ASIAN TRAVELLER MAY 2017 by Mediasteps

Vol. 10

No. 8

Pages 36

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May 2017

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Highlights Vol. 10 I No.8 I May 2017

Cover Story: The abode of Sagarmatha

Nepal is not just a trekkers paradise but fast evolving as a destination for adventure sports and family fun

Belmond Andean Explorer South Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first luxury train launched by Belmond

Kerala Tourism introduces new mobile App to promote tourism A novel way to generate interest among the domestic tourists

24 11 Why you need to travel to Cotentin, France Interview with Cherbourg Tourism Director Guillaume Hamel

The Golden Temple of Sripuram

Dr. S. Bakthavatchalam, Additional Director, Tamil Nadu Tourism is all praise for the craftsmanship on display at the Golden Temple of Sripuram

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

CHEERFUL OUTLOOK FOR TOURISM

Editor & Publisher : Dr. G Biju Krishnan* Chief Mentor : Rajashekharan Nair

Group Vice President : Santhosh Kumaar K Editorial Team : R Parameshwaran

Smitha . R

Design : Kailasnath

Regional Head (Hyderabad) : Uma Ram

Director-Finance : K Harikrishnan

AGM-Operations : Krishna Nair

he recently released travel and tourism competitiveness index of the World Economic Forum have some excellent news for the tourism sector in general and India in particular. The report says travel and tourism competitiveness is improving, especially in the developing countries, and particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. “As the industry continues to grow, an increasing share of international visitors are coming from and travel to emerging and developing nations,” says the report. Meanwhile, India had moved up 12 places and now ranks 40th among 136 nations globally, which according to the report is the largest leap made by any country in the top 50, thereby making India a prime candidate to lead the ‘Asian century in travel and tourism’. The report says Asia-Pacific consists of some of the economies that have flourished most in recent years and five out of the 15 most improved countries in the index: Japan (4th), Korea (19th), India (40th), Vietnam (67th) and Bhutan (78th). Emerging markets will not only become larger source markets but also will become more attractive destinations, says the WEF report. Between 2016 and 2026, the top 10 fastest growing destinations for leisure travel spending are expected to be India, followed by Angola, Uganda, Brunei, Thailand, China, Myanmar, Oman, Mozambique and Vietnam. India has seen continued growth in international arrivals over the past 15 years, reaching the 8 million mark in 2015 and continues to charm international tourists with its vast cultural and natural resources and price competitiveness advantage, points out the report. Another factor that favours India’s growth is international openness through stronger visa policies by implementing both visas on arrival and e-visas. The travel sector also benefitted from improvements in the country’s ground transport infrastructure. Health conditions, ICT readiness, security concerns and human resources are also looking up. While further improvements are needed across these dimensions, India is taking small but important steps in the right direction, says the report. So, it is high time that all the industry stakeholders come together and work together towards delivering the potential the sector has.

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Legal Advisor : Adv. Raman Kartha

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Cover Story Nepal Tourism

The abode of

Sagarmatha Nepal is not just a trekkers paradise but fast evolving as a destination for adventure sports and family fun. A land of ancient culture, diverse ethnic groups and colourful festivals, it keep travellers calling back to explore more of this land

nce is not enough! The tagline of Nepal Tourism catches the spirit of tourists worldwide about Nepal. Once is never enough to see the wonders offered by Nepal. This Himalayan landlocked nation which shares close proximity with India is also home to many of the tallest mountains in the world including The Mount Everest which they fondly call “Sagarmatha.” Its diverse geography which consists of fertile plains, subalpine forest hills and tall, steep mountains make it a favourite destination for tourists around the world. The credit to unification of the Nepal as a nation belongs to Gorkha Kingdom in the 18th century. However it was Shah Dynasty which established the Kingdom of Nepal. The nation had never been colonized under the British Empire but they enjoyed powers on it. After the British left even though Parliamentary democracy was introduced, the Nation underwent Monarch rule in 1960 and 2005. However

in 2008, people unrest and the civil war which followed ended the monarchy rule in the country and the nation was declared as a Republic later. Nepali is the official language of the state, spoken and understood by majority of the population. However multiple ethnic groups have their own mother tongues. In the northern region of the Himalayas are the Tibetanspeaking groups namely Sherpas, Dolpa-pas, Lopas, Baragaonlis, Manangis. The Magars, Gurungs, Tamangs, Sunuwars, Newars, Thakalis, Chepangs, Brahmins, Chhetris and Thakuris are among the several ethnic groups living in the middle hills and valleys. The natives of the Kathmandu Valley are the Newars. Newari culture is an integration of both Hinduism and Buddhism. The Newars of Kathmandu Valley were traders or farmers by occupation in the old days. The main ethnic groups in Terai are Tharus,

Darai, Kumhal, Majhi and other groups. They speak north Indian dialects like Maithili, Bhojpuri. Owing to the fertile plains of Terai, most inhabitants live on agriculture. India has got close relationship Nepal and as a result Indian nationals do not require a visa to enter Nepal. As per the Nepalese Immigration, Indian Nationals travelling to Nepal must possess any valid ID Proof. Probably the first thing comes into mind speaking about Nepal for foreigners are conquering the Mount Everest. Even now the major share of foreigners coming to Nepal comes with this idea. Due to various reasons including the unpredictable climate majority fail in conquering Mount Everest. They have no other option but to return and try in at some other favourable situation.

Nepal also offers far easier ways to see, experience and enjoy Mount Everest if you aren’t in mood of taking such a big risk. Mountain flight from Kathmandu, capital of Nepal is one such option. You can fly right beside the world’s highest peaks including an up close fly-by of Everest. Almost all major domestic carriers operate Mountain Flights. Those flights leave Kathmandu Domestic Airport early in the morning, providing

ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

wonderful views of all the major peaks, glaciers and lakes in their one hour journey. The arrangement of seats is in a way that all passengers will have a window seat. What more, if the weather is harsh, you will be either offered a refund or an option to fly again. The Microlight flight which consists of just two seats is another option. Adventurers can fly into the Annapurna Massif with spectacular views of Annapurna and Machhapuchhre. For visitors who like to take mountain flight to the extreme, there are options to charter helicopters and fly into the Everest range, taking a short tour around the Everest valleys before landing for breakfast and then returning to

Kathmandu. If you are one with a higher adventure threshold, then you might also want to experience hang-gliding, paragliding, paramotor flying, sky diving or even participate in relevant training courses. Since Nepal is known for trekking options it provides, visitors always doubt whether it will fit for a family visit. Nepal offers many ways of fun for your family. The World Heritage city of Bhaktapur which is a short taxi ride from Kathmandu city is one such option. Bhaktapur offers a May | ASIAN TRAVELLER

quiet environment set in a traditional Newar city where you will love to spend time with your younger ones or your family. The streets here are pedestrian friendly and filled with hidden treasures from potters spinning clay to Thangka painters working on large colourful artworks. There are many homestays here where you could learn about Nepalese family life. Don’t be surprised if you get an offer to join them for a meal or tea more than once! The resort town of Pokhara is another great place for families with children visiting Nepal. Go for boating at Lake Phewa overlooking still waters. A hike up to the World Peace Stupa overlooking lakeside is a great day out for children. The ingredients are correct- a short boat ride

across the lake and a hike to reach the stupa where wonderful views of the lake and Annapurna Mountains await you. Take the other side to descend down and you can visit underground caves, Devis waterfalls and even a robotic Buddha museum. When in Pokhara one can’t help but mention the vast number of treks many children enjoy. Short 3-4 days trek to Poon Hill or Dhampus are options the children can try with their parents. Teenagers can try a hand in the longer

treks like the Annapurnna Circuit if they don’t have any altitude problems. Nepal also offers fun ways to carry your younger children for trekking. Porters are available for such treks who will carry children with a wooden doko basket. The responses show that children love it and the parents are much satisfied with the service of these porters. Jungle activities in Chitwan National Park offer yet more incredible things for children to enjoy while visiting Nepal. Half-day or full-day jungle treks are popular as the real possibility of seeing a wild rhino, elephant, deer or even a tiger becomes a reality. Again, it’s possible to hire a porter to help carry small children. Whether you are looking for things to do with children that are educational, environmentally friendly, outdoor or family oriented Nepal offers a dazzling array of fun activities for children of all ages. For visitors arriving at Nepal for trekking, the permits and documentation are to be done at Kathmandu. You can either approach a trekking agent or directly approach the appropriate offices. The documents will be checked along the trekking route. The three main trekking areas and therefore the most easily accessible are the Everest, Langtang and the Annapurna regions. Annapurna and Langtang have a slight advantage

in so much that they can be reached via road connections. Trekkers are of course rewarded when they venture further afield as well! Great Himalaya Trails has extensive information on other trekking regions, which are accessible by domestic flights, such as Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Dolpo, and the Far West. Several days of trekking is required to reach the higher mountain areas from the local centers of population and administration. How about a trek that will give you an opportunity to meet people who follow a lifestyle that goes back centuries? Well, Nepal has means for it. The hidden valleys of Dolpa provide you with such an opportunity. You can also visit the ancient Shey Gompa (The Crystal Monastery), touch the icy waters of Phoksundo Lake, see Yak caravans cross high-Himalayan passes and visit some of the highest settlements on earth like the Dho-Tarap valley. The area is surrounded by the Dhaulagiri range in the south and east, the mountains Sisne and Kanjiroba in the west and Tibet towards the north. It is remote and to get rewarded you will have to suffer the hardships. The sight of Lake Phoksundo with its turquoise waters will wash away all you difficulties in reaching the valley. The people of Dolpa are known for settling in high altitudes. They generally 7

Cover Story Nepal Tourism

settle at altitudes of 3,660 m to 4,070 m and these are probably one of the highest settlements in the world. There are 130 gompas (Monasteries) in Dolpa which speaks volumes for the religious nature of its inhabitants. On the way itself you will be rewarded with the sight of Yak caravans that is the preferred mode of transport for this community to barter goods. Closely linked with Tibet, the people speak Tibetan, have strong Mongoloid features, and maintain their Tibetan culture with monasteries that follow closely the Buddhism of Tibet. Thanks to the close proximity it has with Tibet, things have changed little since their forefathers crossed the border into Nepal and settled there. Until 1989, these high altitude valleys were not opened to trekkers. Isolated by the difficult topography, the people in this region have preserved their lifestyle, remaining almost untouched by the trappings of modern society. Dolpa falls among Restricted Areas. Therefore, trekkers require Trekking Permit from the Department of Immigration in addition to the TIMS card to trek to this region. Trekkers should be physically fit as there are long and strenuous stretches en route. 8

Zip flying, Sky diving, Bird Watching, Shopping, Trekking are activities that can be tried out at Nepal. Skydiving options with 360 degree view of the Himalayas will make every Sky diving enthusiast happy. Emerging as extreme aerial adventure, Everest skydiving is one of the most unique experiences in the world. Skydiving is done from a plane or a chopper onto the world’s highest drop zone at Gorak Shep, Kala Patthar. The skydiving takes place in front of Mt. Everest (8,848 m), and the free fall takes place past some of the world’s highest mountain peaks. For those who want to keep it less extreme, try it at Pokhara, next to the mighty Annapurnas and the Fewa Lake below. Experienced pilots with skydiving ratings man the aircraft, so safety is guaranteed. Skydiving can be either a solo jump or in tandem. Bungee Jumping is the next option adventure enthusiasts could try out. At Tatopani, Nepal-Tibet border there is a bungee jumping facility where the jump takes from a 166m wide steel suspension bridge that joins two sides of a deep valley over the raging Bhoti Kosi River. It was designed by one of New Zealand’s leading bungee consultants. White water river rafting and kayaking also tops the list of adventure enthusiasts. The widely popular world classic categories are

through the Karnali River, Sunkoshi and Tamur and combine a mix of rapids, grades and sceneries. Enjoy deep river gorges, to wide river basins through some of the world famous rivers like, the Sun Koshi, Bhote Koshi, Trishuli , where rapid grades range from 1 to 6 and diverse terrain meet exotic flora and aquatic life. Rivers like the Marshyangdi and Arun, provide some of the most scenic views for rafters. Diverse wildlife and flora, along the routes, add to the essence of these trips. Plan your rafting trips with local agents, who have well trained team of river

guides , who can not only tackle the wild rapids, but help adventure seekers take thrills to the next level. Plan a short rafting trip which lasts from a day to three days, or longer trips which offer relaxing camp stops combined with short treks

along the river lines into thick evergreen forests and beautiful waterfalls. The culturally vibrant Nepal also offers some traditions which create awe and wonder for people outside. Nepal, the land of living gods and goddesses also worships girl as a goddess and just like a Tibetan Lama they also have a ‘Kumari’ whom they worship as the young goddess. The word ‘Kumari’ is derived from the Sanskrit word Kaumarya, which means princess. This tradition dates back to the 17th century where

two of the world’s oldest religions Hinduism and Buddhism interlink. Like said, the selection process of a Kumari resembles that of Tibetan Lamas, like the Panchen Lama or the Dalai Lama. You can even catch the glimpse of goddess at the Kumari Ghar, situated at Basantapur, where the goddess resides. If you are visiting around late August or early September, then be sure to be a part of the biggest and most vibrant festival in Nepal called Indra Jatra, where the Kumari, is paraded across the city, in her golden palanquin. It is quite a sight to behold, as hundreds of masked men and devotees dance to traditional Newari music and pull on the chariots of the Lord Indra and Kumari. ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

peru

Belmond launches Belmond Las Casitas and South America’s first luxury sleeper train, Belmond Andean Explorer Belmond Group introduces luxury travel experiences in Peru’s most exceptional locations becomes the social hub of the train by night; a place to enjoy a pisco sour and dance to live Latin music.

elmond enhances its Peru portfolio with the acquisition of Belmond Las Casitas in Colca Canyon and the launch of Belmond Andean Explorer, South America’s first luxury sleeper train. The development marks progress on the Company’s 2020 strategic growth plan and cements Belmond’s position as leaders of luxury travel experiences in Peru’s most exceptional locations.

An authentic escape– Colca Canyon Belmond Las Casitas, a 20-room property located in the Arequipa region of Southern Peru is set amongst the tranquil beauty of the Andes. Blending effortlessly with the natural environment, the intimate hotel fully matches with Belmond’s brand personality authentic escapes that relate to nature, culture and wellbeing. Nestled amongst lush gardens, each individual casita features a private terrace with a heated plunge pool and sweeping views across the canyon. The Samay Spa, built around the energy of the canyon rock, offers treatments

using natural ingredients from the hotel’s kitchen garden and hypnotic views of the surrounding canyon, inspiring deep relaxation. Belmond Las Casitas also offers one of the most unique guest experiences in the world – a chance to view the flight of the Andean condors in their natural environment.

Pioneering a new way to discover Peru Belmond Andean Explorer departs on its inaugural journey today from Cusco to Arequipa on a two night journey, setting a new level of luxury for rail travel. The elegant carriages take guests through some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world; offering vast, uninterrupted views of snow-capped mountains, enormous skies, majestic lakes and herds of alpacas, llamas and vicunas grazing on the altiplano. Interior designs reflect Peruvian culture, mixing vibrant colours with natural tones and large picture windows offer the perfect vantage point of the everchanging scenery as the train wends through the Andes. The observation car with an outdoor terrace

Executive Chef, Diego Muñoz, takes guests on a culinary journey of discovery with dishes prepared using Peru’s abundant natural ingredients. From traditional corn with cheese, to alpaca tortellini and a mouthwatering creation of lime with melted chocolate and apple custard. For a culinary experience to savour, chef will host a ceviche class set against the backdrop of rolling Andes alongside

the train. Stepping off the train, experiences include a private tour of the floating islands on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable water in the world, and lunch on a private beach with views across to the glacial peaks of La Paz, Bolivia, truly one of the most exceptional locations on earth.

To mark Belmond Andean Explorer’s inaugural departure, dramatic drone footage unveiled at the occasion gives the world a glimpse of how it feels to soar through the Peruvian Andes as the train cuts through ‘Big Sky’ country along one of the world’s highest rail routes.

Exceptional Travel Experiences in Peru Belmond Las Casitas and Belmond Andean Explorer further enhances Belmond’s luxury travel experiences in Peru, now with six hotels and two luxury trains: Belmond Miraflores Park, the stylish city hotel in the quiet neighbourhood of the bustling city; Belmond Palacio Nazarenas and Belmond Hotel Monasterio in the heart of ancient Cusco; Belmond Sanctuary

Lodge, the only hotel at the entrance of the Citadel of Machu Picchu and Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado, a complete escape in the Sacred Valley. Plus, Belmond Hiram Bingham taking guests from Cusco to Machu Picchu with typical lively Peruvian hospitality. ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

FRANCE

Why you need to travel to Cotentin, France

Cherbourg Tourism Director Guillaume Hamel wants tourism to become a major contributor towards the economy of France

Music Festival in August. 6. Climbing 365 stairs and 52 floors of the 18th century Gateville lighthouse – also third highest lighthouse in the world – for a stunning view of land and sea. 7. Kayaking with the seals in the Cotentin Marshes; a truly awe-inspiring experience.

herbourg Tourisme director Guillaume Hamel reveals plans for the new tourism office in Normandy and why you need to visit the Cotentin Peninsula.

Guillaume Hamel’s top 10 places to visit in Cotentin: “Everywhere you go is a sight to behold, but some of my favourite spots include… 1. Experiencing sunrise at Saint Vaast La Hougue and sunset at Carteret on the same day. 2. Getting lost in the wild Biville Dunes and then finding one of the most quiet beaches in France. 3. Feeling the spray of the rough sea during a winter storm in Cap de la Hague. 4. Hiking on the historical Smugglers Tracks along the cliffs and coastline off the Channel Islands. 5. Visiting Tatihou Island to party at the World May | ASIAN TRAVELLER

8. Visiting Cité de la Mer and experiencing an adventure under the sea onboard a real nuclear submarine. 9. Enjoying the very French tradition of walking through the exquisite botanical parks and gardens of Vauville. 10. Feasting on oysters and fresh seafood at Barfleur, which has been awarded the title of ‘one of the most beautiful villages in France’.

Spain coming in at a distant second. But we still need to build on this. At the moment France is simply a tourist destination, but we need to strike a balance and begin to pay a little more attention to revenue, if we want tourism to become a major contributor towards our economy. Of course Atout France is doing its best to make a difference. Customer service is one of our biggest concerns especially in the Paris region. However, the Cotentin Peninsula is more relaxed and so it also has much better customer service; people are friendlier and due to our proximity to England and the Channel Islands, most people here are happy to speak English. Q. So what is Cotentin? Why haven’t we heard of it as much? A. Cotentin is the untouched Normandy. It is completely different from the image the world currently has of Normandy. The Cotentin Peninsula is the North-West coast of

France just across from the UK. Here we have some of the most untouched, almost savage, beaches in France – many of these are protected heritage sites so you won’t find ugly constructions or sea walls built along them. They’re natural and beautifully wild. Q. What is the new tourism entity going to be all about? A. We used to have 11 tourism offices spread across the Cotentin Peninsula, but in the coming months these will merge into one big entity. It will be known as the Cotentin Tourism Office and will become one of the most powerful tourism offices in the country. We will have a yearly budget of EUR4 million and of that we’re hoping to spend up to EUR1 million on promoting the region by way of Familiarisation trips, participation in trade shows and other publicity events. Q. Why would tourists include Cotentin in their itinerary?

Q. We hear a radical change is coming to the tourism industry in France. Can you shed some light on this and how is this going to work? A. Yes, there is, especially to the Cotentin Peninsula or the Cherbourg Peninsula, as it is more popularly known. At the moment, tourism is a bit of a paradox in France, because despite not having a tourism ministry, we are the most visited country in the world, with

France of heritage, or visit the wooden trawler, the Jacques-Louise, docked in the Basin of Commerce, ultimate witness of deep-sea Cherbourg fishing. There are plenty of opportunities to go out and spend time in Cherbourg with family or friendsrestaurants, bars, cinemas, theatres, festivals, cinema, concerts, circus arts, museums, libraries and cultural centers, such as Quasar without forgetting the sports activities and water. A. So far Normandy has mainly been promoted as a historical war destination focusing on D-Day Landing beaches, war-cemeteries and World-War Museums. But this is just one aspect of what we have to offer. There is the immaculately preserved natural beauty of the peninsula with its protected heritage sites, middle-aged castles and unique food culture. It’s the little things; the unique things that most travellers are looking for. Food tourism is a massive business today and here we have the freshest seafood and vegetables available all year round. For example, we would like tourists to experience Cotentin’s famous Blue Lobster or oysters thanks to one of the longest coastlines in France; or Calvados – an apple brandy with apple sorbet that is to be had in the middle of one’s dinner. These are all experiences that you won’t get anywhere else in the world except here in Cotentin. You can follow Cherbourg Tourisme on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see some amazing pictures for yourself.

Q. There’s been a bit of a buzz about the Cruise industry in Cherbourg. Can you shed some light on this? A. The cruise industry is getting bigger and bigger in Europe. Cherbourg-enCotentin has a long history since the 1900s when we were a transatlantic port. The port of Cherbourg used to receive almost 1000 calls a year, which works out to almost three ships a day, going to various places in the world – New York, Buenos Aires, you name it. Currently, we have 60,000 passengers a year and 40 cruise calls. This is one of the main aspects we are going to work on. We also have a fantastic range of premium shore excursions available from Cherbourg on a cruise ship for the day. Cherbourg has evolved as a great playground for lovers of water sports, such as catamaran, rowing,

sailboats or even anglerboaters. It has long been the favourite port of migrants to New York, and its evidence is transatlantic Art Deco station. Today, it hosts a number of steamers, such as the famous Queen Mary 2, and their cruise ships who take advantage of the Cherbourg stopover to visit the landing beaches or Mont Saint Michel. 34 liners are expected at CherbourgEn-Cotentin in 2017. Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, is home to numerous gardens and parks, such as the Ravalets castle park or the Emmanuel Liais park (as well as its atypical museum, a true 19th century curiosity cabinet) and has a wealth of heritage and historical treasures, such as the Musée de la Libération , at the top of the Roule mountain, offering a unique view of the city and the sea. Discover these treasures

Include a visit to the shopmuseum of the Umbrella of Cherbourg, on the quays of the basin of commerce, to discover all the stages of manufacturing the “True” and its collections. France to form new powerful tourism office in India, Middle East and China

The Cotentin Peninsula – also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula - in the Normandy region of France, will soon see its many tourism boards undergo a major restructuring in the next few months. By June this year, 11 local tourism boards will have merged into one big entity and renamed Cotentin Tourist office with an annual budget of EUR4 million. Out of this budget, up to EUR1 million will be kept aside to promote Cotentin worldwide; of which India, Middle East and China will be important focus markets.

Apart from food, tourists have the chance to step inside an actual nuclear submarine at the Cite De La Mer – a maritime museum built to showcase Cherbourg’s nautical achievements. 12

ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

NEWSLINE

Mazagan hails Emirates airline’s decision to run Airbus A380 on Morocco route

Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort, the leading tourism destination in Morocco, has welcomed Emirates airline’s announcement to run Airbus A380 aircraft on Casablanca flights, starting previous March, thus boosting the seats to 1,834 seats weekly, in three configurations.

The offer also includes many benefits at the resort, such as accommodation for two adults and two children, and free breakfast for the whole family. The children get unlimited access to kids’ clubs, and adults can enjoy free sport and entertaining activities, plus unlimited access to Alias Club and free airport transfers. Emirates has published the terms and conditions for this offer on its website.

In a partnership with Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort, Emirates has launched a special offer that allows guests to use their ‘Skyworld’ Miles for accommodation in the resort, in the ratio of one mile for each dollar spent.

“Our partnership with Emirates is a strong push forward. It enhances the credibility of our services through a partnership with the prestigious international brand. The deployment of Airbus A380 on Casablanca route

demonstrates once more the importance of Morocco as a prime tourist destination. This will definitely help raise the number of passengers and tourists to Morocco and to Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort from Gulf countries. We made sure to provide luxurious services at attractive prices for our visitors arriving via Emirates. Our visitors will enjoy marine, sporting and desert activities, plus the best food from finest international kitchens, exclusive to Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort,” said Khadija El Idrissi Communication and PR Director. “Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort has always been the preferred destination for tourists from GCC, especially from UAE. The resort has special characteristics that combine

the magic of the East with the European beauty. Airlines from Gulf area, especially the UAE, have played enormous role to bring tourists from Gulf countries to Morocco and Mazagan resort. Through this partnership with Emirates, we hope to attract thousands of tourists from all over the world. Our priority is to take care of our visitors from Gulf Countries and make sure they are enjoying their visit in the resort at attractive prices,” concluded El Idrissi. Mazagan Beach and Gulf Resort has been positioned as an elite tourist destination in Morocco. The resort is located 90 km to the south of Casablanca, in the middle of two ancient Moroccan cities, El Jadida and Azemmour. The 5-star resort has 500 luxurious rooms.

Mumbai International Airport to celebrate International Museum Day 2017 To commemorate the vast diversities of India’s cultural industries, GVK MIAL’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, the metropolitan’s integrated terminal that hosts India’s largest public art program – Jaya He, will organise a weeklong passenger engagement activities at the iconic Terminal 2, starting May 15th, to mark the World International Museum Day. This is for the first time that such a unique initiative will be taken by any international airport within its premises. Organised annually on May 18 by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), this initiative is a collective effort by museum communities across the globe to raise awareness about the significant May | ASIAN TRAVELLER

role that museums have played in the shaping and development of societies. Drawing inspiration from this year’s theme of “Museums and contested Histories: Saying the unspeakable in Museums”, MIAL has planned a host of exquisite activities for travellers which will include workshops, tours, and folk/traditional musical performances. Through this initiative, the airport aims to apprise passengers about India’s unheard legacies, narratives, historical background and facilitate cultural exchanges amongst travellers transiting through the city. In addition to this, with the objective of fostering an interest in India’s multicultural legacy

through artistic expression, well-known artists and architects from the city will engage with students to enlighten them about the fusion of art and architecture in the context of India’s rich culture and history. The Jaya He Museum previously conducted an educational outreach programme by hosting 200 school students, in the 12-14 year age group, from across the city. During the week, the airport has also arranged a ‘museum safari’ for travellers and passengers, reiterating the airport’s commitment in this direction. The program

entails a brief 15-minute tour of the various artifacts and installations across four levels at the airport. This initiative will give travellers a chance to get a glimpse of the country’s rich cultural heritage, by giving them an opportunity to view over 7000 artworks, created by 100s artists and artisans from across India. Travellers will also get an opportunity to indulge in some lip smacking regional delicacies from Kerala and Kashmir at select locations. 13

NEWSLINE

Odisha Tourism bagged the ‘Best Heritage Destination Award 2017’ for Konark Odisha Tourism has bagged the ‘Holiday IQ Best Heritage Destination Award for Konark’ in a glittering ceremony held at Taj Mahal Hotel (Mansingh Road), New Delhi conferred by ‘HolidayIQ’, India’s largest travel community & travel content website portal. Dr. Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, Director, Odisha

Tourism has received the award on behalf of Odisha Tourism from Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office & Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. After receiving the award the Director highlighted about the heritage tourism destination of the State

and spoke about the new initiatives taken by the Department to promote and place Odisha Tourism both in domestic and international sector. Mr. Arun Anand, Mahindra Holidays also congratulated Odisha Tourism for this award and expressed his

desire to come up with resorts in the State of Odisha.

ITB China announces the 2017 Startup Award finalists The ITB China Startup Award recognises companies that have turned dreams and ideas into viable business solutions with great market potential. Short-listed innovators from startup companies which launched their products within the last three years will demonstrate their innovative solutions to the jury comprising experienced industry professionals. In their eight-minute pitch, the innovators have to explain how their product will impact the future of the travel industry. The pitch will take place on 11 May from 3:20 to 4:50 pm in the Conference Center. Afterwards the jury will determine the winner of the first ITB China Startup Award during a ceremony. Winning the award includes a nine sqm basic shell scheme booth worth more than 4,000 USD at ITB China 2018 to showcase their product. The jury consists of the following four members of experienced industry professionals: Philipp Wolf, Phocuswright (Patronage), Gang Chen, Group Senior Vice President, Ctrip, Jay You, Yuantai Investment Partners Evergreen Fund Partner and Le Yu, Managing Director, Ping An Ventures. 14

They have selected the following six nominees for the Startup Award 2017:

MySmark

MySmark is a customer experience platform that provides research and digital marketing tools for online travel and commerce. Research means collecting data using different touchpoints with survey tools and templates to profile consumers-brandsdestinations. Digital marketing tools can transfer research into personalized dynamic content and recommendation in the form of: advertising campaigns, dynamic landing pages, email marketing campaigns and customer experience personalization. MySmark tools are based on unique IP and 2 patents pending in multiple jurisdictions across Europe, US, Asia.

Go with Tommy

Go with Tommy, a handy and lovely audio guide mobile App tailored for Chinese overseas travelers. It has been ranking as top 3 in the travel translation category on Apple App Store.

Golf Voyager

Golf Voyager represents a revolution in the way that people book their golf vacations. The client can book all facets of their

golf package at best price in real time with instant confirmation. Combining booking.com, rentalcars. com, live tee times and coach hire companies – golf voyager will build intelligent itineraries. Golf Voyager provides the tools to the industry to make their offers to the customer like they have been trying to do

for the past 100 years. Golf Voyager also supply widgets to the golf course, hotels, tourist boards and 3rd party websites giving the product endless channels of distribution.

Moti Travel

Moti Travel, a leading one-stop service provider of industrial tour in China, develops platforms to enable new forms of interactions between manufacturers and consumers, also provides unique educational tour products to the tourism market. Moti Travel transforms unused spaces of factories to tourist attractions, also designs and provides ‘Fun in Factories’

programs for educational groups and family groups.

NuanYou

NuanYou aims to solve the main pain points for Chinese tourists going abroad like “cannot read, cannot understand, cannot find” based on technology innovation. Equipped with NuanYou integrated marketing & mobile payment solutions, overseas merchants will own better chances to grasp more business and provide quality service to Chinese travellers. Our vision is to Make FITs Enjoy Local Lifestyle.

TripCreator

TripCreator is an awardwinning trip planning solution which serves as a white label solution for travel agencies, OTA’s and airlines. The solution enables in-house sales people to create and suggest a full and final itinerary for their customers in a matter of minutes. Their customers can modify and complete their itinerary, then book everything in a single checkout. Online their customers can create a completely personalized itinerary in seconds from scratch. This includes locating and arranging accommodation. ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

NEWSLINE

Shamana Spa triumphs again at the Thirteenth AsiaSpa Awards 2017 Receiving accolades of excellence, Shamana Spa at Grand Hyatt Goa has triumphed yet again receiving three awards for the Annual AsiaSpa awards held recently in Mumbai. The entire team at Grand Hyatt Goa is elated on winning the - Spa Manager of the Year (Shamana Spa Director – Alejandro Leo), Best Spa Interiors Resort and My Favorite Spa – Readers’ Choice. The event held in Mumbai, to recognise and reward the best spas and spa products across the country, spread out the red carpet to Bollywood celebrities and social glitterati from the town.

Over the years, AsiaSpa has featured the best in the wellness industry. This year too, wellness icons and enterprises across various categories in the Best Spas and Spa products across the country were recognised and rewarded. It was a night of glitz and glamour, as Asia’s spa community came together to celebrate its finest in the world of wellness. The reader’s choice award comes from a contest that AsiaSpa magazine conducted over four months, which resulted in Shamana Spa again being voted by the readers as their favourite Spa in India. The awards honour current trends, consistent performances and the movers and shakers of the burgeoning industry. Shamana Spa at Grand Hyatt Goa is

the resort’s temple of wellness that offers a peaceful and serene retreat. The essence of Shamana Spa is to create a perfect balance between well-being and lifestyle for a youthful you. Being the largest spa in the region, Shamana Spa houses 19 spa treatment suites. Designed to enrich a guest’s experience, the treatment suites comprise six couple suites with a plunge pool, an Ayurveda treatment suite, and single suites. The ultimate destination in well-being and lifestyle, Shamana Spa offers treatments with a contemporary approach, yoga sessions, spa bridal showers, body slimming and firming treatments and anti-aging facials. The spa also features a beauty salon, fitness centre, lifestyle studio, indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpools and wet areas with sauna and steam.

Commenting on this achievement, Alejandro Leo, Director of Shamana Spa and Recreation, Grand Hyatt Goa said, “It is indeed a great honour to know that our spa is well-liked and admired by our guests. For the past years, we at Grand Hyatt Goa have been driven to equip Shamana Spa with the best in business, spa and wellness offerings. With a large inventory of amenities and best in service offerings we are glad it has been appreciated by our patrons and fellow members of the industry for the second year consecutively. We look forward to curate and bring to the table more such grand experiences in the spa, fitness, and wellness experiential.”

QTA and UNWTO sign agreement for Hosting of World Tourism Day Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) have signed the official agreement through which Qatar will host the World Tourism Day celebrations later this year under the theme, ‘Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development’. The event will be held on 27 September 2017, under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. The agreement was signed by Hassan Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism May 2017 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

Development Officer at QTA and H.E.Taleb Al Rifai, Secretary General of UNWTO on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the leading Middle Eastern travel and tourism event. Qatar had been selected to host the official WTD celebrations by a vote of the 21st UNWTO General Assembly, held in 2015 in Colombia. “Qatar’s leadership has identified tourism as a priority sector in the nation’s pursuit of a sustainable and diverse economy. We recognise that tourism has the power

to drive this growth, as well as enable us to celebrate our culture and heritage with the world, and is rightlytherefore at the forefront of national development plans,” commented Al Ibrahim. “There could be no more fitting a destination to carry this message to the world than Qatar, and we look forward to working with the UNWTO to host a memorable World Tourism Day event.” H.E. Taleb Al Rifai, said “We look forward to be celebrating World Tourism

Day 2017 on 27 September in Doha, Qatar. World Tourism Day is the day set aside in the UN calendar to celebrate the transformative power of the tourism sector. This year’s celebration has an even greater significance as it happens in the scope of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.” 15

Interview

Hotels have an inevitable role in promoting a destination You have been in the hospitality industry for the past several years. Could you tell us about your early days? What made you enter the hospitality sector?

Hospitality was always one industry which fascinated me from young age. I joined RVS College Coimbatore following my hospitality dreams. Started of my career with few individual hotels and I’m proud to say without any of that Golden Brands Experience up my sleeve, I was able to direct my career in the right direction.

What plans do you have for the company?

Promoters of The Fog Resort & Spa have been always very keen in bringing up the resort as one of the best in the destination. Firstly we concentrated in how we can incorporate world class hospitality and quality service, being successful in the same now we are concentrating on adding more inventory and providing more luxury options. Our new venture The Foschia Resorts is coming up with another 110

rooms including pool villas.

How do you see the role of a hotel in developing a destination? What all things can hospitality sector do in this regard?

Hotels and tourist destinations always go hand in hands. Tourist flock to small hill stations miles away nowadays just because they are sure that there are enough hotels and resort to stay back. More importantly while hotels market their product across the globe what they do is destination promotion indirectly. You

have the examples of hotels developing destinations in many cases.

Would you please share with us the proudest and some of the unforgettable moments in your professional life? If you ask me, all moments in my career are unforgettable but my experience during CSR programs as President of Munnar Destination Makers (Munnar Hotels Association) is always unforgettable as that’s when I realised how deep hospitality industry can

influence the society around you. According to me proudest moments changes with time, my proudest moment before 10 years won’t be that Vimalroy. V big if I think General Manager about it now. The Fog Resorts & Spa My proudest moments were sector? when we secured one of the India’s potential as huge best 25 small hotels in India market is being eyed by all award by Tripadvisor within international brands in all an year of opening of The Fog Resort & Spa, industries, same is the case with Hotels & Hospitality being nominated for World Luxury Award, Segment. That will make us the best place to meet being selected for all kind of accommodation Best boutique resort and banqueting needs in by Luxury Travel coming years. Guide...the list goes on. About your Family? My wife Sanitha works In your career, have you as Higher Secondary ever worked abroad? What School teacher at GFHS, according to you are the Puthiyappa, Calicut and I advantages of working have two kids Bilahari and overseas? Sorry, I have not worked Bansuri. abroad. Please tell us about your

Where would you like to see yourself, say, 10 years from now?

I have been part of individual hotels almost for a decade now. In next 10 years I would like to see myself leading a chain of hotels or resorts.

How do you see the growth prospects of Indian hospitality

hobbies and other interests?

Well I always find some time to listen to Music and poetry.

Which is your favourite destination? Why?

Of course, Kerala will be my favourite destination. Being part of this industry from last 10 years I’m sure we are the best.

ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

AIRLINE NEWS

THAI Smile invites Indian tourists to explore exotic Thailand destinations THAI Smile Airways, a carrier providing full service, is inviting Indian tourists to fly with maximum convenience to Thailand’s most exotic destinations through its four leading domestic routes. They include Bangkok-Chiang Rai, Bangkok – Chiang Mai, Bangkok – Phuket and Bangkok – Krabi. Special prices start at 2,335 INR* / per person/ per flight, all inclusive. Ticket reservation

is available from today until 13 April 2017 and you can fly from 17 April to 30 June 2017. Book your ticket via www.thaismileair.com and all branches of Smile Travel Agents. *Terms and conditions are in accordance with the company’s policy. There are a limited number of these special ticket discounts available. Prices are subject to change based on airport tax in different routes.

Jet Airways and Virgin Atlantic enhance India - USA connectivity via London Heathrow Jet Airways and Virgin Atlantic announced a further expansion of their codeshare agreement between India and the United States, providing greater choice and enhanced connectivity via London Heathrow. The new agreement will make it even easier for guests to tailor their perfect trip by combining flights from Jet Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines in a single booking thanks to the extended codeshare. From April 19, 2017, Jet Airways guests travelling between India and the United States can connect through London Heathrow on to nine U.S. destinations operated by Virgin Atlantic;

Atlanta, Boston, Newark, Washington (IAD), New York, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and Seattle*. This expansion builds on the existing agreement between Jet Airways and Virgin Atlantic in place since 2009 – enabling Virgin Atlantic guests to travel on Jet Airways operated services between Mumbai and London Heathrow in addition to the airline’s own direct Delhi to London service. In 2015 this codeshare was extended on to Jet Airways domestic services allowing Virgin Atlantic guests to travel between London Heathrow and five destinations across India via Delhi or Mumbai. Gaurang Shetty, Whole-

time Director, Jet Airways, said, “Offering greater choice and connectivity to our guests has always been a hallmark of our network strategy. The new codeshares build on the success of our ongoing cooperation with Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic over London Heathrow and will provide our guests with more connectivity to and within the United States. Further, our loyalty program partnership will also enable the frequent flyers of both carriers to accrue and redeem their miles across each other’s entire network.” Shai Weiss, Chief Commercial Officer for Virgin Atlantic, said: “We’re really pleased to extend our agreement with Jet Airways to offer customers even more choice when travelling between India and the US, via London Heathrow. From this week customers of both airlines can travel from five destinations across India with Jet Airways, and connect via London Heathrow to nine US destinations with Virgin Atlantic including Boston and Los Angeles, as well as many more US destinations

with transatlantic partner Delta Airlines via key hubs such as New York and Atlanta. This innovative codeshare allows customers to tailor their journey using a combination of flights from Jet Airways, Virgin Atlantic and their transatlantic partner Delta Air Lines – whilst continuing to benefit from a single check in and bag drop.” In October last year, Delta Air Lines and Jet Airways announced a codeshare cooperation between India and United States over London Heathrow, where Delta guests flying between North America and India can connect on flights operated by Jet Airways to 20 destinations within India. The Delta codeshare destinations include Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Calicut, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mangalore, Pune, Trivandrum and Vadodara. Likewise guests flying on Jet Airways can connect on to Delta operated services via London Heathrow. ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

AIRLINE NEWS

Air China makes debut at CTW China 2017 with prospective returns Air China led its inaugural sponsorship at CTW China 2017, coming in at the highest tier as Diamond Sponsor. The exhibiting airline made its presence felt through a hosted luncheon for select corporate travel buyers, panelist session at Forum 4A: Changing Dynamics of the Buyer and Supplier Partnership, and further extended their brand via colocated MICE event IT&CM China 2017. China’s exclusive national flag carrier and Star Alliance member made the decision to participate based on the additional targeted engagement platforms CTW China avails to corporate brands and organisations in helping them achieve the most out of their investment, such as branded functions, speaking slots, and strategic

logo placements, amongst others. Elaborating on the value of these functions as the driving force behind their sponsorship, Cui Hongqiang, Deputy General Manager, Marketing & Sales Center Eastern China, Air China Ltd, “Being a panellist at the CTW conference sessions puts Air China in the position to discuss in-depth, the changing dynamics of the buyersupplier relationship from a supplier’s perspective, improve our communication and corporation while keeping abreast of the needs of corporate travel buyers. With more targeted engagement, not only could we foster more personal communication with buyers, but also promote Air China’s brand image, products, and services to a desired audience.”

Through their hosted luncheon, Air China also took advantage of the opportunity to establish connections with would-be buyers and build relations with new attending corporate travel managers to CTW China 2017.

opportunity that we don’t want to miss and we’ll definitely like to organise engagements like this again.”

Host representative, Yan Jun, Key Account Marketing, Sales, Air China Ltd said: “Our CTW China experience has been really good. Our hosted luncheon in particular drew in the corporate travel buyers we wanted to meet and allowed us to present our new product line and exciting developments. This is an

As China’s major awardwinning airline and a top 500 global brand, Air China believes their foothold on the travel and aviation industry has managed to impact the corporate travel ecosystem at CTW China 2017 through their years of experience in ground transportation support and customer management.

Hospitality news

Mercure Hyderabad KCP wins ‘Best Mid-Market Hotel” award at 2017 HICSA Awards Mercure Hyderabad KCP, AccorHotels’ first midscale hotel in the City of Nizams launched last year, was named ‘Best MidMarket Hotel’ at the recent 2017 Hotel Investment Conference South Asia (HICSA) awards. HICSA is one of the most coveted forums for all hospitality players and the awards conferred at the two day event are amongst the highest accolades for members of the industry recognising “best amongst the best”. Criteria were based on MakeMyTrip Ratings, Guest Rooms (Interiors, Design and In-Room Amenities), F&B (Meeting and Banqueting) and Corporate Social Responsibility just to name a few. Registered delegates were invited to cast their votes the winners were shortlisted by an independent panel of judges comprising various key

leisure travellers across the world. Mercure has over 740 hotels in 55 countries. They are ideally located in city centers, by the sea or in the mountains.

industry leaders. Mr. Dinesh Rai, General Manager, Mercure Hyderabad KCP said, “We are honoured to have won the Best Mid-Market Hotel award. Since the hotel opened last year, Mercure Hyderabad KCP has won several awards and today’s win at HICSA has added yet another feather in its cap. We would like to thank our staff and guests in helping us win this award.” Located in the heart of Hyderabad’s shopping, historic and business district, which is a quintessential paradise for corporate and leisure travellers, Mercure Hyderabad KCP features 128 spacious guest rooms and suites with scenic views of the city and Hussain Sagar Lake. Featuring three food and beverage outlets, it also has five contemporary meeting rooms and banquet halls that can accommodate

up to 150 guests. With Mercure, AccorHotels offers hotels that are all different and locally inspired. Mercure is the only midscale hotel brand that combines the strength of an international network with a strong quality commitment and the warm experience of hotels that are rooted in their local community. Mercure hotels are managed by enthusiastic hoteliers and welcome business and

In India, AccorHotels operates a network of 10 distinctive brands underpinned by operational excellence, while embracing its European heritage. With 46 hotels across key destinations in the country, AccorHotels is uniquely placed as the only international hotel group with brands that span across all segments from luxury to budget. As the leader in operating hotels and convention centres, AccorHotels currently manages the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Lavasa International Convention Centre and Novotel Visakhapatnam the, the largest all-sea facing convention centre on the east coast of India.

Conservatorium Hotel to introduce Taiko’s Hanami Festival

As the Sakura trees in the Amsterdam Forest are in full bloom, it is time to celebrate spring together. For the first time, Taiko restaurant at the Conservatorium hotel will honour the Hanami Festival in a very special way. In this Asian-inspired restaurant, opened in 2014, creative chef Schilo van Coevorden is not content simply to seduce. Beauty, flavour, aroma and texture are the instruments he uses to enchant every sense. 20

The Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the most colourful events in the world. Every year visitors from over the entire world visit Japan to see the iconic cherry blossom flower. The Cherry Blossom Festival, also called Hanami (“flower viewing”), is a Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers, welcoming the new harvest and celebrating the season when the rice is being planted. Walk through the Sakura trees in bloom on a beautiful sunny day, followed by enjoying the

Hanami menu in Taiko, especially created by chef Schilo van Coevorden. Working with local suppliers and farmers he has developed his own unique style that captivates the hearts and taste buds of many well-travelled food aficionados available throughout spring.

Hanami Menu at Taiko

Taiko restaurant will serve a special created Hanami menu from mid April onwards. This eight course dinner includes a Hamachi Tartar with white asparagus salad and Nitamago eggs, Jamon de Wagyu and Temari sushi with sakura followed by the daikon salad with wild ginger dressing and sashimi of watermelon with shiso leaves. Third to enjoy are

crispy wasabi prawns, lobster gyoza with black garlic and miso. After this, guests will be surprised by a cappuccino of asparagus with sea urchin custard and seaweed. Then fresh water trout including sakura soba and fiddleheads as the fifth course followed by the roasted duck along with Szechuan peppers and Chinese broccoli and Taiko fried rice. The kakigõri is accompanied by ameshu, almonds and violets. As a final course guests will experience the taste of cherry blossom chocolate tree.An eight course menu in Taiko costs 115 euro per person and a four course menu costs 85 euro per person. The menu will be served from 18 April onwards. ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

Hospitality news

Experience the local culture through ‘In The Know’ activities at InterContinental Bali Resort InterContinental Bali Resort is pleased to introduce jamu-making classes to the activities available at ‘Inspirational Space’, exclusively for guests staying at Club InterContinental or in the Resort’s collection of Suites. Jamu is the name given to the blended Javanese medicinal tonics that are made from the many species of healing plants, herbs and spices, which grow in the fertile soil and vast areas of rainforest within the Indonesian archipelago. The jamu-making classes share the healing art, science and secret recipes for making these herbal compounds, which date back to the 9th century and have been passed down from grandmothers and mothers to daughters and granddaughters, generation after generation. The remedies, which claim to

increase stamina, rejuvenate the skin, purify the blood, aid digestion, ease sore throats, fevers, headaches and stomach cramps, as well as helping blood circulation and curing numerous other ailments are sold on the streets of Indonesia by Javanese ladies. Wearing sarongs and conical hats, these women are distinguished by the huge baskets – filled with bottles of the concoctions –strapped to their backs. The many natural ingredients range from star anise, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, tamarind, ginger, lemongrass, honey and turmeric to the bitter leaves of soursop and papaya trees. Jamu is consumed by many local people on daily basis to maintain good health. Inspiration Space is a dedicated lounge that encourages interest about the island and its cultural

attributes, as well as inviting Club and Suite guests to leisurely pursue recreational activities, pastimes and excursions that are a direct reflection of Bali, its artistic legacy and cultural traditions – part of the InterContinental ‘In the Know’ brand concept. Set within its own private wing and secluded enclave, Club InterContinental is an exclusive haven of indulgence and luxury. Here, guests are treated

to an elevated level of hospitality and personalised service, as well as opulent in-room amenities and elegant facilities. Guests staying in Club InterContinental Bali’s distinguished collection of luxurious guestrooms, suites and villas, can relish an exceptional array of privileges and entitlements. These include 24-hour bespoke butler service, access to the private Club Pool and other features.

Celebrated Chef Gordon Ramsay makes fiery announcement of the world’s first “Hell’s Kitchen” Restaurant at Caesars Palace Las Vegas Celebrated multiMichelin star chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay announced live to his fans on Facebook about his plans for the first-of its-kind Gordon Ramsay HELL’S KITCHEN located at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, set to open this winter. To commemorate the announcement, Ramsay skillfully ignited the series’ 17-foot signature pitchfork – transported straight from the set of the hit FOX show – in the center of Caesars’ iconic fountains. This marks Ramsay’s fifth Las Vegas restaurant and extends his successful partnership with Caesars Entertainment. As is the case at Chef Ramsay’s other restaurants, the quality of the food and dining experience is paramount for the HELL’S May | ASIAN TRAVELLER

KITCHEN restaurant. Masterfully designed by Jeffrey Beers International to be an experiential and immersive destination restaurant, guests will feel transported to the studio set, as if they are participating in the globally popular television show, the 17th season of which will air during the 20172018 season on FOX. With design features that are engaging to all senses and

are a nod to both the red and blue teams featured on the show, the dynamic and bustling kitchen will be the centerpiece of this unique eatery to be enjoyed and appreciated from every seat in the house. “Fans of the show have been asking us to bring a HELL’S KITCHEN restaurant to life since day one, so I’m thrilled to finally be doing it here at Caesars Palace,” said Ramsay. “A key element of the show’s success has always been the diners’ experience, so we are excited for guests in Las Vegas to feel like they too are part of the show –

flames and all.” Perfectly situated on one of the busiest corners in Las Vegas, directly at the center of the famous Las Vegas Strip at Caesars Palace, HELL’S KITCHEN restaurant will seat nearly 300 guests, feature indoor and Strip-adjacent patio dining and offer a daily themed brunch, dinner and spirited bar menu. Construction on HELL’S KITCHEN restaurant will begin this summer with an expected opening date this winter. Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen is a partnership between Gordon Ramsay and Caesars Entertainment in conjunction with ITV America. HELL’S KITCHEN airs in 41 countries around the globe. 21

Kerala Tourism

Kerala Tourism receives HolidayIQ Better Holiday Award for “India’s favourite Waterfront Destination” Tourism, at a function held in New Delhi.

Kerala Tourism was voted as ‘India’s favourite Waterfront Destination’ for Alleppey by the HolidayIQ Better Holiday Awards. Union Minister Jitendra Singh presented this prestigious award to Venu V, Principal Secretary, Kerala

Speaking on the occasion, Venu said, “It is an honour to receive an award which recognises the efforts of the Tourism Department. This award reiterates the popularity of the state tourism as it was chosen by over 15 crore Indian travellers,” he said. Venu said Kerala Tourism department is always keen

on implementing new and innovative ideas and projects for the growth of Kerala as the best destination. “Prestigious awards like these are an inspiration to raise the benchmark in taking up new initiatives which will further enhance our projects to provide bestin-class experience in the future as well.” “In 2016, foreign and domestic tourists’ arrival to Kerala has increased by 6.23 percentage and 5.67 percentage respectively, demonstrating the increasing popularity of Kerala as one of the preferred tourist

destinations of India’, he said. “I’m excited to learn that Alleppey, the evergreen backwater destination of Kerala, continues to be the favourite among the travellers and tour operators’, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said on Kerala tourism getting the award. Getting an award for another individual feature of the state in itself shows how versatile our state is as a tourist destination, he said, adding ‘I’m so overwhelmed by the fact that Kerala is gaining popularity and is preferred by people all over”.

Tourism Department joins hand with Silk Air In a bid to attract more tourists into the state, Kerala Tourism has inked a pact with Silk Air earlier on this month to jointly promote the destination. The agreement also covers conducting road shows and other special marketing programs in selected cities especially in countries like Australia, New Zealand, China, Korea, Japan and Singapore. P Bala Kiran, Director, Kerala Tourism signed the MOU with Jagdish Bhojwani, General Manager India, Silk Air in the presence of Minister for Tourism Kadakampally Surendran. The agreement will be effective for one year and will cover joint activities like brand advertising, promotional campaigns, tactical and digital marketing, familiarisation trips, trade fairs, product development and road shows. The Tourism Department 22

has been looking for more opportunities to spread word about the legacy of “God’s Own Country” across the global markets and to further increase the tourist footfall in Kerala in the coming years’. The Minister hoped that the agreement would benefit Kerala Tourism in getting more tourists from the four significant markets with the help of its wide network and reputation as a quality service provider. Commenting on the association, P Bala Kiran, said, “The MoU with SilkAir will allow us to strategically attract more travellers from the four specific markets to enjoy the unique local experiences here in Kerala.” Speaking about the partnership, SilkAir’s general manager-India Jagdish Bhojwani said, “We’re delighted to be associated with Kerala Tourism and look forward to working together on many exciting activities to promote “God’s Own

Country” as an attractive tourist destination. SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines is one of the Asia’s most awarded regional airline. SilkAir’s positioning as a premium, short-to-medium haul regional carrier gives it a unique appeal amongst leisure and business travellers in Asia. Whilst offering carefully selected meals, a full bar service and elements of inflight entertainment, SilkAir places great emphasis on providing attentive, friendly and relaxing service. The carrier’s regional flair is expressed through both its cabin crew and its cuisine – ensuring that

traveller experience of the destination traveller heading to begins when they step onto their plane. SilkAir has been awarded Travel Hall of Fame (Best Regional Airline, 10th consecutive year) by TTG Asia, Top 10 Airlines for Best Cabin Service Worldwide by Smart Travel Asia, 3rd place by Changi Airport Airline Award, Regional Airline of the Year by airlineratings. com, Indonesia’s Leading Regional Airline of the Year 2015/2016 by Indonesia Travel and Tourism Award, Best Regional Airline in South India Travel Awards by DDP Publications, Innovative Travel Services Award by HN.QQ.com and was also the Recommended Airlines for 2016. ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

Kerala Tourism

Kerala Tourism introduces new mobile App to promote tourism Kerala. One can also view basic information, points of interest and directions on how to reach the spots via the app. Under `Plan your Trip’ tab, the aspiring traveller can choose best deals for each destination and comprehensive packages covering more than one destination. The App is initially aimed at domestic travellers, a segment which is expected to contribute hugely to increase tourist arrivals during the lean season. A trip is always awesome. But the planning part of the trip is always a boredom activity for many. Not anymore. Kerala Tourism has introduced a new mobile application- Visit Kerala Adventure to help people to explore many destinations and fun filled activities through fun and interactive games. The players can also win discount vouchers by winning games which can be redeemed upon their arrival in Kerala.

Developed by FCB Ulka for Kerala Tourism, the app has got a smooth interface. The games are designed in a way to explore many hotspots of Kerala through unique adventure sports featuring Kerala’s unique location and features. For example game “Quiet Cruiser” is set to happen at Kumarakom backwaters with Kerala’s traditional houseboats. The “Tour de Hill” game is designed at Munnar where you race the bicycle through the breathtaking sceneries and tea estates. There are also other games like `Wonder Caves’ featured for Wayanad, `Raft Craft’ for Athirapally waterfalls, `Sea Tamer’ for Kovalam, ‘Red God’ for Kannur, ‘Fort Runner‘ featuring Bekal Fort etc. Almost 15 destinations of Kerala are featured in the games. The application has also details where one can find details of different packages from tour operators and hoteliers of

Speaking about the app, P. Bala Kiran IAS, Director, Kerala Tourism, said that this will convert the trip planning from a chore to a fun experience. He pointed out the need of such an application which could enhance the tourist experience right from the planning stage of their trip. He hoped that the new initiative will enable them to know about the major tourist attractions and places of accommodation beforehand and to plan their holidays accordingly. Speaking about the initiative, Sareesh Jameskutty, FCB Ulka, added, “Visit KeralaAdventure is the first of its kind. In most instances, more time is spent on planning a trip than on the trip itself. The app eliminates this obstacle by making discovering and planning a trip to God’s own country, a fun activity. The games let the user explore Kerala’s hotspots through a set of virtual adventures and then helps one choose

the itinerary based on their preferences. In addition to that, coupons won in the games can be redeemed onground. In short, this app is a precursor to the magic that awaits them in land of gods. We will be promoting the app across digital platforms like Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Twitter,” added Jameskutty. Travellers can virtually explore top destinations readup on them, browse through pictures and videos using the App. Travellers

can customise their dream vacation with additional offers and packages. The ‘Visit Kerala Adventure’ app is promoted across all social media platforms of Kerala Tourism and can also be downloaded from Google Play Store and iOS store. The app is getting good response with downloads nearing to 50,000 within weeks uploaded in the Play Store. The developers are planning to introduce further versions fixing up the bug problems. ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

NEWSLINE

Changi Airport is named the World’s Best Airport for the fifth consecutive year by international air travellers

Changi Airport Singapore achieved great success at the 2017 World Airport Awards, being voted by air travellers as the World’s Best Airport for the fifth consecutive year. Changi Airport also scooped the award for the Best Airport Leisure Amenities. The awards were held at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Amsterdam, Netherlands on last month. The top 10 rankings for the World’s Best Airport Award in 2017: 1. Changi Airport Singapore 2. Tokyo International Airport (Haneda)

3. Incheon International Airport 4. Munich Airport 5. Hong Kong International Airport 6. Hamad International Airport 7. Central Japan International Airport 8. Zurich Airport 9. London Heathrow Airport 10. Frankfurt Airport Mr Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of Changi Airport Group said, “Winning the Skytrax World’s Best Airport Award for the fifth consecutive year is immense encouragement

to our 50,000-strong airport community at Changi Airport, every one of whom is passionate about delivering the most memorable airport experience to our passengers. This recognition affirms our service belief which we have held steadfast all these years – putting passengers at the heart of all we do. While we expand our facilities to serve more passengers in the coming years, we will continue to work closely with all our airport partners to further enhance the Changi Experience. We share this honour with the Changi Airport community and the many government agencies whom we work closely with. Without their support, we could not have achieved this. Above all, to all of our passengers, thank you for your vote of confidence!” Mr Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax said: “to be voted the world’s Best Airport

for the fifth consecutive year is a remarkable achievement for Changi Airport, and underlines the airport’s popularity with international air travellers. Changi Airport continues to innovate product and service facilities for customers, and is making the travel experience at the airport enjoyable and relaxing. This award is very much a collective recognition for all staff at the airport who contribute to the success of Changi Airport operations.” Changi Airport also received the awards for the World’s Best Airport Leisure Amenities, and the Best Airport in Asia. The World Airport Awards are the most prestigious accolades for the airport industry, voted by customers in the largest, annual global airport customer satisfaction survey. The Skytrax World Airport Survey is widely regarded as the quality benchmark for the world airport industry.

Jordan announces India arrival figures — unprecedented growth of 18.40% The Jordan Tourism Board has announced the 2016 Indian arrival figures to Jordan. In a unprecedented trend, the same day visitor arrivals from India has declined by 4.50%, which indicates that visitors are now spending more time in the country. Also, overnight visitors have shown an unprecedented growth of 18.40%, which is an impressive figure. The India Representative office of JTB, Think Strawberries has set a goal to take Jordan to the position of ‘Most Desirable Destination’ for the Indian traveler by 2019 by achieving higher visitor arrivals and May | ASIAN TRAVELLER

increasing the overnight stay steadily. Ashit Taneja, Country Manager, Jordan Tourism Board, India Office comments: “Jordan still is and will remain one of the safest destinations to visit. It is a very stable country with unique blend of culture, history, food, wellness, adventure and warm hospitality that continues to draw tourists from India and all over the world every years.” Jordan offers an excellent blend of tradition, culture along with developed infrastructure and world class hospitality services.

Jordanian food and the great experiences of Dead Sea, Petra and Wadi Rum makes it distinct from other countries. We welcome the Indian tourist to Jordan and want them to come back to India with fond memories and memorable experiences. Indians can avail of FREE Visa on arrival in Jordan since the beginning of 2016. The requirements are: * Book through Jordanian DMC/supplier and stay for minimum 2 nights with minimum 5 pax

as a group or * Buy the Jordan Pass and stay for minimum 3 consecutive nights in Jordan. The Jordan Pass is the ultimate sightseeing ticket to Jordan. It offers hassle-free prepaid entry at a reduced rate to over 40 attractions in Jordan. Link and details to buy the Jordan Pass: www. jordanpass.jo 25

NEWSLINE

Malaysia: Official Partner Country of ITB Berlin 2019 world like no other. This will strongly underline our sustainable tourism strategy, which we believe will be key to the future of our nation, its people and our economy in the long term. This partnership also serves to underline the strong ties between Malaysia and Europe, and our firm will to take this wonderful relationship to an even higher level.”

The Malaysian Ministry of Tourism and Culture and ITB Berlin have announced that the South East Asian nation will be the show’s Official Partner Country in 2019. Announcing the reasoning behind the country’s choice of year, YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Tourism and Culture for Malaysia explained, “Our long-term target is to achieve 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion (Euro 37.1 billion) in receipts by the year 2020, based on the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan. Building up to this year will be very much like a ‘crescendo’, which is why we wanted to plan a major partnership with ITB Berlin in 2019.” The Minister signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) solidifying the partnership

during an informal ceremony at ITB Berlin 2017. Then, along with Head of ITB Berlin, David Ruetz, at a ceremony at ITB China on 11 May 2017, the signing of the official contract took place at 11am. “Malaysia has had a very serious presence at ITB Berlin for many years, and we have been very impressed by the development of this nation’s tourism offering. While negotiations are still under

way with several “suitors” for the 2018 edition – and the partner will be announced shortly, we are happy to work on this longer-term plan with our Malaysian friends,” said David Ruetz, Head of ITB Berlin from Messe Berlin. YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Tourism and Culture for Malaysia added, “ITB Berlin is truly a global platform from which we can give our message to the

The 2019 Official Partner Country project is part of a much broader plan by Malaysia to increase awareness of the natural and human assets of the country over the next years. Kinabalu National Park and Gunung Mulu National Park in Malaysian Borneo and George Town cities and the archaeological heritage of the Lenggong Valley are four of the UNESCO designated World Heritage sites in Malaysia that will be highlighted.

Maldives participates in the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Maldives Marketing and Public Relation Corporation together with partners from the Maldivian Tourism Industry participated in the 24th Annual Arabian Travel Market. The Maldives delegation was led by the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mr. Hussain Lirar accompanied by Acting Managing Director of MMRPC, Mr. Haris Mohamed. The Ambassador Designate of Maldives for

United Arab Emirates, Dr. Hussain Niyaz was part of the official Maldives Delegation. A total of 59 companies and over 125 participants have travelled to Dubai to attend ATM 2017 fair to showcase their products. Maldives…the Sunnyside of Life is showcased at a 200 sq m stand with a new design concept showing the natural beauty of the destination through

colourful images. During the four day exhibition, special activities were carried out at the Maldives stand to attract more visitors. This includes social media campaigns which aim to increase the online presence of the destination. Visitors can take pictures at the Maldives stand and upload to social media platforms with the hash tag #visitmaldives, #ATMDubai to win instant gifts and at the same time experience the underwater beauty of the Maldives through VR Gears. The main focus for this year was the meeting with Airlines to identify joint marketing avenues which is mutual beneficial for the Airlines and for the Destination. Apart from usual business meetings, special events have been organised

during ATM this year by the organisers which include Speed Networking, Bloggers Speed Networking and ATM Roundtable for the participants to make the most of the event. The Middle East region especially the United Arab Emirate and Saudi Arabia market holds much potential. In the 2016 a total of the 51,330 tourists from the region visited Maldives. This was a growth of 22.3 percent compared to arrivals in 2015. By February 2017 a total of 7,350 tourists from the region spent their holiday in Maldives which is a growth 3.9 percent compared to the same period of 2016. Middle East is already the most well connected region to the Maldives. Daily flights from the major regional carriers direct to the destination. ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

NEWSLINE

Asia’s first animation theme park well on its way to opening Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS), Asia’s first animation theme park located in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia is at the tail end of its development, with 96 percent completed. In an exclusive session, MAPS Board of Director, Mr. Ramelle Ramli notes that the Park is estimated to be ready by 26 June 2017. “MAPS is highly anticipated and we acknowledge that there have been shortcomings to the development. I assure the public that it is a result of the decision to enhance the Park, increasing the entertainment value

upon opening. This was announced to the public last year by the Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Perak (PKNP),” explained Ramelle. MAPS which houses both international and homegrown Intellectual Properties (IPs) including DreamWorks characters, The Smurfs and The Home of BoBoiBoy will have more than 40 attractions in six themed zones. Gearing up for excitement, visitors will be able to enjoy the experience of additional attractions include the HyperSpin, Asteroid Attack, The Adventurous Cartoon Factory, The Smurfs (Live Attraction, Party Land and The Smurfs Club House), WormHole Technologies, International

Cultural Celebration, Selfie Boardwalk, Photo-Op. Tickets are now available online for purchase. Tickets will also soon be available via several points of sales including MAPS Roadshows, which will be announced on the theme park’s social media platform. Addressing current pass holders, Ramelle thanks them for their patience and understanding. Those who have purchased the tickets earlier can be assured that validity will commence upon the opening and is applicable for the 12 months after for Annual and Perak Passes. For Single Day Passes, it is valid for three months after opening. Upon opening, MAPS is estimated to attract 1 million visitors to the theme park. With the anticipated visitor volume, the theme park will act as

a catalyst for the State’s tourism industry and economy. Currently, MAPS employs approximately 500 employees, of which 73 percent of its human resources are local Perakians. “Our recruitment focuses on Perakians, although we do have staff from other states. Our intentions are not only in providing employment to the locals but also to groom the talents’ skill sets of an international standard theme park,” said Ramelle. MAPS is also currently on an active campaign to boost the tourism industry of Perak. Plans in the pipeline include strong presence in regional travel fairs, trade exhibitions and sales missions. The theme park will also engage its audience in an interactive marketing campaign for both Above and Below the Line strategy.

Thai Prime Minister delivered opening remarks at 2017 WTTC Global Summit in Bangkok H.E. General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand presided over the opening of the 2017 World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit and delivered opening remarks to more than 800 delegates attending the event on 26-27 April. Later today, H.E. General Tanasak Patimapragorn, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand presided over the welcome gala dinner specially designed to showcase delegates some of the Unique Local Thai Experiences. The appearances of both the Thai Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister at this flagship global private sector event signify Thailand’s commitment for the development of May | ASIAN TRAVELLER

the tourism industry, the kingdom’s largest export. H.E. General Prayut Chan-o-cha said Thailand’s tourism revenue rose 21 per cent in 2015 to 2.26 trillion Baht (US$66.47 billion), and despite unfavourable world economic conditions, Thai tourism sector registered an 11 per cent growth in 2016 to 2.52 trillion Baht (US$74.1 billion). “I am proud that Thailand has been selected to host one of the world’s most important international tourism conferences. This reinforces Thailand’s readiness to host global conferences in addition to its potential to be a leading travel and tourism hub in Asia and the world,” added General Prayut.

Hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), this is the first time that the WTTC Global Summit has been held in Southeast Asia. This year event was also attended by Ministers in the tourism and related fields from 13 nations as well as Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), alongside more than 800 delegates from 58 countries. Organised under the theme of “Transforming Our World,” this year summit was addressed by Mr. David Cameron, former Prime Minister of the UK. Other speakers include Dr. Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary General; Mr. Tony Fernandes, AirAsia CEO;

Mr. David Scowsill, WTTC President and CEO; Mr. Gary Chapman, President Group Services & DNATA of Emirates Group; Mr. Rob Rosenstein, Agoda CEO; Mr. Rob Torres, Google Managing Director for Travel; H. E. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul; Minster of Tourism and Sports of Thailand; and Ms. Chadatip Chutrakul, CEO Siam Piwat Group. WTTC reported that Thailand is among the top 10 for the long term tourism growth in the world. 27

NEWSLINE

The Anam celebrates grand opening The Anam, a 117-villa and 96-room resort that commands a stunning beachfront setting and a sublime 10 treatment-room spa, celebrated its grand opening on April 26 in Vietnam’s most compelling new destination. Blazing new ground in a destination emerging as a high-end alternative to nearby Nha Trang, the independently owned and operated five-star resort will cut the ribbon on a host of world-class facilities, including the spa, three restaurants and two bars, a 3-D movie theatre, a ballroom, conference facilities, water sports

centre, yoga room and deck, tennis court, gym, kids club and three swimming pools. The Anam’s design pays homage to colonial-era and age-old Vietnamese aesthetics, evoking a nostalgic tone with its imperial Hue-style roofs, glowing lanterns, big-bellied water vases, decorative pools, customised mosaic floor tiles and stone pathways.

ocean, towering headlands, lush gardens and the resort’s swimming and decorative pools. Terraces or balconies jut from every villa. Twenty-seven villas have separate living rooms and their own private swimming pools.

Some 3,000 palm trees shade the 12-hectare property that fronts 300 metres of private beach overlooking the East Sea, where toast-brown sand, turquoise waters, dramatic headlands and offshore islands come together as one of Vietnam’s most picture-perfect seaside enclaves.

Throughout the resort, old world elegance meets Asian aesthetics and prerogatives in a fusion of East and West. Forests cultivated for sustainable harvests supplied the hardwood. Local artisans designed floor tiles that reference colonial French floors. Vietnamese artwork hung from the walls and perched on plinths open doors on the country’s culture.

Ranging in size from 50 sqm to 267 sqm, the villas, rooms and suites afford unencumbered views of the

Three distinct restaurants, The Indochine, Indochine Grill and Beach Club, and two bars, Saigon

Bar and Sports Bar, lure diners from venues casual enough for finger food and refined enough for a baby grand piano. The Sri Mara Spa comprises 10 treatment rooms, including four VIP rooms designed for couples, each equipped with two massage beds, a steam room, sauna and outdoor granite Jacuzzi. Complimentary daily activities include beach volleyball, badminton, sepak takraw (a sport known as ‘kick volleyball’ native to Southeast Asia) and sunrise yoga. Other recreational pursuits offered by the water sports centre range from kayaking and bravo sailing, to surfing and bodyboarding.

Womens Journey Thailand campaign to return with great offers throughout August 2017 The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is bringing back the Women’s Journey Thailand campaign with all the highlights and offers to entice women travellers from around the world to enjoy a huge range of activities, special deals, discounts and privileges in Thailand throughout the month of August. According to the latest statistics of international arrivals to the kingdom, the growth of female travellers has risen significantly over the past few years. Mrs. Srisuda Wanapinyosak, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Asia and the South Pacific said, “Today women are significant decision makers and powerful with high28

spending power. With a full range of products and services that can serve women’s needs, Thailand can definitely be the ideal destination. The Women’s Journey Thailand campaign will showcase how women travellers can enjoy these products and services at very attractive prices when they visit Thailand in August.” TAT is bringing back several activities launched as part of the inaugural Women’s Journey Thailand campaign, including the Lady Golf Challenge, Lady Celebrities to Thailand, Thailand through Her Eyes, Lady in Thai Fabrics, and Lady Bloggers. These activities are to enhance Thailand’s positive image as one of Asia’s most female

friendly destinations. Another interesting highlight for this year’s campaign is the appointment of Ms. Natthaya Boonchompaisarn, or Grace, the winner of The FACE Thailand season 3 as an honorable representative to inspire the lady travelers all around the world to explore varieties of quality products and services the country has to offer for this segment. TAT is collaborating with various tourism-related businesses throughout the country, and has classified the products and services for women travellers into seven types. These include accommodation (hotels

and resorts); health, beauty and spa services; shopping malls, dining and restaurants; recreation and entertainment; such as, theme parks; lifestyle activities; such as, handicraft workshops and fitness, and transportation services; such as, airlines and car rentals. All the products and services as well as special privileges will be featured in the “Women’s Journey Thailand” mobile application and the mini website womensjourney, which will be officially available in June. ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

MUNNAR

Munnar Destination Makers – A progressive tourism association

here are a lot of operational ground issues faced by the resorts. Till now there wasn’t any proper organisation or association to address this issue. Not anymore. A brand new organisation has come up with an idea to tackle this issue- Munnar Destination Makers. This is a brand new organisation based in Munnar which came up to address the operational ground issues faced by the resorts. Regular meetings to solve issues like waste management, plastic removal and other common issues made the operational heads sit together and plan for taking forward. It was also a leap from the SwachchBharath initiatives by the Govt of India and the Agenda 9 by the Kerala Travel Mart Society. Some fantastic team work led to wonderful initiatives like waste segregation and disposal

in hotels, discontinuation of use of plastic water bottles and introduction of organic farming among many more initiatives that are to be introduced. As the start was good the young team decided to lay a sound foundation to this good start and make this an association. Idea was mooted, approved by all and it formalized into Munnar Destination Makers. Today MDM consists of only 40 hotels and the number is gradually increasing. Immediate issue that loomed large was to address the slowdown in business, as Munnar grew in capacity with time but demand did not rise proportionately. The think tank got together and came up with a beauty of an idea and that was to conducting a marketing exercise - a Partnership Meet in Trivandrum and Kochi. This thought was based

on the assessment that 60% of the feeder market for Munnar hotels is based in these two cities among the B2B community and it was essential we reintroduce Munnar to our tour operator associatesin these two cities. Both the events turned out to be very successful events with tour operators supporting in large numbers. Another strong reason was the fact that over the years like any destination Munnar too has evolved and developed and today stands tall as the No.1 Destination in India in the terms of Google search. Over the period of time Munnar has spread and along with that the sightseeing options but the world is unaware. MDM’s next focus was to enlighten the tourism community that Munnar today has turned into a 5 night destination which gives it a fantastic flexibility to be a part of any itinerary and also stand independently as a single destination dishing out multitude of experiences and sightseeing options. Over the years Munnar has also evolved as an allrounder of a destination both for the domestic and inbound market. A nonexistent inbound market is now driving the off season business

May | ASIAN TRAVELLER

thanks to the NRI and Arab market. In the season the conventional European and Asian markets have started making Munnar a part of its itinerary. Today Munnar has become as a year round destination and season stands re defined based on the current trends and holidays. It looks like this now. High Season – 1st October to 19th December Peak Season – 20th December to 10th January High Season – 11th January to 15th March Low Season – 15th March to 10th April High Season –11th April to 31st May Low Season – 1st June to 30th September Real challenge with MDM lies in making all the hotels imbibe the nature friendly practices besides working towards bringing more tourists to Munnar. This young breed led by President Vimal, Secretary Abbas and Treasurer Jolly, supported by a fantastic young, vibrant and enterprising team of sales and marketing professionals in the forefront and operational heads from all the hotels looking at the ground level, MDM is surely set to make waves in the tourism community. 29

GULF NEWS

Qatar Airways and TAT sign agreement to boost tourism to Thailand

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Qatar Airways, one of the world’s leading airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2017 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With this latest partnership, TAT seeks to leverage the strength of Qatar Airways’ extensive global network, particularly its presence in secondary cities in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to increase the number of tourist arrivals to Thailand in 2017 and 2018. Under the MoU, TAT and Qatar Airways will develop joint promotions to mutually increase tourism and visibility for Thailand to travellers in more than 150 destinations the airline flies to. Thailand, one of Qatar Airways’ earliest destinations in the Far East, has grown from strength to

strength in the last two decades. Effective 1 June, Qatar Airways will have five daily flights from Doha to Bangkok. The increased frequency, along with its double-daily Phuket flights and the five-month-old Krabi operations (4 flights a week), take the number of weekly Qatar Airways departures from Thailand to Doha to 53. Besides the existing three popular Thai destinations, Qatar Airways has also set its sights on Chiang Mai, the largest city in Northern Thailand. The MoU was signed by Mr. Ehab Amin, Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer and Mr. Tanes Petsuwan, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas, at a commemorative event at the ATM 2017. They were joined by Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, Mr. Chalermsak Suranant, Director of the TAT Dubai and Middle East Office, and other high-ranking

executives from both organisations. Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, “Our increased frequency to Bangkok and the enhanced collaboration with the TAT is testament to our commitment to the Thai market. Bangkok has long been a hugely popular destination for both business and leisure travellers. The partnership with the TAT will enable us to jointly work together to attract more travellers from secondary cities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to experience the warm and gracious hospitality Thailand is renowned for, and power the growth of this iconic Far East route for Qatar Airways.” Mr. Tanes Petsuwan said, “Partnering Qatar Airways, one of the world’s best airlines, will open up additional access to markets which hold great potential for the TAT and our unique tourism proposition. With this MoU, our aim is to jointly put in place the best strategies and practices to enhance Thailand’s marketing footprint and position it as a “Preferred Leisure Destination through Thainess offering Unique Local Experiences.”

“Qatar Airways’ fifth daily flight to Bangkok will provide more connections from Thailand’s key source markets in Europe; such as, the United Kingdom, Italy and the Middle East. In 2016, the number of Middle Eastern visitors to Thailand increased by 13 per cent not to mention the strong demand for leisure travel on the Bangkok route all-year round” added Mr. Petsuwan. Besides secondary points in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, TAT also has keen interest in the South America market where Qatar Airways has recently announced expansion plans to Rio de Janeiro and Santiago. This will supplement its existing points – Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires. Closer collaboration between Qatar Airways and TAT in South America is to be expected with the opening of TAT’s new office in Sao Paolo in October 2017. Brazil has been earmarked as one of the key emerging markets for TAT with more than 40 per cent growth in visitor arrivals in 2016. The Latin America market’s tourism receipts also grew by approximately 30 per cent in 2016.

Visa on Arrival in UAE for Chinese visitors Chinese visitors to the UAE will now be granted visas on arrival, the Cabinet announced earlier this week. “We have approved a decision to grant visas on arrival at the country’s airports to visitors from the People’s Republic of China,” said His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai. “Our relations with China are strategic 30

and a priority,” he added in remarks published on his official Twitter account. Chinese tourists previously had to obtain visas before travelling to the UAE. The UAE has invested billions of dollars over more than a decade to put itself on the map as a regional business and tourism hub. Among the UAE’s seven emirates, Dubai is the most attractive for tourists. The Department of Tourism

and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), the principal authority for the planning, supervision, development and marketing of tourism in Dubai. It has played a pivotal role in Dubai’s rise to prominence as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations.

More than 14.2 million people visited Dubai in 2015, but the target is 25 million by 2020 when the Gulf emirate hosts the global trade fair Expo 2020. In February, officials said 450,000 Chinese visitors made the trip to Dubai in 2015, in a 29 per cent increase over the previous year. Apart from citizens of its five Gulf neighbours, nationals of 47 countries can obtain a visa on arrival to the UAE. ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

GULF NEWS

Gulf Craft celebrates 35 years of craftsmanship with largest-ever Qatar presence

Gulf Craft fleet arriving in Qatar

Growing private wealth and marine developments in the country and across the region are combining to create a thriving leisure boating community in Qatar, according to the country’s market leader for yachts and boats, Gulf Craft. Speaking at the awardwinning builder’s 6th annual Exclusive Preview event at The Pearl - Qatar, Gulf Craft Chairman Mohammed Hussein Al Shaali said the company is witnessing an increased interest for recreational cruising among Qatari’s affluent millennials – a trend that is being propelled not only by spending power, but also by rapid developments in the region’s leisure marine sector. Among these developments is the recently announced plan by the Ministry of Transport and Communications to

Gulf Craft’s Fleet on Display at The Pearl Doha Qatar

add 1,000 berths for private boats and ships across four harbors: Al Ruwais, Al Khor, Al Zakhira, and Al Wakra. As an iconic manmade island, The Pearl - Qatar continues to be an obvious destination for boating enthusiasts, with its pleasant waters, safe beaches, worldclass equipment and award-winning marina infrastructure. “Our presence in Qatar is part of our commitment to serving the country’s growing community of passionate boaters, and represents our ability to consistently deliver a diverse range of world-class craft with excellent sea-keeping performance,” Al Shaali said. Accounting for more than 40% of Qatar’s market share for leisure craft, Gulf Craft is celebrating its 35year anniversary with the

Chairman Mohammed H. Alshaali and CEO Erwin Bamps at the Gulf Craft Press Conference

largest display it has ever presented in the country. The impressive showcase is comprised of 16 yachts and boats, ranging from 31 feet to 125 feet in length, and includes the country debut of the builder’s latest masterpiece, the Majesty 100.

With stunning exteriors, interiors, naval architecture and design courtesy Gulf Craft’s very own in-house Design Studio, the Majesty 100 features sweeping floorto-ceiling windows that allow natural light to flow abundantly through the super yacht’s main deck. Meanwhile, two hydraulic extendable balconies fixed on both ends of the backseating area offer passengers

The first in Gulf Craft’s super yacht collection to have a partially enclosed flybridge, the Majesty 100 is a shining example of the builder’s legacy of maximizing the use of onboard space. This unique feature Gulf Craft Majesty 100 superyacht makes its Qatari Debut allows guests sitting an effortless al-fresco within the copious flyexperience while still having bridge sky lounge area to quick and immediate access enjoy breathtaking views to the craft’s main indoor of the vast seascape, but living and entertainment with the added luxury areas. Gulf Craft’s display and comfort offered by also includes the luxurious indoor living. So whether 38-meter Majesty 125, as passengers are looking well as the latest debuts for added privacy or in the shipyard’s line of protection from weather Silvercraft fishing boats conditions, they can enjoy and family cruisers, and an uninterrupted cruising selections from the builder’s experience. Those looking long-range Nomad Yachts for some fresh air can simply and Oryx sport cruisers. slide down the glass panels Guests can experience Gulf and open the folding doors Craft’s innovations from fully, enabling immediate 29-31 March at its exclusive and seamless access to the preview event at The Pearl, outdoors. Marina Gate 5.

GULF NEWS

Qatar’s hospitality sector leads among GCC Qatar’s hospitality sector has once again ranked at the top of Gulf Cooperation Council destinations in the Guest Experience in the Middle East report, released by hospitality and travel data providers Olery. The report monitored and analysed more than 2.5 million online guest reviews over the past 12 months (1 April 2016 – 31 March 2017) from popular sites such as Booking.com and TripAdvisor. The results showed that Qatar’s overall ranking in the Middle East has climbed to 3rd place, with an increase of 2.83% in its Guest Experience Index since the last report was issued. The Index measures overall guest satisfaction by analysing different aspects of their tourist accommodation experience, including service, location, cleanliness, room quality,

and value for money. In Qatar, hotel room quality and cleanliness were highly rated (87.6 and 88.9 respectively), placing the country in 2ndplace regionally for both categories. According to the ‘guest type’ category, Qatar’s tourist accommodation was particularly popular among friends, business travelers, and couples. According to Hassan Al Ibrahim, QTA’s Chief Tourism Development Officer, this news reflects the ongoing impact of the Hotel Grading and Classification System, released in January 2016 with the aim of raising the hospitality sector’s standards. Al Ibrahim commented, “We have been working tirelessly with our partners in the hospitality sector to strengthen and maintain Qatar’s well-deserved

reputation for excellence in hospitality through closer grading and inspection. We are delighted to see the results in this report, which demonstrates that Qatar’s hospitality establishments continue to put guest experience at the heart of their efforts to develop and refine their services.” Qatar’s Hotel Grading and Classification System was released after extensive collaboration with the local industry, hoteliers and international experts. For the first time,hotel grading now includes evaluation of a hotel’s reflection of the local Qatari culture in its service – strengthening the country’s unique positioning and cultural offering as a tourism destination. Hotels are

also graded on their sustainability measures, accessibility, and overall guest experience. Inspection of all 4- and 5-star hotels was completed in 2016 and hotels are working towards making the changes needed in order to maintain or boost their grading. In 2017, QTA is focusing on inspecting 3-, 2- and 1-star hotels. The Olery report was released at the Arabian Travel Market currently being held in Dubai and running until 27 April. QTA is leading a delegation of 38 hotels, tour operators and other industry service providers at the top event for the Middle East inbound and outbound travel industry.

Air Arabia reports strong first quarter 2017 net profit of AED103 million

Air Arabia PJSC reported strong financial results for the first quarter of 2017 exceeding analyst expectations as the Middle East’s first and largest low cost carrier continued to deliver solid commercial and operational results. Air Arabia reported a net profit of AED103 million for the three months ending March 31, 2017, a 10 percent less than the corresponding 2016 figure of AED114 million. In the same period, the airline posted a turnover of AED810 million, a 14 percent less than the corresponding first quarter of last year. The solid financial results were recorded amidst the continuous drop in the 32

yield margins that the industry witnessed in the first quarter of this year; and were backed by Air Arabia’s strong passenger demand as well as cost control measures taken by the carrier. More than 2.1 million passengers flew with Air Arabia between January and March 2017, in line with the record number of passengers carried in the first quarter of last year. The airline’s average seat load factor – or passengers carried as a percentage of available seats – during the first three months of 2017 stood at an impressive 81 per cent. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Al Thani, Chairman of Air Arabia, said: “We are glad to see Air Arabia recording strong

first quarter financial results despite the impact of lower yield margins that the industry continued to witness in the first quarter of this year. The strong measures that we took in driving cost margins lower while optimizing revenue opportunities have proven once again the resilient and dynamic business model that we operate.” He added: “We continue to witness strong passenger demand for Air Arabia’s innovative and value added services and we remain confident of the growth prospects of the low cost travel segment in the region. We believe the market economic and trading conditions are on an improving trajectory and we are optimistic that this will reflect positively on the

industry’s performance for the rest of the year”. Air Arabia added one new route from its main hub in Sharjah in the first three months of 2017, with flights commencing to Baku in Azerbaijan. This was followed by the announcement of new seasonal flights from Sharjah to Trabzon, Turkey staring June 2017. In addition, Air Arabia added one new route in the first quarter of this year from its operating hub in Morocco between Casablanca and Catania in Italy. The carrier took delivery of 1 new aircraft in the first quarter of this year and currently operating a fleet of 47 Airbus A320 aircraft operating to 126 routes across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. ASIAN TRAVELLER | May 2017

TAMIL NADU TRAVELLER

The Golden Temple of Sripuram Tamil Nadu temples are known for their complicated as well as beautiful architectures but the Sripuram Golden Temple happens to be one step above the rest, feels Dr S. Bakthavatchalam Dr. S. Bakthavatchalam Additional Director, Tamil Nadu Tourism

e have all heard about the sunlight being poetically described as the golden rays. Visit the Golden Temple of Sripuram to catch a view how the sunlight reflects like the golden rays with the Temple of Mahalakshmi (Ardha Mandapam and Vimanam) coated with pure gold including both interior as well as exterior. Located in Malaikodi at Vellore city in Tamil Nadu state, India the temple is said to have used almost the double

quantity of gold used in the Golden Temple of Amritsar. The presiding deity here is Goddess Mahalakshmi, also known as Shri Lakshmi Narayani. The construction of the Golden Temple of Sripuram and Spiritual Park was completed on August 2007. Spread in about 100 acres of land, it was built by Vellore’s Sri NarayaniPeedam led by religious Guru Sakthi Amma. Several architecturally marvellous sculptures and statues adore the walls of the temple. Expert gold May 2017 | ASIAN TRAVELLER

decorators those had specialisation in temple decoration were extensively used for the construction of the temple. About 400 coppersmiths and goldsmiths worked relentlessly on a 6 year stretch to complete the works. The exterior part of gold temple is covered with gold plates and sheets. The total cost for the construction of temple was around 300 crore ( 65 million US $). The total gold used in the construction of temple is around 1,500 kilograms which they claim to be the largest

quantity to have been used in the construction of a temple in the world. The temple has also got an impressive lighting system which highlights the beauty of temple even in night. The exterior pathway of the temple spanning 1.8 km is shaped like a star and its walls are adorned with the spiritual teachings of holy Guru Sakthi Amma.

art and construction from the vedas. The melted gold chunks were turned into gold foils and were then mounted on to copper. Gold foils from 9 coatings to 10 coatings were placed on the imprinted copper plates so as to augment the beauty and strengthen the base of the gold foils. The forehead has got complex designs and art forms in silver. The Sripuram Golden Temple was also awarded “Exnora Green Temple Award” in 2014 for maintaining 70 acres of green cover. It was also awarded Exnora Best eco-friendly campus of India award for its solid waste management and environment friendly means like rainwater harvesting, organic farming, paddy fields, liquid waste

management, bio-gas generation, herbal gardens and tree plantation it has introduced in the campus. The rain water harvested in used for cultivation and manure is made from the biogas plant in the campus. They also recycle the plastic and paper waste collected. The temple uses bio gas to prepare prasadam with the help of an exclusive plant with a capacity to produce 50 kg of bio gas. A ghoshala maintained by the temple management generates three tonnes of cow dung, the raw material for the bio gas plant. The Sripuram Golden Temple has drawn curious devotees and visitors from across the country, including Priyanka Gandhi. The temple is open to devotees from all religions.

One of the salient features of the temple is that it has followed every single detail in Temple 33

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