launched a new guestroom solution with wireless sensors and keypads for retrofit projects. Segovia explains, “This solution can control lights, shades and HVAC inside a guestroom with manual wireless keypad. Alternatively everything can be done automatically with conditional logic with the help of occupancy sensor to have different settings for different scenarios like room sold/unsold, check-in/checkout, occupied/unoccupied or housekeeping. For example, lights will remain off, curtain closed and temperature relatively higher when the room is unsold and unoccupied. However, when the housekeeping uses the room, lights

would turn on fully with curtains open and temperature reduced. On the other hand, when a guest is inside the room, the light will be cozy, temperature would decrease and the curtains would also open during the day or close in the evening.” This system also allows online integration with PMS to give feedback to front desk of the room status, including occupancy, light on/off, temperature level, etc. All this can not only create the best guestroom environment but also improve operational efficiency. The company plans to invest in India to explore the huge market potential here. It will expand both our sales and servicing teams to better serve the India market. “Lutron will continue to position itself as the leader in lighting controls and promote the concept of total light control including lighting energy management. We will expand our product offerings to launch light controls for different applications, wire or wireless, including different type of shades, dimmers and dimming system for projects of all scales,” he says confidently.

February 16-28, 2013

Hospitality CAMPUS NOTES

Life

Rising to the challenge Established as the country's premier institution for skiing and mountaineering, insurgency in the Kashmir Valley had made the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering in Gulmarg almost defunct for two decades, but today it has virtually risen from the ashes to train an increasing number of adventure enthusiasts in the country. By Sudipta Dev

ocated in Gulmarg, Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM), the foremost institute for adventure sports in India has had a chequered history. IISM was established way back in 1969 by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India as Gulmarg Winter Sports Project (GWSP). “The initial project envisaged development of Gulmarg as an ideal ski resort of world standards with desired infrastructure and also train instructors to meet the requirement of tourists,” states Colonel JS Dhillon, principal, IISM. The project that was initiated in borrowed huts of tourism department of Jammu and Kashmir, started off well and due to the limited period of skiing, the institute was diversified into other adventure activities during summer period. The long spell of insurgency in Jammu and

Col J S Dhillon

February 16-28, 2013

Kashmir had an adverse impact on the institution for almost two decades. The improving situation in the Kashmir Valley led to the revival of the institution by Ministry of Tourism (MoT). A new hostel building was completed in 2008, new skiing equipment and machinery was also procured. Col Dhillon, a renowned mountaineer from the Indian

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Army was selected as principal and given the challenge to revive the institute. He took over the new building in 2010. New adventure courses in trekking, parasailing, waterskiing, hot air ballooning have been started in addition to snow skiing. The hospitality venture of the institute includes a state-of-the-art centrally heated building which can accommodate up to 60 corporates or up to 90 school children. “The quality of training and administration is a matter of envy for others,” feels Col Dhillon. “The institute trains youth of the nation, especially from Jammu and Kashmir in different adventure skills through different courses. With peace returning to the Valley, there is huge demand of instructors to conduct various adventure activities for tourists. The institute trains such instructors hence generating huge employment potential for the unemployed youth of

the state,” informs Col Dhillon. Being an extremely specialised field with not too many practitioners, leave alone experts who can train and guide adventure enthusiasts, the institution engages foreign trained instructors who have retired. “Currently we are getting the best faculty on contractual basis within the country. But soon the ministry is planning to recruit fresh faculty and get them trained in foreign institutes to modernise adventure training in our country,” states Col Dhillon. The institute also takes an active role in helping the local community. Economically weaker students are sponsored free of cost from different organisations. “Local students trained by the institute have becomes state champions in different skiing events. Two of our students have represented the country in South Korea in international ski events,” states Col Dhillon with evident pride. IISM has tieups with some renowned schools in India. According to Dhillon, now the institute has become so popular that direct enrollment is much beyond its capacity. “However we are open to tie up with quality corporates and institute of the country. We are also planning to get associated with renowned foreign adventure schools,” he adds. The institute is already a member of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation and Winter Games Federation of India. EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

H|O|S|P|I|T|A|L|I|T|Y

L|I|F|E

Movements Premier Inn Premier Inn has announced the appointment of Rajeev Babbar as vice president – finance and planning, South Asia (India, Sri Lanka and Maldives). His core responsibilities will include interaction with the capital markets and leadership of the finance, accounting, corporate mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures for the company. He will also lead all aspects of corporate financial planning and analysis, purchase and legal and secretarial functions.

Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton Hotels New DelhiNoida-Mayur Vihar Rohit Bajpai has been appointed director operations for Hilton New Delhi-NoidaMayur Vihar and DoubleTree by Hilton New DelhiNoida-Mayur Vihar. Recently, he was general manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Goa-Arpora-Baga. Prior to that, he was the pre-opening and opening hotel manager of Royal Orchid Hotel in Jaipur. He has also worked at Royal Orchid in Bengaluru; Shangri-La in New Delhi and ITC Hotels.

DoubleTree by Hilton Gurgaon-New Delhi NCR

Lutron GL Sales and Services has appointed Javier Segovia as sales director for the Indian subcontinent. Based in Mumbai, he will be responsible for designing and enforcing aggressive marketing and sales strategies to build Lutron’s business. He has held senior positions in Lutron and till recently, served as sales director in Southern Europe and Africa. Prior to that, he was sales head of Lutron in Spain and Portugal.

Monisha Dewan has been appointed as general manager of DoubleTree by Hilton GurgaonNew Delhi NCR. She brings with her over 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry. She joined Hilton Worldwide in January 2008 and was responsible for the launch of Asia Pacific’s first Hilton Garden Inn brand hotel in Saket, New Delhi.

Hilton Garden Inn New Delhi/Saket Satya Prakash has been appointed as general manager of Hilton Garden Inn New Delhi/Saket. Prakash reports to Guy Hutchinson, vice president, operations – India, Hilton Worldwide. He has held various positions in food and beverage with Fortune Select Global, Hyatt Regency and Maurya Sheraton in India, as well as Radisson Hotel in Nepal and Le Meridien Hotel in Bahrain.

Sofitel has announced a new organisational structure. Dominique Colliat is taking over responsibility for the Americas and will be based in New York. Colliat has a distinguished career in the Accor group where she began by managing a succession of hotels in the Caribbean, mainland France and the UK.

Rakshit Talwar has been appointed as director of sales at the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa. He comes to the property after his last assignment as director of sales at the Courtyard by Marriott, Pune Hinjewadi since 2010. His key expertise lies in developing and implementing sales strategies that are relevant to market conditions yet in line with operational needs.

Sami Nasser is now in charge of the Middle East and Africa region. Nasser has worked for Accor for two decades in many countries.

Emmanuel Caux has joined Sofitel to lead Europe. Caux has 20 years’ experience with Le Mériden Hotels and Resorts, in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Indian Ocean and French West Indies.

Westin Langkawi

Ayana Resort Bali

Keith Barr will take up the new role of chief commercial officer at InterContinental Hotels Group, effective from June 1, 2013.The role takes responsibility for IHG’s global sales, marketing and brands functions, to drive consistent brand strategies across all geographies and leverage IHG’s scale and systems to deliver continued industry outperformance.

Michael Schlueter has been appointed as general manager of The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa. Armed with more than 25 years of work experience in the industry, Schlueter has been general manager for several years with hotels like Le Méridien Munich – Germany, Sheraton Palace Moscow – Russia, as well as holding an acting general manager role at the Westin Grand Berlin – Germany. Prior to his appointment in Langkawi, he was general manager of Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler which he joined in March 2011.

Ayana Resort and Spa Bali has appointed Vineet Mahajan as director of sales and marketing. Mahajan will also be part of the pre-opening team for a separatelybranded resort scheduled to open in late 2013 adjacent to Ayana, within the 77-hectare Karang Mas Estate. Having more than 16 years’ experience in the hospitality, telecom and investment banking industries, he was recently complex director of sales and marketing for Westin Gurgaon and Westin Sohna Resorts and Spa.

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Goa Marriott Resort & Spa

Sofitel

IHG

Kenneth MacPherson will be taking over from Barr as chief executive, Greater China. MacPherson joins IHG from Diageo, where he is currently general manager and board director of Sichuan Shuijingfang Company.

Lutron GL Sales and Services

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Mövenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa Mövenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa has appointed Roland G Svensson as general manager. Svensson has been with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts for two and a half years working in a variety of positions across properties in Thailand. Having held positions in Asia with several leading hotel companies for most of his career, he has built up a strong understanding and insight into the tourism industry regionally.

February 16-28, 2013

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W|E|E|K|E|N|D MY SPACE

‘Space tourism is waiting in the wings’ By 2050, Wing Commander (retired) Rakesh Sharma, Indian Air Force test pilot and cosmonaut, feels that space tourism will be routine and affordable. He expresses his view on the challenges that India tourism faces and selling right that special 'Indian experience’. By Reema Lokesh

In 1984

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Rakesh Sharma What according to you is the strength of India's tourism? Our diversity is definitely our strength. Our country ought to delight any tourist. After all a tourist has the opportunity to visit and interact with diverse landscapes, cultures, dialects, cuisines, etc. It is like visiting many countries for the price of one ticket. What are the challenges that you feel is causing hindrance to the growth of tourism in India? The are quite a few challenges that are causing a hindrance to the growth of tourism in India. Poor infrastructure is an issue, followed by poor standard of services on offer, difficulties experienced by tourists while booking rail tickets online due to a system that can be manipulated to keep alive touts and railway employees engaged in the allocation of 'no-show' seats on the day of journey and a lack of basic cleanliness on view. Are there any particular destinations you are passionate about in the country? Personally, I like to visit places that are off beat to better absorb the beauty of nature that our country is blessed with. Do you think we need to position and brand India in an effective manner as a tourism product? Yes for sure. Our messaging appears a bit confused. We have beaches that are endless but filthy, hills that are pretty and green but choked with plastic; deserts that are desolate and stunning but lack 'touristy' infrastructure and mountains that are breathtakingly beautiful but badly connected. Tourists reach our shores looking for an 'Indian experience' at reasonable cost while keeping travel times to a minimum between destinations. We need to work much more towards enhancing that experience for them. Creative itineraries, comfortable travel/stay and an exposure to culturally diverse and aesthetically pleasing entertainment programmes are required. A tighter public-private-partnership protocol is required for this to happen. What is your opinion on the potential of space tourism and its future? Space tourism is waiting in the wings. Initially it will be affordable only by the very rich and (till safety standards are established), by the very foolish. By 2050, I expect that space tourism will be routine and affordable. Vacations will, however, take a while longer as colonising our nearest neighbour, the Moon, and making it safe to accept tourists for extended stays, will take some serious R&D work.

Fact File Rakesh Sharma joined the Indian Air Force and progressed rapidly through the ranks. While he was a Squadron Leader and pilot with the Indian Air Force, in the year 1984 we embarked on a historic mission as part of a joint space programme between the Indian Space Research Organisation and the Soviet Intercosmos space February 16-28, 2013

programme, and spent eight days in space abroad the Salyut 7 space station. He was conferred with the honour of Hero of Soviet Union upon his return from space. The Government of India conferred its highest gallantry award (during peace time), the Ashoka Chakra on him and the other two Soviet members of his mission. He retired www.expresshospitality.com

with the rank of Wing Commander. In 1987 he joined Hindustan Aeronautics and served as Chief Test Pilot in the HAL Nashik Division until 1992, before moving on to Bengaluru to work as the Chief Test Pilot of HAL. He retired from test flying in 2001.

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WEEKEND E V E N T S

Going places

First hand experience

L-R: Mok Singh,president, Skål International; George Fertitta, CEO, NYC & Company; Lisa Conway, president, Skål International and Paul Kastner, immediate past president, NY Skål at the launch announcement of Skål International 2013 World Congress in New York

South African Tourism in association with SST, one of South Africa’s tour operators serving the Indian market, conducted a familiarisation trip for 10 agents from India

Glimpses of Showcase Jagsons in Nagpur

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February 16-28, 2013

WEEKEND

Two to Tango

E V E N T S

Unity in diversity

Enterprising Travel Agents Association (ETAA) inaugurated its north India Chapter at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

L-R: Leonardo Boto, chairman, The National Institute for the Promotion of Tourism of Argentina; Medha Sampat of Knack Marketing and Tomas Ferrari, consul general, Argentina in Mumbai at the Argentinian theme evening organised by The National Institute of Tourism Promotion of Argentine Republic at Four Seasons, Mumbai

Something new

Living traditions

L-R: Elena Boeva, model from Bulgaria along with Kushal Tandon and Stefan Ionkov, head of commercial and economic office, Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria endorse Bulgaria as a preferred tourist destination for Indians L-R: Stephan Heuberger, director-India; Ritu Sharma, deputy director – India; and Joerg Krebs, regional director - India, Middle East and Africa of Switzerland Tourism at the press conference to announce new initiatives

Business call

Environment management

Mumbai International Airport organised and hosted two-day Environmental Management Workshop for Aviation under the auspices of DGCA. As part of the European Union (EU)-India Civil Aviation Cooperation Project, 20 representatives of airlines and staff from MIAL participated in the workshop February 16-28, 2013

Tourism Malaysia in co-operation from Malaysia Airlines organised a four-city promotional programme called ‘Sales Mission to India’ in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata

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W|E|E|K|E|N|D

Wine shine

WEEKEND SCENE AND HEARD

Marcellus Baptista

he cheer was on the lawns of Taj Lands End at the ninth Stuttgart Meets Mumbai Wine Festival, celebrating the over 45-year long and enduring partnership between the sister cities of Stuttgart and Mumbai. In attendance were Isabel Fezer, deputy mayor of City of Stuttgart for Social Welfare, Youth and Public Health, Sunil Prabhu, mayor of Mumbai, Jürgen Kurzhals, deputy consul, German Consulate General, Elisabeth Margret Mergen, deputy mayor of City of Karlsruhe, Rolf Hauser, principal of Weinsberg Viniculture and Martina Kammerer, teacher at Fanny-LeichtGymnasium, Stuttgart. Visitors at the festival thoroughly enjoyed the Swabian specialties and award-winning wines from the region of Baden-Württemberg. And Andreas Lapp, honorary consul of India and chairman of The Board Lapp Holding AG announced his support for a student exchange programme between BRJD Public School, Bhorugram and Fanny-Leicht-Gymnasium, Stuttgart.

Jurgen Kurzhals, Isabel Fezer, Sunil Prabhu, Andreas Lapp, Elisabeth Margret Mergen and Rolf Hauser at the Stuttgart wine festival at Taj Lands End

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MUMBAI’S HOTELS? A PEEK INTO THE PARTY CIRCUIT AND EVENTS IN THE CITY...

Presidential treat

France trance onjour India, the festival of France in India, got off to a rousing start with a performance from the Ballet Preljocaj titled ‘And then, one thousand years of peace’ at Jamshed Bhabha theatre at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA). After that stupendous show it was time to go across to the Regal Room at Trident as the French government bestowed the award of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) on sculptor-artist Subodh Gupta. French Ambassador François Richier conducted the honours at this cocktails and dinner affair. And you learnt that this distinction is conferred on 'persons who have distinguished themselves by their creativity in the field of art, culture and literature or for their contribution to the influence of arts in France and throughout the world.'

Simply splendid he terrace of the newly-opened Shangri-La hotel was the splendid setting for Anita Dev along with Kunika and Rana Singh of the lush lifestyle store Mondo Casa to host a reception in honour of Lord Piers Wedgwood, direct descendent of the 18th century father of English pottery Josiah Wedgwood I, and British Deputy High Commissioner Peter Beckingham. Spotted at this cocktail-dinner affair, that gave most guests a first glimpse of the ShangriLa, were the swish set of Farah Khan Ali, Chhaya Momaya, Poonam Soni, Raageshwari Loomba and Bina Aziz among many more. And on view at the reception was a scintillating display of signature pieces offering guests a visual treat of prestige pieces and exotic crystal glassware from the Wedgwood, Vera Wang for Wedgwood, Waterford and Jasper Conran collections.

Peter Haas and Atul Nishar at the American inaugural ball at the US consulate merican and Indian cheer was in the air at the US consulate lawns at the inaugural ball in honour of US President Barack Obama, hosted by US Consul General Peter Haas and Atul Nishar, president, Namaste America and presented by the Bajaj Group. A special guest was Rani Mukherji while also present were Dr. Indu Shahani and Sunita Menon among many more at the ball ably emceed by Parvathy Omanakuttan. Guests were greeted by the hosts and sounds of Sharmilla Dias and her band. The highlight of the night was the live telecast of the Presidential address from Washington D.C. You heard that the inauguration ceremony theme of ‘Faith in America's Future’ commemorates the United States’ perseverance and unity and that this year also marks the 150th year since placement of the Statue of Freedom atop the new Capitol Dome in 1863.

A Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao at the Bonjour India ballet show at NCPA

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Kunika Singh, Peter Beckingham, Lord Wedgwood and Rana Singh at the reception at the Shangri-La February 16-28, 2013

WEEKEND E V E N T S

Eventful gathering

Exceptional contribution

Pullman Gurgaon Central Park hotel was the venue for the NTO lunch hosted by Accor India. Vasudha Sondhi, MD, CWW India and Nikhil Dhodapkar, regional director sales and marketing – India, ACCOR welcomed the delegates

L-R: Rajeev Singhal, ambassador of Champagne to India and director, Bureau du Champagne, India conferring the Diplôme d’ Honneur by the Corporation des Vignerons de Champagne and the Comite Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne award to Aishwarya Nair, corporate food and wine consultant, The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts at Le Cirque, The Leela Palace New Delhi

Adding presence

Feast session

Bake-N-Shake, Madhya Pradesh's leading gourmet chain of coffee pub and bakery shoppe opened its new outlet in Rangmahal Cineplex Compound, New Market, Bhopal

L-R: Cecilia Oldne, global brand ambassador, head international business, Sula Vineyards; Narendra Kumar; Rajeev Samant, founder and CEO, Sula Vineyards; Chef Silvia Grimaldo, Vinoteca by Sula and Lisa Haydon at SulaFest 2013

Multiplying business

Memorable evening

Chender Baljee, managing director, Royal Orchid Hotels with wife Pinky Baljee at the celebratory event of the group’s growth to 24 hotels across 16 cities February 16-28, 2013

Fred Tibbitts & Associates organised the first annual 'A Winter Evening in New Delhi with Very Special Friends' event for the fifty-four guests, who included senior and area vice presidents, general managers, hotel managers, directors of food & beverage and executive chefs, the press and sponsors at The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi

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WEEKEND E V E N T S

Grape stomping

Luxurious environ

The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai welcomed the Australian ICC Women's Cricket World Cup team with a traditional Indian welcome Farah Khan (centre) and Amrita Raichand (right) at the Great Grover Stomp at Grover Zampa Vineyards, Nashik

Digital creativity

Winning team

Manchester United Cafe Bar (MUCB) players with the UEFA Champions League Trophy at MUCB, Palladium, Mumbai

L-R: Meena Bhati, VP operations and marketing, Le Meridien New Delhi; Arnaud Champenois, brand director, W Hotels and Le Méridien – Asia-Pacific; Tarun Thakral, COO, Le Meridien New Delhi; Tagra-LM 100 artist, Sumir Thakral-LM 100 artist and Jérôme Sans-Le Meridien Global Cultural Curator at the unveiling of the digital art installation at Le Meridien, New Delhi

Whipping up

A gourmet affair

Noted Bollywood film director and writer Anurag Basu along with George Kuruvilla, general manager, The Oberoi Grand Kolkata spend time with students and officials and appreciate their efforts during the Christmas cake mixing event

EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

The Leela Mumbai along with Aspri Spirits designed a luxury dining experience with the exclusive Lafite wines over grills and barbeques by the poolside of Six Degrees, the cosmopolitan lounge bar at the hotel

www.expresshospitality.com

February 16-28, 2013

REGD.WITH RNI NO.MAHENG/2005/21391, REGD.NO.MH/MR/SOUTH-44/2013-15,PUBLISHED ON 2ND & 17TH EVERY FORTNIGHT, POSTED ON 3,4,5 & 18,19,20 OF EVERY FORTNIGHT POSTED AT IND.EXP.PSO.