Asian Traveller _ July 2015 by Mediasteps

Vol. 8

No. 10

Pages 60

` 100

US $10 (Overseas)

July 2015

www.mediastepsindia.com

The Discovery of

Malaysia

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

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ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Highlights Vol. 8 I No. 10 I July 2015

Cover Story

Discovery of Malaysia

There’s always something happening around Malaysia. Places to explore, food to feast on, shopping to indulge in, or festivals to celebrate it’s a non-stop adventure for everyone.

FOREIGNERS FLOCK RAJASTHAN

Every third foreign tourist visiting India also visits Rajasthan. Many old and neglected Forts and Palaces have been converted into Rajasthan heritage hotels. Tourism has also increased employment in the hospitality sector.

32 Eat, Drink & Fly

40 4

Expanded ATM 2015 Line-Up Results In 15% Visitor Growth New events and features boost attendance for Middle East signature travel trade showcase; travel tech focus sees +24% leap in sector exhibitors while UNWTO Ministerial Forum puts regional tourism development in the spotlight

Bangkok Top City for Indian Tourists Bangkok is the most searched Asian summer holiday destinations by Indians, according to a study by global travel-planning website Skyscanner.

44 Thailand to Promote Quality Tourism The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has finalized its marketing plan for 2016. Officials reveal that the tourism board will focus on promoting the kingdom as a “Quality Leisure Destination through Thainess”

52ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

KALAM THE INCURABLE OPTIMIST

Great men don’t die, they become immortal on death! APJ Abdul Kalam – who served the nation till his last breath – is no exception. He represented the best Indian mind that commanded global admiration, like Swami Vivekananda. He inspired young minds to dream, and turn their dreams into success stories. He taught them how to tame failures by his pathbreaking advice that failure is when you fail to get up after a fall, which will be cherished and practised by thousands of young minds. Considering that he was the youth icon, MTV honoured him with their Youth Iconic award in 2003 and 2006. As a part of the travel and tourism industry, Asian Traveller thought it fit to recapture the glorious moments in Kalam’s life. Kalam truly deserved ‘Bharat Ratna’ which he won in 1997, but his accepting it added sheen to the award itself, which in the past has gone to lesser worthies as well. One of his outstanding achievements was India’s testing its nuclear device at Pokhran II, which perhaps caught the imagination of the political class and nominate him to the office of the President. No less impressive was his contribution to creating state-of-the-art Defence technology, especially on the missile front, when China was making progress by leaps and bounds in the field. He gave the nation the supreme confidence that it needed when some of our belligerent nations were sabre-rattling. A native of Rameshwaram and a product of Madras Institute of Technology, Kalam wanted to become a pilot but failed in the test and was dejected. In that murky hour, he met a Hindu sage, who assured him he would become great one day, but he should change his line. The moral of the story is, the right advice at the right time can create a fortune. Had Kalam got trapped in his cultural mores, we would not have heard of him today. So instead of becoming a third rate pilot, he became a first rate scientist. Dr Kalam is the second most loved leader after Jawaharlal Nehru, and indeed on par with Dr S Radhakrishnan, the most eminent President of India, who along with Dr Rajendra Prasad formed the three Great Presidents of India.

Dr. G. Biju Krishnan Editor & Publisher editor@mediastepsindia.com +91 9745001001

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The news items and Advertisements published herein have been collected from various source, which are considered to be reliable. Readers are however requested to verif y the facts before making business decisions using the same. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the writ ten permission from the Publisher. JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER 5 All rights reserved. Copyright © 2015 *Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

COVER STORY

The Discovery of

Malaysia There's always something happening around Malaysia. Places to explore, food to feast on, shopping to indulge in, or festivals to celebrate - it's a non-stop adventure for everyone.

o know Malaysia is to love Malaysia - a bubbling, bustling melting-pot of races and religions where Malays, Indians, Chinese and many other ethnic groups live together in peace and harmony. Our multiculturalism has made Malaysia a gastronomical paradise and home to hundreds of colourful festivals. It’s no wonder that we love celebrating and socialising. As a people, Malaysians are very relaxed, warm and friendly. Geographically, Malaysia is almost as diverse as its culture. 11 states and 2 federal territories (Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya) form Peninsular Malaysia which is separated by the South China Sea from East Malaysia which includes the 2 states (Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo) and a third federal territory, the island of Labuan. One of Malaysia’s key attractions is its extreme

contrasts which further add to this theme of ‘diversity’. Towering skyscrapers look down upon wooden houses built on stilts while five-star hotels sit just metres away from ancient reefs. Rugged mountains reach dramatically for the sky while their rainforest-clad slopes sweep down to floodplains teeming with forest life. Cool highland hideaways roll down to warm, sandy beaches and rich, humid mangroves.

One of Malaysia’s key attractions is its extreme contrasts which further add to this theme of ‘diversity’. Towering skyscrapers look down upon wooden houses built on stilts while five-star hotels sit just metres away from ancient reefs.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Petronas Twin Towers Towering at 451.9m above street level, this world-renowned icon is currently the world’s tallest twin structure and fifth tallest skyscraper. The skybridge that links the two towers is also the world’s highest two-storey bridge, doubling up as a superb viewing platform. The 88-storey building features glass and steel on the outside, and a traditionally-inspired interior, reflecting Malaysia’s aspirations in moving forward while maintaining its national identity.

Aquaria KLCC Nestled in the heart of the bustling Golden Triangle and within walking distance from the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, Aquaria KLCC is a state-of-the-art aquarium showcasing over 5,000 different exhibits of aquatic and land-bound creatures over a sprawling multi-level space in the Concourse Level of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

getting your feet wet!) from the moment you enter Aquaria KLCC. An educational study charting the course of natural waters flowing from the highlands to the streams and deep sea is devised to help visitors appreciate water as a habitat and ecosystem. Highlights include a 90-metre tunnel tank with a moving travelator where you can marvel at Sand Tiger sharks, stingrays, marine turtles and other sea creatures swimming around unhindered in the vast oceanarium, a spectacular live show of divers feeding these creatures at meal times and a rare opportunity to come into contact with live starfish and bamboo shark at the Touchpool area.

Central Market Located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, a few minutes away from Petaling Street, Central Market is a famous landmark for Malaysian culture and heritage.

The building was built in 1888 and originally functioned as a wet market. It has since been From the tropical waters of the Asian region classified as a Heritage Site. to the rainforests of the world, Aquaria KLCC Tourists flock to takes you on a journey to Central Market for its discover the fascinating variety of handicrafts, art, nature of aquatic life kebaya, songket, batik as well as the unique and authentic Malaysian behaviour of animals and souvenirs. A Batik crawly creatures above Emporium houses wellwater. known designer labels, with the best MalaysianImmerse in an made batik items ranging absorbing aquatic experience (without from clothes, shoes, bags

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

to home furnishing. The Central Market Outdoor Stage is where visitors can catch colourful arts and cultural events. During the country’s main festivals, the area will be lit up in theme, reflecting the multiracial diversity of Malaysians. For a more contemporary take on the local arts scene, The Annexe Gallery, located at the back of Central Market, is a popular venue for events such as film screenings, art exhibitions and public discourses.

Petaling Street Petaling Street, the centre of Kuala Lumpur’s original Chinatown, maintains much of its traditional atmosphere, particularly at night when vendors fan out their merchandise along the street. While you can shop for anything from gems and incense to toys and t-shirts, the true allure of this night market is in wandering about and enjoying its sights, sounds and energy. Food is plentiful with many scrumptious 10

varieties to choose from; some of the restaurants here have been in business for generations. Locals flock to Petaling Street primarily for bargain accessories and great Chinese food. So, go on, be brave - head down to Petaling Street with an empty stomach and an adventurous spirit. Even if you don’t spend a penny, (which will be hard!), you are guaranteed to have an amazing experience here. At the end of Petaling Street, you can further explore the Chan See Shu Yuen Temple which dates back to 1906. The interior of this building features open courtyard pavilions, intricate carvings and paintings. On the exterior, the temple depicts elaborate glazed ceramic sculptures which grace the facade and roof ridges. For more adventurous tourists, further down from Petaling Street is the South Indian Sri Maha Mariamman Temple. This temple is situated at Jalan Tun H.S. Lee which is within walking distance from Chinatown. Built in 1873, the temple is said to be the most ornate and elaborate Hindu

temple in the country. The design and decorative features include intricate carvings of Hindu deities, gold embellishments, precious stones and handpainted motifs. Exquisite Italian and Spanish tiles provide further ornamentation. A silver chariot housed within the premises features prominently in religious processions, transporting the statue of the deity through the city streets. Outside the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple are stalls selling garlands and strings of sweet smelling jasmine. Additionally, the strong aroma of Chinese traditional herbs and that of freshly brewed coffee waft through the air from across the street.

Royal Selangor Founded in 1885, Royal Selangor is the world’s foremost name in quality pewter, a brand synonymous with design and craftsmanship. In the hands of its skilled craftspeople, this versatile alloy of tin, copper and ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

antimony is transformed into an endless variety of homeware and gifts, sold today in more than 20 countries around the world. The Visitor Centre is located in Setapak Jaya, just 20 minutes from the Kuala Lumpur city centre. A modern glassclad foyer set within scenic lush landscaping, greets visitors upon arrival at the Visitor Centre along with Royal Selangor’s Giant Tankard. Recognised as the world’s largest by the Guinness World of Records, the giant tankard provides one of many perfect photo opportunities at the Centre. Tin mining started in the 1820s, and is one of the oldest industries in Malaysia. The country then known as Malaya, supplied about 55% of the world’s tin and was the world’s biggest tin producer by the end of the 19th century. The Visitor Centre will take you back over a hundred years to the founding of Royal Selangor and its inextricable link to the history of Malaysia. Through complimentary guided tours, visitors will learn about the remarkable development of tin mining in the Malay Peninsula in the 1800s as well as view traditional pewtersmithing tools, antique pewter and ancient tin currency at the Centre’s Pewter Museum.

At the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, you are introduced to the world of pewter through sight, touch and sound. Large chimes and bells can be struck in the Chamber of Chimes, demonstrating the resonant sound of cast pewter and that of other materials. In the Hall of Frames, visitors pass through a hall decked with an impressive collection of past and present Royal Selangor photo frames, where you can touch, feel and appreciate the subtle warmth and flexibility of the alloy. After viewing the Petronas twin towers created from 7,062 pewter tankards and the Wall of Hands that pays tribute to the designers and craftspeople of Royal Selangor, visitors are invited to step into the actual factory where you will see close-up the fundamental processes of casting, polishing, soldering, hammering and finishing, how each piece is meticulously crafted. Visitors with a little more time on their hands may not want to miss out on making their own pewter products. For a nominal fee, visitors may participate in Royal Selangor’s School of Hard Knocks pewtersmithing workshop where the participants create their very own pewter dish, or The Foundry where they get to make pewter accessories from scratch.

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Visitors can also indulge in standalone boutiques featuring fine jewellery by Selberan and sterling silver by Comyns. The two luxury brand names complement Royal Selangor, offering customers an even wider selection for retail therapy. When you are ready to take break from shopping, unwind at the Cafe which offers a selection of pastries, light meals and fresh coffee, in a comfortable space surrounded by greenery. Conclude the visit to the Visitor Centre at the retail store with the widest selection of Royal Selangor’s pewter collections. You may also choose to unwind at the Cafe which offers a selection of pastries, light meals and fresh coffee in a comfortable space surrounded by greenery.

K L Tower Standing majestically atop Bukit Nanas at 421 meters and 94 meters above sea level, KL Tower is a prominent feature of the city’s skyline and perhaps one of the most enduring images a visitor to KL will remember. Its architecture reflects the country’s Islamic heritage, with the construction detailing Arabic scripts, Islamic tiles, classic Islamic floral and abstract motifs and soothing colour combinations. Besides the panoramic view, KL Tower has something for city dwellers who love nature. The verdant green surrounding Menara KL is the Bukit Nanas Forest - the only oldest gazetted forest reserve in the country.

It covers an area of 10.05 hectares and is considered the green lung of Kuala Lumpur. It is sanctuary to a wonderful array of flora and fauna, unique to the country’s tropical climate.

Museum and Art Gallery If you have only a few hours to spare in Kuala Lumpur, one great way to spend it is to drop into one of the best kept secrets in Kuala Lumpur: the Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery located at Jalan Dato’ Onn. The Museum and Art Gallery is housed in the impressively sleek complex of glass and titanium, Sasana Kijang, the Central Bank of Malaysia’s centre of learning excellence. Intended to appeal to both young and old, the Museum and Art Gallery is designed to be an informal educational avenue for anyone who seeks greater understanding on the Malaysian economy and its economic history, the Bank’s role in the nation’s economic development and financial regulation since 1959 to the present day. It also acts as the guardian to the nation’s numismatics heritage, whilst the Art Gallery underlines the Bank’s role as a patron of Malaysian arts with its impressive collection of over 1,500 contemporary Malaysian and ASEAN artworks acquired since 1962. The Museum which comprises six galleries namely, the Art Gallery, Economic Gallery, Islamic Finance Gallery, Numismatics Gallery , ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Children’s Gallery and the Bank Negara Malaysia Gallery, is committed to meaningful engagement with people from all walks of life. Through innovative exhibitions, scholarly projects and outreach activities, it seeks to elevate financial literacy and appreciation of Malaysia’s cultural distinctiveness. The Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm and admission is free. Guided tours and special educational programmes are available for groups of 20 or more, subject to availability. This Museum and Art Gallery is rapidly making its mark as a popular stop on the tourist map as a worthwhile learning experience, so do make it a point to drop by soon to fully appreciate it yourself!

Palace of Culture Among the top ten most sophisticated theatres in the world, Istana Budaya (meaning “Palace of Culture”) is proud to be the first theatre in Asia equipped with cutting- edge stage equipment that is on par with the Royal Albert Hall in London. The main building takes the form of the “sirih junjung” (a traditional arrangement of betel leaves used in Malay weddings and welcoming ceremonies), and is divided by function, based on a traditional Malay house. The interior of

the Istana Budaya is something you won’t want to miss as it is built from Langkawi marble and decorated with tropical wooden doors which feature hand- carved flower and leaf motifs. In short, this place is a work of art in and of itself. On its annual calendar are international cultural and musical performances as well as concerts and ballet performances. To find out what events are on, just call the venue ahead of time

National Monument The National Monument was built to recognise and honour those who gave up their lives in the cause for peace and freedom, particularly during the nation’s struggle against the threat of communism. Within the National Monument grounds is one of the world’s largest free-standing bronze sculptures. It was sculpted in 1966 by Felix de Weldon, who was also the creator of the famous Iwo Jima monument in Washington DC. There are seven bronze human figures atop an oblong base; each figure denoting one of seven qualities: courage, leadership, sacrifice, strength, suffering, unity and vigilance. The topmost figure, at the centre, holds aloft the Malaysian flag. He is flanked on the left and right by two other soldiers, both armed; the ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

figure on the left is armed with a machinegun, while the other carries a rifle and a bayonet. Next to the National Monument are the ASEAN Gardens and the Tun Razak Memorial, which houses memorabilia of Malaysiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second Prime Minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.

Bird Park The KL Bird Park is located in the serene and scenic Perdana Botanical Gardens, 10 minutes away from the Kuala Lumpur city centre.

hornbills, ostriches and other birds. Visit the Egg Incubation Room and Nursery and see how chicken eggs are artificially incubated using incubators. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to take photographs with the different species of birds, and catch the feeding programme and daily bird shows taking place at the semi-open air amphitheater at 12.30pm and 3.30pm daily.

Textile Museum

Home to more than 3,000 birds of 200 local and foreign bird species, the main feature that distinguishes KL Bird Park from other bird parks is the concept of free-flight.

The National Textiles Museum houses a unique collection of clothing, accessories and textiles. The museum has four main galleries: Pohon Budi Gallery, Pelangi Gallery, Teluk Berantai Gallery and the Ratna Sari Gallery.

Stroll through the park, and take the opportunity to see Mandarin ducks, hawk eagles,

The Pohon Budi Gallery showcases the origins of textiles from pre-historic times as well as

its growth through trade. Also on exhibit here are tools, materials and traditional techniques of textile-making. Video screenings educate visitors on processes such as keringkam, songket and pua kumbu. The Pelangi Gallery exhibits selected heritage collections such as types of clothing worn by the various communities in Malaysia. This includes clothing worn by the Baba Nyonya community of Melaka, as well as various clothings of the Sabah and Sarawak ethnic communities. The Teluk Berantai Gallery showcases the rich heritage of the Malay songket, including collections such as kain tenun (weave), kain berayat (verses), songket tenggarung and other cloths. The Ratna Sari Gallery is perhaps the most adorned with its intricate exhibit of rich jewelry items and personal adornments. ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

opened the museum on 31 August 1963.

On exhibit are earrings, hair pins, bracelets, anklets as well as accessories worn by the various ethnic communities throughout Malaysia.

Today, the museum houses various exhibits depicting the historical background of the country. The exhibits are on a rotational basis, so it is best to call the museum ahead to check out what their exhibits are at the time.

National Mosque The main dome of the National Mosque is designed in the shape of an 18-point star to represent the 13 states of Malaysia and the five central Pillars of Islam, and has the appearance of a partly opened umbrella roof which symbolises the aspirations of an independent nation.

A walk through the museum grounds will also unveil various national treasures including the istana (palace) of Sultan Zainal Abidin III, Sultan of Terengganu in 1884. The palace, Istana Satu, is built entirely of hardwood, and built in the museum compounds in 1974.

As one of Southeast Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest mosques, its unique modern design embodies a contemporary expression of traditional Islamic art, calligraphy and ornamentation.

Other attractions include the bust of Sir Francis Light, the founder of Penang, as well as the first cable car from Bukit Bendera, Penang.

The National Mosque is located right next to the architecturally fabulous old railway station, and just a short walk to the sprawling Lake Gardens and National Monument. If you have the energy, make a walking tour of it by stringing these attractions together.

Jamek Mosque Built in 1909, Jamek Mosque - better known as Masjid Jamek among the locals - is the oldest mosque in the city. The mosque sits at the meeting point of the Klang and Gombak rivers, which is also the birthplace of Kuala Lumpur.

National Museum Muzium Negara used to be the site of the Selangor Museum, established in 1898. After the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s independence in 1957, the new federal government built a newer, larger museum on the same spot.

Its architecture is inspired by Mogul influences of northern India. In 1965, it was officially declared as the National Mosque.

Once completed, the reigning King at the time, the Yang di- Pertuan Agong III, Tuanku Syed Putra AlHaj Ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail officially

Today, there is a new National Mosque not far away, but Jamek Mosque remains important due to its strategic location in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

RAJASTHAN

FOREIGNERS FLOCK

RAJASTHAN Every third foreign tourist visiting India also visits Rajasthan. The ancient palaces of Jaipur, beautiful and romantic lakes of Udaipur, the desert and sand dunes of Jaisalmer, the Jain temples at Mount Abu, the colourful cattle fair at Pushkar and the grand Umaid Bhavan Palace of Jodhpur, to name a few, are some of the key attractions of the state and draw a lot of tourism to it- to the extent that tourism accounts for 80% of Rajasthan's Gross Domestic Product. Many old and neglected Forts and Palaces have been converted into Rajasthan heritage hotels. Tourism has also increased employment in the hospitality sector.

ajasthan is rich in architecture and is a delight for all kinds of tourists with its sandy dunes, mighty forts, lush blossoming gardens, shimmering lakes and outstanding monuments. The medieval zeal of honor among the Rajputs rings true in Chittorgarh Fort, men and women alike, while the romantic reverie hovers over the island palaces of Lake

Many old and neglected Forts and Palaces have been converted into Rajasthan heritage hotels. Tourism has also increased employment in the hospitality sector.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

Pichola. One can almost see the shy royal ladies chuckling to see the royal procession on the roads of Jaipur, unseen and safe behind the screens of Hawa Mahal. The religious fervor of the staunch devotees at Dargah Sharief at Ajmer and Shrinath ji at Nathdwara is no less than the grandeur of City Palace of Jaipur and astronomical wonders of Jantar Mantar. JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

We present here a list of favourite tourist destinations of Rajasthan:

Albert Hall Museum Positioned amidst the gardens of Ram Niwas Bagh in Jaipur, this museum has an assortment of rare articles on its display including textiles, carpets, paintings, metal and wood crafts, pottery, arms and weapons,

Amer Palace Raja Man Singh built Amer Palace in 16th century. It is a mesmerizing blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture. Rajputs made use of the Amber Fort from the 16th century up to the foundation of Jaipur in 1727 both for defense purpose as well as the residential purposes.

City Palace Situated in the capital of Rajasthan, the City Palace of Jaipur or the chief palace is a titillating fusion of conventional Rajasthan and Mughal architecture. The gigantic palace complex engages one seventh of the walled city of Jaipur.

Chittorgarh Fort The Chittorgarh Fort has witnessed three bloody sieges and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;jauharsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (a Rajput tradition in which royal maidens and ladies immolate themselves in the fire to save their honor from the cruel hands of the enemy, when there is no chance of defeating the enemy). 22

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Dargah Sharif ‘Dargah Sharif’ or ‘Holy Dargah’ is one of the most sacred Muslim shrines in the country. Venerated by both Hindus and Muslims, it is the tomb of Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chisti, a Sufi saint who came from Persia and devoted his life to the service and upliftment of the poor and downtrodden.

Fateh Sagar Lake The pretty Fateh Sagar Lake of Udaipur is located to the north of Lake Pichola was originally built in 1678 by Maharana Jai Singh as a mediumsized perennial storage reservoir. Surrounded by holls on three sides and Pratap Memorial on the fourth, it presents captivating scenery.

Havelis of Jaisalmer The beautiful sandstone mansions of Jaisalmer’s wealthy merchants are known as ‘havelis’. Their elaborate homes are a poem etched out in sandstone with infinite details and pains, carved and pieced together in different patterns, and though they are lavish and loud in nature,

Hawa Mahal Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh erected Hawa Mahal or the Palace of the Wind in 1799, which eventually became one of the major landmarks of Jaipur. An integral part of the City Palace, it is actually an extension of its women’s

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

chambers, and is secluded from the main complex.

Jantar Mantar In Sanskrit, ‘Jantar Mantar’ is used for ‘Magical Devices’ and it is undoubtedly so with the huge masonry instruments, which were placed here to measure ‘the harmony of the heavens’. Conceived by Sawai Raja Jai Singh II, it was completed in seven years from 1728 to 1734.

Lake Pichola Maharaja Udai Singh did not underestimate the panoramic beauty of Lake Pichola surrounded by beautiful hills when he chose to widen it. Later Maharaja Jagjit Singh conceptualized the two beautiful island palaces in the middle of the lake, now, known as Jag Niwas (the much-renowned Lake Palace) and Jag Mandir that adds to the shimmering beauty of the lake.

Pushkar Pushkar is one of the most famous Hindu pilgrimage sites and it is said that a dip in the sacred lake of Pushkar is akin to the visits to the four main Hindu shrines known as ‘Chaar Dhaam’. The charming lake of Pushkar is surrounded by hills on three sides and sand dunes on the fourth and presents an ideal site for the religious and cattle fair, which is held every year in the month of October or November. JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Sahelion Ki Bari Saheliyon-ki-Bari or the ‘Garden of the Maids of Honor’ of Udaipur was once reserved for the royal ladies who came here for a stroll. A well planned garden, with extensive lawns and shady walks situated on the banks of the dainty Fateh Sagar Lake was constructed in 18th century by Maharana Sangram Singh for fortyeight young ladies-inwaiting sent to the royal house, as part of the dowry as a cool summer retreat for them.

Shrinathji Temple 48 km from Udaipur, Shrinathji of Nathdwara is actually a temple of Lord Krishna with his image carved out of a single block of black marble. Set amidst idyllic hills, it is said to be the second richest temple in the world. The royalty of Udaipur pray at the temple and as the head of his clan, the Maharana is also called as Shriji among his people.

Umaid Bhawan Palace The famine had struck the arid and barren land of Jodhpur and farmers were dying of hunger as their lands yielded nothing and they had no money to buy food. It was then, when like a judicious king, Maharaja Umaid Singh of Jodhpur undertook the construction of this magnificent building as a famine relief project to provide employment and a regular source of income to his subjects. 25

TAMILNADU TRAVELLER

Intriguing, Yet Devotional

Dr. S. Bakthavatchalam Additional Director, Tamil Nadu Tourism

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

A visit to Darasuram in Tamil Nadu will be, for sure, different from other journeys. Any other journey to a temple town may or may not turn out to be a pilgrimage, but a journey to Darasuram, situated about three kilometres from Kumbakonam in Thanjavur, even if it is meant to be a leisure trip, may transform into a pilgrimage, somewhere, somehow. Darasuram is famous for its Shiva Shrine ruins of Airavateshwara Temple, now a UNESCO World Heritage monument. The earliest records of the temple mention the name of the town as Rajarajapuram.

he main attractions of the devout Hindu town of Darasuram revolve around the Airavateshwara temple, said to be constructed by the Rajaraja Chola II, in the 12th century AD. The exquisite stone carvings and the ‘mandapam’ in the form of a huge chariot drawn by horses and elephants, speak volumes for its architectural beauty. The temple is about 85 inches tall and is one of the finest examples of the Dravidian architecture. This famous temple is named after the mythical white elephant of Indra - Airavata, who was a strong devout of Lord Shiva. The temple has in it a Shiva Lingam, which

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

The temple, a storehouse of art and architecture, has quite interesting legends to tell the travellers. When you spot the sacred tank ‘Yamateertham’, remember that there is a legend attached to it.

is believed to have been worshiped by Airavata and hence the name Airavateshwara. The temple, a storehouse of art and architecture, has quite interesting legends to tell the travellers. When you spot the sacred tank ‘Yamateertham’, remember that there is a legend attached to it. Yama, God of death, is said to have taken a bath in the sacred tank, to get rid of the burning sensation that developed all over his body, following a saint’s curse. And now you know the tale behind the tank’s name. The tank gets its supply of fresh water from Kaveri River. A bath in this tank will be a rewarding experience. The main deity of the temple is Shiva and he is worshipped here as Airavateshwara. The temple complex houses Amman Temple and it is dedicated to Goddess Deva Nayaki, the main deity’s consort. Though not as large as the other two Chola temples at Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram, the level of detail that has gone into the architecture of Darasuram temple is simply stupendous. The Jagannath Puri temple in Konark is believed to have taken inspiration from Darasuram’s architectural master piece. Shaped like a chariot drawn by horses and elephants, Airavateshwara temple is supported by around 100 monolith pillars, all elegantly and splendidly carved. The temple wall is a veritable art gallery, with sculptures made of polished black basalt, distinctive representations of ancient Chola art. Multi headed and multi armed, they come alive with various emotions. Since elephant draws the chariot, the main ‘mandapam’ is known as Raja Gambira ‘Mandapam’ and it features some of the interesting sculptures, including Lord Vishnu and Brahma attending Shiva’s marriage, the entire marriage sequence of Lord Muruga, Goddess Saraswathi in a yoga posture and a beautifully crafted Annapoorani with sharp nails. On the eastern side of the ‘mandapam’, there is a sculpture of Saraswathi with a closed lotus and to the western side there is another

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

depiction of Saraswathi, with an open lotus. Works of various demons and birds adorn the roof of the Raja Gambira ‘Mandapam’. Another artistic marvel is the ‘mandapam’ in front of the temple, which can be reached by three steps in the form of a ladder. It produces different musical sounds when tapped and one can hear all the seven ‘swaras’ at different points. Various moods and forms of Shiva can also be seen depicted through sculptures. Other major attractions include Periya Puranam, a poetic account of the lives of the 63 Nayanmars depicted in vegetable colour paintings, sculpture of chopped off Nandi’s head and beautiful depiction of Yali, a mythical creature. The numerous carvings depict not only the gods and their stories but also daily life of those days. As you pack your bags to head to nearest destinations such as Swamimalai, Pazhayarai and Patteeswaram, you will realise, the atmosphere and the intricate carvings have taken you entirely to a world of Gods and Goddesses, for quite a long time. The word Swamimalai literally means ‘God’s mountain’ and the place is famous for its temple dedicated to Lord Muruga. Pazhayarai is known for the Pazhayarai Someswarar Temple, while Patteeswaram’s main attraction is its Sri Dhenupureeswarar Temple. If you have time at your disposal, it is worth exploring nearby towns like Nallur, Govindakudi and Thiyasamuthiram, to experience rustic charm of remote Tamil Nadu. Reaching Darasuram is quite easy. The nearest airport is Trichy, while the nearest railheads include Kumbakonam and Darasuram. The destination is also well connected by road.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

CUISINE

EAT, DRINK & FLY Desserts are a vital ingredient of executive lifestyle and a favourite of globe-trotting CEOs. We present 20 desserts to choose from to make your dining and wining a memorable experience. Raspberry Danish Desserts Crust: Combine graham, stirring constantly, package of Danish dessert with 2 cups. Spoon raspberry filling over cream cheese mixture and refrigerate. Ingredients: cheese, crackers, sugar, vanilla ...)

Rocky Road Pie Mix chocolate pudding with thawed dessert topping. Fold in cooled pit crusts or 1 large baked and cooled pie crust. Serve with whipped topping if desired. Ingredients: crusts, marshmallows, pecans ...

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

Layered Gelatin Fruit Salad

cornstarch, eggs, flour, pecans ...

Dissolve the lemon in 1 1/4 Butter Brickle Dessert cups of the boiling water. The Mix together and press salad can also be prepared in into bottom only of 13”x9” a pan and cut into squares for dish. Bake ... container Cool serving. Whip type frozen dessert Ingredients: grapes, topping (largest size) until yogurt ... ready to serve.

Blueberry Streusel Cake Quick & Easy Dessert (Or Salad) Heat oven to over the

bottom of the prepared pan. Mix dry Jello and Cool Drizzle over the top of the Whip. Add cottage cheese cake. Store in the refrigerator. and then well drained fruit. Makes 16 servings. A half-cup nuts and one cup Ingredients: blueberries, small marshmallows may also eggs, extract half, oil, sugar ... be added.

Caramel Ice Cream Dessert Mix well and occasionally. Pack half of crumb mixture in over crumbs. Cover with remainder of crumb mixture and dribble rest of caramel and freeze. Ingredients: flour, nuts, oats, sugar ...

Australian Favorite Dessert - Pavlova Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat egg whites with pinch salt 5-6 minutes. Gradually add sugar, vinegar and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form. Ingredients: cream, salt, sugar, vanilla, vinegar ...

Anything Dessert Cream cheese, 1/2 of Cool Whip, and filling, 1/2 Cool Whip by hand; place on top, place cake pan into refrigerator for 1 hour before serving. Ingredients: cake, cheese, whip ...

Donut Dessert Spread each donut short time, only until bubbly. Place a pineapple slice on each donut and broil again, only until hot. Serve with a scoop of ice cream. Ingredients:cream, slices, sugar ...

Fresh Fruit Dessert

Tear cakes into small bitesize pieces, and set aside. Put in refrigerator until set. Add Mix and add 3 cups of 1 small container Cool Whip. water. Stir over aluminum foil Mix in fruit. Pour over cake. as the lemon will “eat” the Ingredients: bananas, foil. blueberries, milk, Ingredients: cheese, strawberries ...

Lemon Lush Dessert

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Cream Cheese Dessert

Snickers Dessert

Mix together flour, butter, sugar and nuts. Pat in 9x13 inch pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1/2 Cool .

Mix all ingredients with electric mixer and pour into an 8 x 8 inch pan and freeze. Before serving, top with a little more Cool Whip.

Ingredients: flour, milk, sugar ...

...

Ingredients: cereal, vanilla

Four Layer Dessert

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Mix well, pat. Beat slightly and spread over layer 3. Sprinkle with pecans (or chocolate shavings depending on type of pudding used). Chill.

Mix pudding and mixture over layer of crackers. Cover with over top layer of graham crackers. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Cut in pieces and serve.

Ingredients: flour, milk, soft, sugar, vanilla ...

Ingredients: bake, crackers, milk, sugar, syrup ..

Tin Roof Dessert

Easy Coconut Dessert

Mix cookies and Pat into bottom of 2 (9â&#x20AC;?) pans ... Whip. Garnish with nuts, cherries or whatever you want. Freeze at least 45 minutes before serving.

Bake a package of yellow or white of cake. You should have four layers of cake; three of filling plus top of the cake covered.

Ingredients: cream, syrup, ... whip ...

Cottage Cheese Jello Dessert

Ingredients: cream, sugar

Dessert Chocolate Waffles

Blend whole eggs, cream and vanilla. Sift together dry Mix together and stir well. ingredients and stir in egg Ingredients: cheese, mixture. Add butter, fold in cocktail, jello ... whites. Bake.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

REVIEW - BOOK

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

aula Hawkins wrote The Girl on the Train with dread verging on panic. It has been described as her debut but it is Hawkins’s fifth novel. Before embarking on this project, she had been writing under a pseudonym. The first was quite lighthearted, by the fourth, they had got darker and darker. “The last one has loads of terrible things happening in it, and nobody bought it,” says Hawkins. It was a real spur to get The Girl on the Train right. I had to nail it and do it really well. It really concentrates the mind, that kind of thing. For the six months I was writing it, I didn’t really do anything else.” In order to survive, she’d had to borrow money from her father. “It was really terrible, I felt really awful about it.”

by Paula

Hawkins

Hawkins latest book has sold more than 120,000 copies in hardback since January, and sales of ebooks and copies in other countries are at around 2m. The US market has taken to it especially – the book has been at the top of the New York Times bestseller list for 13 weeks, and the film rights have been bought by DreamWorks.

She must now be making an astonishing amount of money – more, she admits, than she ever thought she could make from writing. Has it changed her? “My life is exactly the same as it was before, although I’m aware that I’m more solvent,” she says. “I’m going to have some things done to my house which have been desperately needed. I may move and get myself a bigger place, but I haven’t gone crazy.” Otherwise, nothing much has changed. Even successful writers are afforded anonymity, she points out, and nobody looks at us when we meet in a cafe near her home in south London, our conversation drowned out by the occasional passing police car. You can see why the comparison is made and it isn’t just the “girl” in the title – not something that was dreamed up by her publisher, insists Hawkins; it was the working title of the book, long before she read Gone Girl. “The Woman on the Train just didn’t sound as good. I’ll take care next time not to have girl in the title.” And, she says, she knows the main character, thirtysomething Rachel, is

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

“not a girl, but I do call people girls all the time – I refer to myself as a girl and I’m in my 40s”. On her morning commute, the train always stops at the same signal and Rachel starts to become obsessed with the couple whose garden backs on to the train tracks. They have – in her fantasy – a perfect life, while Rachel is being sucked under by alcoholism and the heartbreak of her failed marriage. But then she is shocked by something she sees in their garden one day and when, shortly afterwards, the woman goes missing, Rachel becomes entangled in their lives for real – only it’s complicated by the fact that she suffers from blackouts and memory loss, and is such a mess that nobody (the police, the woman’s husband, herself even) can trust her. Hawkins joins a growing list of women psychological thriller writers being eagerly promoted by publishers hungry for the next Gillian Flynn. Does she think women approach this genre differently? “It’s difficult to say. I certainly think there is this domestic noir trend, but there are plenty of men who write in that as well.

I think perhaps women are less interested in spies and serial killers and are more interested – I certainly am – in everyday domestic dramas and real threats. Men tend to be attacked by strangers, women tend to be attacked by people they know.” Most women, she points out, “are made to think about themselves in terms of what they should be doing to prevent violence happening to them”. It is more than a straightforward crime thriller; at its dark heart are the threats, pressures and judgments made on women – from domestic violence to ageing, to how they approach motherhood. Although there is a murder – and I don’t think I’m giving anything away by saying the victim is female – it doesn’t feel like the gratuitous, sexualised murders of attractive young women that pile up in so much crime fiction. Hawkins always wanted to be a writer of some kind. She describes an idyllic childhood in Zimbabwe – a big house with a swimming pool, a mother who stayed at home to look after her and a father who was

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

a successful journalist and economics professor. “I’m aware that it was an incredibly iniquitous society. I wasn’t conscious of that as a child, but by the time I was, things were changing and then I left when I was 17 anyway. I am aware that my very nice childhood came at a cost to other people.” Hawkins loved the stories told by foreign correspondents and decided this is what she wanted to do. It was a rather romantic view, she says with a laugh. In reality, after moving to the UK when she was 17 and shortly afterwards going on to Oxford University, war zones had lost their appeal: “I’m way too much of a coward.” Instead, she found herself working as a financial journalist. “I spent a lot of time writing about tax and pensions and mortgages,” she says, deadpan. Actually, it was pretty interesting; in the mid-1990s, she spent a lot of time writing about eastern Europe where the markets were opening up, then joined the Times, where she stayed until 2004. She went freelance, but in 2009, “after the market tanked, there wasn’t that much work around and the rates were terrible. I kind

of thought, ‘Oh well, something will come up’. But it didn’t, really.” Plotting, structuring and pacing are the basic craft of writing. When her agent got her a job writing what would be described as chick lit, under the name Amy Silver, she was more involved in the craft. The idea – “Rear Window-ish,” she calls it – of someone witnessing something from a train window, had been swimming about in her mind for a while. She had started a different thriller with a woman with memory problems in it, but the book wasn’t really working out. By putting her on that train, it felt like it could work. Hawkins plotted it out carefully – she’s not one of those writers who can start and see where it takes them, she says – and wrote the first half quickly. A bidding war was waged on her partial manuscript. Hawkins seems a little dazed by its success. There have been tours, interviews and photographs. It’s not as bad as she thought, but “it’s not comfortable. I’m not naturally an extrovert. I’m a writer – I sit in a room by myself making things up. That is where I’m happiest.”

REVIEW - MOVIE

GONE GIRL Two different views of modern marriage

pressing than the search for his gone girl wife, whose own voice is heard through the pages of an incriminating diary, which reveals an alternative reading of their apparently idyllic marriage. Gone Girl opens with Nick wondering: “What are you thinking? How are you feeling? What have we done to each other?”, and then spends most of its lengthy running time gleefully refusing to answer any of those questions. Just as The Game found Sean Penn setting elaborate role-playing traps for Michael Douglas, so the main characters here all adopt and discard projected personae, their true selves hidden beneath layers of unravelling deceit. Everything is a performance, everyone pretending to be something they are not, editing and rewriting themselves for the public – and for one another. Amy is already immortalised – and perversely idealized. But her diaries tell another story, in which our (un?)reliable narrator is increasingly terrorised by Nick, whom she no longer recognises as the man she married. Meanwhile, Nick takes PR lessons from attorney Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry), the “patron saint of wife killers” who understands the fine art of faking sincerity for the media. With its unhappily “shared” photos and incriminatory TV smiles, Gone Girl could be interpreted as a wryly morbid companion piece to The Social Network – a homicide investigation (without a body) played out in an arena in which technology has blurred the divide between the public and the private.

Director : David Fincher Language : English

n the day of his fifth wedding anniversary, bar owner Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) finds his Missouri home theatrically violated; the front door open; a glass table overturned and smashed; his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), unaccountably missing. Arriving at the scene, detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens, with a touch of Fargo’s Marge Gunderson) senses that all is not as it seems. Evidence of financial troubles and domestic disputes turns the finger of suspicion toward Nick, whose uncertain displays of grief are deemed insufficient in an age of social media and rolling news. Within days, the realignment of Nick’s “smiling sociopath” public image becomes more

The opening movement of Gone Girl, with its sympathetic fall guy apparently framed for a horrendous crime that he may have actually committed, is a set-up that Eszterhas reworked time and time again, often to repetitive ends. The third act is pure Basic Instinct, its she devil philosophy and orgasmic splashes of blood eerily replicating the cool frenzy of Verhoeven’s Euro-influenced Americana. More so than Adrian Lyne’s Fatal Attraction (to which Fincher has acknowledged a distant debt), Gone Girl is umbilically tied to Eszterhas and Verhoeven’s disreputable blockbuster – although some may balk at such a tawdry comparison. This is a picture-perfect world, presented with the untouched clarity of a crime scene, fine-tuned and framed by Fincher, whose obsessive attention to detail mirrors that of his titular muse. At 149 minutes, the film never drags nor does its mood settle, slipping from classy narcissistic humour to exploitation-inflected thrills in an instant; mercurial, mystifying – and tantalisingly missing. ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

NEWSLINE

Expanded ATM 2015 Line-Up Results In 15% Visitor Growth

New events and features boost attendance for Middle East signature travel trade showcase; travel tech focus sees +24% leap in sector exhibitors while UNWTO Ministerial Forum puts regional tourism development in the spotlight

confirmed participants including 113 first-timers, with over 2,800 exhibiting companies representing 86 countries, 64 national pavilions and a packed schedule of over 50 seminar and tech theatre sessions.

Reed Travel Exhibitions, the organizer of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2015, which took place 4-7 May 2015, has shared initial post-event numbers for the 22nd edition of the annual travel trade showcase, with in excess of 26,000 influential visitors recorded, representing a 15% increase on 2014 figures.

Popular annual features included the easyto-follow exhibition trails covering family travel, budget travel, business travel, health & wellbeing, shopping, transportation, sports travel, cultural and heritage and adventure travel; and the high profile New Frontiers Recovery Awards, which was given to Nepal.

The record-breaking show, which is the largest travel trade exhibitor showcase in the Middle East, also welcomed several new initiatives this year including the Captains of Industry lunch, the Travel Tech Show at ATM with over 50 travel techspecific exhibitors (up 24% on 2014 floor space), the RateGain Travel Technology Theatre and Visa Exhibitor Showcase Theatre; as well as the return of the high profile UNWTO Ministerial Forum Hosted by National Council of Tourism & Antiquities and the all-new ATM Best Stand Awards.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, the show has grown to become the largest showcase of its kind in the region and one of the biggest in the world.

Exhibitor numbers across the 9 halls totaled 412

Arabian Travel Market 2015 partners include Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Emirates Airline, The Vision Destination Management, Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort and Spa, The Atlantis The Palm, The Address Downtown, TIME Hotels and IHG.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

NEWSLINE

Sartha Global to represent BHCVB Sartha Global Marketing has recently been appointed by Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau (BHCVB) as their representatives in India. Sartha Global Marketing has been tasked to implement an intensivepublic relations and travel trade outreach; educate potential travelers on the destinations unique attributes, thereby attracting more visitors from India. Centrally located in greater Los Angeles area, Beverly Hills is a world-renowned icon of sophistication, luxury and service. A premier vacation and business travel destination,it offers unforgettable experiences ranging from luxury hotels, exclusive restaurants, extraordinary art and cultural attractions to the world famous Rodeo Drive. Beverly Hills is also synonymous with Hollywood glamour as it enjoys an international reputation as the home and playground of A-list movie stars. “We are very pleased with our association with Sartha Global Marketing. India is a very important and fast expanding market and we believe that the Sartha Global team have the right credentials to highlight the sophistication and iconic elements of Beverly Hills in India,’’ said Julie Wagner, Chief Executive Officer, BHCVB. Sheema Vohra, Managing Director Sartha Global Marketing added, “We are very thrilled to represent Beverly Hills in India. The destination symbolizes style and glamour and Indians love movie stars, unique shopping experiences and a growing need for luxury. This should make Beverly Hills a much sought-after destination of choice.”

Ixigo Launches PNR Prediction for Trains ixigo, India’s leading mobile travel marketplace has launched a PNR prediction feature for train travellers. ixigo’s popular train information application with over 1.5 million monthly active users, “ixigo trains & hotels”, will now get PNR confirmation predictions in addition to the marketleading information, search & planning tools for train travellers.

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

For any given train’s wait-listed status, ixigo is now able to show the near accurate probability with which the ticket will confirm, so that travellers may decide whether or not to book a waitlisted ticket. PNR prediction feature also shows the probability of getting your ticket confirmed if already booked and solves a huge pain area for millions of daily train travellers. ixigo’s trains & hotels app gives more accurate PNR prediction than all existing PNR prediction services since ixigo has mined data from over 10 million PNRs over the last two years. Talking about the new feature, Rajnish Kumar, co¬-founder & CTO said “ixigo has always believed in simplifying the lives of travelers and one of the pain areas we wished to solve was to make it easier for train travelers to decide whether they should book a waitlisted seat / berth on a train or not. Over 50,000 PNR status checks and nearly 200,000 train information requests are done on our app every day. This was an interesting big data project and we are happy with the outcome. Our machine learning algorithms will keep improving the accuracy of the system with every new train PNR tracked inside our apps. We expect to go from the current 90% accuracy to 95% accuracy pretty quickly.” In addition to PNR prediction, ixigo’s trains & hotels app already incorporates several innovative features such as budget hotel bookings, cab bookings, packages, station alarms, platform numbers and coach positions of trains. ixigo’s unbundled apps for all travel use cases have now exceeded 5 million app downloads, making them the most downloaded travel search & planning apps in India. In a significant boost for ixigo’s mobile strategy, Micromax has recently made a strategic investment in the business.

NEWSLINE

The Return of Bollywood to Seychelles

Rocky Handsome is being produced by Azure Entertainment, an independent content development, production and financing company set up in 2013, which focuses on filmed entertainment in Hindi and other regional languages. Air Seychelles launched scheduled services between Mumbai and Seychelles in December 2014 with an Airbus A320 aircraft in a two-class configuration, offering 16 business class seats and 120 economy class seats.

The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and Air Seychelles have teamed up to support the filming of Rocky Handsome, a Bollywood action thriller set in Seychelles. This project marks the return of Bollywood to Seychelles after two decades. Set for release in October 2015, Rocky Handsome tells the story of a man who seeks revenge after his daughter is kidnapped. Key scenes in the movie, including a romantic song duet, featuring the film’s lead actors, John Abraham and Shruti Hassan, were shot in the Seychelles. Ms Lubaina Sheerazi, COO, Blue Square Consultants, Seychelles Tourist Office - India said: “The Seychelles archipelago has some of the most scenic island backdrops in the world, and we are thrilled that it will be featured in Rocky Handsome. This film, which has two of the biggest names in contemporary Bollywood cinema, will bring enormous exposure to the destination and enhance its reputation as an excellent filming location. Seychelles is pitched to be the next hotspot filming location for the Indian film and entertainment industry. The islands are easy to access for Indian travellers, with free visa on arrival.

Return flight from Seychelles to Mumbai depart on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 8:45 pm arriving in Mumbai at 2:55 am the next morning.

Maldives wins the World’s Best Beach Destination at World Travel Awards Maldives wins the award for the “Best Beach Destination” at the World Travel Awards, Africa and Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2015. The award was received by the Managing Director of MMPRC, Mr. Abdulla Ziyath at the ceremony held on 20th June 2015, at the Kempinski Seychelles Resort, Baie Lazare in the Seychelles. Maldives won the award for “Best Beach Destination” for being the most top destination in this category. Maldives competed with other world class destinations such as Seychelles and Mauritius in this category.

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer, Air Seychelles, said: “We were delighted to support the production of the major feature film Rocky Handsome, by flying actors, crew and equipment between Seychelles and India.

World Travel Awards are well-known as the highest and most exclusive award ceremony in the Travel and Tourism Industry. It is also renowned as the “Oscars of the Travel Industry.” Today, the World Travel Awards™ brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire. While this year marks the 22nd anniversary of the World Travel Awards, Maldives was honored the opportunity to host the 1st Indian Ocean World Travel Awards in Maldives in 2013.

As an enabler in the Seychellois economy, Air Seychelles plays a key role in driving inbound tourism. This exciting project will provide important exposure in the Indian market.”

For a world class destination that welcomed 1.2 million tourists in a year in 2014, winning this award will enhance the image of the destination as a high profile luxury beach destination.

Rocky Handsome will also support our strong marketing efforts in the Indian market, which has resulted in around 125% growth in the number of tourist arrivals from India during Jan-May 2015 compared to the same period in 2014.

Air Seychelles operates a four per week service between Mumbai and Seychelles. Flights depart Mumbai on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, at 4:00 am arriving in Seychelles at 6:55 am on the same day.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

Travel

Networking Starts here!

Exhibition Highlights 2016 15,000 Sq.mts Area 10,000+ Expected Trade Visitors 3,000+ Prefix Appointments 300+ Hosted Buyers (Domestic & International) Online Business Match Making 2 Days Conference Destination Promotion Workshops

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IITT Training Academy For Travel Entrepreneurs Branding Opportunities TRE

CEN IBITION H X E Y BOMBA MUMBAI

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KNOWLEDGE PARTNER

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For Queries Contact: IITT Secretariat ABEC Exhibitions & Conferences Pvt. Ltd Mohit : +91 98200 66289 | T: +91 022 66814900 JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER Email: info@tourismfair.asia | W: www.tourismfair.asia

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NEWSLINE

Bangkok Top City for Indian Tourists

Bangkok is the most searched Asian summer holiday destinations by Indians, according to a study by global travel-planning website Skyscanner. London owned the top spot globally while Bangkok ruled Asia searches by Indian travellers. Bangkok took the second spot globally, ahead of other conventional favourites such as Dubai, New York, Paris and Toronto. “We have seen a 65% year on year increase in outbound travel amongst Indian travellers this summer holiday. Based on our data, Indians are becoming more experimental when it comes to travelling abroad,” Kavitha Gnanamurthy, Senior Marketing Manager, Skyscanner India, was quoted as saying in the Indian media. “In the spirit of exploration, they are looking for longer, more expensive trips and are searching for newer destinations,” she said. Skyscanner revealed that Bangkok witnesses a year-on-year growth rate of 119% out of India. The ‘City of Angels’ is also well-known among Indian travellers for its ancient monuments, value-formoney shopping, authentic Thai food and worldfamous nightlife. The buzzing Chao Phraya River, along with fairly new attraction Asiatique The Riverfront are other attractions that keep travellers engaged. 44

At present, visitors from India can also look forward to unbelievable bargains at the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale which began mid-June and will continue until mid August. The survey puts the average length of the stay for Indian travellers in Bangkok at 7 days. India is one of Thailand’s fastest growing source-markets. In January–March 2015, Thailand welcomed 231,012 Indian visitors, an increase of 13.73% over the same period of last year. TAT is projecting 1.05 million arrivals from India in 2015. Indian visitors know Thailand as a hospitable and a year-round tourism destination with a high quality of value-for-money products and services. Indians get visa-on-arrival facilities at Thailand’s international checkpoints. Indian leisure travellers generally go shopping and sightseeing in Bangkok before moving on to traditional favourites such as Pattaya and Phuket, new favourites such as Chiang Mai, Samui, Krabi and Ayutthaya or upcoming destinations such as Chiang Rai, Kanchanaburi and Ko Chang. Soraya Homchuen, director, TAT Mumbai says, “Indian travelers always spend a night or two in Bangkok before continuing with a Thailand itinerary. Some high end Indian travelers choose to travel to Bangkok to unwind over a long weekend – this

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

NEWSLINE segment does several short trips to Bangkok in a year.” Indian production companies (for films, TV serials and advertising), MICE groups and destination weddings are also flocking to Thailand. Last year, Thailand won eight Indian tourism awards; such as, Best Wedding Destination, Best Destination, Best International Tourism Board, Best Spa Destination and Best Value Destination. 2015 has witnessed Thailand bag its fourth time victory as Lonely Planet’s Best Value Destination. In testimony to the bursting potential for Thailand as an Indian holiday destination, the 2015 Thailand Travel Mart+ annual trade show held in June saw Indians representing one of the largest buyer contingents. TAT is also expanding its marketing efforts into secondary Indian cities; such as, Ahmedabad, Pune and Bangalore. “Additionally, we expect that the new Thai Air Asia connection from Bangalore to Bangkok will serve to further boost numbers from this city which is ripe with potential due to its demographic mix of young, upwardly mobile population as well as retirees with disposable income,” Ms Homchuen added. A host of new attractions have opened in and around Bangkok for families and youngsters alike. Families are sure to be thrilled about the Kidzania in Bangkok, Cartoon Network Amazone in Pattaya, plus the Vana Nava Waterpark and Venezia mall’s exciting attractions in Hua Hin. Meanwhile the selfie generation is sure to enjoy the quirky 3D art galleries in Pattaya (Art in Paradise) and Hua Hin (at the Venezia mall), besides the nightlife and shopping that keeps them returning year after year. Additionally, the artificial surfer’s paradise ‘Flow House’ and the quirky ‘Museum Siam’ with its collection of objects representing Thai lifestyle through the ages are likely to be enjoyable day-time activities for this market

KLM India offers to ‘Go Dutch’ with its Travellers KLM, widely recognized for being among the most social l-media-savvy airlines, is offering its Indian travelers an exciting digital campaign, ‘LetsGoDutch’. With this campaign, the brand offers to help people achieve their travel dreams by ‘Going Dutch’. Conceptualized and executed by Mumbaibased digital agency, CogMat, the campaign will extensively leverage Facebook, Twitter and YouTube JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

to create a stir. The campaign kicks-off with a video which showcases popular and affordable European locations like Amsterdam, Dublin, Prague and many more, sparking a desire to travel. The humour-tinged video shows people from different segments of the Indian market, who want to travel to Europe but are restricted from doing so due to high travel cost. The purpose of the campaign, as shown in the video, is to ‘Go Dutch’ with people and build a sense of camaraderie with KLM flyers. On Facebook and Twitter, the first phase of the campaign commences with the ‘LetsGoDutch’ contest, where users are given a destination and are asked to share their itinerary and interesting things to keep in mind while visiting that city. With this contest, the brand aims to reach out to passionate travelers as well as its current fan base in India. The campaign will also continue with a series of contests re-iterating the ideology of the activity which aims at fulfilling people’s aspirations to travel. Watch the video to know how: http://bit.ly/1fIaoc8 Commenting on the campaign, Mr. Yeshwant Pawar, General Manager Air France - KLM said, “KLM is proud to launch LetsGoDutch’ campaign, with aim to help people fulfill their travel dreams by offering to ‘Go Dutch’ with them. It caters to the needs of travel enthusiasts wishing to explore countries across Europe. The campaign will be leveraged extensively across social media, encouraging fans and followers to participate. We believe that our vision and innovative concepts as such will bring us great results and help to build a deeper connect with our customers.” Mitchelle Carvalho, Co-Founder, CogMat said, “It is imperative for brands to connect with patrons in unique and exciting ways. The name of the campaign has its origins in the Dutch heritage of KLM and the practice of ‘Going Dutch’ which is popular among Indian youth. The concept of ‘LetsGoDutch’ is supported by the aspirations of people who would love to travel as extensively as possible, but are unable to do so. With this campaign, KLM wants to reach out to travelers and offer to ‘Go Dutch’ with them and provide something unique that will stay with them forever. Our objective is to fully leverage on social media channels and engage with KLM fans across digital platforms, resonate with ardent travelers and create enthusiasm among them about the brand’s offerings.”

NEWSLINE

Leela Kovalam Wins Lonely Planet Award The Leela Kovalam - a Raviz hotel, India’s only cliff-top beach resort, has won the coveted ‘Best Hotel for Relaxation’ award at the Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Awards 2015. The readers’ choice award was presented to Rajiv Kaul, President, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts and NC Somaiah, General Manager, The Leela Kovalam – a Raviz hotel at a glittering ceremony in Mumbai. This is the fourth year in a row that The Leela Kovalam – a Raviz Hotel has won a Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Award. The first being Best Resort Hotel in 2012 followed by Best Hotel for Relaxation in 2013 and Best Indian Luxury Hotel Award in 2014. Commending the accolades, Rajiv Kaul, President, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, said “I would like to thank our discerning guests and readers of Lonely Planet Magazine for their invaluable support and powerful votes of confidence. To be the top choice in the country for four consecutive years is an outstanding achievement for The Leela Kovalam, and a reflection of The Leela’s vision of providing the finest experiences. I applaud our team for consistently delivering high quality services which has earned this continual recognition.” On receiving the award, General Manager NC Somaiah said, “We are truly honored to receive this prestigious recognition from the readers of Lonely Planet Magazine. We aim to provide our guests

from all over the world with unforgettable stays, whether it’s for business, a relaxing getaway, or a fun-filled family vacation, and this award stands testimony to our dedicated efforts.” The Leela Kovalam – a Raviz hotel, Kerala’s largest beachside resort, boasts of 183 rooms and suites dotted over 60 verdant acres of lush green land. Cradled between two sweeping beaches, the property is perched on a rock-face and offers the most panoramic views of the famed Kovalam shoreline. The beach resort features an array of dining options, beach-view rooms with private sundecks, an authentic Ayurveda Wellness Spa, infinity pools that merge into the horizon, the private and exclusive ‘The Club’, which is a hotel within a hotel for guests seeking unparalleled luxury, amongst other world-class services. The five-star beachside luxury resort has recently won a range of prestigious awards and accolades including the Today’s Traveller Best Wedding Hotel in South India in September 2014, AsiaSpa India ‘Best Spa Cuisine’ award in April 2014, AsiaSpa India ‘Best Ayurvedic Spa and Wellness Center’ award in April 2013, MakeMyTrip ‘Platinum Pick Partner’ award in 2013, TripAdvisor ‘Certificate of Excellence’ in 2010, 2012 and 2104, amongst other recognitions. The Lonely Planet Magazine India nominees were initially selected by a panel of industry-wide travel experts, which were then voted on, both online and in the magazine, by Lonely Planet Magazine India’s well-informed readers. ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

NEWSLINE

Aster DM Healthcare Pledges AED 10 Million Donation to Al Jalila Foundation With Al Jalila Foundation, a global philanthropic organisation dedicated to transforming lives through medical education and treatment, receives a donation of AED 10 million from Aster DM Healthcare, one of the leading healthcare conglomerates in the Middle East and India. The donation will help Al Jalila Foundation develop cutting-edge medical research to benefit the future health of the UAE.

opportunity to explore the medical sciences and discover solutions that will drastically improve the healthcare industry in the region. Aster DM Healthcare is honoured to be a part of Al Jalila Foundation’s scientific & philanthropic initiative in the area of healthcare to fulfil the vision of H H Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President & Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai.”

Her Excellency Dr Raja Easa Al Gurg, Chairperson of the Board of Directors and Member of the Board of Trustees at Al Jalila Foundation, said: “For many years, Dr Moopen has had a significant influence on the UAE’s medical landscape, building a business while also giving back to society. I would like to take this opportunity to personally congratulate Dr Moopen for making such a positive difference to the UAE. We share a vision – to see our children grow up in a future devoid of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity or mental illness. The Al Jalila Foundation’s medical research endowment fund provides the basis for such a future and we thank Dr Moopen and Aster DM Healthcare for this major contribution to support the advancement of medical research in the UAE.”

Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, CEO of Al Jalila Foundation, said: “Aster DM Healthcare is a pioneer in high quality healthcare and has been a long-standing support to the healthcare industry in the UAE for the last 25 years. We are honoured by this significant donation from Dr Moopen who believes, like us, that medical research provides the vital engine for a sustainable future in the UAE for generations to come.”

Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare said: “We are extremely proud to be able to support the incredible work of Al Jalila Foundation. They are giving the next generation of medical professionals the

Al Jalila Foundation’s investments in medical research and education aim to nurture a future generation of highly-qualified medical professionals through postgraduate scholarships, research seed grants and international fellowships. The Al Jalila Foundation Research Centre, the UAE’s first independent multi-disciplinary medical research centre, will bring together local and international scientists to address the region’s most pressing health challenges: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and mental health. The state-ofthe-art centre is scheduled to open in 2016 at Dubai Healthcare City. ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

NEWSLINE

Amadeus Powers Startups to Ignite Innovation in Asia Pacific Travellers today have more power than ever before. With a smart mobile device in nearly every hand, travellers are well-informed and demand better service throughout the entire travel lifecycle. To find new ways to meet traveller needs in this ‘Age of Traveller Power’, global travel technology leader Amadeus, together with Tech Sauce, a Bangkok-based technology startup organisation, just wrapped up Bangkok Startup Weekend 2015: Travel Edition, powered by Amadeus. The event, held from 24 to 26 July 2015, saw more than 55 participants including developers, entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts, passionate about marrying technology and travel, come up with original and pioneering ways to address travellers’ pain points and improve the travel experience. Amadeus equipped participants with industry expertise and coaching from in-house experts as well as access to the Amadeus Travel Innovation Sandbox, a set of APIs to access Amadeus content for testing and prototyping. “Travel and technology are two of the fastest moving industries that exist today. We know that fresh, innovative and often disruptive ideas are constantly being generated from startups across the region. That is why it is so exciting to support this event and be able to listen to, learn from and work with talented individuals, and together envisage innovative ideas that could potentially revolutionise our industry,” said Simon Akeroyd, Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Business Development. Amadeus’ participation in Bangkok Startup Weekend 2015 is just one of the initiatives from Amadeus NEXT, a programme to nurture, mentor and partner with travel startups in Asia Pacific. The programme leverages Amadeus’ technology, expertise, reach and funding to evolve new and original ideas in travel. Amadeus NEXT also drives an internal culture of new idea development and lean thinking through internal hackathons and a startup academy. Globally, Amadeus invests more than 15% of its revenue each year towards R&D and innovation, and also has a dedicated Amadeus Venture Fund which offers early stage minority investments in startups. JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

BIS Solution for Turbo Megha Airways Bird Information Systems Private limited (BIS), a leading technology provider of automated aviation and travel related software solutions has entered into a strategic partnership with Turbo Megha Airways Pvt Ltd currently operating under the name Trujet for the use of its Airline Inventory and Reservations System (AIRS). As per the partnership, Bird Information Systems will provide Trujet the booking technology for the Airline Inventory Hosting, reservation at all city and airport offices, call centers and internet booking engines. Further, through the use of AIRS, Trujet will have access to a user friendly GUI (graphical user interface) which will enable their partners - be it travelers or travel agents - to make online reservations quickly and easily. BIS will also provide Truejet with a unique state-of-the-art Departure Control System for their airport operations. Commenting on the partnership, Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group said, “Our expertise in providing cutting-edge technology for the travel & aviation industry as well as our continued focus on service excellence has resulted in strong relationships within the industry. This strategic alliance with Trujet will give us yet another opportunity to empower an airline with the latest technology to improve their operational efficiency.” On the partnership with Bird Information Systems, Vankayalapati Umesh, MD, Turbo Megha Airways said “We are pleased to be a business partner with BIS for their flagship central reservations systems product AIRS. Reservation system is the heart of an airline’s commercial operations and AIRS supports a wide array of our needs. It supports our requirements perfectly and has come true to our expectations.” “We opened our bookings on 10th of July. The commercial launch has been successful, and we thank Bird Information Systems for their excellent support. AIRS is beautifully supporting all our distribution channels – Internet, Call centre, Web services (portals), and travel agents. We are glad in our choice of AIRS as our reservations system and reiterate the quality of product and support services from Bird group” added Prem Kumar, Director – Commercial and Finance, Turbo Megha Airways.

NEWSLINE

Flavours of Thailand in Mumbai

The taste of Thailand is coming to Mumbai! Sumptuous delicacies, reminiscent of Thailand trips past will be brought to the table from July 22 to August 1, 2015 at the Flavours of Thailand food festival at the JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in Mumbai has teamed up with JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar in order to not only present an experience that transcends food. Patrons will be treated not only to authentic flavours but also a cultural experience. Thai cuisine connoisseur Chef Rungtiwa Sorlae, Thai Specialty Chef, JW Café has designed a menu featuring a good mix of vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes. This is expected to not only draw vegetarian diners but also expose them to the Thai cuisine’s various delicious vegetarian options, which they can request for on their next trip to Thailand. Thailand’s freshest spices and ingredients will be brought to the table. Live counters and the buffet (Rs 1550 + taxes) will feature traditional favourites like Southern Thai Yellow Curry and Crispy Pork with Kale Leaves as well as more novel delicacies like Steamed Fish in Banana Leaves; Chicken Ginger Rice and Steamed Noodles with Ka Chay Curry. A twist to the most often non-vegetarian Massaman Curry will see the popular gravy also presented in a vegetarian avatar: Stir Fried Sugar Peas with Shitake Mushrooms Massaman Curry. 50

Culinary exploration awaits at the dessert counter too – try the Crispy Thai Pancake stuffed with Salted Coconut, which will take you back to Thai beach resort towns where pancake stations are a big hit and vendors innovate with flavours and combinations. Soraya Homchuen, Director, TAT Mumbai says, “Food is very central to the Indian traveller’s experience in Thailand. Most travelers, except perhaps those with religious dietary restrictions are very impressed by Thai cuisine and like to experiment with it as much as possible with every subsequent trip to Thailand. It is very exciting to note the large selection of vegetarian dishes that will allow even those with religious dietary restrictions to explore the exciting world of Thai cuisine! So great is the fascination with Thai cuisine that vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike often sign up to learn the art of authentic Thai cuisine through lessons undertaken during holidays in Thailand.” Vivek Bhatt, Executive Chef, JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar says, “Thai cuisine is exotic and distinct with a perfect balance of strong aroma and varied flavours. We wish to bring the best out of the cuisine through the unmatched knowledge and expertise in Thai culture and cuisine by Chef RungiwaSorlae, offeringour guestsa truly unique and memorable experience.” ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

NEWSLINE

The US, India’s Most Favourite KLM launches Apple Destination Watch App The US named “India’s Favourite Destination” at the Lonely Planet Magazine India Fourth annual Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Awards 2015, powered by Flight Shop, showcases top travel experiences of Indian travelers 10th July 2015 – The US was named “India’s Favourite Destination” by Lonely Planet Magazine India (LPMI) at the magazine’s fourth annual awards event. The awards, presented on 22 June at the JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar, honored 32 of India’s favorite destinations, hotels, resorts and attractions in India and around the globe. Sartha Global Marketing Managing Director Ms. Sheema Vohra accepted the award on behalf of Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the USA. Sartha Global Marketing has represented Brand USA’s interests in India since July 2013. Commenting on the USA’s selection by Lonely Planet Magazine India readers as the favourite destination of Indian travellers, Ms. Vohra said, “We are excited and honored to receive the LPMI 2015 award honoring the USA as India’s Favourite Destination. Lonely Planet Magazine India is one of the best measures of what Indian travellers search for in their travel experiences, and their readers’ acknowledgement of the United States is proof that the USA is one of the world’s most exciting destinations. We welcome more and more Indian travellers to discover the amazing travel experiences in the USA, which range from adventure and sports, stunning national parks, vibrant cities, and a mix of culture, non-stop energy and delectable cuisine that travellers will find nowhere else in the world.” Invitees for the awards function included leaders of the national travel industry and several international invitees. Nominations for the awards were shortlisted by a panel of judges comprised of travel experts and professionals, and the winners were selected based on votes submitted by LPMI readers. The panel of judges included LPMI Editor Vardhan Kondvikar; Veena Patil, Managing Director, Veena World; Manu Kashyap, Director, Windmill Holidays; Sucheta Potnis and Hans Tuinman, Founders, Travellers-palm.com; Madhavan Menon, Managing Director, Thomas Cook India Ltd; and Deep Kalra, CEO, Makemytrip. com. JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has introduced its first app for the Apple Watch. Travellers with an Apple Watch now have access to the most important flight information on their wrist. Launching the new KLM app precedes the rollout of the Apple Watch in the Netherlands. Apple Watch proves to be of great added value when it comes to travel. Travelling is often stressful – especially flying and particularly just before departure. The KLM Apple Watch app offers passengers relevant services on the day of departure, including information such as the remaining time before departure, the boarding pass and possible changes related to flight information. This allows passengers to have access to the latest information.

China C&D ITS Invests in India China C&D Travel Int’l Travel Service Company Ltd has decided to cash in on the Indian traveller’s rising interest in China with the opening of an office in Mumbai. Travel agents in India have been reporting that as Indian travellers want to explore the unseen, the exotic and the indigenous, numbers to China are on the increase. A total of 6.8 lakh Indian travellers visited China in 2013 and 2014 is expected to have delivered 3-5% growth. The China National Tourist Office is said to be targeting a sustained 10% year-on-year growth as 2016 is expected to be observed as ‘Visit China’ year in India. This is a gesture of friendship in reciprocation of India declaring 2015 as ‘Visit India’ year for Chinese tourists. Blue Square Consultants is all set to gear travel agents to package and sell China packages effectively and at the best value. C&D ITS General Manager, Judy Chen said, “We found Blue Square Consultants to be the most professional in DMC representation, with the best sales skills. We are certain that they will be able to showcase China C&D ITS’s capabilities as China’s best inbound operator to the Indian travel trade.” The 21-year old agency has been ranked among the Top 100 Chinese international travel agencies for 10 years in succession and also honored as First Place in Top 10 Fujian International Agencies.

NEWSLINE

Thailand to Promote Quality Tourism The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has finalized its marketing plan for 2016. Officials reveal that the tourism board will focus on promoting the kingdom as a “Quality Leisure Destination through Thainess” The plan marks the start of a new era for Thai tourism. The wording of the new strategy indicates an end to decades of absolute focus on “quantity”, as measured by visitor arrivals, and a total shift to “quality”, which is instead measured by visitor expenditure, average length of stay, and the overall quality of the visitor experience. Minister of Tourism and Sports, H.E. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul has called on the entire industry, including both the private and public sectors, to work on the principles of the 3Rs: “Restructure, Rebalance and Reposition.” Repositioning: Gearing towards tourism quality (Quality Leisure Destination). Restructure: Identifying new target markets both in terms of geography and customer segments. Rebalance: Attaining a balance between economic, social and environmental development by better spreading the benefits of tourism across Thai society, and reducing the social, cultural and environmental impact. In 2016, TAT is confident that Thailand will remain in the top 3 ranking in terms of international tourism receipts in the Asian region. The targets for 2016, as measured entirely in revenue earnings, are up by 8% over the projected earnings for 2015, or around 2.3 trillion Baht. Also international and domestic tourism will be both up by 8% over the same period, which is above the growth projections for the overall Thai national economy for 2016. The theme, along with the targets and 52

marketing strategies were finalised at the TAT’s annual marketing plan meeting held in the beach resort of Bang Saen, a rapidly emerging destination about 65 kilometres east of Bangkok. The meeting was attended by more than 400 TAT executives and officers from head office and worldwide. Mrs. Juthaporn Rerngronasa, Acting Governor of TAT said, “This plan marks the opening of a new chapter for Thai tourism. It is based on the fact that there is more than adequate accessibility to Thailand via excellent air, road and sea connections, as well as smooth facilitation that allows visa-free or visa-on-arrival access for citizens from 68 countries and territories. “As Thailand has the natural geographical advantage of being located right in the heart of the Asia-Pacific and ASEAN regions, we can be sure of strong arrival figures for years to come, assuming that the external and internal operating environment remains stable. So, we can confidently say that the era of promoting ‘quantity’ is over. The era of promoting ‘quality’ has begun.” The 2016 marketing strategy will retain the Amazing Thailand branding logo as well as the “Thainess” identity; concentrate on niche markets; such as, golfers, weddings and honeymoons, health and wellness visitors, ‘halal tourism’ for Muslim visitors and focus on women travellers. Mrs. Rerngronasa said, “The insertion of the word ‘quality’ into the theme is designed to help the entire Thai tourism industry follow suit by developing quality products and services to cater to this market. There has already been a remarkable improvement in our portfolio of quality tourism products over the years, and we expect this trend to continue in the years ahead. ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

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NEWSLINE

Oman Tourism Conducts Multi-City Road Show in India In order to increase tourist footfalls from India, Ministry of Tourism, Oman recently conducted multi-city roadshows. Commencing in Chennai, the roadshows were also conducted in Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai. Oman witnessed 36 percent growth in Indian arrivals over the last five years and received 256,210 Indians in 2014 according to the Ministry of Tourism. Officials from the Ministry of Tourism - Oman along with representative partners from the tourism industry of Oman were present at the roadshow. For the B2B session, Oman Tourism invited travel agents for prefixed meetings with the delegates from Oman. The roadshow saw a stupendous response and was well attended by travel agents and tour operators in all the cities. Following the B2B sessions, an evening of networking with cocktails and dinner was also organized. During the networking event, Salim Al Mamari, Director General of Tourism Promotion, Ministry of Tourism - Sultanate of Oman gave a welcome speech followed by destination presentation for an audience that consisted of travel agents, wedding planners, film production houses and media. 54

Talking about conducting the four city roadshow, Lubaina Sheerazi, India Representative, Ministry of Tourism - Sultanate of Oman, said, “The roadshows offered us a platform to showcase the uniqueness of Oman as a holiday destination from India. Being a short haul destination, it has a diverse landscape and a lot of activities to offer to the ‘evolved’ Indian traveler. From luxurious resorts and campsites to exotic scuba diving spots to dramatic mountain drives, Oman has something to offer to anyone who has a quest for adventure and thirst for a distinctive cultural experience. It is the best kept secret of Arabia and relatively unexplored and we want more Indians to discover this alluring destination.” Over the last year, Oman Tourism is actively promoting the destination not only for leisure purposes, but also for film shoots and as a wedding destination for Indians. Oman witnessed three big fat Indian weddings in the last six months and has become a “new favorite” in the destination wedding space. Ms Sheerazi added, “Indians will connect with a destination like Oman as its rich culture, tradition and hospitality is something that they will identify and appreciate besides its picturesque locations.” ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

NEWSLINE

First Familiarization Tour of Zanzibar

Zanzibar Tourism Promotion Centre (Z.T.P.C), conducted its first Familiarization Tour for Indian Travel Agents in association with the Travel Agents Federation of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Western Region Chapter. The Familiarization Tour was jointly conducted with the Ministry of Information, Culture, Tzourism & Sports (M.I.C.T.S), Government of Zanzibar; The Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (Z.C.T), Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors (Z.A.T.I) and Zanzibar Association of Tourism Operators (Z.A.T.O).

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Ten persons representing 6 Travel Agencies visited Zanzibar Island from 11th to 15th June 2015. The group carried out sight inspections of 15 Hotels & Resorts and enjoyed sightseeings at Stone Town, Spice Village and the Dolphin Tour. ZTPC is in the process of organizing more such awareness tours from India to Zanzibar. All those interested in registering for such awareness tours may write with their names, travel agency particulars, contact numbers, to their respective association. Zanzibar - The Spice Island is an exotic and historic island and a semi autonomous part of Tanzania in East Africa. Zanzibar Tourism Promotion Centre, India was inaugurated in Mumbai on 2nd April 2015. The following resorts provided accommodation for the visiting delegation - Breezes Beach Resort & Spa - Baraza Beach Resort (of the Zanzibar Collection) - Blue Bay Beach Resort & Maruhubi Beach Villas. The visiting delegation took time off to interact with the Government and Tourism Stake Holders in Zanzibar and were honored to be hosted for a Cultural Ceremony by the Ministry of Information, Culture, Tourism & Sports headed by the Minister Hon. Said Ali Mbarouk.

NEWSLINE

Travel The Country, See The World!

Top Brands on Discount at Amazing Thailand Grand Sale

‘Sphere Travelmedia & Exhibitions’ inaugurated the 81st edition of ‘India International Travel Mart’ on July 10, at KTPO Trade Centre, Next to SAP Labs, Whitefield in Bangalore. The event was inaugurated by leading luminaries of the tourism industry by Ms. Soraya, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Khajuria, Commissioner, Andhra Pradesh Tourism and Mr. Indrajith De Silva, Director, Sri Lanka Tourism. With this year’s edition of ‘IITM’ in Bangalore, Sphere Travelmedia & Exhibitions completes 16 years of providing the travel industry and discerning buyers from the travel – trade and corporate sector an opportunity to do business. With organizations and tourism boards from over 20 Indian states, ‘India International Travel Mart’ will showcase a variety of destinations from different spheres such as pilgrimages, adventures, culture & heritage, beaches, hills and many more. The event had over 400 participants from over 10 countries and over 20 Indian states. The participants include Travel agents & Tour Operators, DMC, Hotels & Resorts, National Tourist Organizations, Cruises, Airlines, Online Travel Portals etc. Some of the International participants who are participating this year include Tourism Authority of Thailand and delegation, Sri Lanka Tourism & delegation, Tourism Malaysia, Bhutan Tourism, representation from Bhutan, Sharjah, Nepal and many more, Mr. Sanjay Hakhu, Director, Sphere TravelMedia said, “India in spite of the present business environment is fast emerging as one of the most interesting and productive countries for the travel trade industry both for leisure and business travel. A combination of factors is responsible for the growth and demand of travel trends from India. The visitor profile is on a B2B & B2C format like and will have over 15,000 buyers over three days”. Tourism Studies and Trends indicate that the year 2015 – 16 will see more than 20 million Indian tourists embanking on overseas travel and with the advent of low cost international airfares, holiday packages that are available on monthly instalments payable over a period of time, International Travel is no longer a luxury.

The world’s most desirable luxury brands are within reach, with many offering up to 80% off on current season retail products at the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale in Mumbai. Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Celine, La Perla, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ermegildo Zegna, Fendi, Burberry, Emilio Pucci, Omega, Hugo Boss, Tag Heur, Emporio Armani and a whole host of other brands at @ Siam Paragon, Central Chidlom, Emporium, Gaysorn And Erawan will all feature the Big Red Bag which indicates that they are part of the ATGS 2015. For those who prefer to be different by investing local brands when they travel, Thai brands such as silk major Jim Thompson, handbag producer Naraya, internationally acclaimed clothing designer par excellence Jaspal, Royal projects driven Doi Tung as well as Disaya, Issue, 27 Friday, Pasaya, CPS Chaps, Kloset, Dapper and Isaya will also offer up to 80 per cent discount at their retail outlets, all the way until 15 August. Additionally special room rates, breakfast and wifi offers will be doled out by hotel chains in addition to dining and wellness discounts. Hotel aboard the ATGS wagon are Centara Grand & Convention Centre at CentralWorld, Dusit Thani Bangkok, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, Siam Kempinski Bangkok. Chains that might feature discounts at multiple properties include Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas and Accor Hotels brands including Pullman and Novotel. Travellers will also be excited to note that they are also entitled to further discounts when they book online – agoda.com, Booking.com, Expedia, hotelclub.com and Hotel Quickly will all feature discounted rates from 15 June to 15 August 2015 as part of ATGS 2015. ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

NEWSLINE

OTOAI Meet at Palladium Hotel Concludes The Outbound Tour Operator’s Association of India (OTOAI) concluded its first member’s meet for 2015-17 at Mumbai on 26th June at The Palladium Hotel. The OTOAI leadership pan India was led by OTOAI President Guldeep Sahni and by Vice President Riaz Munshi. Also present were General Secretary Shravan Bhalla, Joint Secretary Gurdeep Gujral, Treasurer Kapil Berera, and Finance Committee Head Rajeev Sabharwal. Chapters Committee Joint Head Rohit Shorey, Education Committee Head Ranjana Sharma, Environment Committee Head Ashwani Gupta, Women’s Wing Chairperson Chitra Bhatia, Executive Director Punam Singh, EC members Himanshu Patil, Sujit Nair and Amod Thatte; Special Invitee Karan Anand, and chapter

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

chairmen, sponsors, and potential OTOAI members attended the meet. Sponsored by Yes Bank, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Star Cruises and Ark Travels, Mahendra Vakharia of Pathfinders Holidays, Ahmedabad, was announced as the new Chapter Chairman, West India, for OTOAI. Sajan Gupta is the Chapter Chairman, East India, who was present along with Vineet Gopal, the new Chapter Chairman, North India. Manish Kriplani was announced as the Chapter Chairman, South India. Guldeep Sahni gave a rousing speech urging the trade to show solidarity and integrity for the greater good and urged agents to deliver quality and work united, whilst listing OTOAI’s many achievements in the last two years.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE CONTEST - 89 1) Who said this “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”? 2) Where is Kalalit Nunat? 3) Driest place on earth? 4) Slowest big animal in the forest? 5) Largest bridge in the world? Praveen Edassery

appointed as Sales Manager, Quilon Beach Hotel, Kollam

Arjun Belliappa

appointed as Front Office Manager, Park Hyatt, Hyderabad

6) With a little over a 1000 tourists a year, this country is known to be the world’s least tourist destination? 7) Smallest nation to win an Olympic gold medal? 8) Which country has the highest number of different languages within its borders? 9) This country’s Army is the largest standing volunteer army in the world?

Reji Thomas Mathew

appointed as Chief Executive Officer, Oasis Holidays Group

10) World’s top sea food consuming nation? Send in your answers to info@mediastepsindia.com with TYKC 89 in the subject line. Answers should reach us before the 30th of this month.

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Answers to TYKC - 88 1)

Steve Jobs

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar

The Amazon Forests

The Dubai Mall

5) Italy 6) Nepal 7)

Gunther Grass

8) Flea 9)

Singapura Cat

10) Manny Pacquiao & Floyd Mayweather

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ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015

JULY 2015 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

ASIAN TRAVELLER | JULY 2015