VOL 7 | NO. 11 | PAGES 44
December 2012 ` 50
Fortnightly Insight for the Hospitality Trade
Contents December 2012
Vol 7 | No 11 | Pages 44
Chairman of the Board
Viveck Goenka
MARKET
Editor
Trafalgar looks at establishing itself in India, aims at 25 per cent business growth .....................................................................10
Reema Lokesh* Assistant Editor
Steena Joy Associate Editor
Kiwi Link India to be held in August-September 2013 ..................................11 Monaco expects increase in Indian arrivals ..................................................12
Sudipta Dev
Interview with Vijay Sharma, country manager,
CONTENT TEAM
Club Med - India..........................................................................................13
Mumbai
New-age Indian travellers opt for adventure tourism in Nepal .......................16
Sayoni Bhaduri, Kahini
Saint-Tropez aims to lure individual Indian travellers ...................................17
Chakraborty
Silversea unveils itinerary for World Cruise 2014 ..........................................18
New Delhi
Heena Mahajan Kolkata
Joy Roy Choudhury Advisory Board
Ankur Bhatia, Vijay Chadda,
Marine Life Park, new hotels add to Resorts World Sentosa's MICE capacity..............................................................................................19 Swosti Group renovates Swosti Hotel, to be branded as premium boutique hotel..............................................................................................20 MANAGEMENT
Saroj Datta, Ashok Fenn, Subhash Goyal, Cyrus Guzder,
Visa FREE Cruise to
Russia
Zubin Karkaria, Ashwini Kakkar, Khursheed Lam, Tej Sahni, Alok Sawhney, Prem Subramaniam MARKETING Deputy General Manager
Harit Mohanty Chief Manager
Emmanuel Fernandes Manager
Sunil D'costa
Canadian connections ................................................................................25
Deputy Chief Manager
A titan comes home ....................................................................................28
Zahid Ali Khan
Eclectic escape ............................................................................................30
CIRCULATION
The double benefit ......................................................................................32
Mohan Varadakar PRODUCTION
EDGE
General Manager
B R Tipnis Production Manager
Bhadresh Valia Layout
HELSINKI – ST. PETERSBURG
Ratilal Ladani, Kiran Parker Asst. Art Director
Surajit Patro Chief Designer
Pravin Temble
– STOCKHOLM – TALLIN
33 Tip of the hat .......................................................................................... 36 Indian aviation: A conundrum ................................................................
EURO 190
Senior Graphic Designer
Rushikesh Konka
LIFE
onwards Per Cabin for 2 Passengers
Photo Editor
Sandeep Patil
Express TravelWorld Reg. No.-MH/MR/SOUTH156\2010-12 RNI Reg. No. 15993/05 Printed by The Indian Express Limited and published by Ms Vaidehi Thakar on behalf of The Indian Express Press, Plot No. EL-208,TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai - 400710 and Published from Express Towers, 2nd Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400021. (Editorial & Administra-tive Offices: Express Towers, 1st Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400021) Editor Reema Lokesh* Copyright @ 2011
The Indian Express Ltd. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner, electronic or otherwise, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited. December 2012
in 2003
GSA in India
A lifetime of achievements ....................................................................37 REGULARS
Editor’s Note ..........................................................................................4 Appointments ........................................................................................21 Weekend ......................................................................................38 www.expresstravelworld.com
& 42
GRIFFON 4 Cusrow Baug, Colaba, Mumbai – 400 001. Tel: (91-22) 2204 5019, 2204 7532 Fax : (91-22) 2283 0461 Email : sales@griffontravel.com
EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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EDITOR’S NOTE
Wrapping up 2012 ccording to the Mayan calendar, 2012 will see the world come to an end. But being an eternal optimist, I feel 2013 is a reality and will bring in renewed energy and hope once again for all of us. Though the general morale has been rather damp, (especially this Diwali being not as vibrant, the dollar rate shooting up, the increase in airfares), there were positive developments and decisions (though few on paper) that the industry should take comfort in.
A “New countries that ignored India in the past have made inroads into the country in 2012 to tap the India outbound business”
New countries that ignored India in the past have made inroads into the country in 2012 to tap the India outbound business with Portugal and Bulgaria being the latest to join the bandwagon. Interestingly, the Middle Eastern airline carriers have opened up routes to these countries and have held joint promotional events to bring in the business. A win-win for the airline and the destination itself as well as opening up more options for the Indian traveller. India won special awards at the WTM 2012 event and also saw an encouraging participation from the Indian contingent. The ministry of tourism has also worked on special projects and schemes which have deep relevance to the basic functioning and performance of the tourism sector. The recent news on the reviewed guidelines for tourist visa was a treat for the tourism sector at the end of the year. The government has reviewed and lifted the two month gap on re-entry of foreign nationals coming to India except in case of nationals of Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, Bangladesh, foreigners of Pakistan and Bangladesh origins and stateless persons. Another interesting development has been the news that 39 locations in the Western Ghats falling in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have been inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO during the 36th session of World Heritage Committee held in July, 2012. Also, India Tourism has launched two new campaigns: an international campaign called ‘Find What You Seek’ and a domestic campaign called ‘Go Beyond’. These campaigns were launched at the recently concluded World Travel Market-2012, at London. In retrospect, what comes to my mind is realistic hope that 2012 is not the end and that 2013 will bring in renewed enthusiasm.
Reema Lokesh Editor editorial.etw@expressindia.com
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December 2012
Market
T H E B U S I N E S S O F T R AV E L & TO U R I S M
LEAD STORY
Kokan Bhumi Pratishthan adopts Credible Kokan and Responsible Tourism as way foward To launch online portal at Global Kokan 2013 to streamline tourism traffic to the region STEENA JOY – Thane
onkan, a coastal region in Maharashtra, spread across four districts Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg - is attracting the attention of tourists both, inbound and outbound. To spearhead tourism in the region, Kokan Bhumi Prastishthan (KBP) and the Maharashtra government launched the 'Global Kokan' initiative in 2011 to provide a global perspective on the nature, tourist spots, industries, artists, culture and the folk arts of Kokan. Speaking
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December 2012
to Express TravelWorld, Sanjay Yadavrao, president KBP and executive president, Global Kokan informed, “The third edition of Global Kokan will be held from January 4 to 7, 2013 in Mumbai which is expected to draw around five lakh visitors.” Calling upon all hoteliers and tour operators in the region to adopt the Credible Kokan slogan and Responsible Tourism practices like saying no to plastic, Yadavrao added, “Global Kokan 2013 will be historic for us in many ways. At the event we will be launching a one stop
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online portal with a 24hour helpline. Hoteliers in the region can register on the portal so that tourists can find all their needs at one spot. We will also be launching the first coffee table book on Konkan tourism which will cover all tourist destinations in the region, from Dahanu to Vengurla, from Javhar to Ambali. There will also be Maharashtra's first Fish Aquarium and Fish Festival where we will showcase all the varieties of marine life and sea fish like bangda, bombil, surmai, etc, which are endemic to the 72 km
coastline of the region.” As precursor to the event, in December, the Global Kokan Motorcycle and Car Rally is being organised covering 2,000 kms and a Village Tourism Festival will be held where visitors can stay in villages and experience village trekking, cultural fests, local cuisine, beach sports and fishing. “We want to put Konkan on the world map. And we can do this only by upgrading our facilities and bringing in standardisation and professionalism,” Yadavrao opined.
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M|A|R|K|E|T INTERVIEW
‘Our focus currently is on promoting Buddhist tourism in the state’ H S Upadhyay, IFS, director and additional secretary, department of tourism and culture, Government of Odisha talks to Express TravelWorld on the new benchmarks developed in the state to promote tourism. By Heena Mahajan What are the new tourism products that you have or are planning to promote? Odisha has been blessed with a diverse terrain that offers as many as 321 tourist destinations. Be it spiritual tours, adventure sports or relaxing beach resorts, the state caters to the need of every visitor. Odisha Tourism has been working towards showcasing the rich cultural and religious heritage of the state and its people through numerous festivals and fairs such as the Konark Dance Festival, Gotipua Dance Festival, Rajarani Music Festival, Dhauli Kalinga Mahotsav, Toshali National Crafts Mela, etc. We have taken several steps to promote Buddhist tourism in the state. Odisha is also now one of the stops of the special Buddhist trainthe Mahaparinirvan Express. The train will run as a joint venture between the Odisha Tourism and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). We are expecting an increase in tourist footfall through this initiative. The first train will start from December 20, 2012 from New Delhi. For beach lovers, we have the second edition of the International Sand Art Festival and the International Surf Festival this year. Puri Beach Festival in December would provide hot air balloon rides. We are also hosting the first edition of the Chilika Festival this year. Boat racing would be main attraction of the festival.
H S Upadhyay
What are your plans for the festive season? The best time, probably, to visit Odisha is between November to February. Not only for the weather but also because of the number of festivals that are organised during this period. The festivities are just round the corner. We began our festivals with the Gotipua Dance Festival on November 15. A string of festivals lie in store for travellers during this period- the most important being the Konark Dance Festival in December. For beach lovers, we have the second edition of the International Sand Art Festival and the International Surf Festival this year. Sport lovers can enjoy the International Beach Festival in December and enjoy hot air balloon rides or participate in boat races.
What are your expectations from the International Buddhist Seminar in Udaygiri? We are expecting as many as 100 scholars at the seminar. We are inviting tour operators from all the countries having sizeable Buddhist population including South East Asian countries and Sri Lanka. We are expecting a good response to this initiative which is an attempt on our part to showcase our Buddhist heritage to the world. Odisha is one of the four states in India with rich concentration of Buddhist heritage, the other three being Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Although we have as many as 200 Buddhist sites scattered throughout the length and breadth of the state, very few are aware of it. We would like to publicise this asset and draw more and more tourists into the state. According to our reports till August 2012, we have witnessed an inflow of more than 54 lakh tourists. This is about 9.02 per cent higher from the tourist footfall last year. Any recent developments in terms of sports tourism? We are moving ahead with plans to develop 3000acre Shamuka beach (Puri), a third generation aquarium and related tourism products, amusement parks, houseboat facilities and water sports in major rivers and backwaters. Furthermore, Odisha Tourism will soon introduce water sports for which we have
identified 13 water bodies, both natural and man-made. Currently, we have river rafting facilities on the Mahanadi river. Sports such as boat races, surfing etc are also conducted. What are your target markets in terms of attracting tourists? Besides, our traditional overseas markets like UK, US, Italy, Germany etc we are focusing on the Buddhist travellers. Buddhist tourism is one of our major strengths. We have more than 200 Buddhist sites, stupas and relics scattered throughout the state and our focus, currently, is on promoting Buddhist tourism in the state. A lot of tourists from South East Asian countries visit Buddhist sites in north India but the inflow in Odisha has been pretty low due to lack of connectivity. In order to attract these tourists to Odisha, Department of Tourism, Odisha and IRCTC are together running two special trains- two Odisha special editions of the Mahaparinirvan Express. Buddhist sites such as Lalitgiri, Khandagiri, Udaygiri and Ratnagiri have been added to the tour itinerary of the Buddhist Express. Our main target through this train is the tourist inflow from the East Asia, South East Asia, Nepal and Sri Lanka. We are also planning road shows and seminars in Thailand, Sri Lanka and Taiwan for attracting tourists to our Buddhist sites.
3806 student volunteers trained under ‘Earn While You Learn’ scheme ETW STAFF – New Delhi
n a written reply in the Lok Sabha recently Dr K Chiranjeevi, union minister for tourism, said that 3806 candidates have been trained under ‘Earn While You Learn’ scheme launched by the ministry of tourism. The scheme was launched with a view to inculcate appropriate
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tourism travel traits and knowledge amongst trainees to enable them to work as ‘student volunteers’. The salient features of the scheme are: i. College-going students pursuing graduation courses or graduates in the age group of 18 to 25 years will be eligible for the trainwww.expresstravelworld.com
ing programme. ii. The candidates are selected by following a transparent procedure. iii. The duration of each programme is 21 working days. iv. The course contents is finalised by the ministry of tourism/ implementing institutes in consultation with stakeholders.
The Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management (IITTM), had been authorised to conduct the training programmes at its centres in Gwalior, Delhi and Bhubaneshwar and one in the city of Hyderabad. Besides, the Jamia Milia Islamia University was also authorised to conduct a training programme at its campus in Delhi. December 2012
M|A|R|K|E|T INTERVIEW
‘Introduction of amusement park industry has helped in packaging of tourism products better’ The amusement park industry in India is worth `7,000 crore and has been growing exponentially in the last few years. Being an integral part of the leisure industry, the amusement park industry contributes almost 40 per cent of the total turnover of the entire leisure industry. Archana Browne, vice president, sales & marketing, International Recreation Parks talks about the emerging trends and their Worlds of Wonder in Delhi NCR. By Heena Mahajan Tell us about Worlds of Wonder.
you are looking forward to in any other city?
Worlds of Wonder was set up in 2007 under the corporate identity – IRPPL (International Recreation Parks Pvt. Ltd.). IRPPL is a joint venture between Unitech and International Amusement. The entertainment city is spread over 147 acres of land which includes one of the biggest malls in India — The Great India Place and the amusement park- Worlds Of Wonder. An investment of `1,100 crore has been made for the establishment of the property, making it an epitome of fun and entertainment. Worlds of Wonder is the biggest amusement park in Delhi NCR with 20 international rides. The park is divided into two different zones catering to people across age groups - The Teen Zone and The Family Zone. In order to ensure the safety and security of its visitors for all the rides, WOW follows the globally accepted safety measures of the TUV NORD- headquartered in Germany. Due to its ample space and exemplar design, Worlds of Wonder also hosts indoor as well as outdoor activities, theme evening parties, corporate parties, social gatherings and award functions in the park. The events are customised depending on the requirement of the client, delivering a good mix of adventure and safety.
Noida was one place which had enough space available for a property like this and the best part about Noida is that the connectivity is better as you can travel easily by public transport. Currently we are not looking at expanding our business in other cities. However, with the increase in its popularity amongst the people of Delhi/ NCR, Worlds of Wonder is now looking forward towards expanding the property with new attractions, here in Noida. The property has introduced its newest attraction, the biggest manmade lake in northern India, spread over 3.5 acres. The lake provides boating facility, with 24 boats imported from USA. Two more upcoming projects of Worlds of Wonder are The Garden’s Galleria (tentatively scheduled to be launched in November 2013) and Calypso Bay (tentatively scheduled to be launched in March 2013). Apart from these, WOW is also planning for upcoming attractions like ice-skating, gocarting and adding onto more F&B commodities in the park.
What is the average footfall in Worlds of Wonder? What tourist segments do you cater to? Worlds of Wonder witness an average footfall of 1,500 on a weekday and 3,000 on a weekend. In the past three months we have registered an average footfall of 40,000. Worlds of Wonder has been catering to the travelling segment primarily and also non-travelling segment. With different kinds of international rides available, the amuse-
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Archana Browne
ment park is one of the preferred destinations for the people of Delhi/ NCR. With the growing trend of spending long weekends, Worlds of Wonder is eventually turning out to be an absolute entertainment city. Also, Worlds Of Wonder has been accredited by the International Convention Promotion Bureau, due to which it would also be promoted as an international destination in the travel and tourism. The ICPB accreditation is a huge achievement as it would now help us target the international market, international conference, travel agencies and different tourists. How much do you think on an average a person spends coming to these parks? As the lifestyle and spending behaviour has changed with time drastically, today youngsters and families prefer to spend quality time where one can have fun, shop, eat and relax under one roof. On an average, a person visits fivesix times in a month depending upon the facilities and entertainment options available in the park. Why did you choose Noida as a location? Any new developments or new projects that www.expresstravelworld.com
Do you think the advent of such parks have helped us to package our tourism products better, especially for a city like Delhi? The introduction of amusement park industry has definitely helped in the packaging of tourism products better. With the growth and expansion of amusement parks in India, the trend of spending long weekends and quality time with family and friends has been growing swiftly in the last few years. As a result, tourism industry is also eying projects on amusement parks, since it is proving to bring in growth in the flow of tourists. Worlds of Wonder with its range of different rides
and entertainment options, targets a huge section of people from Delhi/NCR, across different age groups. People from Delhi/NCR region visit Worlds of Wonder with their friends and family members to hang out and spend good quality time. Leading to a huge footfall on both weekdays and weekends, Worlds of Wonder is turning out to be an entertainment destination, a favoured choice of the people. What are the challenges that you face in the Indian market? The amusement industry has huge potential and we have seen only increase in the footfalls over last couple of years which indicates that more number of people are looking for wholesome family entertainment destinations and amusement parks provide that opportunity where a family can spend quality time together. How lucrative is the Indian market for you? There is a huge untapped potential in this segment for Indian market. There are handfuls of amusements parks in the country and seeing the success of such properties, industry analysts have revealed that in the coming years there would be around 200 more amusement parks coming up. By 2020, the industry will grow by almost 100 per cent. As of now the total industry is worth `4,000 crore which is expected to grow by `1520,000 crore by 2020. The amusement park industry in India is worth `7,000 crore and has been growing exponentially in the last few years. The associated and participatory entertainment in the amusement industry is one of the major reasons behind the rapid growth of amusement parks. Hence, the industry has a bright future in the coming years. December 2012
M|A|R|K|E|T OUTBOUND
Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in Chennai to provide consular services by year-end ETW STAFF - Mumbai
n a bid to increase the number of tourist arrivals to Taiwan, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre has opened its office in Chennai and will start providing consular services by end of 2012. As part of its promotional activities, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau recently held a press conference at the Trident in Mumbai to announce its marketing activities and plans for the year. Apart from Noel Saxena, India
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representative, Taiwan Tourism Bureau, the conference also saw the presence of Frances Chung-Feng Lee, deputy representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India, among other dignitaries. During the conference, Saxena informed that Taiwan Tourism Bureau representation office in India plans to attract meetings, incentives, conferences/conventions, exhibitions (MICE) segment from the Indian market. For the same, it is looking at promoting destinations such as
Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung city. In the coming months the bureau also plans to organise a number of educational seminars for the travel trade and other corporate entities. “The destination has the potential of becoming an important MICE destination for the Indian travellers. The bureau is currently working on a number of MICE incentive plans with increased benefits which will facilitate MICE movements to Taiwan. These include: exclusive FAM trips for MICE publication
and MICE organisers, corporate FAM trips and exclusive itinerary for MICE FAM trips. We are expecting more number of MICE traffic from India as awareness of the destination increases,” added Saxena. Talking about Taiwan's offerings for the Indian market, Lee said, “Taiwan is a year round destination. From the magnificent sights to modern architecture, the destination has it all. It makes an ideal destination for Indians be it FITs, honeymooners or MICE groups.”
Trafalgar looks at establishing itself in India, aims at 25 per cent business growth KAHINI CHAKRABORTY - Mumbai
ith an aim to increase awareness about the brand portfolio, Trafalgar, part of the Travel Corporation has launched its 2013 collection of European itineraries for India. The company has established distribution partnerships with leading outbound tour operators like Cox & Kings, Club 7, Flight Shop, Orbits, Comfort Leisure, Master Holidays and Travel Heights. The Travel Corporation has appointed Darshan Maheshwari as country manager. Trafalgar 2013's over 100 summer itineraries include VIP priority sightseeing at Europe's famous landmarks, as well as exclusive insider experiences, one of which is 'Be My Guest'. Besides the First Class programme, Trafalgar has also launched the 2013 CostSaver range of holidays, which include 34 cost-effective itineraries. Talking to Express TravelWorld on the market plans of the company, Nicholas Lim, regional director – Asia, Trafalgar said, “With these exclusive tieups we are covering almost 80 per cent of the India market. With major number
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of bookings coming from Mumbai, the other markets like Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune have also picked up. We are looking at attracting the leisure segment and for the same will be adopting a twopronged marketing strategies. Firstly, we will continue to work closely with the
travel trade in India and on the sidelines also work on consumer activity campaigns in order to build more brand awareness among consumers. Keeping a conservative approach we are looking at achieving a 25 per cent business growth next year. We are here to establish ourselves for the long run and are looking at setting up our office in India soon.” Elaborating on the market trends, Lim added, “Luxury travel has seen an exponential growth and will continue to grow. We have seen 70 per cent of our clients from India opt for our First Class products compared to the CostSaver. As traveller demands are evolving we need to move on and keep introducing new products to entice travellers and offer them a unique experience in every travel itinerary. As per our research, travellers are opting for mono destinations for a travel period of maximum seven days. Even though our source markets have been USA, Australia, Canada, in the Asia Pacific market, we have seen a growth of 25 per cent since we set up our regional office in Singapore in August last year. We look at further growing the market.”
Bulgaria aims to increase Indian tourists arrivals KAHINI CHAKRABORTY- Mumbai
fter witnessing about 3,000 Indian tourists arrivals per year to Bulgaria, the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria is geared up to aggressively promote the destination's tourism offerings in the Indian market to double the tourists arrivals. For the same it is going to continue promoting destinations like Sofia, Varna,
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Burgas, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo offering nightlife, golf tourism, cultural tourism, spring spas and other entertainment options. It has also partnered with Qatar Airways for direct connectivity. Talking to Express TravelWorld on the sidelines of an interactive presentation held in Mumbai recently, Stefan Ionkov, head of commercial and economic office of Bulgaria to India said,
“Bulgaria can offer different experiences- golf, leisure, culture and educational tours and it is a value for money destination. As the Indian market is emerging as one of our preferred markets, we are looking at attracting all segments of travellers. We are targeting Bollywood tourism as well as working towards increasing the awareness level of the destination in the Indian market, and for the www.expresstravelworld.com
same we are going to organise workshops for the travel trade in metros as well as smaller cities. We will also partner with travel agents to offer exclusive packages.” Later, they will organise FAM tours for the Indian travel fraternity to provide first hand experience of Bulgaria as a tourist destination, informed Ionkov. Talking about Bulgaria, he added that the destina-
tion receives seven million tourists inflow every year. In 2011, it received 6.4 million foreign tourists. “Tourism is an important sector as it contributes 12-13 per cent of the GDP. The destination gets three billion euros as revenue from the tourism sector and this year from January to February the destination witnessed more than 4,80,6000 tourists,” informed Ionkov. December 2012
M|A|R|K|E|T OUTBOUND
Argentina witnesses 25 per cent increase in tourist arrivals from India Focus on educating the travel trade about the destination SUDIPTA DEV - Mumbai
he recent appointment of Knack Marketing as the official representative of the National Institute for the Promotion of Tourism of Argentina (INPROTUR) in India is in response to the growing interest of Indian travellers in the South American destination. “This year from January to August there has been 25 per cent growth in tourist arrivals from India. One of the most important reason is that we have good connection with India through different airlines. Then our consulate in Mumbai and Embassy in Delhi have been working to help us,” said Leonardo Boto, chairman, INPROTUR, adding that they are looking at similar growth in the future as well. “Argentina is just entering the Indian market and we are quite excited to see the interest. There are a number of inquiries for Argentina and we hope we can convert the same. The Indian traveller is looking for new bold experiences. The experience that Argentina will offer to the travellers is completely unique and exclusive. Our
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focus will be on the experimental and experienced traveller from the FIT and MICE segments,” added Boto. Being an emerging destination for India outbound, one of the key focus areas will be educating the travel trade. “The focus of the training will be to introduce and educate the trade on the destination. We will commence with targeting agents in Mumbai and Delhi and will gradually move to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai,” said Boto. Assistance will be provided to agents to help them package various products that can be offered to their clientele. “It is the first time Argentina is entering into the Indian market and with the diversity the destination offers it is important to educate the trade on the destination. We will commence with training the trade and then continue with mono Argentina road shows, before we can commence targeting the consumer. We are looking at developing the market with a long-term perspective. The trade will be made to experience the destination and FAM trips will continue,” said Medha
Sampat, director – Knack Marketing, India representative for Argentina Tourism. Recently a FAM trip was hosted in Argentina with leading Indian travel agents. Some of the key attractions in Argentina are the Iguassu falls (recently named one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World), El Calafate – the progressive Perito Moreno glacier, Ushuaia –the end of the world, the beautiful wine regions in Mendoza, the capital city of Buenos Aires, etc. There are also many interesting events to attract the Indian traveller. “Argentina is always buzzing with activity
such as the amazing Dakar Rally which includes 9000 kilometers of adventure, Argentine polo features three of the highest handicap tournaments in the world, Tango Festivals as Buenos Aires is the Tango capital of the world, food and wine festivals including the national harvest festival, etc,” mentioned Sampat. One of the important factors for Indian tourists is good flight connectivity to Buenos Aires. South African Airways, Qatar and Emirates are some of the airlines, besides many European carriers that offer easy access into Buenos Aires.
Kiwi Link India to be held in August-September 2013 To promote New Zealand as family destination in 2013 SAYONI BHADURI - Mumbai
ourism New Zealand (TNZ) plans to conduct Kiwi Link India in August-September 2013. Providing more details Mischa Mannix-Opie, regional manager South and South East Asia, Tourism New Zealand said, “We are looking at adding another city to the list apart from Delhi and Mumbai.” The decision as to which city hasn't been made yet. Talking about promotion plans for the coming year Mannix-Opie said, “We are proposing 2013 to be pitched at family vacations, with a strong focus on the months of April and May. We have developed a positive relationship with our airline partners and travel trade partners. We are currently in talks to develop programmes for 2013.” The release of the film The Hobbit is going to provide TNZ the platform to promote New Zealand as a
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Mischa Mannix-Opie family destination. “We are looking at creating awareness in the India mar-
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ket about the film's tourism opportunity by social media,” she added. “We have seen a steady growth in arrivals from India and we expect this continues with the honeymoon season now picking up,” said MannixOpie. New Zealand saw 29,728 Indians visitors in the year ending October 2012, it is a 5.6 per cent increase from the same period last year. She further discussed that the incentives market has also become a focus for TNZ and that they are working with selective companies who do incentives to promote New Zealand as a long haul incentives option. For the future, 2015 is a big year with New Zealand and Australia hosting the Cricket World Cup which will definitely create a lot of interest from India. “We are also going to unveil our marketing plan for the next three years in July 2013,” added MannixOpie. EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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M|A|R|K|E|T OUTBOUND
‘Governmental tourism office backing for LGBT marketing outreach will help put India on the gay map’ The world's leading global travel network for the LGBT segment, the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) has a few members in India. John Tanzella, president/CEO, IGLTA talks about the potential of India as a destination for LGBT tourism. By Sudipta Dev What is your perception of India as a destination for LGBT tourism ?
Worldwide how big is the market segment for LGBT tourism? Which are the most popular countries ? This is very difficult to quantify, because accurate global data doesn't exist. There have been surveys done in a handful of countries. For example, Community Marketing Inc estimates the economic impact of the LGBT travel market in the US alone at US$ 65 billion annually. But they will tell you that's only an estimate. What, according to you, will be the new hotspots for LGBT tourism globally ? We see continued growth for Latin America, with LGBT travellers hitting destinations beyond the obvious urban centres in Brazil and Argentina. Peru continues to rise in popularity as well.
John Tanzella What will be the new emerging trends / products for this segment ? As more countries/states pass same-sex marriage laws, LGBT honeymoon travel will grow in popularity.
India is a destination with enormous potential due to its amazing historic and cultural sites. Gay travellers are no different from their mainstream counterparts in that regard - everyone is wowed by the Taj Mahal regardless of sexual orientation. The LGBT scene is still very closeted, but it does exist in major city centres and can be found with the aid of local tour guides.
tools, networking opportunities and educational resources to help destinations get established in the LGBT market. We have some travel business members in India, but governmental tourism office backing for widespread LGBT marketing outreach will help put India on the gay map. It's important for gay travellers to believe that the destination where they are spending their money actually wants to welcome them and is not just after their wallets.
What needs to be done in India – by the government (central and state tourism boards), industry associations, travel agents and hotels to develop this segment ? We would like to see more businesses in India get involved with IGLTA, certainly. Our member-based association provides marketing
Any particular products that should be developed to attract this segment in India ? Tours that are inclusive of LGBT travellers are important. They don't have to be all-gay, but even little things like offering a hotel package for same-sex couples or an outing to a gay nightclub goes a long way.
Monaco expects increase in Indian arrivals SAYONI BHADURI - Mumbai
orld's second smallest country, Monaco is looking to grow percentage of visitors from India to two per cent from current one per cent. Eric Marsan, director Marketing, Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority said that up to 82 per cent of tourist business that comes to Monaco is leisure and the remaining 18 per cent is MICE. This is also dominated by France, US and UK. “India brings in a very small percentage of tourists, around one per cent, this however is great as compared to none. We hope to see this increase to two per cent in the coming year,” he said. In 2010 there were 1200 travellers from India, this number grew to around 1500 in 2011 and is expected to grow 25 per cent in 2012. Monaco receives more than four million visitors every year. Monaco could be the premier choice for meeting and recreation, specially keeping in
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focus that destination is committed to providing very special value-driven offers for MICE and customised programmes. Discussing this further Rajeev Nangia, directorIndia - Monaco Government and Tourist Bureau said, “We www.expresstravelworld.com
offer tailor made programmes for MICE.” He further added that for FITs there is the Passport Programme which the travel trade can avail. “This programme was initiated in India last year. The travel
trade gets a big price benefit as they get wholesale rates for the the hotels,” he said. He also added that the target audience in India is the quality conscious traveller, accordingly the focus are the metro cities. December 2012
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‘Our activities are centred around increasing awareness in defined markets and business volume’ With its resorts designed to offer variety of activities in some scenic locations across the world, Vijay Sharma, country manager, Club Med – India talks about the company's future plans and trends identified What is the current trend identified within the sector? The Indian hospitality sector has witnessed a transformation in the last one decade. The standard of facilities provided to guests has gone up considerably and guest satisfaction is becoming the prime motive. The room rates and occupancy have been getting consistent gains from both domestic and international travellers in the business and leisure segment. Indians are slowly graduating to FIT travel, and online hotel booking is a normal practice. Travellers are moving away from traditional group travel but it is still immensely popular with tier II and III three cities where outbound travel is still a relatively new concept. In terms of FIT travel, emphasis is on short haul destinations within Asia and Indian Ocean islands. This has mainly come in effect due to paucity of time and budget availability. Another interesting trend for metro travellers’ is to take more than one outbound holiday in a year and once again South East Asian destinations work out both economical as well good value for money. Our resorts are designed to offer variety of activities in some scenic locations across the world for the above target group. How well has the 'All inclusive concept' been accepted by the Indian audience? Club Med’s philosophy is to bring happiness to everyone which creates a joyful and positive atmosphere in all our
Vijay Sharma resorts around the world. Our resorts are designed to offer variety of activities in some scenic locations across the world based on all inclusive concept. The concept has been largely accepted in India as we have seen around 50 per cent of Club Med customers in India as repeat clientele or through references and our clients are extremely satisfied with our service levels in our resorts. The concept has been accepted because of hassle free concept with no hidden costs and an opportunity to explore various food, sports and entertainment options without having to pay heavily for every item separately. What are the various offerings at Club Med? The all inclusive tag also covers every aspect of vacation interests. Club Med offers all type of meals, sumptuous
international buffets, morning, noon and night including unlimited flow of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages allowing guest to eat and drink as much as they want. It provides guests host of land and water activities and a wide range of truly worldclass spa treatments, including Balinese massages, warm stone massages, pure nature facials, reflexology and aromatherapy. There are various facilities for children like Petit Club service for two-three years, Children’s Club from four years old, Passworld, Junior’s Club for teenagers between 11-17 years. Who is your target clientele? With the all inclusive concept, Club Med largely attracts all age groups and types of clientele who want a relaxing hassle-free holiday without worrying about organisation, schedules or costs. For instance, we have families with kids who come largely during festive season. These are the people who would want to enjoy their own space without worrying about their kids. Our resort in Maldives attracts a lot of honeymooners who are looking for a quiet peaceful stay at an exotic location. Another trend identified is that a lot of honeymooners prefer adventure led activities like water sports, etc during their stay. Club Med fits into the concept as all our resorts have various land and water activities from deep sea fishing, sailing, kayaking etc. Up market global Indians, enjoy meeting different nationalities and discovering new cultures, food lovers enjoy discovering different cuisines from Asia, young at heart vacationers and sports enthusiasts love the idea of trying out different sports activities on vacation. What markets are you looking at in India? In India, our main markets at present are Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. What is the growth rate registered in the last year? What growth rate do you expect in 2013? Club Med in India has registered a growth rate of
December 2012
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around 25 per cent every year and with a focused approach we expect to double our number of guests per annum by 2014. What are the marketing and promotional activities in India? In India, our activities are centred around increasing concept awareness in defined markets and business volume by expanding through a strong distribution network of travel agents. We undertake online campaigns, offline media activities, BTL programmes etc that keeps our consumers aware, educated and regularly updated on our offerings and ongoing initiatives. We are working towards creating Club Med specialists with our preferred travel partners who will counsel their customers on our unique holiday offering and are also looking at an aggressive distribution strategy by which it will be available through multi outlets. What are your plans for expanding client base across India? Club Med aims to widen its clientele and cater to various traveller segments like corporate companies, expats, families, honeymooners, enticing holidayers who are looking for a relaxed, all inclusive hassle free holiday, and its Indian marketing office is ensuring an easy access for Indians to this unique holiday concept. Any challenges and problems witnessed within the sector that you would like to highlight? The overall slowdown in economic growth coupled with ever increasing inflation which immediately impacts spending capacity of customer is a challenge. The new tax structure which has made outbound travel even more expensive is a concern. In terms of domestic and inbound tourism, there are various issues like terms of lack of infrastructure, inadequate accommodation, etc. Poor hygiene conditions at tourist spots and other accompanying problem too stall the growth of the industry. We need to take steps to make our destinations tourism friendly so that the industry can reach its full potential. EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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SPACE MARKETING INITIATIVE
PUDUCHERRY TOURISM SPIRITUAL TOURISM
A tranquil haven Puducherry is a place of diverse faiths where followers of different religions find peace and solace in the many places of worship - temples, churches and mosques parts of India. It is now dominated by a Samadhi that is kept in a state of pristine freshness not just by the intricate floral decorations that are placed over the marble surface, but by the air of serene contemplation that so many of the followers of Shri Aurobindo and the Mother bring to their understanding of the message of ‘integral consciousness’. Put simply, it is a state of being that each person can and should aspire to so that human beings can evolve to a higher state of self realisation. Today it has become a
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Mandagupattu It is about 50 km from Puducherry town. This is the location of the first Pallava cave temple for the Hindu trinity- Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva. Called Lakshitayatana, it was built during the reign of Pallava King Mahendra Varman-I.
Thiruvakkarai
n and around Puducherry there are a as many as 350 temples – big and small. Neighbouring Karaikal has another 99. Some were built by the Chola kings between the 10th and 12th centuries. You can locate the architecturally fine sight of the Sri Gokilambar Thirukameswara Temple, 10 km from Puducherry.
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A temple devoted to Lord Siva is situated at Thiruvakkarai, 32 km from Puducherry. This temple was constructed by the Chola queen Sembiyan Madheviyar. Aurlmigu Chandramoulisvaran and Thenambikai are the presiding deities. Every full moon day and night special rituals are conducted and devotees throng the temple throughout the night. Excellent sculptural works and a chariot–like mandapam are other attractions of the temple. A huge statue of the Nandhi and that of Lord Ganesha are noteworthy. Apart form the temple, the place has a National Geological park with a large number of ancient petrified tree trunks that had turned into fossils today.
Thirunallar Temple
Lord Pataleeswarar
The world famous Thirunallar Temple (Shani Temple) is situated in Karaikal. Thirunallar is 5 km west of Karaikal. The sanctum sanctorum of Lord Dharbaraneswarar Temple holds Siva as the main deity. However, its shrine dedicated to Saneeswaran (Saturn) which figures in the story of Nala-Damayanthi; makes this the most famous Saturn Temple in India. The blessings of Saturn are said to be overwhelming, while its wrath causes great misery. The temple hosts a mammoth festival (Shani Peyarchi), each time Saturn moves from one sign of the zodiac to another. This town is also an ideal base for pilgrims wanting to visit the other eight Navagraha temples situated in Tamil Nadu. The temple experiences at least 30,000 pilgrims/tourists on every Saturday and at the Sani peyarchi, a festival held every two and a half years, at least five lakh people gather. The Varadaraja Temple (12th century) in Puducherry is the most important Vishnu temple in town. Vedapureeswarar Temple built in 18th century houses a Siva shrine, stone inscriptions and a swayambhulinga. Manakkula Vinayakar Temple located right behind the Raj Nivas in Puducherry town, is an important land mark in the town. Puducherry has grown considerably since its colonial past, and its present day glory lies with the saint philosopher Aurobindo Ghosh, who founded his ashram here. Sri Aurobindo was a freedom fighter and in 1907 was considered the ‘most dangerous man’ by the British. The only result of the wrath of the British Government was, as he wrote later, “I found God.” The British tried to stop Sri Aurobindo from settling in Puducherry, but he was determined and started the ashram with a mere fifty paise. Situated in the heart of the White Town the Ashram has its own appeal. This was where Shri Aurobindo, the Mother and their immediate followers actually lived surrounded in time by a dedicated community of people from different
Thirupathiripuliyur in Cuddalore district is one of the ancient Saivite shrines in Tamil Nadu sanctified by the visit of two of the four chief Nayanmars, that is Thirunavukkarsar and Thirugnana Sambandhar. The former part of the name of this sacred place indicates the Sthalaviruksha Pathiri Tree and the latter Puliyur indicates the tiger legged saint who made penance in this place. It is 100 metres from Thirupathiripuliyur Railway Station.
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haven for everybody, from stressed out 9 am to 5 pm executives to new age junkies in search of peace.
Manakula Vinayagar Temple The shrine dedicated to ‘Manakula Vinayakar’ existed even at the time of the arrival of the French in Puducherry in 1673. This Ganesh temple is situated on MV Street. Every Friday, people gather here to seek divine blessings for their new ventures. There are about 32 temples in Puducherry. Of these Manakula Vinayagar temple, Sir Vedapureeswarar temple, Kamatchiamman temple and Varadarajaperumal temple are famous.
Sri Gokilambal Thirukameshwara Temple Located in a small town called Villianur, 11 km from Puducherry. The main shrine housing the Shivlinga and the shrines dedicated to the Devi and Murugan date back to the 12th century Chola period. This temple has a little bit of French heritage attached to it, though not in its architecture, but in some of its traditions. The annual Temple Car Festival which is held in the months of May and June, involves the pulling of a 15 metres tall chariot through the streets by a large crowd of devotees. During French colonial rule, the governor of Puducherry used to join this very procession and actively participate in the drawing of the chariot through the streets. This tradition lives even today.
Mailam Murugan Temple It is about 50 km from Puducherry town. There is a Murugan temple atop a hillock. The Panguni Uthhiram festival held in March-April attracts devotees in large numbers. www.expresstravelworld.com
Cathedral and Churches
French missionary zeal in the XVII and XVIII centuries saw a number of grandly embellished churches built in Puducherry. The Church of Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Cathedral, the Eglish de Notre Dame Des Anges are particularly noteworthy.
Eglise De Sacre Coeur De Jesus This church on the South Boulevard is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is noted for its Gothic artchitecture, stained glass corridors and panels depicting incidents from the life of Jesus Christ.
Our Lady of Lourdes Villianur shares its importance, that it is the first shrine constructed for Our Lady of Lourdes in India. And this church is the first in the world to be named after Our Lady of Lourdes outside Lourdes, France. The Statue of Our Lady of Lourdes came from Lourdes under the direct supervision of Bernadette. It was on the April 4, 1877 that the statue arrived at Puducherry and was taken to the cathedral after the three dangerous falls of the box containing the Holy Mother’s statue. To everybody’s amazement, there was no damage to ● the statue. December 2012
M|A|R|K|E|T OUTBOUND
Turismo de Portugal expects to double visitor arrivals from India SUDIPTA DEV - Mumbai
he very first ‘Portugal E x p e r i e n c e Workshop 2012’ organised in Mumbai recently saw a delegation of tour operators and hoteliers from the country interact with the Indian travel trade. Conceding that they have entered the market a bit late, Frederico Costa, president, Turismo de Portugal, however said, “The positive part of it is that having followed others we will not make any mistakes. We are prepared in terms of strategy for this market as this is not a small country nor an easy market, it is almost a continent.” Currently there are very few tourists from India - about
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Frederico Costa
13,000 to 14,000, in the first year - Costa expects to double the numbers. Turismo de Portugal identifies MICE as one of the important target segments from India besides cities, cultural tourism, shopping and golf products. “I think we have a fantastic range of products to give to the Indian tourist,” stated Costa. The important destinations for MICE are Algarve area in the south that is a resort area (beach and golf); Lisbon that offers history, shopping, nightlife and gastronomy; Portu in the north of the capital is the second largest city in Portugal with one million inhabitants which has also excellent facilities for the MICE market.
“Portugal is a very compact country, it is a small destination and very easy to get around. The landscapes are however completely different and we have divergent offerings. You can land in Lisbon and within three hours go north to the mountains or reach south to the beach and golf resorts,” stated Costa, adding that, while their main objective is to promote Portugal as a destination in India, but they are well aware that the combination with Spain also works well. “Our objective is to increase the numbers of nights that Indian tourists stay in Portugal. I think Portugal is well prepared for honeymooners. It is a very romantic place to stay with
history and stories to tell, but a very cosmopolitan and modern as well,” he added. Portugal also has island destinations that are being promoted, e g Madeira and Azores in the Atlantic. Tourists who frequent Portugal are mostly from Europe who visit during June, July, September and October which leaves rest of the year open to other markets. Costa points out that the Indian market works very well in November, February, March and April, which are low months in Portugal. “India is booming and travel agents are looking at new destinations like Portugal to offer to their clients,” he said.
New-age Indian travellers opt for adventure tourism in Nepal SUDIPTA DEV - Singapore
epal witnesses the highest number of tourist arrivals from India. One of the important factors has been an increasing number of airlines from India flying into Kathmandu. “Due to close proximity and close culture our main market is India. This year, till September 2012 the number of Indian visitors have been 1,38,143. The number has increased by 23.1 per cent as compared to the same period the previous year. India is already the biggest market for us but there is still potential for more, which we have to tap. Every year
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Sunil Sharma
we make a plan on the markets and devise our strategy based on the demands of the private sector as they are doing the business,” said Sunil Sharma, manager – Research, Planning & Monitoring, Nepal Tourism Board. Traditionally a leisure and pilgrim destination for Indian visitors, there is a fast emerging segment of young Indian travellers, who are opting for Nepal as a destination for adventure tourism. “We see an increasing number of university and college going Indians going for adventure activities like trekking. That is a big opportunity for Nepal. Adventure tourism is a new
trend seen amongst Indians. I found some NRIs flying in from United States and go directly to trek in Nepal,” said Sharma, pointing out that the Indian Army personnel are interested in mountaineering. They come often to summit Mount Everest. One of the new products that Nepal is offering is The Great Himalayan Trail. Indians are a growing segment who are showing interests in different segments of tourism products that Nepal offers as a destination. “One of the main segments is the cultural highlights of Nepal. Those who come from north India are more for the leisure seg-
ment, while south Indians have keen interest in pilgrimage sites. The north Indians are adventurous as well,” informed Sharma. The leisure segment visits Kathmandu followed by Chitwan National Park,and then Pokhara. The MICE market has also been growing from India. “When you come to Kathmandu within 45 minutes drive you are on the countryside around Kathmandu Valley where you can see the Himalayan range. So you can have a conference on the backdrop of the Himalayan range. They are also enthralled by the beauty of Pokhara,” pointed out Sharma.
Turkish Tourism to focus on wedding and honeymoon segments KAHINI CHAKRABORTY - Mumbai
he Turkish Ministry of Culture & Tourism in association with Turkish Hotelier Federation organised a five-city roadshow in Mumbai, Bengaluru; Chennai; Hyderabad and Delhi. The aim of organising the roadshow was to increase awareness and educate the Indian travel agents about wedding, golf and honeymoon destinations in Turkey.
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Talking to Express TravelWorld on the sidelines of the event, Özgür Aytürk, culture and tourism counsellor, Turkey said, “Turkey has been famous for its cultural and historical attractions, but now we are looking at focusing on attracting wedding, honeymoon and golf segment. Our India plans for the coming year would include attending regular trade events, conducting roadshows and other promotional activiwww.expresstravelworld.com
ties. Having said that, this is the first time that the Turkish Hotelier Federation is here for the event. The main aim of bringing the federation was to provide them a good platform for a better understanding of the India market along with showcasing their properties to travel agents. For the coming year we have also increased our promotional budget which has been earmarked for US$ two million.” Ceylan Ozen Erisen, con-
sul general, Turkish Consulate, Mumbai said, “Turkey as a destination has diverse attractions. We would also like to attract Bollywood and host more sporting events for Indians.” In 2011, Turkey received 31.4 million foreign tourists of which 74,000 were from India. In 2012, from January to September, the arrivals from India reached 66,700. Turkey is also expecting a 20 per cent growth in the future. December 2012
M|A|R|K|E|T OUTBOUND
Saint-Tropez aims to lure individual Indian travellers SAYONI BHADURI – Mumbai
aint-Tropez, part of the French Riveira, is looking at the high-end individual Indian traveller. Discussing further the strategy for India, Claude Maniscalo, director, Saint-Tropez Tourism informed, “We have seen an increase in the number of Indians coming to Saint Tropez in the last three years. The strategy for growth for India is to keep the information flowing and welcome all those who are willing to come. We however are not looking for volume of business but more of quality. We want visitors who appreciate the ambiance, culture and the history the village has to offer.For 2011-12 we have seen 5000 Indians staying overnight at Saint-Tropez.” The year 2012 was celebrated as the Year of India in Saint Tropez. The town offered itself as a platform for showcasing Indian art and
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culture to its five million visitors. “We are also partnering in Gitanjali Fair taking place in Puducherry. This is a literary fair where authors from France and India as well as authors who write in either language will come together. It will be conducted every year with alternating destinations of Saint-Tropez and Puducherry,” said Maniscalo.
The aim of partnering with such an event is to create a stronger connect with the people and make them aware of the destination. Henri Prevost-Allard, deputy mayor and in charge of tourism, Saint-Tropez said, “We have to continuously work to inform and attract visitors. India is growing and it is the market of tomorrow. We
are working with the Indian Embassy to organise an Indian film festival either pre or post the Cannes film festival. This will allow us to showcase Saint Tropez as a great film location.” Saint-Tropez Film Commission, which is the first in Europe, can assist and help with location and even technical requirements of a film crew.
INBOUND
O-Six Travel & Hospitality to expand its niche product offerings KAHINI CHAKRABORTY - Mumbai
-Six Travel & Hospitality Group, through its various niche brands which include LeapFrog Holidays, AQ Active Travel, 360 Degree Himalaya and Back Country Caravan Safaris, is expanding its niche product offerings. In the near future, the company plans to transform 360 Degree Himalaya into an inbound operator, which currently offers Himalayan destination specialised products to domestic travellers. Apart from this, it also plans to introduce hop-on-hop-off tours within the Himalayan region. It will look at pushing active travel in India under its brand AQ Active Travel and introduce a line-up of global brands offering products for all ages and special interest groups. Once the company receives all the onground logistics and clearances to introduce Campervans, it will introduce caravan safaris in the market by early next year. While LeapFrog Holidays will focus on increasing its geographical presence across the coun-
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Sandeep Khandelwal try as well as MICE products, both domestically as well as outbound. Talking about the company's brands and expansion plans, Sandeep Khandelwal, CEO, O-SIX Travel & Hospitality Group said, “The brands are designed to cater to the specific needs of guests. Each brand has been established keeping in mind the different types of travellers, because there is a huge gap when it comes to www.expresstravelworld.com
classifying guests, whether domestic or outbound. Keeping this diverse target group satisfied is what we aim to achieve by setting up the different, well carved brands offering customised services for each sub group. We consider ourselves pioneers of 'all inclusive' tour packages. Our group departure products include the basic land package, air fare, taxes, sightseeing, meals. We have plans to go online with all our products and deals. We do not want to be in the domain of ticket booking, hotel bookings, but complete tour packages for inbound, outbound and domestic guests.” Elaborating on the current market scenario of the travel industry and the reason for the expansion plan, Khandelwal added, “Given the market conditions, it is a time for smart consolidation. You cannot put everything under the same brand. You have to consider the smaller sub groups of consumers. Everyone is not looking for the same kind of product. Apart from the need to have niche brands with focused
products, the tourism industry is too fragmented in India. The smaller travel agents may not have the buying/negotiating bandwidth with the suppliers and delivery capabilities. To maximise on their overall travel experience, people have started booking individual elements of the tour online, tickets, hotels, local transfers, etc, on which a travel agent with a sizable operation and repute among the suppliers can provide an all round satisfying service. Due to the gap in travel experiences between smaller traveller agents and organised operators, the latter faces trouble convincing the consumer of its capabilities. The consumer today is well researched, well informed, especially when spending big on an international holiday with the family. Presently the size of the Indian travel and hospitality industry is pegged at approximately US$ 118 billion according to a report by WTTC. An individual brand is fine, but it is essential for those brands to have a firm backing of a group with long term goals and foresight.” EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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M|A|R|K|E|T NEWSTRACK
STB brings in new ‘Shiok’ tourism offerings to India market Announces Phase Two of marketing campaign REEMA LOKESH - Mumbai
hiok’ seems to be a word in Singapore that is used to express ultimate happiness and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) aims to bring in the ‘Shiok’ experience for its Indian clientele by unleashing its second phase of marketing campaign for the Indian leisure travellers, titled ‘Singapore - The Holiday You Take Home With You’, showcasing latest tourism offerings in the region. Apart from the established Universal Studios Singapore, Sentosa and Night Safari, the country has added, the Gardens By The Bay, Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore and the soon-to-be-opened Marine Life Park at the Resorts World Sentosa and River Safari into its product fold to ensure incoming business from both first timers and repeat visitors.
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Revised guidelines on Tourist Visa The Indian Government has reviewed the provision relating to the two month gap between two visits of a foreign national to India on a Tourist Visa. It has been decided to lift the restriction of the two month gap on reentry of foreign nationals coming to India except in case of nationals of Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, Bangladesh, foreigners of Pakistan and Bangladesh origins and stateless persons.
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“Singapore continually evolves its tourism offerings. The country’s tourism appeal received a major boost after the opening of the two integrated resorts. Within the next six months new attractions and various experiential offerings will help push this tourism transformation even further. Increasingly, the discerning global Indian travellers seek fresh and varied travel experiences catering to their passions and interests. Singapore offers a concentration of personalisable leisure experiences and with 'Singapore - The Holiday You Take Home With You' campaign, we continue to engage and connect with the Indian travellers. We are happy to collaborate with our partners - Thomas Cook and Mercury Travels, who have partnered since Phase One of the campaign; and MakeMyTrip and Kuoni India, who have come onboard for the Phase Two, to reach out to travellers and
ensure that they have wonderful holidays in Singapore.” said Chang Chee Pey, executive director, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, Singapore Tourism Board. STB is partnering with the four travel agents, with pan-India presence to promote Singapore’s leisure offerings on print, digital and social media. Sharing his views on the new attractions, G B Srithar, area director, South Asia, marketing, STB, said, “Singapore is the ideal family holiday destination for India. The tourism products that the board designs and implements are the result of extensive research, analysis and sustainability study. It comes to you after a long homework and hence most of the products have seen consistent success.” Gardens by the Bay opened in June 2012 has highlights like the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest cooled conservatories, 18 Supertrees, changing floral displays in the Flower Dome,
a specially choreographed light and sound show at the Supertree Grove, and a series of interpretive media and narratives that bring to life the story of plants. Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore marks a significant development for the cruise landscape in Singapore and the ASEAN region. It delivers an enhanced and seamless travel experience for cruise passengers. The terminal serves to further anchor Singapore’s position as an attractive homeport for cruise lines with it state-of-the-art facilities and proximity to the new Marina Bay precinct and Singapore Changi Airport. The recently opened Marine Life park has become the main attraction at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and is considered to be the world's largest oceanarium. River Safari, scheduled to open in first quarter 2013, will be Asia’s first river-themed park, with the largest collection of fresh water wildlife.
Silversea unveils itinerary for World Cruise 2014 ETW STAFF - Mumbai
ilversea Cruises has taken the wraps off its World Cruise 2014, a 113-day odyssey from Los Angeles to Barcelona aboard Silver Whisper, January 6 to April 30, 2014. Silversea celebrates its 20th anniversary next year and will launch the festivities with this stimulating exploration of the world. Guests aboard World Cruise 2014 will journey in luxury as they visit 54 destinations in 29 countries, enjoying 12 overnight stays along the way. Silver Whisper will follow a westward path across the Pacific to call on lush Polynesia and lands Down Under, including Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Australia and New Zealand. From there, the ship will sail up to the remote island of Koror and then head west to spend a month exploring fascinating Asian cultures — from China, Japan, and Vietnam to Thailand, Singapore, and India — including three days in Yangon, Myanmar. Silver Whisper will conclude her global tour calling on modern capitals and ancient
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cities in the Mediterranean. “We designed the itinerary for next year's World Cruise based on input from our past guests,” said Steve Odell, president for Europe and Asia Pacific, Silversea. “It's a world voyage
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crafted for connoisseurs. With several overnight visits and late-night departures, our guests will have plenty of time for in-depth cultural exploration in places that most travellers only dream about,” he added. December 2012
M|A|R|K|E|T HOTEL TALK
Marine Life Park, new hotels add to Resorts World Sentosa's MICE capacity SUDIPTA DEV - Singapore
ith an inventory of more than 1,500 rooms, Resorts World Sentosa has opened two new hotels this year - Equarius Hotel and Beach Villas. “We will soon open Marine Life Park - the world’s largest oceanarium – by the end of the year. This would enable us to host even bigger events with our increased capacity. At the same time, there would be even more unique event spaces and venues such as the Ocean Gallery. These will no doubt give a boost to our MICE offerings and provide different experiences for returning business travellers,” said the MICE spokesperson of Resorts World Sentosa. He pointed out that the location of the resort allows business guests to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, yet remain a stone’s throw away from it, making other attractions and facilities easily accessible from the resort. Given the strong presence of multinational companies in Singapore, most of the MICE clients for Resorts World Sentosa come from Singapore as
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well as the Asian region. “These include Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Greater China and India. We also have a dynamic and dedicated MICE team that will be able to offer comprehensive packages to our Indian clients, with global and local knowledge of different cultures, sited at the heart of Asia. Cookie cutter events are definitely
not our signature,” added the spokesperson. Resorts World Sentosa has also been participating in trade shows in India to create awareness of the product and services. Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore is one of the most unique MICE destinations in Asia that can cater to as many as 35,000 delegates at one time, and more
so because of the interesting MICE options that are no where else available in this part of the world. For instance, a column-free ballroom that can seat 6,500 delegates, 37 function rooms and 20 varied event venues, Southeast Asia’s only Universal Studios theme park, and the upcoming oceanarium.
Duet India hotels and IHG bring in first Holiday Inn Express in India, with 18 due over time REEMA LOKESH -Ahmedabad
he Indian hospitality industry has witnessed a new joint venture partnership in the recent times between Duet India Hotels (DIH) and IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group). The partnership will witness the opening up of 19 Holiday Inn Express hotels with the first already being launched in Ahmedabad recently. DIH holds 76 per cent stake and IHG has 24 per cent equity stake in this partnership. Naveen Jain, president, Duet India Hotels said, “We are totally focussed towards making this brand a success in India. We have got the right partners and together we are committed to provide the consumer a smart hotel with all the right needs for the business traveller.” Reiterating the company’s faith in the India market and its launch in Ahmedabad, Dougles Martell, VP operations, South West Asia, IHG,
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added, “We found the city right for the brand and are confident that the clients will value the service the brand provides, namely free WiFi
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across the hotel, free breakfast, good sleep and shower facility. We are committed to India and have great partners in the India market.” EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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Parag Milk Foods looks at promoting dairy tourism KAHINI CHAKRABORTY Mumbai
une-based Parag Milk Foods, private dairy company and manufacturers of Gowardhan and Go brands, is looking at promoting its Bhagyalaxmi Dairy Farm as a tourist spot to promote dairy tourism. Speaking exclusively to Express TravelWorld on this new development, Devendra Shah, chairman, Parag Milk Foods said, “We at Parag are constantly innovating and finding ways of touching our consumer’s lives with new and exciting products. I am looking at this as a concept which is new and unique. Our consumption of dairy products in daily routine consists of 30-35 per cent, hence consumers are keen to know about the making of dairy products and this tour will help them understand it.”
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The approximately `850 crore company has been exporting its Gowardhan brand of butter, milk powder, etc, to nearly 47 countries since 2000. Also its range of cheese products are sold under the brand 'Go' which it exports to 15 countries. Elaborating on the facilities of the farm, Shah added, “The Bhagyalaxmi Dairy Farm is spread over 40 acres and equipped with the best technology for milking and bottling. The farm boasts of a count of over 3,000 cows called Holstein-Friesian and has unique facilities and state-of-the-art rotary parlour system. The special team of personnel are trained and lead by Edmund V Piper, who has over 30 years of experience in the dairy industry and a degree in agriculture.” Talking about how the company is looking to promote the dairy tourism concept, Shah informed, “So
Devendra Shah far we are not in talks with any travel agents or state tourism boards for our promotional activities. But in the future for the larger scale we definitely need their support. We will begin by using the print media
and later look at attending trade fairs for creating awareness.” The company is continuously engaged in research and development for new products. It recently launched UHT milk, lassi and paneer in the market. “We have a large market share in institutional sales, almost 30-35 per cent,” informed Shah. On the business opportunity in dairy products segment in the market, he opined, “The milk and dairy category in India is only growing bigger. I am sure with more domestic and international players coming in, the market and demand would only expand. The challenge therefore for any brand would be to increase their distribution, create value offerings for consumers and constantly reinvent and innovate, thereby creating a differentiation in the consumers' minds.”
Swosti Group renovates Swosti Hotel, to be branded as premium boutique hotel JOY ROY CHOUDHURY - Kolkata
hubaneswar-based Swosti Group recently renovated and refurbished its existing property, Swosti Hotel and has upgraded it to a premium
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boutique hotel. Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Pradeep Kumar Vaid, vice presidentoperations, Swosti Group said, “The Swosti Group has fully renovated and refurbished Swosti Hotel
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into a premium boutique hotel as part of its exercise to renovate and refurbish all its existing properties in Odisha.” Swosti Group owns three properties in Odisha. The 159-keys Swosti Premium, is
another hotel situated at Bhubaneswar having the largest convention centre of Eastern India. It also owns, Swosti Palm Resort, the only luxury resort at Gopalpur-onsea. He said that the group has ambitious plans to open up several new hotels and resorts at other important tourist locations of the state like Puri, Chilika and Satapada. “Setting up worldclass facilities along with providing best quality food and services will be our aim,” he added. The hotel has been completely renovated and facelift has been given to the lobby area and the guestrooms. New F&B outlets like a multi-cuisine restaurant, a 24-hour Coffee Shop and a pub have been added. Oceana, the 45-seater theme bar is the latest addition to the hotel. The newly opened 79-pax family restaurant offers Indian, Chinese, Continental, Odishi and Bengali cuisine. December 2012
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SKAL International Bombay
Carl Vaz, chairman & CEO, Charson Advisory Services and director of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, India Representative Office has been appointed as the president of SKAL International Bombay.
InterGlobe Technology Quotient
InterGlobe Technology Quotient (ITQ) has appointed Sandeep Dwivedi as the company’s chief commercial officer. In his new role, Dwivedi will be spearheading all functions pertaining to sales and e-commerce for ITQ. He will also play a significant role in overall growth and profitability of ITQ driving the development of electronic distribution and revenue channels for both traditional brick and mortar travel agencies and other non-traditional GDS users.
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Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau
Karen Bolinger, chief executive officer of the Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau (MCVB) has announced the appointment of Jasmine Lim as director, International Incentives. Lim has been with MCVB for six years, starting out as regional sales manager, South East Asia before being promoted to regional sales director, South Asia in 2009. Lim replaces Edwina San in the role of director, International Incentives.
GetThere GetThere has appointed Swapnil Sawant as country manager to lead the company’s growth in India. In his role, he will work from his base in Mumbai to assist GetThere’s stable of multi-national corporate clients as they expand their online travel programmes and introduce GetThere’s booking tool. Sawant will report to GetThere APAC regional director, Grant Rattray.
Cathay Pacific Airways
Naveed A. Khan has been appointed as area sales manager – Western India (Andhra Pradesh) of Cathay Pacific Airways. Khan will oversee passenger sales and revenue for Cathay Pacific and will be responsible for the development and execution of sales strategy for the region. With a total work experience of 12 years, Khan began his career in the hospitality industry in July 2000 as a management trainee.
VISIT FLORIDA
VISIT FLORIDA has announced the selection of Will Seccombe as its new president and CEO. Seccombe, VISIT FLORIDA’s chief marketing officer since 2008, has been serving as the acting president and CEO since Chris Thompson’s departure to head Brand USA. Seccombe has over 23 years of professional experience including nineteen years in the Colorado tourism industry.
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J Sajeev Kumar has been appointed as Cathay Pacific Airways’ cargo manager – Andhra Pradesh. Kumar will oversee cargo sales and revenue for Cathay Pacific and is responsible for the development and execution of cargo sales strategy for the region. Kumar began his career in 1993 with the airline industry in the capacity of reservation and ticketing agent and thereafter moved to sales with SriLankan Airlines GSA in Kerala.
Amadeus Asia Pacific Amadeus has appointed international travel industry expert, Hazem Hussein, to head up its Asia Pacific airline group operations. As part of the global airline IT executive leadership team, Hussein will lead the group and direct the company’s commercial airline strategy for both its airline IT and distribution businesses, with responsibility for the considerable market opportunity in Asia Pacific.
Siddhant Iyer has been appointed Cathay Pacific Airways’ cargo manager – Western India. Iyer will oversee cargo sales and revenue for Cathay Pacific and will be responsible for the development and execution of cargo sales strategy for the region. With total experience of 11 years, Iyer began his career in the aviation industry in February 2001 as a customer service agent with Jet Airways.
Etihad Airways Etihad Airways has appointed Abbas Al Ali as its general manager in Libya. Abbas has over 20 years of experience in the aviation industry and will lead the commercial activities of Etihad Airways in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Ali joined Etihad Airways in 2004 and previously served as the airline’s country manager in Morocco.
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Management
INSIGHT INTO THE TRAVEL MARKET
COVER STORY
Old endings, new beginnings Every year brings with it new hopes and plans, some that succeed while others stay static. Year 2012 too had its share of highs and lows. Express TravelWorld looks back at the year that was.
f some doomsday predictions are to be believed then 2012’s December cover story may be the last one written. But as optimists we feel 2013 will bring in renewed energy and hope once again for all of us to live and learn. Factors like dollar rate shooting up and increase in airfares have attributed in dampening the general morale of the industry. Diwali this year was, in particular, lacklustre. There have however been some positive developments and decisions (though very few on paper) that the industry should take note of. Countries that had ignored the Indian market in the past have made inroads in 2012 to tap the India outbound business with Portugal and Bulgaria being the latest to join the bandwagon. India won special awards at the WTM 2012 event and also had an
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encouraging there.
participation
New circuits, sanctions and tie-ups On the home turf, in January 2012 the ministry of tourism identified 45 Mega T o u r i s t Destinations/Circuits in consultation with the concerned state governments/Union Territories(UTs) to be developed. During the same time, India signed an MoU on tourism with ASEAN. This lead to some progress made in the implementation of the work plan for the development of ASEAN-India cooperation in Buddhist pilgrimage tourism including the production and promotion of materials and documentary films on Buddhist pilgrimage in ASEAN-India. The main objectives of the MoU was to cooperate in facilitating travel and tourist visits, further strengthen the www.expresstravelworld.com
tourism partnership, enhance mutual assistance and human resource development for tourism sector, take necessary steps for exploring avenues of cooperation and sharing of information, exchange information pertaining to statistics and development strategies, investment opportunities and economic data in tourism, travel and hospitality sectors relevant to each other and jointly organise seminars, workshops and face-to-face meetings wherever possible, with a view to exploring and discussing new opportunities and avenues for the development and promotion of tourism. Apart from the ASEAN countries there were proactive exchange for tourism promotion between the SAARC countries at the first SAARC Tour Operators Conclave. Setting up of Gurukuls under the Rural Tourism
Scheme - development and promotion of tourism is primarily undertaken by state g o v e r n m e n t s / U T Administrations. However, under its Rural Tourism Scheme, ministry of tourism provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) to them for activities involving development of rural tourism including propagation of the Gurukul process. So far, MoT has sanctioned CFA for tourism projects at 185 villages across the country. The mid months also witnessed some action on protection of lake tourism. During mid 2012, the ministry of environment and forests identified 115 wetlands including lakes, in the country, covering 24 states and two UTs, for conservation and management under National Wetland Conservation Programme. A MoU on Campaign Clean India between the ministry of tourism and the December 2012
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ministry of railways was signed in July this year. Indian Railways have taken a number of steps for improving cleanliness by way of Green Toilets, clean railway stations, rag picking contracts, washable aprons on platforms, mechanised cleaning on the stations and on-board service schemes, etc. As per the MoU the two ministries will work together towards a sustained sensitisation campaign for train travellers and service providers under the Capacity Building for Service Providers Scheme of the MoT and for consultations and discussions with the stake holders, including the travel trade, to evolve strategies for the up-keep and cleanliness of stations and coaches. The ministry of railways will work towards the provision of controlled access to the stations and provision of chemical toilets in trains to keep the stations clean. It will encourage the hotels and travel trade associations, companies and corporate houses to adopt railway stations. In return, the ministry of railways will offer advertising opportunities to the patrons. MoT will undertake branding of long distance trains running on important routes in different regions of the country, whereby one side would depict important tourism sites of the country and the other side would carry Campaign Clean India messages on mutually agreed routes and terms. Further, MoT has appointed a National Level December 2012
Consultant (NLC) to identify some spiritual tourism circuits, including the Sufi Circuit, for integrated development in association with the states/UTs for development during the 12th Plan period. The list of Sufi Circuits identified by NLC are : 1. Delhi – Fatehpur Sikri Ajmer 2. Mumbai – Aurangabad - Shirdi 3. Sufi circuit of Bihar 4. Hyderabad – Bijapur Gulbarga Development and promotion of places of tourist interest, including development and promotion of spiritual/pilgrim circuits are primarily undertaken by the state governments/UT Administrations themselves. However, MoT provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for tourism projects including wayside amenities, identified in consultation with them, subject to availability of funds and inter-se priority under various schemes of the ministry.
Notable announcements Inclusion of Western Ghats in UNESCO List: 39 locations in the Western Ghats in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have been inscribed as a World Heritage Site in the UNESCO World Heritage List during the 36th session of World Heritage Committee held in July, 2012 at St Petersburg, Russia. This is an interesting development for India and there are a number of activities that can be introduced www.expresstravelworld.com
with this new announcement for the benefit of tourism. Direct investments in tourism: Hotels and tourism sector is declared as high priority sector and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) upto 100 per cent, under the automatic route is permitted, subject to applicable laws/regulations, security and other conditionalities. The FDI has been allowed with an objective to encourage investments in the hotel sector in India and to create job opportunities in hospitality sector. National workshop on Hunar Se Rozgar Yojna: The Hunar Se Rozgar Scheme consists of six weeks training programme in food and beverage services and eight weeks training programme in food production. In order to deliver maximum benefits to the society, Indian Tourist Development Corporation (ITDC) has entered into tieups with eminent organisations and reputed NGOs. The initiative has been well received and is one of the successful ventures of the MoT. Youth trained under this scheme have been absorbed in various hotel chains where they are performing commendably. Thus encouraged, ITDC, under Hunar Se Rozgar banner, has plans to start the training scheme in new trade courses which are designed to enhance the employability aspects based on the demand of the industry, that is, front office, security, retail marketing
and drivers. ITDC has ambitious plans to impart training to more than 5000 candidates in the financial year 2012-2013 under the scheme. So far 2351 students have been trained in the areas of food production and F&B services through ITDC’s various hotel units. Additionally, 1130 more students are undergoing the training programme in various hotels of ITDC across the country. India Tourism launches two new campaigns: India Tourism has launched two new campaigns - an international campaign called ‘Find What You Seek’ and a domestic campaign called ‘Go Beyond’. These campaigns were launched at the World Travel Market-2012, in London. Expressing his views on the same, K Chiranjeevi, union tourism minister said that the launch of these campaigns reflects an important paradigm shift in the strategy to promote India within the country and abroad. The ‘Go Beyond’ campaign focuses on promoting lesser known destinations to domestic as well as international tourists. He further added, “Till now, we had been promoting India internationally from the point of view of the destinations. The Incredible India campaigns which we had launched in 2002 has been extremely successful. In our ‘Take II’ of the Incredible India campaign, we are going to focus on the consumer. In 'Find What You Seek' campaign tourists EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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from the world over can find the destination or product of their desire in India, be it heritage sites, forts, beaches, backwaters, lakes, mountains, adventure, wildlife, culture, festivals, medical, wellness, MICE, religion or shopping. India offers something for everyone and that is why we proudly say that India is an incredible destination with a range of products as found nowhere else. It is truly in India, you will find what you are seeking.” India participation at WTM 2012 was also bigger than last year. The India pavilion space was about 15 per cent higher than 2011. This year, there were over 110 Indian participants from the trade, state governments and UT Administrations at the event. At WTM 2012, India was conferred with three awards by the World Travel Awards organisation. These awards were - 'Asia’s leading destination', 'Asia’s leading tourist attraction – Taj Mahal' and 'Asia’s Leading Tourist Board'. Coinciding with the WTM Event 2012, the minister also attended UNWTO Ministers’ Summit held to discuss the subject ‘Open Borders and Open Skies: Breaking Barriers to Travel’ and held discussions with Taleb Rafai, secretary general, UNWTO; Hugh Robertson, minister of sports and tourism, UK and Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, tourism minister of South Africa. He assured them that India will continue to play an important and pro-active role for promoting global
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tourism. Reviewed guidelines for Tourist Visa: The government has recently reviewed the provision relating to two months gap between two visits of a foreign national to India on a Tourist Visa. It has been decided to lift the restriction of two month gap on re-entry of foreign nationals coming to India except in case of nationals of Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, Bangladesh, foreigners of Pakistan and Bangladesh origins and stateless persons. This is the latest announcement that has come in from MoT, which should end the year with a positive flavour. This relaxation should work as a boon for inbound tourism and hence improve the tourism picture in general. Chiranjeevi has welcomed the decision of the ministry of home affairs relating to the Tourist Visa. The tourism minister has said that this decision has addressed a long pending demand of the travel industry and would facilitate tourists visiting the country. MoT has set a target of increasing the share of India in world tourist arrivals from the current 0.6 per cent to 1 per cent by the end of the 12th plan period and a relaxation in the visa regime would contribute to a large extent in achieving this target.
Positive outlook The union tourism minister also said that India would be hosting the next meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for www.expresstravelworld.com
South Asia and Far East and Pacific in April-May 2013 in Hyderabad. India is currently the chairperson of the UNWTO Regional Commission for South Asia. Chiranjeevi expressed his happiness over the fact that UK has withdrawn its advisory against travel to Jammu and Kashmir. He said, “We are going to initiate a fresh dialogue for entering in to a MoU with UK on tourism cooperation.” The minister said that India and South Africa have agreed to work together for protecting the tourism interests of developing nations jointly. He stated, “We have also agreed to hold the first meeting of the Joint Working Group on Tourism Cooperation with South Africa at the earliest with the objective of enhancing tourist traffic between the two countries.” Chiranjeevi pointed out that India’s position was 38th in the world in terms of world tourist arrivals and 17th in terms of world tourism receipts. Expressing concern over this fact he added, “Our endeavour is to increase India’s share from 0.6 per cent to 1 per cent in world tourist arrivals by 2016. My efforts would be to make tourism as India’s main economic and political agenda taking all state governments, UTs and stakeholders on board and establish India as round the year destination. Our focus would be to further develop and promote niche products like Rural Tourism, Wellness and Medical Tourism, Cruise Tourism,
Adventure and Wildlife Tourism, Film Tourism, Sports Tourism and MICE Tourism.” Referring to his priorities the minister said his endeavor would be to: facilitate development of synergy between various departments/ministries, state governments, UTs and the industry for development of tourism, make India an affordable destination by facilitating development of budget accommodation, ease visa regime and expand Tourist Visa on Arrival Scheme to additional important source market countries, expand human resource base and create new employment opportunities. Chiranjeevi mentioned, “Our effort should be to give and promote experiential tourism and showcase true India. The visitors to India should be compelled to come again and again and revisit the experience because of its rich diversity. I am aware of hygiene and sanitation concerns. To improve these standards, MoT has launched Campaign Clean India. I would be especially focusing for the success of this campaign.” The coming year is predicted to bring in more excitement on the tourism front, with an increased focus and energy on domestic tourism, infrastructure development and few concessions that will help provide greater impetus to the sector. All we can say is let us hope for the best and keep the good work going, joining in which ever little way we can. December 2012
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Canadian connections The recently held Showcase Canada 2012 in Osaka clearly reinstated Canada’s commitment to the India market. Reema Lokesh finds out that new products are keen to make inroads in India
he recently concluded, Canadian T o u r i s m Commission’s (CTC) 4th annual marketplace Showcase Canada Asia 2012 event which was held in Osaka, Japan, attended by four of CTC’s key international markets - China, Japan, Korea and India, witnessed over 250 buyers and 87 sellers spread across the four countries. There were 40 Indian buyers pan India who attended the event. The Indian buyers along with their Canadian suppliers were upbeat about their business links and were unanimous in their opinion that their partnership is
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long-term and based on sound market research and customer feedback. For Bob Nicholas, vice-president, global sales and Robert A Halfpenny, director, sales – Asia Pacific, Rocky Mountaineer, India is their strongest market by far and they only see strengthening their ties further with the Indian partners in the future. The event received a positive response from the India market and the buyers felt the destination is definitely getting increasingly serious and committed to the India market over the years. The event which has a proven format of pre-
Via Rail Canada registers 20 per cent increase in India passangers VIA Rail, the national railway service of Canada has seen an increase in the number of Indian passengers travelling to Canada. Indian passengers using VIA Rail services is accelerating steadily and the trend has seen an increase of 20 more Indians using the rail since 2011. Realising the importance of Indian tourism as an emerging sector, VIA plans to work on a consultative basis with the India’s travel trade to provide extensive product knowledge and destination information. The national railway service of Canada has a marketing strategy focused on partnering with the Canadian Tourism Commission to promote activities and engage the industry with familiarisation trips. Starting December, six new departures from Montréal, Québec City, Ottawa and Toronto, as well as a new route, Québec City to Ottawa via Montréal, will be added to the VIA Rail schedule. Addressing concerns of vegetarian food and excess luggage faced by many Indian travellers, the company assures that their policies are well suited for Indians. Travellers will be able to sit back and enjoy the quality of the on-board service, the world-class mobile Wi-Fi and the comfort of rail travel. VIA Rail has up to 497 departures weekly, connects over 450 Canadian communities, transports 4.1 million passengers yearly.
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posted a 14.9 per cent increase in Indian visitors over 2010, welcoming 77,286 Indian travellers Total spending by travellers from this market grew 11.2 per cent to US$160.9 million. Till now the year-todate per cent change in Indian arrivals to Canada is 7.7 per cent and we hope to close it in a double digit.”
Addressing buyer demand
scheduled appointments and networking events, allowed Canadian sellers to meet with buyers from China, Japan, Korea and India in an intense businessto-business marketplace. Canada aims to continue its efforts to work closely with its buyers and offer buyers new products on a consistent basis. The trade action unfolded over five days (1519 October) at the RitzCarlton in Osaka, Japan. From hospitality suppliers, ground handling companies, tourism boards to a gamut of tourism products, ranging from adventure to gourmet tourism were present at the event. Chalres McKee, VP, International, CTC and Siobhan Chretien, regional MD, CTC, were upbeat about the India market. They clearly expressed their view that India has emerged as one of their top promising markets with an encouraging increase in business from the region. CTC's Canada specialist training programmes, which is at two levels in nine languages and 11 models, is an www.expresstravelworld.com
online self tool which works as an effective model for product knowledge. Highlighting the growth story further, SanJeet, Indian representative, CTC, said, “Ever since its inception in India the CTC has captured a greater share of the Indian long-haul market. Canada has a diverse and unique set of experiences that has helped to lure highyield visitors. It has everything for everyone. Indian travellers view Canada with great interest as a new vista to explore. In 2012, we connected with consumers, trade and media in different ways through joint marketing initiatives, travel-agent training, sales activities and organised visits to experience Canada first-hand. The figures for the past few years have been indicating a mixed profile of Indian travellers to Canada.” Sharing some statistics, he further adds, “During the period January to December 2011, Canada welcomed 139,213 Indian visitors, a rise of 9.1 per cent over the past year. In 2011 Ontario
The suppliers sounded upbeat about their business links with Indian buyers and many did agree that they were getting increasingly aware of the needs, temperaments and preferences of the Indian traveller as compared to the past. There are products that are being designed to meet the requirement of the customer. From printing regional language brochures for the client to that of offering the facility to bring a cook, there are a host of examples to prove that Canada Tourism is keen to invest further in India. Barbara Kosterski, principal, Perk Consulting and representative Banff Aspen Lodge rightly mentions, “As buyers and sellers we need to understand each other to work well as partners. We need to teach each other. It is important to meet the needs of the Indian customer and provide the flexibility when it comes to food as per their requirement.” A Douglas Birrell, president, Canadian Niagara Hotels, which is Niagara Falls’ largest hotel, restaurant and entertainment complex, is also of the opinion EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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Buyers Speak Madhuri Erach Kanga, partner, Ahura Travels, Mumbai It was a very good platform to meet quality suppliers and proved to be an excellent interactive opportunity between buyers and sellers. There were a lot of products being introduced which I was also aware of. We have a lot of options to provide to our clients and I am confident we can sell Canada well. We are in touch with all these buyers and were happy to be part of the experience. People were informative and friendly. In fact one of the sellers even came over to Mumbai to visit us after the event. We are promoting it as a destination. Mahendra Vakharia, MD, Pathfinders Holidays, Ahmedabad I am attending it for the second time and there are new products to see. The market has matured to accept new products. The Gujarat market is very strong for Canada. USA, Canada and the Alaskan cruise are getting very popular. Vegetarian food is no more a hindrance as the destination caters to same. Samina Munshi, director, N Chirag Travels, New Delhi, This was the first Canada Showcase I attended and it was a fruitful experience. We are in touch with the hoteliers and suppliers and we are expecting bookings from March onwards as the traffic starts then. We are also selling Canada as an
that it is crucial to cater to the Indian palate. Indians come into the area all year round and they are an important segment to the business, he feels. But he is also keen to educate the client on things that one can do beyond just the Niagara experience in the region. Education seems to be the keyword that both the buyers and sellers need to keep in mind while selling the destination. Apart from Indian citizens who have started visiting Canada as a destination, there is a large population of NRIs who visit the place from the USA and also venture into domestic journeys within Canada. Further, the VFR traffic from India and other regions into Canada are also witnessing a changing trend. The VFR segment is starting to live in hotels and other accommodation options rather than living with their families. This observation was expressed by Ursula Barda, national sales manager, and Tim
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Oldfield, MD, Choice Hotels Canada. They were of the opinion that the demand from India is on the rise which is encouraging. Offering modified breakfast plans to suit the Indian demand is also what they offer to the clients. Nathalie Revah, national director, tour and travel for Gouverner Hotels, has gone ahead by printing brochures in Hindi and also documented Indian restaurants in the
exclusive destination and are planning itineraries accordingly. Jatin Shah, Comfort Holidays, Mumbai Canada is a new product which is receiving encouraging response from our clientele.The business is on the rise.We cater to large movements of the Jain community and also carry our own chef with us to the destination. We are upbeat about the Canadian market. Manish Kriplani, Baywatch Destination Management, Chennai People in the South of India are very well travelled. They are constantly looking for new destinations. Canada as a destination fits in well in its place. Jasper, Whistler and the snow capped hills and regions are an attraction. Pratika Shete, Kesari Tours, manager – commercial & contracting, Mumbai Canada Tourism is working hard with the India market. The showcase event was very helpful as we could get new ideas and new products could be developed. We are selling it for years, it is not a new destination for us, but the logistics does create some hindrance and it will take a little while to be a leading long haul destination.
region for the benefit of the Indian clientele. Corien Srieders, director, marketing and sales, The Crossing Resort, which is on the Icefield Parkway and in the middle of the Banff National Park has ensured that Indian food is available at the resort. “From high end hospitality properties to the boutique and the budget ones, there is a definite awakening toward the Indian market. Whether it is
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Travelodge Canada, with interesting budget options to the Ritz Carlton and Fairmont Raffles Hotels International they are ready to cater to the Indian clientele. Brandon Furyk, director, global sales, tour & wholesale and Tekla Maira, director global sales, India, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International have dedicated Indian chefs onboard who cater to the clients. It is interesting to note the interest expressed for the India market and the fact that suppliers are ready to make amendments to meet their India clientele requirements. Properties that may not have had India in their emerging markets list, are now hoping to share a slice of the India pie. Sophia Yang of the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel has expressed her view to seriously get into the India market. The Indian wedding market is an interesting attraction that they aim to tap further. Hotel Delta
Chelsea works closely with the diplomatic circle and government officials. Josef Abner, regional VP and MD of the Toronto based hotel is of the view that India as compared to China is slower in terms of business for them, but an interesting segment to tap. Their team is working toward the Indian market and is confident that the Indian business will be up in the near future.
New players Though there are a number of established players and attractions in the Canadian region who have made inroads in India, namely The Butchart Gardens in Victoria region, the Banff and Jasper region players and of course, the Niagara Falls, the product is vast and there are a number of players waiting to attract the Indian clientele. One such player amongst a host of others is the Prince of Whales, whale watching boat journey. Paulo O’Connor of the company December 2012
M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T confesses that they haven’t yet worked with an Indian and are very keen to connect with the Indian clientele. He felt the Showcase was the perfect place to network and offer his product to the India market. RPB Hotels and Resorts, are also keen to work with the India market, which has not been active with the group. Newer regions 1000 Island Accommodation Partners and 1000 Islands Rockport boat Line are also keen to enhance their ties with India. Calgary Stampede which is a popular event is also hoping to create more awareness about the experience amongst Indians. Linday Jardine, tourism sales manager of Calgary Stampede, said that, India for them is an emerging market and would keep bringing in tourists from this fast growing market. The event celebrates 100 years in 2012 and it is for niche clientele. The Icefield Tours and Kananaskis Heli tours are also keen to get more business from India. Dylan McMilan, of the company has noticed an increased interest and movement in business from India but he feels there is so much more to tap and offer. From weddings to fishing a lot can be done by the team. Brewster Travel Canada, also has an interesting product coming up in 2014, which is the Glacier Discovery Walk. Larry Gale of Brewster says, “The product will be a definite seller and we are working towards promoting it in the India market.” The north of Canada though not as popular yet with the Indian clientele has a lot to offer. The Aurora Village in the Yellowknife region in the north territory is known for the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights viewing and would be glad to receive more Indian to experience this unique phenomenon. Ragner Wesstrom, of the Enodah Wilderness Travel, is also keen to promote the product in the Indian market, which is for the discerning traveller. Another product on the same line is Frontiers North Adventures, Winnipeg, represented by Lynda and Merv Gunter. They are famous for their Churchill’s Polar Bear tours and also own and operate the Tundra Buggy Company. December 2012
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Tourism Boards at Showcase Canada 1)Tourism British Colombia 2)Tourism Jasper 3)Tourism Kamloops 4)Tourism Montreal 5)Tourism Quebec 6)Tourism Victoria 7)Tourism Vancouver 8)Tourism Toronto 9)Tourism Richmond 10)Tourism Prince Edward Islands 11)Tourism Laurentides 12) Ontario Tourism 13)Ottawa Tourism 14)Yukon Tourism and Culture, government of Yukon
The winter Northern Lights in Churchill and Manitoba can be viewed with them. Niagara IMAX Theatre is also keen to capture the Indian business. Banff Lake Louise Tourism is also working toward bringing in
India clientele. Showcase Canada also featured representatives from Vancouver Convention Centre, who were aiming at the MICE segment, Vancouver Airport Authority, World Duty Free, WestJet amongst others. EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T SPOTLIGHT
A titan comes home Even before James Cameron released his award winning movie in 1997, the world has always been fascinated by the story behind the greatest maritime tragedy in history. And now in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast city in Northern Ireland, right next to the site where the RMS Titanic was built a 100 years ago, a state-of-the-art visitor attraction is drawing thousands to uncover the ship’s legend. By Steena Joy
here is no better place to experience the story of the Titanic than its birthplace Belfast in Northern Ireland. The city is divided into quarters and one of them is named the Titanic Quarter after the legendary White Star liner which hit an iceberg on her maiden voyage and sank. Located in the heart of this Quarter, next to the very slipways where the iconic ship was built, is the Titanic Belfast, the world’s largest Titanic visitor attraction which opened to the public in March 2012 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ship’s journey. A coming
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home that never happened a 100 years ago.
Drawing from the past It took 97 million Pounds, ten years of planning and three years for constructing the Titanic Belfast, almost the same time as it took to build the ship. Also, like its namesake, Titanic Belfast was designed with a lot of planning by architects Eric Kuhne and Mark Evans of Civic Arts/Eric R Kuhne & Associates with Todd Architects as the lead consultant/architect. Viewed from above, Titanic Belfast looks like a star shaped building, representing the logo of the White Star line,
Did you know? ●
The Titanic was held together by over three million rivets. Titanic’s keel - the backbone of the ship - was six ft tall and 269 m long and was supported by wooden keel blocks in the Titanic Dock. These blocks supported the ship’s 46,328 tonnes. ● Titanic was ship number 401 to be built in the Harland & Wolff shipyard (Details of the 400 ships built before the Titanic are contained in the green panels around the Titanic Belfast). ● Belfast’s skyline is still dominated by the huge cranes of the Harland & Wolff shipyard, affectionately called by locals as Samson and Goliath. ●
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the company which owned the Titanic. The design replicates the hulls of four ships and stands 90 feet tall, the same height of the Titanic from keel to deck – so one can imagine how big she was with her four funnels added. The Titanic sign in front of the building was crafted in Northern Ireland and is cut from a steel plate 2.5 cm thick, similar to those used to construct the ship herself. The sign weighs 16 tonnes – the same weight as Titanic’s forward anchor. The exterior of the building is clad in 3,000 silver anodised aluminium shards of which two-thirds are individual in design, giving the structure a unique appearance. The reflection from the water pools around the base of the building gives an illusion of glistening water to its exterior. Titanica, a bronze sculpture by Rowen Gillespie depicting a diving female adorns the front of the building. It is mounted on a brass base, similar to the design of figureheads on ships’ prows. Weighing three-quarters of a ton, the sculpture was dedicated by representatives of the Anglican, Catholic, Methodist and Presbyterian churches before the opening. On the plaza outside the building there are small wooden seats and benches positioned to depict Morse Code (a sequence of dots and dashes ships used to transmit messages). The seats moving clockwise around the plaza read ‘De (this is) MGY MGY (Titanic’s call sign) CQD CQD SOS SOS CQD’, the message that the illfated ship would have sent out on that tragic night of April 14, 1912. Even the doors (when you enter the building from the car park) reads in Morse Code, ‘Welcome to Titanic Belfast’.
ft five storey central atrium is inspired by the scaffolding, gantries and cranes that would have filled the space between Titanic and Olympic (the sister ship built at the same time) as they sat on the slipways. In the centre of the atrium on the floor is a compass and one of the biggest maps of the Northern Hemisphere in the world. The four colours of stone give a 3D effect, and the central rose in the compass extends its central ‘rhumb lines’ out for each compass point which connects with the map in the atrium and out onto the outdoor plaza. Around the compass there are quotations from works by Thomas Carduff, the Belfast born poet known as the ‘Shipyard Poet’. Titanic’s journey can be traced on the map on the outdoor plaza with the light tiles representing the sea and the dark tiles depicting land. One track which links the ship from Belfast across the Atlantic to New York is lit in LED lights at night. The nine interactive galleries within Titanic Belfast takes visitors through the story of the ship from her conception and construction in Belfast to where she lies on the ocean floor today (she was discovered by Professor Ballard in 1985). The interactive experience includes a dark ride, underwater exploration theatre, recreations of the ship’s decks and cabins and a luxurious conference and banqueting suite with capacity for up to 1,000 people. The Titanic Suites have been designed based on Titanic’s interiors including an exact replica of the original ballroom with the two-sided spiral staircase made famous in Cameron's movie. The staircase has even inspired events called 'Staircase Sundays' recently which evoked huge interest.
The shipyard experience
A maritime heritage
The impressive 20,000 sq December 2012
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Near the main south
entrance to Titanic Belfast, visitors can see SS Nomadic, the tender ship which served Titanic on her maiden voyage, carrying first and second class passengers from the port of Cherberg to the ship. Over the years she has also carried such people as Charlie Chaplin, Margaret (Molly) Brown Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton to other Harland & Wolff (H&W) ships like Oceanic, Olympic, Caronia, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. The SS Nomadic has since been returned to Belfast and as the last remaining ship of the White Star line, she is undergoing a major restoration project to return her to her former glory. When complete, she too will open as a visitor attraction. Just 10 metres from Titanic Belfast are the historic slipways where the Titanic and Olympic were first launched into the water. The steel posts on both sides of each slipway are inset with vertical lights and the outline of the two ships on the slipways are also inset with a blue lit glass giving a 3D effect at night. To the east entrance of Titanic Belfast is the original red brick building, the H&W Drawing Offices where Titanic and her sister ships – Olympic and Britannic were conceptualised and designed. This building is also being restored. A short stroll away is also another must-see site – the Titanic’s dry dock, where the ship last sat on dry ground. Inside the pump house, visitors can see the gargantuan hydraulic accumulator and the original pumps that could empty the massive dock in only 100 minutes. Another attraction nearby is the Titanic Studios, a film production facility. Till date more than 570,000 visitors have experienced Titanic Belfast and the target is to touch 730,000 visitors when it completes a year in March 2013. EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T WEEKEND GETAWAY
Eclectic escape Set amidst the backdrop of the majestic Aravali mountains, the Monsoon Palace (Sajjan Garh Palace) and Lake Pichola, the Ramada Udaipur Resort & Spa combines traditional with contemporary architecture to play the perfect host to leisure or business. By Steena Joy
pread over 6.5 acres of undulated land, Ramada Udaipur Resort & Spa is the first key initiative to open under Wyndham Worldwide and Unique Global Group's MoU signed early this year. Located just five kms from Sajjan Garh, the 18th century monsoon palace, the hotel is a fine example of a fusion of classic with the contemporary.
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To go with the topography of the terrain varying in height by approximately 40 metres from the lowest point to the highest, the hotel has been
built in an amphitheatre style creating spectacular views. Using the traditional construction known as Tekri work that maximises the use of traditional materials, artisanship and locally available stones, the resort's architecture pays tribute to the native heritage of the region. To ensure that the resort blends seamlessly with its natural surroundings, open courtyards, verandas and terraces have been integrated with the Tekri facade. “Because of the hilly terrain and the Tekri work, the project took a longer time to fructify. But the result is worth the effort and time,” says
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Rajkumar Rai, chairman and managing director, Unique Global group. Udaipur has always been a popular leisure destination but in recent times the city is also attracting a lot of MICE business. Commenting on the hospitality scenario in Udaipur, Rai says, “Potentially Udaipur is the strongest Rajasthan destination, but currently weaker than Jaipur because it is not a part of the Golden Triangle. We need to promote DelhiAgra –Jaipur- Udaipur as the Golden Rectangle. However, with the emergence of midmarket hotels in Udaipur selling at half the price of the luxury hotels, we expect buoyant occupancies this winter above 75 per cent.” After Udaipur, the next project under the MoU will be in Bengaluru. Rai adds, “In the
pipeline are Hyderabad, Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, Mumbai, Shirdi and Tirupathi. All these hotels will fall under the Howard Johnson brand. We have a franchise agreement for setting up 35 Howard Johnson Hotels (including the one Ramada at Udaipur) by 2017, where Wyndham will give us technical expertise and knowhow as well as market the hotels internationally, and we will build the hotels and operate them under their brand. As we move forward the relationship will only strengthen, and become a winwin proposition for both companies.” On an average, each room is expected to require an investment of `60-65 lakh and each of the hotels are expected to have around 100 rooms. The overall investment is projected December 2012
M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T at `2,275 crore. Rai believes that the franchiseedeveloper model will drive hotel development in India. “This is one of the models which will be used, and will positively accelerate hotel development in our country in the mid market sector”, he opines. Ramada Udaipur has a total of 72 rooms all opening out to spacious balconies. The Meridian (250 pax), is the indoor banqueting and meeting space while outdoor venues include Sajjan Terrace (up to 1000 pax), Monsoon Deck (up to 800 pax), Rock arena (up to 500 pax), Sariat (a 1,680 square ft central garden with a gazebo), Trego, Bonsoir Garden and Wind Garden. Dining outlets include Myra all day restaurant, Zu: Ma, Ambar and Liquid Lounge, the bar.
Value for money Outlining his plans to promote the hotel, Sanjay Pasricha, CEO, Unique Global group says, “We will position Ramada Udaipur as a great value for money mid-market upscale hotel that offers facilities (like heated pool, outdoor jacuzzi, large gardens as banqueting areas, two swimming pools, etc) that many luxury hotels do not offer - at almost half the price and in a location that truly makes you feel that Udaipur, other than being the most romantic destination of India, is also the Kashmir of Rajasthan.” This positioning will be achieved through consistent communication, rate parity, and targeting consumers principally in Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad, as well as the global markets through the trade and the hotel's website. Commenting on whether F&B is a major revenue driver in midmarket hotels, Pasricha opined, “This will happen more in metros and other cities which have a large client base that use restaurants due to locational con-
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venience for special occasions like celebrations. This trend will be lesser in pure leisure destinations where hotels are located in scenic places or close to areas of heritage and tourist interest but away from central locations which can be easily accessed by locals. But overall, as disposable income in India rises, local F&B will account for a larger share of revenues.” Connectivity to Udaipur is still a problem as there are very few daily flights. “Yes, it is the chicken or the egg situation for the airlines and after Kingfisher shut down operations for Udaipur, it has left a gap. Though the hotel iers’ lobby in the region is trying actively to rectify the problem, more needs to be done, and we plan to press the necessary levers in due course,” affirms Pasricha.
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M|A|N|A|G|E|M|E|N|T GM SPEAK
The double benefit Scott Thomson, general manager, Hilton New Delhi-Noida Mayur Vihar and DoubleTree by Hilton New Delhi-Noida-Mayur Vihar throws light on the opportunities opened up in Noida and East Delhi, and what is there in store in the current situation for the hospitality industry. By Heena Mahajan ilton New DelhiNoida-Mayur Vihar & DoubleTree by Hilton New DelhiNoida-Mayur Vihar are situated in New Delhi’s business district and is close to Noida in NCR. Located just 15 minutes away from New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan Convention and Exhibition Centre, government offices and Embassies the hotels are also in close proximity to the Formula One race track, which makes them an ideal choice for the business traveller, while the extensive dining, shopping and recreational options make it a delight for leisure travellers as well. Talking about his understanding of the market, Scott Thomson, GM of the hotel says, “We feel that Mayur Vihar and the area around it has a lot of potential that remains untapped and has not been explored by other hotel brands. The domestic markets show keen interest due to its strategic location. Moreover, the area has a large business potential from South Delhi and Noida which embrace as the main source markets for the hotel.” Both the hotels are strategically located. The opening of the new Yamuna Expressway has opened wider doors for guests to visit Agra and we expect
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Scott Thomson large amount of takers for the same,” he adds. The Hilton New Delhi Noida Mayur Vihar has a total of 169 rooms including four suites that are among the largest in the city. The rooms offer a classy contemporary decor with state-ofthe-art amenities like a kingsize bed, a workstation, wireless high-speed internet and an exquisite marble bathroom with separate tub and shower. For leisure the hotel offers a host of facilities like a modern health club, an outdoor pool and a full service Eros Spa, a business centre and executive lounge for the guests’ business needs. DoubleTree by Hilton, right opposite the for-
mer has 196 rooms and four suites. Resonating with the brand DoubleTree’s unique care culture, each guest is served signature chocolate chipped cookies at the time of check-in. The hotel also features a 24-hour business centre and a 24-hour fitness centre and swimming pool for the recreation of its guests. Both Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton offer an array of restaurants for their guests to indulge. While Hilton has an all day dining restaurant featuring international delicacies, and a lobby level bar that serves portions of sandwiches, pastries and other snacks along with alcoholic concoctions, DoubleTree boasts of Roadhouse Bar and Grill, a New York style restaurant that offers range of American cuisine, from steaks, burgers and sandwiches to the famous buffalo wings to crispy onion ring, and Café on 3, an all-day dining restaurant with deli and pastry shop, serves buffet comprising of exotic Asian and Mediterranean cuisines. Speaking on the response of the restaurants, he says, “The response of all the four outlets has been over whelming. We are positive about the response in future as well.” Thomson feels that there is immense space and potential for everyone in this industry. “While we boast of our product for quality, guest satisfaction and elegance we are complacent about our position,” he emphasises.
Revenue strategy Apart from the local walk-ins, the hotel receives guests from across all parts of the world especially from North America and European markets. The services and facilities provided by the hotel encourage people to come back. “The domestic markets show keen interest due to its strategic location. Moreover, the area has a large business potential from South Delhi and Noida which embrace as the main source markets for the hotel. The ratio of business traveller and leisure travellers would be 75:25,” he mentions.
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Speaking on the developments within the property, he informs, “We foresee a boost in the hospitality industry this year with the burgeoning travellers in the Indian market. We believe in keeping with time and that’s why Hilton and DoubleTree Mayur Vihar provides you the best amenities and services for an excellent experience. Hilton New DelhiNoida-Mayur Vihar will soon be with an authentic North Indian dining restaurant called S.P.I.C.E.D by the end of the quarter this year.” According to him, “India as a destination is not really affected by exchange rate changes, high taxes and increasing airfare, as motivations for travelling are quite specific. For business purposes, the trip is commercially justified, for leisure people are interested to come and explore this interesting and unique country. In coping with the exchange rate changes, we review our pricing throughout the year as is done in many countries around the world to make sure that we are optimizing our returns and are in step with the market.” The MICE market is indeed an important segment and can by no means be ignored as it contributes to the revenue generation by all areas of the hotel from rooms, food and beverages to conference areas. According to ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association), the inbound MICE segment in India is growing at 15 to 20 per cent annually which is one of the main reasons for the growth in the demand for luxury hotel destinations. “India has developed a reputation as a unique conference destination, with its historical, cultural, architectural, wildlife, culinary, spiritual and therapeutic attractions. Better infrastructure, new airports, hotel MICE facilities, improved air, road and rail transport now make India an excellent conference destination. Therefore, many Indian state governments are keen on establishing convention centres near large metro cities,” he adds. December 2012
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T H E C U T T I N G E D G E I N T R AV E L T R A D E
EVENT ROUNDUP
Indian aviation: A conundrum The CAPA India Aviation Summit 2012 held in Mumbai recently saw industry leaders engage in dynamic discussions on the existing challenges, future of the Indian aviation sector and investment opportunities. By Sudipta Dev and Kahini Chakraborty
APA India Aviation Summit 2012 saw stakeholders from the industry voice their forthright opinion on the various issues that make the sector such a challenge despite being a market of high growth rate. Highlighting the various problems afflicting the industry, Peter Harbison, executive chairman, CAPA rued the fact that India is getting replaced as the 'I' from BRIC countries by Indonesia. “And that goes straight to the bottomline of foreign investment in India. However, there is light ahead – there are world class airlines here, the airports are improving, Air Traffic Control (ATC) has
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improved, and other factors,” he said. With problems that range from underdeveloped infrastructure to legislative and bureaucratic mindset resting on inertia, the question remains that does India actually care about its aviation industry? The panel discussion focused on doing a reality check on the state of the industry and was moderated by BBC World's Nik Gowing. Talking about the golden years of India aviation, from 2003 to 2008, Cyrus Guzder, chairman, AFL stated, “Airlines started discounting fares heavily though costs went up. There were three mega mergers, then came the oil shock and the mega mergers did not www.expresstravelworld.com
work out. The rupee went weak and still continues, airline profitability slid.” Stressing on the need to have a new airline policy Guzder advocated the need for a transparent policy. “There is a Greek tragedy unfolding on Indian aviation, we have to work with the government behind the scenes to tweak the policy. We need an open and transparent policy.” Joining the discussion, Kapil Kaul, CEOSouth Asia, CAPA however felt that regulatory framework will not change. “We are open in air but closed on the ground. We'd like to see the government take aviation very seriously. We need the right skill sets and competency in place,” he
mentioned. The country needs an aviation policy that focuses on the sector as core infrastructure. Captain Gopinath, chairman, Deccan Charters emphasised, “On regulatory side the government made rules for Air India the first fifty years followed by Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines, and then for airport operators. We need strong aviation policy for the country than an airline or an operator. We know that airlines lobbied with the government so that FDI does not happen and Kingfisher Airlines collapses. Had FDI come three years earlier Kingfisher Airlines might have survived. We businessmen are EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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E|D|G|E to blame as we cozy up to politicians and do not think long term for the industry. There is no future for any of us if we do not expand our customer base as then we will cannibalise each other's passengers.”
Low cost not low fares The only positive picture emerged from the LCC success story, is the fact that in India low cost airline does not necessarily mean low fares. Aditya Ghosh, president, IndiGo Airlines stated, “We have seen massive improvement in airport infrastructure. Today no one talks about parking issues. The market has rewarded us for being a carrier that offers low fares. However, I still feel that the fares are too high. The cost of operating an airline in India is excruciating. However I'd prefer to be in the world's fastest growing market than one that shows zero growth though other factors might be positive.” According to Sudheer Raghavan, COO, Jet Airways, the term 'low cost' does not exist in India and it was only because of 'survival' that Jet Airways plunged into JetKonnect. “Seventy per cent of the customers wanted low fares. It took us three days to make a decision,” he pointed out. The airline has also developed a capacity for large inventory as 'swing capacity' depending on season. “While we fight for revenue there is a big opportunity to collaborate on cost reduction,” he added. Neil Mills, CEO, SpiceJet believes that low cost anywhere around the world has to be changed to suit the environment. “Low cost is more about efficiency, about management, about how you run the business, how many staff you have, etc,” he stated. India also sees the absence of of flexible fare structure. The concept of non-refundable fare is absent. Deepak Brara, director commercial, Air India averred, “We've not had the courage to experiment. Everybody has burnt their fingers terribly the last few years that they are afraid to take risks.”
Looking beyond full service Delving on the issues, challenges and opportunities and an action plan needed for running full service airlines in the Indian
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market, the unanimous opinion was that of the cost structure as principally it is (aviation) a price elastic market. Hence cost and tax structure to certain destinations which are not viable are pulled back in three months of operations. Brara said, “As it is a price elastic market, we at Air India sometimes find it difficult to offer stimulating fares. Hence we need to have a unique structure, besides we also have a taxation regime. Our government does not look at the aviation industry as a principal economic sector and the absence of airport infrastructure poses as a deterrent to the connectivity growth. Full services carriers are looking beyond offering point to point service. And we would like to relate capacity increases from these services. And in the future this scenario will still remain the same.” Adding to Brara's point, Raghavan said, “If the Indian carriers become financially strong then we can take on the world. Surely the government has opened FDI up to 49 per cent in the aviation industry, but viability of certain routes also comes at the cost of growth. Hence fleet planning should follow network planning and we see East Asia as a lot more attractive market.” Putting forth his opinion on the session on ‘LCC Stories from the Frontline: Success, Mistakes, Learnings and Next Steps’, Amitabh Malhotra, managing director, Rothschild India said, “The year 200405 was a favourable period for all transactions in aviation markets for LCC model airlines. Capitalisation leads to tremendous changes and timing is another aspect. For instance, IndiGo has performed well by running a low cost carrier with appropriate investment and good timing. Besides this, another good step from the government to enhance the segment was to increase the FDI margin, but, except an airline from Gulf countries, there are not many international airlines interested in investing in India. But given a chance for flying with code-share agreement, there will be several airlines that will look forward to join Indian carriers.” After giving a brief presentation on the airport operations experiences in India, V P Agarwal, chairman, www.expresstravelworld.com
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Airports Authority of India mentioned that currently the traffic has been constrained. In the future, land acquisition and costing would become difficult as earlier it was five per cent but now due to skyrocketing prices the project cost would also increase by 30 per cent. The issue which needs immediate attention is that of providing benefits to the ground handling staff as most of the companies
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today are looking at opting for low cost options.
Lessor perspective Addressing the session on 'Lessor Perspectives in the South Asia Market', Ashish Sonawala, VP, GECAS (tbc) said, “One has to have the risk addressing capacity. We will be able to access our risk once the current structural issues are resolved and opportunities will be opened automatical-
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ly. Certainly there is segmentation in the industry but ultimately airlines want to be profitable. Due to inconsistency in the overall market, focusing on analysing on the comparative risk structure becomes imperative.” While Tony Ramage, executive VP airlines- Sales and Leasing, BOC Aviation added, “Airline demand, aircraft supply and financial structure are the prime focus. The Indian market has grown significantly and I see a lot of opportunities in the market to provide financial assistance. We have also become comfortable with low cost carriers and full service carriers in India. The lessor speculative base of an airline's forward orders is reducing over a period of time, and this gives a chance for our balance sheet to grow. Currently, we are in dialogue with several Indian carriers for sale and lease of aircraft, and deals are still being done, despite the hard times.” Nirvan Veerasamy, managing director, Veling opined, “Leasing will always be an important part of the aviation sector. However, as the worldwide economy is moving towards a direction where financing is moving away from risks, it has become more difficult to finance aircraft. India, though, is still an important market for us and, that is why we adopted an Indiacentric strategy during our inception.”
Investing in Indian aviation On the concluding session of the summit on
'Investing in Indian aviation, where will the funding come from?' the panelist discussed their views on the opportunities in the Indian market, their risk appetite and strategies. James Muldowney, partner, Irelandia Aviation said, “We are looking at market opportunities and there has been a rise of the middle class who are taking to more travelling. India has been traditionally a market of big promoters, hence it is important to keep costs low so that there is affordability.” While Suresh Goyal, CEO, SBI Macquarie Infrastructure, ICICI Venture said, “Assets are required for gradual incremental value. Hence the key points needed to be reviewed include: opportunity returns should be risk free as this risk has cropped up due to macro economic conditions. And as stability of regime sector is not geared to handle this, hence investment opportunities in aircraft side is not much in India.” Adding to that, Manikkan Sangameswaram, president-Infrastructure, ICICI Venture opined, “For opportunities in the future, the issue will be how active is the government in supporting privatisation in India. With regard to airport funding, the airport model in India is different from the rest of the world as most Indian airports are greenfield airports. Additionally, equity is available for airport operators. The challenge is for them to earn a profit. Traffic allocation needs to be discussed before the bidding process. With debt and equity available, it is important for the operators to show that they can make a profitable business as it is important to keep a balance between them.” Even though the Indian government has opened foreign direct investment of upto 49 per cent in the aviation industry, the panelist, for the session on 'Developing common aviation vision for South Asiaand strategies for achieving it', were of the opinion that the region should come together to develop common goals and supply training in order to tap the potential that the aviation sector holds. The main reasons for connectivity issues highlighted were due to political and visa constraints which are seen overshadowing the sector. The emphasis was on having more open sky policies in the future for growth. EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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Tip of the hat Technology is the way to the future, even for the travel and tourism industry. Red Hat, an open source programme software offers a solution which not just saves cost but also allows a free hand in innovation, as Epitome Travel Solutions discovers. By Sayoni Bhaduri
echnology cannot be ignored if one wants to progress. Something that Vishwajeet Singh, CIO, Epitome Travel Solutions agrees upon. When the company started their operations a year back they were sure that they wanted to reach out to all segments of clients. “The travel industry is slowly maturing and for us it was important to be able to cater to clients both online and offline,” he says. It was an option between proprietary products and non proprietary solutions for their website. Proprietary solutions have a set pattern onto which a company will have to set their programmes; the biggest drawback being the inability
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Vishwajeet Singh
to add, subtract or create depending on specific needs. Offering a solution to companies like Epitome Travel Solutions is Red Hat, a Linux and open source technology provider. Arun Kumar, general manager, Red Hat India explains, “The model is unique as it allows the user to develop their own algorithms creating custom programmes according to their specific needs.” He further adds that that a product like Red Hat is not just more cost effective but also offers the user scalability as and when necessary. “We provide building blocks to a company which allow them to then develop whatever they need, SEO, Apps, websites, etc. It is all about low cost and high value,” says Kumar. Singh vouches for this when he says, “With a non proprietary product cost goes down. Open source technology helps control on the recurring cost that often proprietary products entail. Plus there is support on the system as well. One needs a robust system that does not require 24 hours monitoring.” Epitome Travel Solutions went through an evaluation process between proprietary products and open source software. They considered the pros and cons and opted for Red Hat. “There are various products available in the market and all of them have their positives. But what always www.expresstravelworld.com
came back to our mind was that if there was any problem who will come to assist and aid us. My need was to create an app and not create an Operating System, and I want to keep my focus maintained on the app so that I can develop it further as the needs of the business grows,” Singh says. There is a commitment which is required and Red Hat provides that. Singh goes on to explain the company's exact requirement which led to their final decision – the company had to design applications for the website based on the behaviour features. Elements had to be customised, it was almost difficult to decide the size required. This is where the choice to decide the platform which would suit best after brainstorming the company opted for open source technology which was publicly accessible on open website. More importantly there was the security, flexibility and scalability of the product that clinched the final decision. Of evident benefits from using this technology, Singh says that the company saved up to 40 per cent on IT costs by using Red Hat's solution. Epitome Travel Solutions isn't the first travel company Red Hat has worked with. “We have been linked with various aspects of the travel and the tourism industry. There have been companies
who have been using our open source technology for a long time and are reaping great cost advantages today. We are able to deliver real time solutions to our customers. Airlines for instance have been revamping their systems with Red Hat's upgraded programmes. Many travel portals also use Red Hat extensively; hospitality majors are also powered by Red Hat,” says Kumar. Both Singh and Kumar are of the opinion that technology is the way forward for the travel and tourism industry to grow. Kumar believes, “Things in the travel industry have changed dramatically and technology has had a major role to play in it. Fifteen years ago it was unheard to plan a holiday online, but with the development in the IT industry it is the present and the future.” Singh adds, “I have spent 10 years in the industry, and things have changed drastically in this period. There are many travel companies today which are bigger than enterprise companies. Even though margins are low, one has to continue to innovate otherwise it is going to be difficult to stay in the race. Especially when there is no customer loyalty; they will move to the cheapest deal very easily. While technology alone cannot generate business but it does provide a strong back bone.” December 2012
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ACHIEVEMENTS & AWARDS
A lifetime of achievements The chairman of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), Shao Qiwei, and the founder of the international hotel chain Meliá Hotels, Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, have been named as the first winners of the UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement NWTO has announced the winners of the first UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement. Shao Qiwei, chairman of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, the founder of the international hotel chain Meliá Hotels. The UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement was established in 2012 as an annual award recognising those individuals who have demonstrated excellence throughout their tourism careers and who serve as inspirational role models. “Qiwei has played a pivotal role in the development of Chinese domestic and international tourism since taking up his position as chairman of CNTA and president of the China Tourism Association (CTA),” said UNWTO secretary-general, Taleb Rifai. “Under his leadership, China has become one of the world’s tourism leaders, contributing also to the growing political recognition of the sector,” said Rifai. The panel of judges highlighted Qiwei’s involvement in identifying tourism as a ‘strategic pillar’ of China’s economy by the Chinese Government; a decision pinpointed by UNWTO as one of the factors behind the country’s extraordinary tourism success of recent years. Congratulating Escarrer, Rifai said, “This award recognises Escarrer's leadership and vision in promoting a responsible tourism sector. Gabriel Escarrer established Meliá Hotels International in 1956 at the age of 21, a hotel chain which is today one of the largest in the world, sharing the benefits of tourism with
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Shao Qiwei his employees and society.” In addition to his business expertise, the panel of judges praised Escarrer for his pioneering work in corporate social responsibility at a time when this was far from most businessperson’s minds, particularly his early commitment to employee working conditions.
Contribution to tourism knowledge Erik Cohen, one of the world’s leading social science scholars in the field of tourism, has been named this year’s winner of the UNWTO Ulysses Prize for Excellence in the Creation and Dissemination of Knowledge, honouring those within academia making a significant contribution to the advancement of tourism. “Throughout his illustrious and varied academic career, Cohen’s tourism expertise has always shone through,” said Rifai. “His tourism research in countries ranging from Thailand to the Pacific Islands, as well as his studies on collective settlements, urban studies, folk art, folk religion and tourism, has made an invaluable contribution to our sector and deserves
the highest praise.” Since 2003, the UNWTO Ulysses Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism have honored tourism initiatives that have contributed to the advancement of tourism. The other winners of the 2012 edition are: UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Public Policy and Governance This was awarded to Malaysia Homestay Experience Programme, ministry of tourism Malaysia. Since its launch in 1995, hundreds of thousands of domestic and international tourists have stayed with Malaysian families on their trips, finding this homestay programme a unique way to experience the local culture. The initiative is not only benefiting tourists, but has also become a vital source of income for local communities, especially in rural areas. Runners-up were Holiday Participation Center, Tourism Flanders, Belgium, and the Pannonian Salt Lakes of Tuzla, Municipality of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. UNWTO Ulysses Award for www.expresstravelworld.com
Gabriel Escarrer Juliá Innovation in Enterprises This award went to Conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of Quintana Roo, Experiencias Xcaret, Mexico. The Experiencias Xcaret group owns land throughout the Mayan Riviera in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, all of which has been turned into eco-archaeological parks benefiting visitors, employees and local communities alike. The group’s longstanding commitment to sustainability is often cited as a leading example of how tourism can protect land from other less sustainable uses. Runners-up were Wine World and Wine & Spa Resorts, Loisium Hotel, Austria; Chanita ta di Fiesta, University of Aruba, Aruba; and Calviá Beach Resorts, Meliá Hotels International, Spain. UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in NonGovernmental Organisations There were two winners. One was Landscape of the Year, Nature Friends International, Austria. Every two years since 1989, Nature Friends International has
awarded a cross-border and ecologically valuable region in Europe as ‘Landscape of the Year’. Today, the award has grown to become an important incentive for regions across Europe to protect their landscape and biodiversity through sustainable projects such as tourism; and The other winner was Experience Tour Project, Instituto Marca Brasil, Brazil. The towns of Petrópolis, Teresópolis and Nova Friburgo in the foothills of Rio de Janeiro are the latest to benefit from the Experience Tour Project which helps tourism professionals to adapt their business so that tourists move from “mere spectators to protagonists of their experiences”. Runners-up were Sustainable Hospitality Programme, Asociación de Hoteles de Turismo de la República Argentina, Argentina and Long Run Destinations, Zeitz Foundation, Kenya. UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Research and Technology The award went to TurAcces/IBV, Instituto de Biomecánica de Valencia, Spain. This free online tool allows tourism managers to assess the accessibility of their facilities, a major factor of sustainable tourism as defined by UNWTO. The tool further provides reports with proposals to improve accessibility, prioritised by importance and urgency based on current laws and standards. Runners-up were Amadeus Agent Track, Amadeus IT, Spain, and the Strawberry Energy Concept, National Tourism Organisation of Serbia, Serbia. EXPRESS TRAVELWORLD
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Reviving traditions
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Paris discovery
L-R: Durgesh Nandan, director PRD, Bihar; Deepak Kumar, principal secretary, Bihar Tourism; Sunil Kumar Pintu, minister, department of Tourism, Bihar; DK Srivastava, director, department of Tourism, Bihar at the announcement of Asia’s largest cattle fair, Sonepur Mela
Synergising relations
Atout France conducts MICE familiarisation tour to France in collaboration with the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau and Saint Tropez Tourisme
Multi-currency card Members of Enterprising Travel Agents Association (ETAA) and IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI) at the signing of an MoU in Mumbai
Connecting routes
L-R: Graham Perry, MD - APMEA, Access Prepaid Worldwide; Madhavan Menon, MD, Thomas Cook India and T V Seshadri, division president, South Asia, MasterCard Worldwide) at the launch of Thomas Cook's ‘Borderless Prepaid Card’ in collaboration with MasterCard Worldwide
Brand promotion
L-R: BP Sharma, airport director, NSCBI Airport, Kolkata with Tom Wright, general manager – South Asia, Middle East & Africa, Dragonair at the official launch ceremony of Dragonair Airline’s four-times-weekly service between Hong Kong and Kolkata at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBI), Kolkata.
Traffic flows
Actor Dia Mirza with officials from Japan Tourism Agency, Japan National Tourism Organisation and the Embassy of Japan at the commemoration event to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan in 2012 in New Delhi. Mirza will also promote Japan in India.
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Krishnan Vivek, regional sales manager, West India, Etihad Airways; Neerja Bhatia, general manager - India, Etihad Airways; Sidheeque Maliyekkal – prize winner, KV Abdul Nazar , chairman and MD, Akbar Travels of India and Savitri Gupta – sales manager Mumbai, Etihad Airways at the announcement of the winner of 'Live Free' campaign in Mumbai
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Tourism via films
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Namaste London
L-R: Dipannita Sharma; Louise Asher MP, minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business and minister for Tourism and Major Events, Melbourne; Vidya Balan brand ambassador for Indian Film Festival of Melbourne; Mitu Bhowmick Lange, director Festival and film director Farah Khan at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne Industry in Mumbai
Tourism impetus Chennai-based Space Kidz India took a delegation of kids to perform an Indian cultural show at the London Olympics 2012
Educational excursion L-R: Burjis Mehta, SKAL secretary & CEO of Skyworld Tours & Travels; Sonalee Vaz, MD, Charson Advisory; Carl Vaz, president SKAL International Bombay & chairman & CEO of Charson Advisory; Frederico Costa, president of Turismo de Portugal; Jason Samuel, SKAL managing committee member & head- travel operations of Futura Travels and Arun Raghavan, SKAL managing committee member & director of Cougar Resorts & Travels
A new lead
Jet Airways B777 chief pilot, Zubin Chothia with a young guest at the flight simulator during the Jet Airways’ JetSpark initiative in Mumbai
Starry night Mok Singh, president of Airworld Alliance, based in North America, and president of SITA World Group (USA), was elected president of SKAL International at its annual Congress in Seoul Korea
Complimentary bonus
Star Cruises staged a gala dinner in Mumbai to recognise outstanding performance by the company's travel agencies in India
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GTA India hosted an all expense paid trip to Bangkok for three nights/ four days for its top bookers to Thailand
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