Safari Plus 2019 - Sept Oct

Networking is the No. 1 unwritten rule of success in Business

Sallie Krawcheck

TRAVEL DIRECTORY Since 2006, fulfilling your Business Goals and Connecting you to the Travel Trade

! n o o S Coming

 A Global Connect to

Travel Trade Industry  Delivers Real-Time and accurate Information  Platform for launching New Products  Reaching Decision Makers Easily and Instantly  Start conversations with your B2B & potential customers  Reach a Large Number of Industry Experts  Update your profile time-to-time For Listing your Company Connect - 9769058991 Email - shailendra@safariplus.co.in

20

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September - October 2019 Vol: 21 Issue: 1

Change is Good! http://www.safariplus.co.in

Since 1999

SAFARI PLUS A Tale of Tourism Home

News

NEWS FLASH

Events

MICE Destinations

Bloggers

E-Paper

Travel Deals

Videos Media Kit

About Us Contact

IndiGo introduces direct connection from Kochi to Jeddah

NEWS FLASH Host Of Discovery’s ‘Man Vs Wild’ Bear Grylls Teams Up With PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi attempted a wild try to promote Tourism in India. Bear Grylls a popular host and adventurer of Discovery Channel's show 'Man Vs Wild' featured PM during his shot in Jim Corbett National Park. This special episode was broadcasted on August 12 at 9 pm and was on air in 180 countries around the world. An ace adventurer, Bear Grylls unites with PM Modi to create awareness about animal conservation.

Commenting on Modi, said, “For years, I have lived among nature, in the mountains and the forests.

These years have a lasting impact on my life. So when I was asked about a special programme focussing on life beyond politics and that too in the midst of nature I was both intrigued and inclined to take part in it. For me, this show presents a great opportunity to showcase to the world India’s rich environmental heritage and stress on the importance of environment conservation and living in harmony with nature. It was a great experience spending time in the jungle once again, this time with Bear, who is blessed with indefatigable energy and quest to experience nature at its purest.”

Megha Tata, Managing Director – South Asia, Discovery Communications India, said, “We are honored to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this historic episode of ‘Man Vs Wild’. We hope that by harnessing the power of the Prime Minister and the global premier on Discovery, the show will create awareness about India’s rich bio-diversity and sensitise people about the importance of conservation of wild animal species.”

EVENT

Travel Directory Online Login

India Tourism Mart 23-Sep-2019 to 25-Sep-2019 The Ashoka Hotel, New Delhi

Govt. Boosts Rail Connectivity In Assam

Advertisement

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to construct the New Bongaigaon and Agthori via Rangiya doubling (142.97 km) of Northeast Frontier Railway in Assam with an estimated cost of Rs. 2042.51 crore. The project will be completed by 2022-23 and will be executed by Construction Organization of Northeast Frontier Railway.

NEWS

Film Facilitation Office Set-up By The Government For Ease Of Filming In India The Ministry of Tourism has recognised films as a powerful tool for the development and promotion of destinations under Niche Tourism Product.

Several destinations have gained in terms of tourist inflow by being the venue/location of popular domestic and international films. ‘Film Tourism’ provides exposure and promotion to the filmed destinations, which thereby brings job creation, investment opportunities, and income generation contributing to the overall economic development of the area.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India has informed that Film Facilitation Office (FFO) has been set up with a view to promote and facilitate film shootings in India. FFO acts as a Single Window facilitation point for ease of filming in India by assisting them to get requisite permission and disseminating information on shooting locations and facilities available with the Indian Film Industry for production and post- production. FFO has also launched its web-portal https://ffo.gov.in/en for this purpose.

The line capacity utilization of the section between New Bongaigaon and Agthori via Rangiya is more than 100%. Traffic on this section will further increase as Rangiya-Murkongselek Broad Gauge line has already been commissioned in 2015-16 and Bogibeel Bridge new line has been commissioned recently. To remove the existing capacity constraints of existing network and to handle the increasing freight and passenger traffic, doubling of New Bongaigaon - Agthori via Rangiya is required. Overall operative performance of New Bongaigaon - Agthori via Rangiya will improve by the doubling and congestion of section will also reduce to the great extent.

Lattest Post

The project will ease the growing through traffic into the North East region and saving due to faster mobility through the proposed double line section. The alignment for the approved doubling from New Bongaigaon to Agthori via Rangiya (142.97 km) will traverse through Bongaigaon, Baksa, Barpeta, Nalbari and Kamrup districts of Assam.

Advertisement

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New Look!

WWW.SAFARIPLUS.CO.IN Contact - 97690 58991/ Shailendra@safariplus.co.in

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

Change is Good! http://www.safariplus.co.in

Since 1999

SAFARI PLUS A Tale of Tourism Home

News

NEWS FLASH

Events

MICE Destinations

Bloggers

E-Paper

Travel Deals

Videos Media Kit

About Us Contact

IndiGo introduces direct connection from Kochi to Jeddah

NEWS FLASH Host Of Discovery’s ‘Man Vs Wild’ Bear Grylls Teams Up With PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi attempted a wild try to promote Tourism in India. Bear Grylls a popular host and adventurer of Discovery Channel's show 'Man Vs Wild' featured PM during his shot in Jim Corbett National Park. This special episode was broadcasted on August 12 at 9 pm and was on air in 180 countries around the world. An ace adventurer, Bear Grylls unites with PM Modi to create awareness about animal conservation.

Commenting on Modi, said, “For years, I have lived among nature, in the mountains and the forests.

These years have a lasting impact on my life. So when I was asked about a special programme focussing on life beyond politics and that too in the midst of nature I was both intrigued and inclined to take part in it. For me, this show presents a great opportunity to showcase to the world India’s rich environmental heritage and stress on the importance of environment conservation and living in harmony with nature. It was a great experience spending time in the jungle once again, this time with Bear, who is blessed with indefatigable energy and quest to experience nature at its purest.”

Megha Tata, Managing Director – South Asia, Discovery Communications India, said, “We are honored to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this historic episode of ‘Man Vs Wild’. We hope that by harnessing the power of the Prime Minister and the global premier on Discovery, the show will create awareness about India’s rich bio-diversity and sensitise people about the importance of conservation of wild animal species.”

EVENT

Travel Directory Online Login

India Tourism Mart 23-Sep-2019 to 25-Sep-2019 The Ashoka Hotel, New Delhi

Govt. Boosts Rail Connectivity In Assam

Advertisement

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to construct the New Bongaigaon and Agthori via Rangiya doubling (142.97 km) of Northeast Frontier Railway in Assam with an estimated cost of Rs. 2042.51 crore. The project will be completed by 2022-23 and will be executed by Construction Organization of Northeast Frontier Railway.

NEWS

Film Facilitation Office Set-up By The Government For Ease Of Filming In India The Ministry of Tourism has recognised films as a powerful tool for the development and promotion of destinations under Niche Tourism Product.

Several destinations have gained in terms of tourist inflow by being the venue/location of popular domestic and international films. ‘Film Tourism’ provides exposure and promotion to the filmed destinations, which thereby brings job creation, investment opportunities, and income generation contributing to the overall economic development of the area.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India has informed that Film Facilitation Office (FFO) has been set up with a view to promote and facilitate film shootings in India. FFO acts as a Single Window facilitation point for ease of filming in India by assisting them to get requisite permission and disseminating information on shooting locations and facilities available with the Indian Film Industry for production and post- production. FFO has also launched its web-portal https://ffo.gov.in/en for this purpose.

The line capacity utilization of the section between New Bongaigaon and Agthori via Rangiya is more than 100%. Traffic on this section will further increase as Rangiya-Murkongselek Broad Gauge line has already been commissioned in 2015-16 and Bogibeel Bridge new line has been commissioned recently. To remove the existing capacity constraints of existing network and to handle the increasing freight and passenger traffic, doubling of New Bongaigaon - Agthori via Rangiya is required. Overall operative performance of New Bongaigaon - Agthori via Rangiya will improve by the doubling and congestion of section will also reduce to the great extent.

Lattest Post

The project will ease the growing through traffic into the North East region and saving due to faster mobility through the proposed double line section. The alignment for the approved doubling from New Bongaigaon to Agthori via Rangiya (142.97 km) will traverse through Bongaigaon, Baksa, Barpeta, Nalbari and Kamrup districts of Assam.

Advertisement

Travel Heels Destination

New Look!

WWW.SAFARIPLUS.CO.IN Contact - 97690 58991/ Shailendra@safariplus.co.in

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

2

www.safariplus.co.in

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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

EVENTS

EVENTS Goa Tourism Set To Organize GITM 2019

India Tourism Mart 2019 23rd to 25th of September, 2019 The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has once again entrusted the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) to organise the 2nd edition of INDIA TOURISM MART 2019, from 23-25 September 2019 at The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi.

INDIA TOURISM MART 2019 is being planned as Business to Business (B2B) meeting where Ministry of Tourism will be hosting 300+ Foreign Tour Operators (FTOs) from all across the world. More than 200+ exhibitors will showcase their product in the mart.

Key Features of the mart are - * Visit of 300+ Overseas Tour Operators (FTOs) from 70+ countries with a firm interest in selling Indian Tourism

products. * Exclusive One to One meetings with Exhibitors . * Business Conferences & Seminars. * Post Event FAM trips to various parts to India.

Commenting on Mr. Subhash Goyal, Chairman - India Tourism Mart, said, “This year’s Mart gives you a unique opportunity to meet all segments of the Tourism Industry including State Governments. This buyer-seller meet will enable you to explore and build your India programme.

India Tourism Mart 2019 is your one stop shop for meeting quality Indian travel trade partners. You are welcome to this buyerseller meet to discover Incredible India’s wonderful nature, culture, people, tribes, cuisine, faiths, dance forms, music, arts, crafts, adventure, sports, spirituality and history."

ITE HCMC is to be held on 5 – 7 September, 2019 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This year the show marks the 15th anniversary and there will be even more impactful networking opportunities, such as customised business matching services, speed “dating” sessions, and pre-scheduled business meetings. The exhibition features services and products for both inbound and outbound markets, allowing leading brands in the tourism and hospitality sectors to showcase their latest products and services, source for quality agents and distributors, and expand their business into Vietnam and the Mekong sub-region.

New Features - Firstly, the exhibition space has been expanded to two halls, and operating hours will extend from 9am to 7pm on all three days of the event. What’s more, public visitors can now enter the show to shop for the best travel packages from 4pm onwards on the first and second day, and the entire day on the third. In previous editions, public visitors visited the show only on the last day.

Exhibitors and Buyers can also look forward to numerous informative seminars by industry experts; a spectacular Opening Ceremony; an exquisite Gala Dinner with the theme of Soulful Vietnam; and other exciting networking events.

Corporate Travel Forum - Another special highlight organised by Corporate Travel Community, which will be held on 4 September, 2pm – 4pm at the SECC. Bespoke speakers in the regional corporate travel community will cover topics like the Relationship Between Corporate Travel and MICE; An Introduction of Strategic Meetings Management Programme; and The Myths of Corporate Travel Management.

Tourism Start-Up Pavilion - Especially relevant today as both travellers and tourism operators alike rely even more on technology and the Internet to plan their trips and

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

The Goa International Travel Mart (GITM) will be held from October 23rd to 25th 2019, at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukerjee Stadium at Taleigao.

The main aim behind GITM 2019 is to serve as a platform for face-to-face networking among travel trade, hoteliers and other stakeholders from Goa with leading travel agents and operators from India and abroad.

GITM will also reach out to Trade Associations/National Travel Organizations, Airlines, Travel Agents and Tour Operators, Hotels and Resorts, Adventure Tour Operators, Spice Plantations etc.

Mr. J Ashok Kumar, Secretary for Tourism, Govt. of Goa, Mr. Sanjiv Gadkar, Director, Dept of Tourism, Mr. Rajesh Kale, Dy. Director, Dept of Tourism and Mr. Gavin Dias, GM-GTDC were present at the announcement.

Mr. J Ashok Kumar, said, “We are pleased to announce the third edition of GITM. The first two editions in 2011 and 2014 had received a good response then and this year the event promises to be bigger and better. When the entire global economy is focused on tourism as a key industry and tourists' thirst to explore and experience continues to grow, events like GITM serve as an ideal platform for stakeholders to engage in dialogue, business opportunities to improve, innovate and initiate. ” This year's GITM is on a larger scale and is expected over 125 international buyers from USA, UK, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Scandinavian, Baltic's, CIS, Australia, New Zealand, Croatia, Bulgaria, Israel, Jordan, UAE, Middle East, Italy, Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Malaysia. GITM is also well supported by TTAG, TAAI, TAFI, ADYOI, ATTOI and IATO. International media, 25 Bloggers and around 35 Domestic media from travel trade will be covering the event.

Apart from showcasing the tourism investment opportunities and potential in Goa,

conduct their daily business operations.

Staple Show Features - These include the International Hosted Buyers and Hosted Media Programme. This year, there will be more than 250 international buyers who are outbound travel agents from over 40 countries and territories, especially in the four key areas of North America, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and Western Europe, as well as 50 outbound Vietnamese buyers.

There will also be 40 hosted media (online, trade, and travel media and bloggers) from 14 countries such as Australia, China, Dubai, France, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

ITE HCMC Awards 2019 - To thank exhibitors for their support and to add a fun element to the event, the Awards ceremony to give out tokens of appreciation.

Insightful Seminars On Wide-Ranging Topics - An extensive range of astute and concise seminars targeted to keep industry players updated with the latest news and trends will also be held over the three days of the show.

ITE HCMC is organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, VINEXAD Trade Fair & Advertising JSC, and Informa Markets, and it is the only travel event endorsed by the Tourism Alliance of all five countries in the Mekong sub-region. It also has the strong support from the Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia; the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lao PDR; the Ministry of Hotels & Tourism, Myanmar; and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Kingdom of Thailand. It is also endorsed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, Vietnam.

4

www.safariplus.co.in

this event will also serve as a platform to promote various segments of Goa that reflect the multi-dimensional facets of the state.

A special Goa Pavilion will be created to showcase festivals and nightlife, beaches, heritage trails, UNESCO Heritage sites, Wildlife, Medical tourism, Monsoon tourism, MICE, Wedding Destination, Religious Tourism, Spice Farms and Adventure, Elements like promotion and conservation of heritage, arts, crafts, endorsement of hinterland tourism, exhibiting the state's rich culture and heritage will also be incorporated.

GITM 2019 has received an overwhelming response for participation already and apart from travel industry professionals there will also be representation from those who organize niche tours, leisure activities, MICE operators, event managers, prominent travel writers, bloggers and columnists. Travel agents and tour operators on a non hosted basis will also be invited to participate.

35th IATO Annual Convention, 12 – 15 September 2019, Kolkata The 35th Annual Convention of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) will be held in Kolkata, from 12th to 15th September 2019.

The venue of the convention is ITC Royal Bengal, Kolkata. The Theme of this year convention is “Is Tourism Thriving? – Challenges And Opportunities” Inaugural function of the convention will be held at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre on 12th September 2019. Inaugural Dinner will be at Eco Park, Rajarhat and all business sessions and other functions will be held at ITC Royal Bengal.

While announcing the convention dates, Mr. Pronab Sarkar, President and Chairman Convention, IATO, said, “We are delighted to announce the 35th IATO Annual Convention in Kolkata. Bengal will be the host state and we have been assured full support from the State Government. Our last convention in Kolkata was held in 2002 and it will be an opportunity for most of our members to visit City of

www.safariplus.co.in

Joy after 17 years and we may see lot of development and new tourism products that have come up in West Bengal.”

IATO convention is the platform which gives travel trade partners an opportunity to meet industry colleagues, network and share thoughts and help contribute to the national discussion process on tourism. IATO conventions promises to be unique in its character and engaging in its format this year. The interesting topics for business sessions will move further to a different level by adding quality speakers and more time for networking. The event will also stage the Indian Tourism Fair on 13th – 14th September, 2019 at ITC Royal Bengal. Marketing Innovation Competition will be organized during the convention. The main aim is to encourage creativity and quality of Video CDs, posters and brochures. The entries will be judged on the basis of information, authenticity and relevance. For Travel Media, regularity of the journal will also be the key factor in deciding the award.

There will be post-convention tours starting from 15th September 2019 various post-convention tours and spouse tours have been arranged for the delegates and for their spouses. And like previous years, members will enjoy a fun morning with the colleagues and participate in a 'Run for Responsible Tourism' at Kolkata.

5

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

EVENTS

EVENTS Goa Tourism Set To Organize GITM 2019

India Tourism Mart 2019 23rd to 25th of September, 2019 The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has once again entrusted the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) to organise the 2nd edition of INDIA TOURISM MART 2019, from 23-25 September 2019 at The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi.

INDIA TOURISM MART 2019 is being planned as Business to Business (B2B) meeting where Ministry of Tourism will be hosting 300+ Foreign Tour Operators (FTOs) from all across the world. More than 200+ exhibitors will showcase their product in the mart.

Key Features of the mart are - * Visit of 300+ Overseas Tour Operators (FTOs) from 70+ countries with a firm interest in selling Indian Tourism

products. * Exclusive One to One meetings with Exhibitors . * Business Conferences & Seminars. * Post Event FAM trips to various parts to India.

Commenting on Mr. Subhash Goyal, Chairman - India Tourism Mart, said, “This year’s Mart gives you a unique opportunity to meet all segments of the Tourism Industry including State Governments. This buyer-seller meet will enable you to explore and build your India programme.

India Tourism Mart 2019 is your one stop shop for meeting quality Indian travel trade partners. You are welcome to this buyerseller meet to discover Incredible India’s wonderful nature, culture, people, tribes, cuisine, faiths, dance forms, music, arts, crafts, adventure, sports, spirituality and history."

ITE HCMC is to be held on 5 – 7 September, 2019 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This year the show marks the 15th anniversary and there will be even more impactful networking opportunities, such as customised business matching services, speed “dating” sessions, and pre-scheduled business meetings. The exhibition features services and products for both inbound and outbound markets, allowing leading brands in the tourism and hospitality sectors to showcase their latest products and services, source for quality agents and distributors, and expand their business into Vietnam and the Mekong sub-region.

New Features - Firstly, the exhibition space has been expanded to two halls, and operating hours will extend from 9am to 7pm on all three days of the event. What’s more, public visitors can now enter the show to shop for the best travel packages from 4pm onwards on the first and second day, and the entire day on the third. In previous editions, public visitors visited the show only on the last day.

Exhibitors and Buyers can also look forward to numerous informative seminars by industry experts; a spectacular Opening Ceremony; an exquisite Gala Dinner with the theme of Soulful Vietnam; and other exciting networking events.

Corporate Travel Forum - Another special highlight organised by Corporate Travel Community, which will be held on 4 September, 2pm – 4pm at the SECC. Bespoke speakers in the regional corporate travel community will cover topics like the Relationship Between Corporate Travel and MICE; An Introduction of Strategic Meetings Management Programme; and The Myths of Corporate Travel Management.

Tourism Start-Up Pavilion - Especially relevant today as both travellers and tourism operators alike rely even more on technology and the Internet to plan their trips and

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

The Goa International Travel Mart (GITM) will be held from October 23rd to 25th 2019, at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukerjee Stadium at Taleigao.

The main aim behind GITM 2019 is to serve as a platform for face-to-face networking among travel trade, hoteliers and other stakeholders from Goa with leading travel agents and operators from India and abroad.

GITM will also reach out to Trade Associations/National Travel Organizations, Airlines, Travel Agents and Tour Operators, Hotels and Resorts, Adventure Tour Operators, Spice Plantations etc.

Mr. J Ashok Kumar, Secretary for Tourism, Govt. of Goa, Mr. Sanjiv Gadkar, Director, Dept of Tourism, Mr. Rajesh Kale, Dy. Director, Dept of Tourism and Mr. Gavin Dias, GM-GTDC were present at the announcement.

Mr. J Ashok Kumar, said, “We are pleased to announce the third edition of GITM. The first two editions in 2011 and 2014 had received a good response then and this year the event promises to be bigger and better. When the entire global economy is focused on tourism as a key industry and tourists' thirst to explore and experience continues to grow, events like GITM serve as an ideal platform for stakeholders to engage in dialogue, business opportunities to improve, innovate and initiate. ” This year's GITM is on a larger scale and is expected over 125 international buyers from USA, UK, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Scandinavian, Baltic's, CIS, Australia, New Zealand, Croatia, Bulgaria, Israel, Jordan, UAE, Middle East, Italy, Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Malaysia. GITM is also well supported by TTAG, TAAI, TAFI, ADYOI, ATTOI and IATO. International media, 25 Bloggers and around 35 Domestic media from travel trade will be covering the event.

Apart from showcasing the tourism investment opportunities and potential in Goa,

conduct their daily business operations.

Staple Show Features - These include the International Hosted Buyers and Hosted Media Programme. This year, there will be more than 250 international buyers who are outbound travel agents from over 40 countries and territories, especially in the four key areas of North America, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and Western Europe, as well as 50 outbound Vietnamese buyers.

There will also be 40 hosted media (online, trade, and travel media and bloggers) from 14 countries such as Australia, China, Dubai, France, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

ITE HCMC Awards 2019 - To thank exhibitors for their support and to add a fun element to the event, the Awards ceremony to give out tokens of appreciation.

Insightful Seminars On Wide-Ranging Topics - An extensive range of astute and concise seminars targeted to keep industry players updated with the latest news and trends will also be held over the three days of the show.

ITE HCMC is organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, VINEXAD Trade Fair & Advertising JSC, and Informa Markets, and it is the only travel event endorsed by the Tourism Alliance of all five countries in the Mekong sub-region. It also has the strong support from the Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia; the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lao PDR; the Ministry of Hotels & Tourism, Myanmar; and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Kingdom of Thailand. It is also endorsed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, Vietnam.

4

www.safariplus.co.in

this event will also serve as a platform to promote various segments of Goa that reflect the multi-dimensional facets of the state.

A special Goa Pavilion will be created to showcase festivals and nightlife, beaches, heritage trails, UNESCO Heritage sites, Wildlife, Medical tourism, Monsoon tourism, MICE, Wedding Destination, Religious Tourism, Spice Farms and Adventure, Elements like promotion and conservation of heritage, arts, crafts, endorsement of hinterland tourism, exhibiting the state's rich culture and heritage will also be incorporated.

GITM 2019 has received an overwhelming response for participation already and apart from travel industry professionals there will also be representation from those who organize niche tours, leisure activities, MICE operators, event managers, prominent travel writers, bloggers and columnists. Travel agents and tour operators on a non hosted basis will also be invited to participate.

35th IATO Annual Convention, 12 – 15 September 2019, Kolkata The 35th Annual Convention of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) will be held in Kolkata, from 12th to 15th September 2019.

The venue of the convention is ITC Royal Bengal, Kolkata. The Theme of this year convention is “Is Tourism Thriving? – Challenges And Opportunities” Inaugural function of the convention will be held at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre on 12th September 2019. Inaugural Dinner will be at Eco Park, Rajarhat and all business sessions and other functions will be held at ITC Royal Bengal.

While announcing the convention dates, Mr. Pronab Sarkar, President and Chairman Convention, IATO, said, “We are delighted to announce the 35th IATO Annual Convention in Kolkata. Bengal will be the host state and we have been assured full support from the State Government. Our last convention in Kolkata was held in 2002 and it will be an opportunity for most of our members to visit City of

www.safariplus.co.in

Joy after 17 years and we may see lot of development and new tourism products that have come up in West Bengal.”

IATO convention is the platform which gives travel trade partners an opportunity to meet industry colleagues, network and share thoughts and help contribute to the national discussion process on tourism. IATO conventions promises to be unique in its character and engaging in its format this year. The interesting topics for business sessions will move further to a different level by adding quality speakers and more time for networking. The event will also stage the Indian Tourism Fair on 13th – 14th September, 2019 at ITC Royal Bengal. Marketing Innovation Competition will be organized during the convention. The main aim is to encourage creativity and quality of Video CDs, posters and brochures. The entries will be judged on the basis of information, authenticity and relevance. For Travel Media, regularity of the journal will also be the key factor in deciding the award.

There will be post-convention tours starting from 15th September 2019 various post-convention tours and spouse tours have been arranged for the delegates and for their spouses. And like previous years, members will enjoy a fun morning with the colleagues and participate in a 'Run for Responsible Tourism' at Kolkata.

5

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

FESTIVALS Prayagraj’s Dusshera Celebrations India is the land, where Life is celebrated with the festivals. It is also called the land of festivals. There are many festivals which are not that famous but have that stature to attract the tourists to the destination. One of such festival is Dusshera (Vijayadashami), celebration of the victory of the goodness over evil. Lord Rama killing demon Ravana on Dussehra. And the festival is widely celebrated across India in different traditions. On 8 October, 2019 this year the festival Dusshera will be celebrated.

In Prayagraj, the holy town of Triveni also known as Allahabad, Dusshera is celebrated for 10 days in all its hues. All the main streets and chowks (squares) are lit-up with the decorative lighting. The lanes are illuminated and the chowks (square) are decorated as the grand entrance Dwar (gate) with decorative light depicting a story related to Ramayana. The streets are packed with the people and vendors all around. And it is whole night celebrations which endsup next day morning. The main procession is on the 9th and 10th day of the Dusshera in Mutthiganj. The 'CHOWKIS' (the moving chariots) dramatizing

an act from the epic of Ramanaya are displayed. These chowkis are moved through the jam packed lanes and the crowd chanting 'Jai Shree Ram'. Artists enacts the scenes from the Ramayana and the epic is a visual treat like 'Sita Swamavar', 'Tadka Vadh', 'kidnapping of Sita' are showcased through these moving Chowkis.

One can also relish the street food like Aloo tiki Chat, Paani Puri, Dahi Bhallas, the Chaat Papdi, Dosa to name few. The stall are are open whole night long.

You can also take a holy dip in Triveni Sangam, the meeting point of three rivers - Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. Prayagraj is one of the destinations which holds the Kumbh Mela, world’s largest congregation of devotees.

Some other attraction of the city are – Bade Hanuman Ji Temple, ISKCON Temple, Anand Bhawan, Akbar Fort, Allahabad Museum, All Saint’s Cathedral, Khusro Bagh, Shree Akhileshwar Mahadev, Ulta Qila, Mankameshwar Temple.

GOA

A Beachy Affair

Goa has always been one of the best tourist destination in India. Known for its serene beaches and churches. One recalls Goa for relaxation, sunbath on beaches, water sport activities, alluring nightlife, casinos, carnivals, and the list goes on... But it is also a great repository of varied cultural adapted through Portuguese era to the date. Despite the multi-cultural influences on Goa, the state still boasts of a distinctive culture, which makes the destination an affable one.

The tiny state has 110 kms coastline and has more than 40 beaches. And when you think of Beach Holiday you think of white sand, palm tress, sunsets, hammock on the beach, seafood and drinks, parties, water sports, massage and yoga... Lets check out the beachy Goa North Goa Calangute Beach, one of the most popular and longest stretched beaches of Goa in Calangute. One can enjoy ample of sports activities & night life. You can also pamper yourself with the Ayurveda Massages and rejuvenate your soul at Yoga centers.

Ashwem Beach is one of the secret beaches of Goa. The untouched beauty of the place makes it a perfect setting for a day out in the sun. This beach has excellent food and stay options. Though you have plenty of options for restaurants and resorts still the beach remains remarkably empty and undisturbed. Best place for swimming and sunbathing.

Sinquerim Beach has some scenic views of the Aguada Fort. The clean stretch of golden sand and the open sea emphasize the charm of the place.

Patnem Beach is the perfect beach for swimming. The relaxed beach shacks and the host of stalls on either side of the road by the beach, give you the right taste of holiday.

Anjuna Beach dotted with palms tress and black rocks, was a well-known destination among hippies in the 1960s. Today it's known for its parties. One can enjoy flea market selling handicrafts, jewellery and food. North of the

beach is St. Anthony’s Chapel, an old church with a whitewashed facade.

Vagator Beach, the beach follows the rave culture with western backpackers all around. Clean and serene it is the beach filled with thrill, music, dance and lots of forgieners. Some of the most famous Open Air Clubs are located here.

South Goa Kakolem Beach is one of the most isolated and truly wild beaches in whole Goa. It is also called Tiger Beach. One of the spectacular features of this beach is a small spring that originates near the beach and flows humbly into the sea.

Arossim, Cuelim and Cansaulim Beaches all three are difficult to distinguish as they are neighboring and belong to the territory of Cansaulim Village, located in Salcette Taluk (Salcette region).

To the south from Arossim resort you can find two world famous beaches of Utorda and Majorda which are stretching alongside the sea coastline. The distance from Arossim Beach to Margao, the main city of the region is about 12 km.

Consua Beach is south of Majorda beach a perfect hideaway for sunbathing and relaxing. This beach is mostly deserted helping the place preserve its natural beauty.

Betul Beach is one of the most common places for fishing in Goa. A small lagoon and a simple rivulet that flows into the sea at this beach enhance the exquisiteness of the beach.

Galjibang beach which is one of the cleanest beaches of Goa. Known for its turtle nesting programs. The impeccable view of the pine trees lining up the soft golden sand of the beach.

Not to be missed when in Goa is Goan cuisine specially seafood are the ultimate pleasure for foodies. The local drink Feni, a spirit produced in Goa. Fortand Tiracol Heritage Hotel The two most popular types of feni are cashew feni toddy palm feni.

One can finally enjoy Goan nightlife, the bars and pubs shall enthrall you with the sound, music can excite your heart and soul.

Experience a little piece of Greece Right on the Beach of Goa...

Santorini Inspired Beach cottages...

Soak into the Swimming pools...

Indulge on the shores of Arabian Sea...

With a touch of warm Goan hospitality!

A 4Star Resort Spread over Varandah 10 Acres Garden Café on the Beach of Calangute with 105 rooms

17th Century Church

Luxury Suits

Tel: 022-26423600/ 26443378 Mobile: 91670 11222/ 9867690330

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

6

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7

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

FESTIVALS Prayagraj’s Dusshera Celebrations India is the land, where Life is celebrated with the festivals. It is also called the land of festivals. There are many festivals which are not that famous but have that stature to attract the tourists to the destination. One of such festival is Dusshera (Vijayadashami), celebration of the victory of the goodness over evil. Lord Rama killing demon Ravana on Dussehra. And the festival is widely celebrated across India in different traditions. On 8 October, 2019 this year the festival Dusshera will be celebrated.

In Prayagraj, the holy town of Triveni also known as Allahabad, Dusshera is celebrated for 10 days in all its hues. All the main streets and chowks (squares) are lit-up with the decorative lighting. The lanes are illuminated and the chowks (square) are decorated as the grand entrance Dwar (gate) with decorative light depicting a story related to Ramayana. The streets are packed with the people and vendors all around. And it is whole night celebrations which endsup next day morning. The main procession is on the 9th and 10th day of the Dusshera in Mutthiganj. The 'CHOWKIS' (the moving chariots) dramatizing

an act from the epic of Ramanaya are displayed. These chowkis are moved through the jam packed lanes and the crowd chanting 'Jai Shree Ram'. Artists enacts the scenes from the Ramayana and the epic is a visual treat like 'Sita Swamavar', 'Tadka Vadh', 'kidnapping of Sita' are showcased through these moving Chowkis.

One can also relish the street food like Aloo tiki Chat, Paani Puri, Dahi Bhallas, the Chaat Papdi, Dosa to name few. The stall are are open whole night long.

You can also take a holy dip in Triveni Sangam, the meeting point of three rivers - Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. Prayagraj is one of the destinations which holds the Kumbh Mela, world’s largest congregation of devotees.

Some other attraction of the city are – Bade Hanuman Ji Temple, ISKCON Temple, Anand Bhawan, Akbar Fort, Allahabad Museum, All Saint’s Cathedral, Khusro Bagh, Shree Akhileshwar Mahadev, Ulta Qila, Mankameshwar Temple.

GOA

A Beachy Affair

Goa has always been one of the best tourist destination in India. Known for its serene beaches and churches. One recalls Goa for relaxation, sunbath on beaches, water sport activities, alluring nightlife, casinos, carnivals, and the list goes on... But it is also a great repository of varied cultural adapted through Portuguese era to the date. Despite the multi-cultural influences on Goa, the state still boasts of a distinctive culture, which makes the destination an affable one.

The tiny state has 110 kms coastline and has more than 40 beaches. And when you think of Beach Holiday you think of white sand, palm tress, sunsets, hammock on the beach, seafood and drinks, parties, water sports, massage and yoga... Lets check out the beachy Goa North Goa Calangute Beach, one of the most popular and longest stretched beaches of Goa in Calangute. One can enjoy ample of sports activities & night life. You can also pamper yourself with the Ayurveda Massages and rejuvenate your soul at Yoga centers.

Ashwem Beach is one of the secret beaches of Goa. The untouched beauty of the place makes it a perfect setting for a day out in the sun. This beach has excellent food and stay options. Though you have plenty of options for restaurants and resorts still the beach remains remarkably empty and undisturbed. Best place for swimming and sunbathing.

Sinquerim Beach has some scenic views of the Aguada Fort. The clean stretch of golden sand and the open sea emphasize the charm of the place.

Patnem Beach is the perfect beach for swimming. The relaxed beach shacks and the host of stalls on either side of the road by the beach, give you the right taste of holiday.

Anjuna Beach dotted with palms tress and black rocks, was a well-known destination among hippies in the 1960s. Today it's known for its parties. One can enjoy flea market selling handicrafts, jewellery and food. North of the

beach is St. Anthony’s Chapel, an old church with a whitewashed facade.

Vagator Beach, the beach follows the rave culture with western backpackers all around. Clean and serene it is the beach filled with thrill, music, dance and lots of forgieners. Some of the most famous Open Air Clubs are located here.

South Goa Kakolem Beach is one of the most isolated and truly wild beaches in whole Goa. It is also called Tiger Beach. One of the spectacular features of this beach is a small spring that originates near the beach and flows humbly into the sea.

Arossim, Cuelim and Cansaulim Beaches all three are difficult to distinguish as they are neighboring and belong to the territory of Cansaulim Village, located in Salcette Taluk (Salcette region).

To the south from Arossim resort you can find two world famous beaches of Utorda and Majorda which are stretching alongside the sea coastline. The distance from Arossim Beach to Margao, the main city of the region is about 12 km.

Consua Beach is south of Majorda beach a perfect hideaway for sunbathing and relaxing. This beach is mostly deserted helping the place preserve its natural beauty.

Betul Beach is one of the most common places for fishing in Goa. A small lagoon and a simple rivulet that flows into the sea at this beach enhance the exquisiteness of the beach.

Galjibang beach which is one of the cleanest beaches of Goa. Known for its turtle nesting programs. The impeccable view of the pine trees lining up the soft golden sand of the beach.

Not to be missed when in Goa is Goan cuisine specially seafood are the ultimate pleasure for foodies. The local drink Feni, a spirit produced in Goa. Fortand Tiracol Heritage Hotel The two most popular types of feni are cashew feni toddy palm feni.

One can finally enjoy Goan nightlife, the bars and pubs shall enthrall you with the sound, music can excite your heart and soul.

Experience a little piece of Greece Right on the Beach of Goa...

Santorini Inspired Beach cottages...

Soak into the Swimming pools...

Indulge on the shores of Arabian Sea...

With a touch of warm Goan hospitality!

A 4Star Resort Spread over Varandah 10 Acres Garden Café on the Beach of Calangute with 105 rooms

17th Century Church

Luxury Suits

Tel: 022-26423600/ 26443378 Mobile: 91670 11222/ 9867690330

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

6

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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

INSIGHT

Rural Tourism

A Niche Tourism Segment Rural Tourism in India is now one of the niche tourism products which holds good potential to attract upmarket clients who would like to runaway from hustle bustle of concrete city life and be in rural environment seeking mental peace. Rural home stays are designed to attract tourists who desire to learn more about the varied life styles and crafts of our many villages. This also creates jobs in villages and thus it brings a halt on the exodus from villages to major cities. This facilitates local talents service in tourism sector as stake holders. Rural Tourism thus fulfils Govt's. objective of diversification of tourism products & create local employment in distant villages. It works out very well for our country and especially boosts tourism industry.

Rural Holiday circuits which are now being focused are Hodka, Kachchh District, Gujarat, Kumbalanghi, Ernakulam District, Kerala, Aranmula, Pathanamthitta District, Kerala Karaikudi (Chettinad), Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu Pochampalli, Nalgonda District, Andhra Pradesh, Banawasi, Uttar Kannada District, Karnataka, Pranpur, Ashok Nagar District, Madhya Pradesh, Naggar, Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh and detail on these circuits are available on Rural tourism websitewww.exploreruralindia.org.

The Rural Tourism centers which are around main cities with better connectivity are promoted actively India can do better if standards of accommodation provided at rural tourism centers can meet the expectations of comfort needed by international tourists. Some of centers have really come up very well like Raghurajpur in Orissa, Lachen in North District Sikkim, Samode (Jaipur), Aranmula (Kerala), Pranpur (Madhya Pradesh) to name few which are ready to accept international tourists.

Also the location should have an inherent strength due to its natural features, unique arts & crafts, fair & festivals, cuisine which is unique to the place & that need to be focused & promoted to boost Rural Tourism prospect to the center.

For success of rural tourism, there should be regular capacity building progammes so that local people can be real stake holders.

Local be trained for creating local flavour.

They should be trained to create souvenirs, promoting local dance, costumes and food which are based on local agricultural products. Locals interest shall be given prime consideration & not commercialization of the rural tourism Gour Kanjilal product.

Essentially whole efforts is to promote a form of tourism that meets four essential criteria namely. * Environment conservation including waste management. * Community participation * Sustainable operation * Visitor satisfaction.

India's geographical spread and cultural diversity provide multiple interest all season visitor experiences. This creates a major tourism opportunity to position the Indian rural tourism product as a unique visitor experience in low impact settings. Rural Tourism puts special packages in art & craft imparted by skilled local/ artisans, village entertainment group unveil local history & culture, natural and oral treasurers. Rural tourism is going to be India's niche special interest demand segments that holds resilent power.

India Tourism Means - Indians Or Beyond?

According to the statistic issued by Ministry of Tourism, Tourist Tourism Industry. We still require semi skilled people like drivers, arrivals in India during 2016, 2017 and 2018 were 8.80 million, guides, naturalist souvenir shops, handicrafts and many more to 10.04 million and 10.56 million (provisional) respectively. But nurture the tourism in our country. almost 90% of travelers you see in India are Indians. The foreign First of all govt must realize the immense potential of tourism sector, tourists arrivals in figure includes NRIs too, apart from discern currently tourism get only some 0.1% of the central budget outlay. tourist. India being one of the most diverse country in the world And also the same amount of attention towards the infrastructure. but it's pity, we are NOT even near to ten top performing countries Govt must avoid ad hoc planning, events and promotions rather, (France, Spain, US, China, Italy, Mexico, UK, Turkey, Germany and Indian tourism requires Holistic planning and standardization & equal Thailand) but we rank 40th even after including NRIs as foreign amount of commitment to execute. Standardization means Taj Mahal arrivals. to caves in Chhattisgarh should have same standard of hygiene, The Big Question is - Why? drinking water, toilets and tourist protection.

Where guest is akin to god, "Atithi Devo Bhava" and the country, Along with infrastructure, introduction of liberal visa policies needs which has everything from Himalayas to the best beaches, to to be introduced which can guarantee easy entry to India. Visa on Harjinder Singh wildlife, birds sanctuaries and unparalleled cultural and spiritual arrival and E-Visas will be a big boost to increase inbound tourism. heritages and not to be missed the new sectors like home stay, medical tourism and But still Visa policy is one of the biggest hurdles in our progress. India should also adventure, ayurveda and we are still lagging behind. extend cost and hassle free visa during lean period April to Sept, few selective countries can be extended free visa on arrival through-out the year to encourage & It is true that we can't compete with US, Spain, UK, Germany and Italy. But should we not support tourism arrivals and last minutes bookings. study that how China receives seven times more tourist than us and raked 4th in the world?

How Turkey, Mexico even Thailand and Malaysia performing much better than us?

We have some good products with unique experiences like luxurious trains, forts & palaces (which are converted into hotels), stakeholders need to cap the price to ensure As of 2017-18, 81.1 million people were employed in the tourism sector in India which high occupancy rates rather than hike the price & low occupancy rates, Govt. need to was 12.38% of total employment in the country. And contribution by travel and make ways/polices for International brands like Disneyland, Universal Parks & studio, tourism sector to India’s GDP is Rs 15.24 trillion (US$ 234.03 billion) in 2017.

Casinos to invest in Indian tourism.

Considering the contribution of tourism to our GDP and most important EMPLOYMENT, still we are not given Industry recognition.

Article by Mr. Harjinder Singh, Director, 24x7 Travels.com. The views expressed and concerns are his personal. He can be reached on harry@24x7travels.com Though there is a big gap between the demand and supply of the skilled people in

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

8

www.safariplus.co.in

DOMESTIC Odisha’s Konark Festival International Sand Art Festival 1st - 5th Dec, 2019 is just a few distance away from the Konark Temple. Known for its ravishing waves the Chandrabhaga Beach is a center for beach sports too. Artist and admirers from different parts of the world take this opportunity to enjoy this natural art form. Sand Art created by Padma Shree Sudarsan Pattnaik, the extremely talented sand artist is the treat of the event. His sand arts can leave you spellbound.

And if you are here during this period you can add on to your cart - a thrilling boat ride watching Irrawaddy Dolphins and thousands of International migratory birds at Chilika Lake; Take the blessing of the Lord Jagganath, Puri.

Jagganath Puri Temple - The temple of Jagannatha is most sacred Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Jagannath. The deities of this temple are Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. The deities are made of wood and replaced every 12 to 19 years and this ritual is known as Nabakalebara. The Jagannath Temple is famous for its annual chariot festival called the Rath Yatra.

Chilka Lake is being treated as the real paradise for the bird-lovers. During winters the lake the migratory birds are spotted in a huge population, many bird species visit this Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon. Chilika Lake is the largest coastal lagoon in India and second largest in the world. The major species that can be witnessed as White

The KONARK FESTIVAL of Odisha (Orissa) is held every year from 1st to 5th Dec, organised by the Odisha Tourism. The KONARK SUN TEMPLE plays the backdrop to this iconic festival with all its glory. The festival take place in the open Open Air Auditorium of Konark Natya Mandap within the temple premises. The Konark Sun Temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is popular monument known for its distinctive design as a sun temple in the form of a “Chariot” with horses and wheels.

The Konark Festival celebrates the dance forms of India, featuring a range of Indian classical dance performances including Odissi, Bharat Natyam and Kathak. The festival marks the cultural convergence of local, national as well as international artists. Come experience the rhythm, that binds India together!

Various local handicrafts, paintings and arts are also exhibited during this event. Food lovers can sneak into different stalls to relish the flavor of a variety of deliciously cooked local cuisines and sea food.

The International Sand Art Festival takes place at Chandrabhaga Beach, near the temple, at the same time as this festival. The first ever blue flag certified beach of Asia

www.safariplus.co.in

bellied sea eagles, Graylag geese, purple moorhen, flamingo jacana and herons. Chilka Lake Bird Sanctuary is also a habitant of one of biggest breeding places of flamingos in the world. The driving distance between Puri and Chilika Lake is 104 km.

9

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

INSIGHT

Rural Tourism

A Niche Tourism Segment Rural Tourism in India is now one of the niche tourism products which holds good potential to attract upmarket clients who would like to runaway from hustle bustle of concrete city life and be in rural environment seeking mental peace. Rural home stays are designed to attract tourists who desire to learn more about the varied life styles and crafts of our many villages. This also creates jobs in villages and thus it brings a halt on the exodus from villages to major cities. This facilitates local talents service in tourism sector as stake holders. Rural Tourism thus fulfils Govt's. objective of diversification of tourism products & create local employment in distant villages. It works out very well for our country and especially boosts tourism industry.

Rural Holiday circuits which are now being focused are Hodka, Kachchh District, Gujarat, Kumbalanghi, Ernakulam District, Kerala, Aranmula, Pathanamthitta District, Kerala Karaikudi (Chettinad), Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu Pochampalli, Nalgonda District, Andhra Pradesh, Banawasi, Uttar Kannada District, Karnataka, Pranpur, Ashok Nagar District, Madhya Pradesh, Naggar, Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh and detail on these circuits are available on Rural tourism websitewww.exploreruralindia.org.

The Rural Tourism centers which are around main cities with better connectivity are promoted actively India can do better if standards of accommodation provided at rural tourism centers can meet the expectations of comfort needed by international tourists. Some of centers have really come up very well like Raghurajpur in Orissa, Lachen in North District Sikkim, Samode (Jaipur), Aranmula (Kerala), Pranpur (Madhya Pradesh) to name few which are ready to accept international tourists.

Also the location should have an inherent strength due to its natural features, unique arts & crafts, fair & festivals, cuisine which is unique to the place & that need to be focused & promoted to boost Rural Tourism prospect to the center.

For success of rural tourism, there should be regular capacity building progammes so that local people can be real stake holders.

Local be trained for creating local flavour.

They should be trained to create souvenirs, promoting local dance, costumes and food which are based on local agricultural products. Locals interest shall be given prime consideration & not commercialization of the rural tourism Gour Kanjilal product.

Essentially whole efforts is to promote a form of tourism that meets four essential criteria namely. * Environment conservation including waste management. * Community participation * Sustainable operation * Visitor satisfaction.

India's geographical spread and cultural diversity provide multiple interest all season visitor experiences. This creates a major tourism opportunity to position the Indian rural tourism product as a unique visitor experience in low impact settings. Rural Tourism puts special packages in art & craft imparted by skilled local/ artisans, village entertainment group unveil local history & culture, natural and oral treasurers. Rural tourism is going to be India's niche special interest demand segments that holds resilent power.

India Tourism Means - Indians Or Beyond?

According to the statistic issued by Ministry of Tourism, Tourist Tourism Industry. We still require semi skilled people like drivers, arrivals in India during 2016, 2017 and 2018 were 8.80 million, guides, naturalist souvenir shops, handicrafts and many more to 10.04 million and 10.56 million (provisional) respectively. But nurture the tourism in our country. almost 90% of travelers you see in India are Indians. The foreign First of all govt must realize the immense potential of tourism sector, tourists arrivals in figure includes NRIs too, apart from discern currently tourism get only some 0.1% of the central budget outlay. tourist. India being one of the most diverse country in the world And also the same amount of attention towards the infrastructure. but it's pity, we are NOT even near to ten top performing countries Govt must avoid ad hoc planning, events and promotions rather, (France, Spain, US, China, Italy, Mexico, UK, Turkey, Germany and Indian tourism requires Holistic planning and standardization & equal Thailand) but we rank 40th even after including NRIs as foreign amount of commitment to execute. Standardization means Taj Mahal arrivals. to caves in Chhattisgarh should have same standard of hygiene, The Big Question is - Why? drinking water, toilets and tourist protection.

Where guest is akin to god, "Atithi Devo Bhava" and the country, Along with infrastructure, introduction of liberal visa policies needs which has everything from Himalayas to the best beaches, to to be introduced which can guarantee easy entry to India. Visa on Harjinder Singh wildlife, birds sanctuaries and unparalleled cultural and spiritual arrival and E-Visas will be a big boost to increase inbound tourism. heritages and not to be missed the new sectors like home stay, medical tourism and But still Visa policy is one of the biggest hurdles in our progress. India should also adventure, ayurveda and we are still lagging behind. extend cost and hassle free visa during lean period April to Sept, few selective countries can be extended free visa on arrival through-out the year to encourage & It is true that we can't compete with US, Spain, UK, Germany and Italy. But should we not support tourism arrivals and last minutes bookings. study that how China receives seven times more tourist than us and raked 4th in the world?

How Turkey, Mexico even Thailand and Malaysia performing much better than us?

We have some good products with unique experiences like luxurious trains, forts & palaces (which are converted into hotels), stakeholders need to cap the price to ensure As of 2017-18, 81.1 million people were employed in the tourism sector in India which high occupancy rates rather than hike the price & low occupancy rates, Govt. need to was 12.38% of total employment in the country. And contribution by travel and make ways/polices for International brands like Disneyland, Universal Parks & studio, tourism sector to India’s GDP is Rs 15.24 trillion (US$ 234.03 billion) in 2017.

Casinos to invest in Indian tourism.

Considering the contribution of tourism to our GDP and most important EMPLOYMENT, still we are not given Industry recognition.

Article by Mr. Harjinder Singh, Director, 24x7 Travels.com. The views expressed and concerns are his personal. He can be reached on harry@24x7travels.com Though there is a big gap between the demand and supply of the skilled people in

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

8

www.safariplus.co.in

DOMESTIC Odisha’s Konark Festival International Sand Art Festival 1st - 5th Dec, 2019 is just a few distance away from the Konark Temple. Known for its ravishing waves the Chandrabhaga Beach is a center for beach sports too. Artist and admirers from different parts of the world take this opportunity to enjoy this natural art form. Sand Art created by Padma Shree Sudarsan Pattnaik, the extremely talented sand artist is the treat of the event. His sand arts can leave you spellbound.

And if you are here during this period you can add on to your cart - a thrilling boat ride watching Irrawaddy Dolphins and thousands of International migratory birds at Chilika Lake; Take the blessing of the Lord Jagganath, Puri.

Jagganath Puri Temple - The temple of Jagannatha is most sacred Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Jagannath. The deities of this temple are Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. The deities are made of wood and replaced every 12 to 19 years and this ritual is known as Nabakalebara. The Jagannath Temple is famous for its annual chariot festival called the Rath Yatra.

Chilka Lake is being treated as the real paradise for the bird-lovers. During winters the lake the migratory birds are spotted in a huge population, many bird species visit this Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon. Chilika Lake is the largest coastal lagoon in India and second largest in the world. The major species that can be witnessed as White

The KONARK FESTIVAL of Odisha (Orissa) is held every year from 1st to 5th Dec, organised by the Odisha Tourism. The KONARK SUN TEMPLE plays the backdrop to this iconic festival with all its glory. The festival take place in the open Open Air Auditorium of Konark Natya Mandap within the temple premises. The Konark Sun Temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is popular monument known for its distinctive design as a sun temple in the form of a “Chariot” with horses and wheels.

The Konark Festival celebrates the dance forms of India, featuring a range of Indian classical dance performances including Odissi, Bharat Natyam and Kathak. The festival marks the cultural convergence of local, national as well as international artists. Come experience the rhythm, that binds India together!

Various local handicrafts, paintings and arts are also exhibited during this event. Food lovers can sneak into different stalls to relish the flavor of a variety of deliciously cooked local cuisines and sea food.

The International Sand Art Festival takes place at Chandrabhaga Beach, near the temple, at the same time as this festival. The first ever blue flag certified beach of Asia

www.safariplus.co.in

bellied sea eagles, Graylag geese, purple moorhen, flamingo jacana and herons. Chilka Lake Bird Sanctuary is also a habitant of one of biggest breeding places of flamingos in the world. The driving distance between Puri and Chilika Lake is 104 km.

9

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

HOSPITALITY

V-DISPLAY

Pride Group Of Hotels Targets 30 Hotels By 2022 Plans To Launch New Brand For Millennials The Pride Group of Hotels is presently scaling up its operations to focus more on ‘Pride Hotels’ and ‘Pride Resorts’ brands that are moderately priced, upscale, full service, business and leisure hotels. The group is also coming up with the new brand exclusively focussed on millennial customers. The hotel chain is presently planning to open a 300- room property in Goa, besides expanding its presence in Guwahati, Panipat, and Nashik later this year. It also plans to add 75 rooms and 50 rooms respectively at its five-star properties in Nagpur and Pune respectively.

Pride Hotels is also in advanced talks with a hotel property in Mumbai to run under a management contract.

Announcing the developments, Mr. S. P. Jain, Managing Director, Pride Hotels Ltd. said, “We are pleased to announce major expansion plans nationally primarily targeted towards Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities that translate into vast business potential.

Pride Hotels presently own and operates 16 hotels nationally. By 2022 we plan to double the number of properties to 30 with over 3,000 luxury rooms to emerge as a leading national hotel chain in the country. Most of the new properties will be under

m a n a g e m e n t contracts. We will soon be launching a new brand to cater exclusively to the growing demands of millennial customers, one of the biggest segments in the hospitality industry.”

The Pride Group of Hotels is a major player in the hospitality industry in India operating under brands Pride Plaza, Pride Hotels and Pride Resorts. The group presently has an inventory of over 2000 rooms, 40 restaurants, and 60 banquet halls. All hotels are conveniently located and offer modern amenities and facilities for making the stay memorable. Each hotel is equipped with extensive banqueting, convention facilities, top of the line Food & Beverage services, Health Clubs and Business Centres, making the hotels the preferred venues for business & leisure travelers.

For more info visit: www.pridehotel.com

Delight Group

StarBird Enterprises Launched

Is Expanding Its Wings!

Delight Group, a well recognised brand in the hospitality industry, started as Delight Hotels in 2009 with only one property in Gangtok. Completing a decade in the industry, it has now 11 more properties in Darjeeling, Gangtok, Lachung, Lachen, Pelling and recently in Dooars.

In the year 2016 group introduced its travel wing MyDelightTrip catering to both B2B and B2C markets.

Catering B2B agents for Sikkim, Darjeeling, Bhutan, Andaman, North East, Odhissa & West Bengal. The group has a strong Hotel Supply Network of around 1500 hotels across these markets along with own fleets of transport. The team at MyDelightTrip is in constant touch with around 24000 agents across Western, Southern & Northern India. And having base in Northeast the travel wing also caters to B2C for all Domestic and International Packages. This year group has launched Delight Growth which is a vertical taking care of Hotels Revenue Management.

Speaking on the expansion plans, Mr. Arup Sarkar, Founder and Director at Delight Group said, “MydelightTrip is having a team size of 30, which is very energetic and prompt and following the vision of taking it to newer height. All these years Safari Plus has been instrumental in promoting our brand as our most trusted and efficient print partners. Delight has an endeavour to grow constantly and we see Safari Plus as one of our most important partners in this journey.”

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

‘The LuxePass App’ Provides locals and travellers an affordable luxury hotel experience without the commitment of an overnight stay StarBird Enterprises launched The LuxePass is a first-ofits-kind lifestyle app that provides non-resident guests the luxury to access hotel amenities at affordable rates. A time-friendly indulgence, The LuxePass provides amenities such as swimming pools, gym, spa and salon starting at INR 499 for a whole day of luxury and aims to change the image of hotels from aspirational, overnight experience hubs to accessible and affordable local recreational hubs. And is available to download on iOS and Android.

The disruptive app works on a commission-based model and endeavours to transform the way luxury-lovers plan their travel and leisure time. It also provides a platform for hotels to showcase and offer booking of their amenities to 'day guests' for a few hours to a whole day.

Mr. Yash Malik, Founder, The LuxePass, says, “The LuxePass which aims to provide the easiest and most economical way to experience a high-end hotel and serve as a quick passport to luxury. Keeping in mind the well-being of people, our app enables one and all to break away from the daily humdrum and spend some quality time in a private, safe and hygienic environment. We are happy to see the response to our app, having secured over 1,000 app installs and 700 sign-ups in a short span of time. Our immediate goal is to reach 50,000 app installs.”

10

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11

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

HOSPITALITY

V-DISPLAY

Pride Group Of Hotels Targets 30 Hotels By 2022 Plans To Launch New Brand For Millennials The Pride Group of Hotels is presently scaling up its operations to focus more on ‘Pride Hotels’ and ‘Pride Resorts’ brands that are moderately priced, upscale, full service, business and leisure hotels. The group is also coming up with the new brand exclusively focussed on millennial customers. The hotel chain is presently planning to open a 300- room property in Goa, besides expanding its presence in Guwahati, Panipat, and Nashik later this year. It also plans to add 75 rooms and 50 rooms respectively at its five-star properties in Nagpur and Pune respectively.

Pride Hotels is also in advanced talks with a hotel property in Mumbai to run under a management contract.

Announcing the developments, Mr. S. P. Jain, Managing Director, Pride Hotels Ltd. said, “We are pleased to announce major expansion plans nationally primarily targeted towards Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities that translate into vast business potential.

Pride Hotels presently own and operates 16 hotels nationally. By 2022 we plan to double the number of properties to 30 with over 3,000 luxury rooms to emerge as a leading national hotel chain in the country. Most of the new properties will be under

m a n a g e m e n t contracts. We will soon be launching a new brand to cater exclusively to the growing demands of millennial customers, one of the biggest segments in the hospitality industry.”

The Pride Group of Hotels is a major player in the hospitality industry in India operating under brands Pride Plaza, Pride Hotels and Pride Resorts. The group presently has an inventory of over 2000 rooms, 40 restaurants, and 60 banquet halls. All hotels are conveniently located and offer modern amenities and facilities for making the stay memorable. Each hotel is equipped with extensive banqueting, convention facilities, top of the line Food & Beverage services, Health Clubs and Business Centres, making the hotels the preferred venues for business & leisure travelers.

For more info visit: www.pridehotel.com

Delight Group

StarBird Enterprises Launched

Is Expanding Its Wings!

Delight Group, a well recognised brand in the hospitality industry, started as Delight Hotels in 2009 with only one property in Gangtok. Completing a decade in the industry, it has now 11 more properties in Darjeeling, Gangtok, Lachung, Lachen, Pelling and recently in Dooars.

In the year 2016 group introduced its travel wing MyDelightTrip catering to both B2B and B2C markets.

Catering B2B agents for Sikkim, Darjeeling, Bhutan, Andaman, North East, Odhissa & West Bengal. The group has a strong Hotel Supply Network of around 1500 hotels across these markets along with own fleets of transport. The team at MyDelightTrip is in constant touch with around 24000 agents across Western, Southern & Northern India. And having base in Northeast the travel wing also caters to B2C for all Domestic and International Packages. This year group has launched Delight Growth which is a vertical taking care of Hotels Revenue Management.

Speaking on the expansion plans, Mr. Arup Sarkar, Founder and Director at Delight Group said, “MydelightTrip is having a team size of 30, which is very energetic and prompt and following the vision of taking it to newer height. All these years Safari Plus has been instrumental in promoting our brand as our most trusted and efficient print partners. Delight has an endeavour to grow constantly and we see Safari Plus as one of our most important partners in this journey.”

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

‘The LuxePass App’ Provides locals and travellers an affordable luxury hotel experience without the commitment of an overnight stay StarBird Enterprises launched The LuxePass is a first-ofits-kind lifestyle app that provides non-resident guests the luxury to access hotel amenities at affordable rates. A time-friendly indulgence, The LuxePass provides amenities such as swimming pools, gym, spa and salon starting at INR 499 for a whole day of luxury and aims to change the image of hotels from aspirational, overnight experience hubs to accessible and affordable local recreational hubs. And is available to download on iOS and Android.

The disruptive app works on a commission-based model and endeavours to transform the way luxury-lovers plan their travel and leisure time. It also provides a platform for hotels to showcase and offer booking of their amenities to 'day guests' for a few hours to a whole day.

Mr. Yash Malik, Founder, The LuxePass, says, “The LuxePass which aims to provide the easiest and most economical way to experience a high-end hotel and serve as a quick passport to luxury. Keeping in mind the well-being of people, our app enables one and all to break away from the daily humdrum and spend some quality time in a private, safe and hygienic environment. We are happy to see the response to our app, having secured over 1,000 app installs and 700 sign-ups in a short span of time. Our immediate goal is to reach 50,000 app installs.”

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HOSPITALITY Crowne Plaza Greater Noida Appoints Mr. Ashwani Nayar as GM Crowne Plaza Greater Noida appoints Mr. Ashwani Nayar as General Manager. A passionate hospitality veteran, Ashwani comes with close to three decades of work experience in the industry, having worked with some of the finest global hospitality brands across South Asia and South East Asia.

A strong upholder of learning and growth, Ashwani believes in competing against self and improving every day. With a focus on creating best in class value for all stakeholders, while setting benchmarks that compare to the highest global standards, Ashwani will now lead the largest Crowne Plaza in South West Asia to excellence.

Ginger Signs New Hotel in Amravati, Andhra Pradesh Ginger Hotels announce the signing of a new hotel in Amravati, the upcoming capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Mr. Deepika Rao, Managing Director and CEO, Ginger said, “We are happy to partner with Splendor Landbase Limited and expand our presence in Andhra Pradesh.

Amravati is one of India’s identified smart cities with a huge growth potential.”

The new hotel will have 125 well-appointed rooms, an all-day diner, a meeting room and a fitness centre offering a truly seamless stay experience to its guests. The proposed Ginger hotel is in the heart of city’s business and commercial zone. The hotel is slated to commence operations in May 2023.

Tree Plantation Drive By Radisson Blu Hinjawadi, Pune Environmental issues are a prime concern nowadays. To work towards curbing this, our honourable CM Devendra Fadnavis has conducted tree plantation drives. To take this further Mahindra Mahindra Accelo, a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd along with other corporates conducted a tree plantation drive in Shivajinagar, Pune. Mr. Saurabh Rao Commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation, Mr. Milind Deouskar, Divisional Railway Manager, Mr. Prafulla Chandra Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Mr. Sanjay Saxena, Director Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi Pune, Mr. Suneel Kamthan, President of Kaystha Parivar Pune and Mr. Diwakar Srivastava, Chief - Commercial Mahindra Accelo were also present at this event.

During the drive the guests along with the organisers pledged to plant 1000 saplings. The drive also gave participants an opportunity to adopt a sapling.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

Mahindra Accelo is committed to focus its CSR efforts on Education, Environment & Health. Under the aegis of “Mahindra Hariyali”, Tree Plantation is undertaken. Nation wide target of planting 1 million trees involves all the Companies in Mahindra Group.

Mahindra Accelo, has already built a Jr College to provide Higher Secondary Education access to Village Girls and it has also built a well equipped Play Park for village children. A walking track has been made to help villagers to walk for health in hygienic way. Under “Nanhi Kali” initiative, it is supporting approx. 2900 girls from very poor families to avail education up to High School across Pune District.

Company has also helped 13 village Girls to become qualified Nurse and get gainfully employed. With the help of Indian Red Cross Society Pune, Company reached out to 60 Thalassemic children and helped them with entire year’s medication expenses.

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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

HOSPITALITY Crowne Plaza Greater Noida Appoints Mr. Ashwani Nayar as GM Crowne Plaza Greater Noida appoints Mr. Ashwani Nayar as General Manager. A passionate hospitality veteran, Ashwani comes with close to three decades of work experience in the industry, having worked with some of the finest global hospitality brands across South Asia and South East Asia.

A strong upholder of learning and growth, Ashwani believes in competing against self and improving every day. With a focus on creating best in class value for all stakeholders, while setting benchmarks that compare to the highest global standards, Ashwani will now lead the largest Crowne Plaza in South West Asia to excellence.

Ginger Signs New Hotel in Amravati, Andhra Pradesh Ginger Hotels announce the signing of a new hotel in Amravati, the upcoming capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Mr. Deepika Rao, Managing Director and CEO, Ginger said, “We are happy to partner with Splendor Landbase Limited and expand our presence in Andhra Pradesh.

Amravati is one of India’s identified smart cities with a huge growth potential.”

The new hotel will have 125 well-appointed rooms, an all-day diner, a meeting room and a fitness centre offering a truly seamless stay experience to its guests. The proposed Ginger hotel is in the heart of city’s business and commercial zone. The hotel is slated to commence operations in May 2023.

Tree Plantation Drive By Radisson Blu Hinjawadi, Pune Environmental issues are a prime concern nowadays. To work towards curbing this, our honourable CM Devendra Fadnavis has conducted tree plantation drives. To take this further Mahindra Mahindra Accelo, a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd along with other corporates conducted a tree plantation drive in Shivajinagar, Pune. Mr. Saurabh Rao Commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation, Mr. Milind Deouskar, Divisional Railway Manager, Mr. Prafulla Chandra Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Mr. Sanjay Saxena, Director Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi Pune, Mr. Suneel Kamthan, President of Kaystha Parivar Pune and Mr. Diwakar Srivastava, Chief - Commercial Mahindra Accelo were also present at this event.

During the drive the guests along with the organisers pledged to plant 1000 saplings. The drive also gave participants an opportunity to adopt a sapling.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

Mahindra Accelo is committed to focus its CSR efforts on Education, Environment & Health. Under the aegis of “Mahindra Hariyali”, Tree Plantation is undertaken. Nation wide target of planting 1 million trees involves all the Companies in Mahindra Group.

Mahindra Accelo, has already built a Jr College to provide Higher Secondary Education access to Village Girls and it has also built a well equipped Play Park for village children. A walking track has been made to help villagers to walk for health in hygienic way. Under “Nanhi Kali” initiative, it is supporting approx. 2900 girls from very poor families to avail education up to High School across Pune District.

Company has also helped 13 village Girls to become qualified Nurse and get gainfully employed. With the help of Indian Red Cross Society Pune, Company reached out to 60 Thalassemic children and helped them with entire year’s medication expenses.

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TRAVEL TREND

TRAVEL TRADE

Seychelles Travel Guide The Mobile Application Seychelles Travel Guide, the official mobile application of Seychelles Tourism Board, is your key to the holiday of a lifetime. Seychelles has so much more than sun, sea and sand; and while you plan your getaway to these mesmerizing islands, this app will be a perfect guide for all activities, attractions, accommodations and tourism services provided in the archipelago.

The app has some amazing features like the ability to share information with friends and family on Facebook, an interactive map, navigational guide, currency converter among many others listed in detail below:  Point of interest directory – Find information on various attractions, activities, hotels, restaurants and many more including their prices, opening hours, contact information and pictures  Reviews and ratings – View the reviews and ratings of other travelers and enter your own to let others know about your experience in Seychelles  100% offline maps – No stress about carrying a physical copy of the Seychelles map, as it’s now available at your fingertips on the app. The new interactive map will

be your best guide while you are in Seychelles. And no need to worry about finding internet access as the detailed maps are also available offline  Navigation – Using your device’s in-built GPS, get directions from your current position to a selected location, including the distance and time to the selected location. Find places, such as restaurants and cafes that are close to you. There are also various night life options and events to look out for  Itineraries – The travel guide is available in multiple languages and creates personalized itineraries for your trip, based on your trip’s duration and interests, be it diving, sailing, nature or others. You can also call the DMCs listed on the app for customized itineraries  Additional features– Augmented reality, Facebook integration, currency converter, weather forecast Download the Seychelles Travel Guide on iOS or Android device for Free!

TAT Launches Shopping Campaign ‘Give Me 5' The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched a new shopping campaign, 'Give Me 5', to entice an additional 200,000 visitors from India and six ASEAN countries during the off-peak season of JulySeptember.

The campaign will target families, women and incentive groups from 19 cities in India, Indonesia, Lao PDR., Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and Cambodia, which are served by TAT's campaign partner airlines, Thai Airways and Thai Smile Airways.

Visitors travelling on the partner airlines on any of their flights between now and 30 September, 2019, will be eligible to receive discounts of 5-50% on a broad range of products and services along with many other privileges at the campaign's partner retail shopping outlets, The Mall Group, Central Group and the Ratchprasong Business District Association in Bangkok.

To overcome the baggage weight restrictions, the partner airlines will give the shoppers an extra allowance of 5 kgs per person on the return sector to

their home cities. Thai Airways will give extra 5 kilograms of baggage allowance on your return flight from New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai. Similarly flying on Thai Smile Airways from Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Jaipur.

The countries chosen for the campaign generated a total of more than 10 million arrivals and 337 billion Baht in tourism earnings in 2018. TAT Governor Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn said, “The ‘Give Me 5’ tactical campaign is being launched in countries which have their school holidays and a number of long weekends during these off-peak months. It is expected to generate an estimated 200,000 visitors and 6.2 billion Baht in additional revenue.

The retail outlets included in the campaign are all the 13 Bangkok malls and shopping centres CentralWorld, Central Embassy and Zen, The Emporium, The Emquatier and Siam Paragon, and exclusive upmarket outlets of the Ratchprasong Business District Association; such as, the Gaysorn Village, Erawan Bangkok and Tabtim Dreams.

For more details visit www.giveme5thailand.com

Australia Marketplace India Witnesses Record Participation

Tourism Australia hosted the 17th edition of its premier trade event, Australia Marketplace India (AMI) (formerly known as India Travel Mission), in Kochi from 8 to 11 August 2019. The event aims at connecting Australia's finest tourism experiences to key representatives of the Indian travel industry. The four-day event saw 77 Australian tourism businesses showcasing their products to a record 95 Indian travel companies, an endorsement of the growing popularity of Australia as a destination of choice amongst Indian travelers.

The participating Australian suppliers this year represented a diverse range of businesses including accommodation providers, attractions, experiences, cultural institutions and state and regional tourism organizations. The event received participation from 20 new Australian suppliers, supporting Tourism Australia's objective of growing visitor yield from India by encouraging travel to new destinations, experiences and products. The Indian buyers were represented by companies from across 10 Indian cities.

Commenting on the event, Mr. Bob East, Chairman, Tourism Australia, said, “India is currently Australia's fastest growing inbound market and events like Australia Marketplace India provide a fantastic opportunity to reaffirm Australia's appeal amongst the trade and for our industry to capitalize on India's potential, ensuring sustained growth in visitation and spend from India. Our Indian travel partners have been tremendously supportive of Australia Mr. Bob East and they are some of our best advocates, who have played a big role in making Australia a preferred holiday destination amongst Indian High Value Travellers. As the host nation of the upcoming ICC T20 Cricket World Cup, played as two standalone tournaments for women and men, the coming year will be an exciting time for us, and we look forward to welcoming more Indian travellers to experience the Australian way of life”.

Mr. Brent Anderson, Regional General Manager, South & South East Asia, Tourism Australia, stated, “The exceptional year-onyear double-digit growth in visitors and spends from India is a result of the continued efforts of several stakeholders in the tourism industry in this important tourism market. We aim to sustain this growth trajectory and pursue an even more ambitious target off the back of our unmatched holiday experiences. The

upcoming T20 Cricket World Cup also provides a great opportunity for both buyers and sellers to offer the Indian traveler a world-class product that is best suited to their needs.”

In addition to this flagship trade event, Tourism Australia's distribution strategy for the India market includes an enriched trade engagement program. As pioneers of the Aussie Specialists online destination training initiative, over the years, Tourism Australia has trained more than 3,500 travel agents across India with expertise to sell Australian holidays. The registered agents receive special access to a resourceful online toolkit to sell Australian holidays and a chance to participate in innovative programs and competitions like the Aussie Specialist Ambassador Program. Tourism Australia has also introduced a second tier to its Aussie Specialist program in India with the introduction of the Premier Aussie Specialist Program, inducting over 48 agents into this program. Trade partners are also regularly engaged through webinars and e-newsletters. In addition, there are opportunities for select frontline staff and product teams to have a first-hand experience of Australia through global trade events like Corroboree and the Australian Tourism Exchange.

Visitors from India to Australia reached 367,000 during the year ended May 2019, growing 11% compared to the previous year. Indian visitors spent A$ 1.7 billion (approx. Rs 8,300 crores) for the year Mr. Brent Anderson ended March 2019, an increase of 12% .

India is the 6th largest source market in terms of expenditure for Australia.

To support increasing demand from India, Australia is gearing up to ensure visa processing is as fast and convenient as possible. Unlike other countries, Australia does not require you to attend an office inperson to lodge your application, provide biometrics or attend an interview and there is no requirement to send us your passport. Visa applications can be lodged online at the convenience of the traveler. The average time taken for an online visitor visa to be granted is only 15 days and business visa applications are processed within 8 days. Online lodgment offers other benefits such as electronic payment and the ability to check the status of your application online.

This form is valid till 31 September, 2019

Address - 405, 4th Floor, Wing - C, Shreepati Aradhna, Bhuleshwar Road, Mumbai - 400002, INDIA E- shailendra@safariplus.co.in

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

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TRAVEL TREND

TRAVEL TRADE

Seychelles Travel Guide The Mobile Application Seychelles Travel Guide, the official mobile application of Seychelles Tourism Board, is your key to the holiday of a lifetime. Seychelles has so much more than sun, sea and sand; and while you plan your getaway to these mesmerizing islands, this app will be a perfect guide for all activities, attractions, accommodations and tourism services provided in the archipelago.

The app has some amazing features like the ability to share information with friends and family on Facebook, an interactive map, navigational guide, currency converter among many others listed in detail below:  Point of interest directory – Find information on various attractions, activities, hotels, restaurants and many more including their prices, opening hours, contact information and pictures  Reviews and ratings – View the reviews and ratings of other travelers and enter your own to let others know about your experience in Seychelles  100% offline maps – No stress about carrying a physical copy of the Seychelles map, as it’s now available at your fingertips on the app. The new interactive map will

be your best guide while you are in Seychelles. And no need to worry about finding internet access as the detailed maps are also available offline  Navigation – Using your device’s in-built GPS, get directions from your current position to a selected location, including the distance and time to the selected location. Find places, such as restaurants and cafes that are close to you. There are also various night life options and events to look out for  Itineraries – The travel guide is available in multiple languages and creates personalized itineraries for your trip, based on your trip’s duration and interests, be it diving, sailing, nature or others. You can also call the DMCs listed on the app for customized itineraries  Additional features– Augmented reality, Facebook integration, currency converter, weather forecast Download the Seychelles Travel Guide on iOS or Android device for Free!

TAT Launches Shopping Campaign ‘Give Me 5' The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched a new shopping campaign, 'Give Me 5', to entice an additional 200,000 visitors from India and six ASEAN countries during the off-peak season of JulySeptember.

The campaign will target families, women and incentive groups from 19 cities in India, Indonesia, Lao PDR., Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and Cambodia, which are served by TAT's campaign partner airlines, Thai Airways and Thai Smile Airways.

Visitors travelling on the partner airlines on any of their flights between now and 30 September, 2019, will be eligible to receive discounts of 5-50% on a broad range of products and services along with many other privileges at the campaign's partner retail shopping outlets, The Mall Group, Central Group and the Ratchprasong Business District Association in Bangkok.

To overcome the baggage weight restrictions, the partner airlines will give the shoppers an extra allowance of 5 kgs per person on the return sector to

their home cities. Thai Airways will give extra 5 kilograms of baggage allowance on your return flight from New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai. Similarly flying on Thai Smile Airways from Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Jaipur.

The countries chosen for the campaign generated a total of more than 10 million arrivals and 337 billion Baht in tourism earnings in 2018. TAT Governor Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn said, “The ‘Give Me 5’ tactical campaign is being launched in countries which have their school holidays and a number of long weekends during these off-peak months. It is expected to generate an estimated 200,000 visitors and 6.2 billion Baht in additional revenue.

The retail outlets included in the campaign are all the 13 Bangkok malls and shopping centres CentralWorld, Central Embassy and Zen, The Emporium, The Emquatier and Siam Paragon, and exclusive upmarket outlets of the Ratchprasong Business District Association; such as, the Gaysorn Village, Erawan Bangkok and Tabtim Dreams.

For more details visit www.giveme5thailand.com

Australia Marketplace India Witnesses Record Participation

Tourism Australia hosted the 17th edition of its premier trade event, Australia Marketplace India (AMI) (formerly known as India Travel Mission), in Kochi from 8 to 11 August 2019. The event aims at connecting Australia's finest tourism experiences to key representatives of the Indian travel industry. The four-day event saw 77 Australian tourism businesses showcasing their products to a record 95 Indian travel companies, an endorsement of the growing popularity of Australia as a destination of choice amongst Indian travelers.

The participating Australian suppliers this year represented a diverse range of businesses including accommodation providers, attractions, experiences, cultural institutions and state and regional tourism organizations. The event received participation from 20 new Australian suppliers, supporting Tourism Australia's objective of growing visitor yield from India by encouraging travel to new destinations, experiences and products. The Indian buyers were represented by companies from across 10 Indian cities.

Commenting on the event, Mr. Bob East, Chairman, Tourism Australia, said, “India is currently Australia's fastest growing inbound market and events like Australia Marketplace India provide a fantastic opportunity to reaffirm Australia's appeal amongst the trade and for our industry to capitalize on India's potential, ensuring sustained growth in visitation and spend from India. Our Indian travel partners have been tremendously supportive of Australia Mr. Bob East and they are some of our best advocates, who have played a big role in making Australia a preferred holiday destination amongst Indian High Value Travellers. As the host nation of the upcoming ICC T20 Cricket World Cup, played as two standalone tournaments for women and men, the coming year will be an exciting time for us, and we look forward to welcoming more Indian travellers to experience the Australian way of life”.

Mr. Brent Anderson, Regional General Manager, South & South East Asia, Tourism Australia, stated, “The exceptional year-onyear double-digit growth in visitors and spends from India is a result of the continued efforts of several stakeholders in the tourism industry in this important tourism market. We aim to sustain this growth trajectory and pursue an even more ambitious target off the back of our unmatched holiday experiences. The

upcoming T20 Cricket World Cup also provides a great opportunity for both buyers and sellers to offer the Indian traveler a world-class product that is best suited to their needs.”

In addition to this flagship trade event, Tourism Australia's distribution strategy for the India market includes an enriched trade engagement program. As pioneers of the Aussie Specialists online destination training initiative, over the years, Tourism Australia has trained more than 3,500 travel agents across India with expertise to sell Australian holidays. The registered agents receive special access to a resourceful online toolkit to sell Australian holidays and a chance to participate in innovative programs and competitions like the Aussie Specialist Ambassador Program. Tourism Australia has also introduced a second tier to its Aussie Specialist program in India with the introduction of the Premier Aussie Specialist Program, inducting over 48 agents into this program. Trade partners are also regularly engaged through webinars and e-newsletters. In addition, there are opportunities for select frontline staff and product teams to have a first-hand experience of Australia through global trade events like Corroboree and the Australian Tourism Exchange.

Visitors from India to Australia reached 367,000 during the year ended May 2019, growing 11% compared to the previous year. Indian visitors spent A$ 1.7 billion (approx. Rs 8,300 crores) for the year Mr. Brent Anderson ended March 2019, an increase of 12% .

India is the 6th largest source market in terms of expenditure for Australia.

To support increasing demand from India, Australia is gearing up to ensure visa processing is as fast and convenient as possible. Unlike other countries, Australia does not require you to attend an office inperson to lodge your application, provide biometrics or attend an interview and there is no requirement to send us your passport. Visa applications can be lodged online at the convenience of the traveler. The average time taken for an online visitor visa to be granted is only 15 days and business visa applications are processed within 8 days. Online lodgment offers other benefits such as electronic payment and the ability to check the status of your application online.

This form is valid till 31 September, 2019

Address - 405, 4th Floor, Wing - C, Shreepati Aradhna, Bhuleshwar Road, Mumbai - 400002, INDIA E- shailendra@safariplus.co.in

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

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INSIGHT

AVIATION

*Condition Apply

MICE The Rainbow Nation has a myriad of unique activities to discover yourself and your fellow travellers on the perfect MICE outing. A wide variety of options exist to cater for conferences, events and incentives of all sizes and budgets.

South Africa is as adept in hosting mega events of 10,000 delegates as in intimate corporate team building activities for 10 colleagues.

The best-in-class facilities provided at the convention centres have been host to varied global events and continue to be popular choice for various big ticket events. In addition, several game lodges in South Africa organize and offer facilities for smaller conferences and events from India. Along with the luxury experience, these game reserves provide corporate firms with several customized options of team building and leadership skill development and other training and development programmes and exercises.

South Africa offers a power combination of experiences – traditional cultures mixed with modern urban rhythms eco-tourism in harmony with adrenalin-fused adventure getting transported from our common human origins right through to cutting-edge scientific discoveries and technologies. Incentive groups and conference delegates can participate in a variety of interesting activities - a walking safari or foraging into the bush to enjoying the sand dunes and the vineyards, from drumming sessions during the African Boma under the starlit sky to enjoying gum-boot dancing with the entire group.

Activities such as adventure, spas, voluntourism, cultural and historic attractions, are also gaining a lot of attention

SOUTH AFRICA

among MICE groups.

Those visiting the province of Gauteng can go on extravagant shopping expeditions in Johannesburg or even take a live diamond mining tour at the Cullinan Mine! When in the stunning province of KwaZulu-Natal, visitors can partake in unparalleled wildlife experiences in close proximity to Durban or, even undertake a sea safari and maybe spot whales or, indulge in yacht sundowners.

When in KwaZulu-Natal, a visit to the Drakensberg mountain range is a must-do. A sunrise hot air balloon ride over the majestic, natural beauty of the ranges will leave one speechless and in awe. For adventure lovers, the entire stretch from the East Coast all the way through to the Garden Route is treasure trove of experiences. Be it bungee jumping, shark cage diving, sky diving, para-gliding , sand-boarding, quad biking, zip lining, river rafting or even golfing; South Africa has it all!

Four major international airports located in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban & Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport as well as numerous domestic airports and air services connect the country's leading destinations and there is an extensive, modern road network, making it easy and affordable to access and experience a wide range of activities.

While adventure and leisure is a great mix for meetings, South Africa also has lots of golf courses that offer MICE travellers a unique networking experience. After all as one would agree, on some occasions, more business gets done and problems get resolved between the twelfth and the fifteenth hole than in the boardroom!

To boost tourism and trade between the two countries, on 18 July, 2019 Air Tanzania, the national carrier of United Republic of Tanzania launched its direct flight from Mumbai to Dar Es Salaam. Inaugurated by Hon. Eng. Isack A. Kamwelwe – Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, H.E Baraka H. Luvanda – High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania to India, Mr. Alban Rodricks – CISB, Mumbai and the airport along with its key stakeholders welcomed the Air Tanzania’s first flight - Boeing 787-8 with 147 passengers on board in Mumbai. The new route will be available to passengers travelling from Dar Es Salaam to Mumbai thrice a week on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and Mumbai to Dar Es Salaam on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, respectively starting July 2019. Air Tanzania’s Boeing 787-8 with 22 Business class seats and 240 Economy seats departed from Dar Es Salaam at 1930 hrs., marking the airline’s first commercial flight to India and reached Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport) at 0420 hrs.

Eng. Ladislaus Matindi, Managing Director & CEO of Air Tanzania said, “To serve the significant volume of traffic with high quality service, we have deployed a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on this route for the betterment of our esteemed passengers. Our focus

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areas would be the Safety to our customers, customer satisfaction, best in class hospitality, on-time service, hassle-free booking and affordable fares. We are optimistic to see a big number of people travelling to both countries by Air Tanzania since we rank to be the airline of choice soon and not later. We are ready to offer you a seamless connection to other destinations through our Dar es salaam hub as far as Bukoba, Dodoma, Kilimanjaro, Iringa, Mbeya, Mwanza, Tabora, Zanzibar, Bujumbura, Mtwara, Hahaya, Entebbe, Lusaka, Harare, Kigoma and Johannesburg.”

Air India Will Soon Operate on THAI Increases Preferred Seats Selection on All International Flights Mumbai - Aurangabad – Udaipur Thai Airways is increasing preferred seats selection on all international flights for passenger convenience.

Economy Class and Royal Silk Class passengers may take advantage of this service now, for travel that begins on 27 July 2019 onwards.

Mr. Wiwat Piyawiroj, THAI Executive Vice President, Commercial, said THAI is offering more preferred seats selection to Economy Class and Royal Silk Class passengers travelling on all international flights. This service is also being offered by other leading air carriers, making travel more comfortable and convenient. After tickets have been issued, Economy Class passengers may purchase front row or exit row seats in each zone of Economy Class. Royal Silk Class passengers may purchase First Class seats on flights where preferred seats service is available.

The preferred seats fee varies based on actual flight distance flown. For more info visit thaiairways.com. Preferred seats will be available for purchase on THAI’s website

IATO had requested Air India, IndiGo and Spice Jet to consider introducing flights on Sector Mumbai - Aurangabad – Udaipur – Aurangabad – Mumbai as tourism industry is facing lot of problems after closure of Jet Airways operation in Aurangabad.

IATO members personally met Mr. Ashwani Lohani, CMD, Air India and Mrs. Meenakshi Malik, Executive Director (Commercial) Air India on 12th June 2019. And Air India has proposed to start operation of its flight on the above sector from 27th September 2019. Air India proposes to operate Air Bus 320 on this route thrice a week i.e. on Monday, Thursday and Saturday as per the following schedule:Flight no. AI 605 - Mumbai – Aurangabad-Udaipur - Depart Mumbai at 1230 hours | Arrive Aurangabad at 1340 hours | Depart Aurangabad at 1410 hours | Arrive Udaipur at 1520 hours | Flight No. 606 - Udaipur- Aurangabad - Mumbai - Depart Udaipur at 1600 hours | Arrive Aurangabad at 1710 hours | Depart Aurangabad at 1740 hours | Arrive Mumbai at 1900 hours It is anticipated that IndiGo will also start its operation from Aurangabad airport soon.

The Travel Hacks By Scoot Scoot Airlines, the low-cost arm of the Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group has identified a few destinations in South East Asia which make for fantastic yet affordable getaways! * Ho Chi Minh & Hanoi (Vietnam), * Krabi (Thailand), * Jakarta (Indonesia) and * Langkawi (Malaysia) Scoot Airlines highlights some important tricks so that you can enjoy comfortable travel on the same budget.  It is a common myth that one should choose Wednesday flights that are just after midnight, in order to get the best fares. While mid-week flights generally cost less than weekend flights, certain periods such as eve of public holiday might see a surge in pricing. Dynamic pricing can also cause fares to readjust according to time and booking demand. A trick to getting the best fare is to subscribe to the airline's price alerts. Once a good deal is available you will be notified, so make sure you book when your preferred price is available!  The early bird really does catch the worm – most airlines' flights are made available for booking up to two seasons in advance (that's 12 months ahead) and those who book their flights early usually catch the best prices.

 Opt for airline's loyalty programme as it allows you to convert your trips into miles that can be accumulated and redeemed later. For example, Scoot customers can earn and redeem miles on KrisFlyer, which is a Singapore Airlines Group loyalty programme.

Travelers from India can access these destinations through low-cost carriers, such as Scoot, from various Indian cities such as Amritsar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Tiruchirappalli, and Trivandrum, with Coimbatore and Vishakhapatnam to join the network soon. All Scoot flights from India transit in Singapore, before connecting to the above destinations on non-stop flights. Flights to Langkawi and Jakarta operate four times and three times a week respectively, and flights to the other destinations operate daily.

British Airways Adds Flights To Mumbai And London Heathrow From March 2020 B r i t i s h A i r way s currently operates 49 flights a week from five cities in India, with a double daily from Mumbai and Delhi and a daily service from Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. In summer 2019, the airline added four additional flights to its existing schedule from Mumbai to London, increasing the weekly total from 14 to 18 flights a week. British Airways will further enhance its schedule to Mumbai in March 2020 by adding an additional service to London, offering customers three flights a day to choose from. This increase will take British Airways’ weekly schedule from 49 to 56

97690 58991 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

Air Tanzania Direct Flight on Mumbai - Dar Es Salaam

www.safariplus.co.in

flights from India to the UK. The daily flights will be operated by the state-of-the-art 787-9 aircraft offering a four-cabin configuration including First, Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller.

Moran Birger, Head of Sales Asia Pacific and Middle East at British Airways, said: “With these additional flights we will be offering a convenient choice of three flights a day from Mumbai to connect to our worldwide network of over 200 destinations.”

As British Airways marks its centenary year, the airline is set to look to the future with the arrival in July of its first of 18 A350-1000s, complete with the new Club Suite, which will begin flying to Bangalore by early 2020.

As part of British Airways' £6.5 billion investment for its customers, the airline has also introduced several changes in its Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller cabins, by offering exceptional new restaurant-style catering, industry-leading Wi-Fi on board and opening of new lounges across the world.

21

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

INSIGHT

AVIATION

*Condition Apply

MICE The Rainbow Nation has a myriad of unique activities to discover yourself and your fellow travellers on the perfect MICE outing. A wide variety of options exist to cater for conferences, events and incentives of all sizes and budgets.

South Africa is as adept in hosting mega events of 10,000 delegates as in intimate corporate team building activities for 10 colleagues.

The best-in-class facilities provided at the convention centres have been host to varied global events and continue to be popular choice for various big ticket events. In addition, several game lodges in South Africa organize and offer facilities for smaller conferences and events from India. Along with the luxury experience, these game reserves provide corporate firms with several customized options of team building and leadership skill development and other training and development programmes and exercises.

South Africa offers a power combination of experiences – traditional cultures mixed with modern urban rhythms eco-tourism in harmony with adrenalin-fused adventure getting transported from our common human origins right through to cutting-edge scientific discoveries and technologies. Incentive groups and conference delegates can participate in a variety of interesting activities - a walking safari or foraging into the bush to enjoying the sand dunes and the vineyards, from drumming sessions during the African Boma under the starlit sky to enjoying gum-boot dancing with the entire group.

Activities such as adventure, spas, voluntourism, cultural and historic attractions, are also gaining a lot of attention

SOUTH AFRICA

among MICE groups.

Those visiting the province of Gauteng can go on extravagant shopping expeditions in Johannesburg or even take a live diamond mining tour at the Cullinan Mine! When in the stunning province of KwaZulu-Natal, visitors can partake in unparalleled wildlife experiences in close proximity to Durban or, even undertake a sea safari and maybe spot whales or, indulge in yacht sundowners.

When in KwaZulu-Natal, a visit to the Drakensberg mountain range is a must-do. A sunrise hot air balloon ride over the majestic, natural beauty of the ranges will leave one speechless and in awe. For adventure lovers, the entire stretch from the East Coast all the way through to the Garden Route is treasure trove of experiences. Be it bungee jumping, shark cage diving, sky diving, para-gliding , sand-boarding, quad biking, zip lining, river rafting or even golfing; South Africa has it all!

Four major international airports located in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban & Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport as well as numerous domestic airports and air services connect the country's leading destinations and there is an extensive, modern road network, making it easy and affordable to access and experience a wide range of activities.

While adventure and leisure is a great mix for meetings, South Africa also has lots of golf courses that offer MICE travellers a unique networking experience. After all as one would agree, on some occasions, more business gets done and problems get resolved between the twelfth and the fifteenth hole than in the boardroom!

To boost tourism and trade between the two countries, on 18 July, 2019 Air Tanzania, the national carrier of United Republic of Tanzania launched its direct flight from Mumbai to Dar Es Salaam. Inaugurated by Hon. Eng. Isack A. Kamwelwe – Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, H.E Baraka H. Luvanda – High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania to India, Mr. Alban Rodricks – CISB, Mumbai and the airport along with its key stakeholders welcomed the Air Tanzania’s first flight - Boeing 787-8 with 147 passengers on board in Mumbai. The new route will be available to passengers travelling from Dar Es Salaam to Mumbai thrice a week on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and Mumbai to Dar Es Salaam on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, respectively starting July 2019. Air Tanzania’s Boeing 787-8 with 22 Business class seats and 240 Economy seats departed from Dar Es Salaam at 1930 hrs., marking the airline’s first commercial flight to India and reached Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport) at 0420 hrs.

Eng. Ladislaus Matindi, Managing Director & CEO of Air Tanzania said, “To serve the significant volume of traffic with high quality service, we have deployed a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on this route for the betterment of our esteemed passengers. Our focus

E: shailendra@safariplus.co.in

20

www.safariplus.co.in

areas would be the Safety to our customers, customer satisfaction, best in class hospitality, on-time service, hassle-free booking and affordable fares. We are optimistic to see a big number of people travelling to both countries by Air Tanzania since we rank to be the airline of choice soon and not later. We are ready to offer you a seamless connection to other destinations through our Dar es salaam hub as far as Bukoba, Dodoma, Kilimanjaro, Iringa, Mbeya, Mwanza, Tabora, Zanzibar, Bujumbura, Mtwara, Hahaya, Entebbe, Lusaka, Harare, Kigoma and Johannesburg.”

Air India Will Soon Operate on THAI Increases Preferred Seats Selection on All International Flights Mumbai - Aurangabad – Udaipur Thai Airways is increasing preferred seats selection on all international flights for passenger convenience.

Economy Class and Royal Silk Class passengers may take advantage of this service now, for travel that begins on 27 July 2019 onwards.

Mr. Wiwat Piyawiroj, THAI Executive Vice President, Commercial, said THAI is offering more preferred seats selection to Economy Class and Royal Silk Class passengers travelling on all international flights. This service is also being offered by other leading air carriers, making travel more comfortable and convenient. After tickets have been issued, Economy Class passengers may purchase front row or exit row seats in each zone of Economy Class. Royal Silk Class passengers may purchase First Class seats on flights where preferred seats service is available.

The preferred seats fee varies based on actual flight distance flown. For more info visit thaiairways.com. Preferred seats will be available for purchase on THAI’s website

IATO had requested Air India, IndiGo and Spice Jet to consider introducing flights on Sector Mumbai - Aurangabad – Udaipur – Aurangabad – Mumbai as tourism industry is facing lot of problems after closure of Jet Airways operation in Aurangabad.

IATO members personally met Mr. Ashwani Lohani, CMD, Air India and Mrs. Meenakshi Malik, Executive Director (Commercial) Air India on 12th June 2019. And Air India has proposed to start operation of its flight on the above sector from 27th September 2019. Air India proposes to operate Air Bus 320 on this route thrice a week i.e. on Monday, Thursday and Saturday as per the following schedule:Flight no. AI 605 - Mumbai – Aurangabad-Udaipur - Depart Mumbai at 1230 hours | Arrive Aurangabad at 1340 hours | Depart Aurangabad at 1410 hours | Arrive Udaipur at 1520 hours | Flight No. 606 - Udaipur- Aurangabad - Mumbai - Depart Udaipur at 1600 hours | Arrive Aurangabad at 1710 hours | Depart Aurangabad at 1740 hours | Arrive Mumbai at 1900 hours It is anticipated that IndiGo will also start its operation from Aurangabad airport soon.

The Travel Hacks By Scoot Scoot Airlines, the low-cost arm of the Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group has identified a few destinations in South East Asia which make for fantastic yet affordable getaways! * Ho Chi Minh & Hanoi (Vietnam), * Krabi (Thailand), * Jakarta (Indonesia) and * Langkawi (Malaysia) Scoot Airlines highlights some important tricks so that you can enjoy comfortable travel on the same budget.  It is a common myth that one should choose Wednesday flights that are just after midnight, in order to get the best fares. While mid-week flights generally cost less than weekend flights, certain periods such as eve of public holiday might see a surge in pricing. Dynamic pricing can also cause fares to readjust according to time and booking demand. A trick to getting the best fare is to subscribe to the airline's price alerts. Once a good deal is available you will be notified, so make sure you book when your preferred price is available!  The early bird really does catch the worm – most airlines' flights are made available for booking up to two seasons in advance (that's 12 months ahead) and those who book their flights early usually catch the best prices.

 Opt for airline's loyalty programme as it allows you to convert your trips into miles that can be accumulated and redeemed later. For example, Scoot customers can earn and redeem miles on KrisFlyer, which is a Singapore Airlines Group loyalty programme.

Travelers from India can access these destinations through low-cost carriers, such as Scoot, from various Indian cities such as Amritsar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Tiruchirappalli, and Trivandrum, with Coimbatore and Vishakhapatnam to join the network soon. All Scoot flights from India transit in Singapore, before connecting to the above destinations on non-stop flights. Flights to Langkawi and Jakarta operate four times and three times a week respectively, and flights to the other destinations operate daily.

British Airways Adds Flights To Mumbai And London Heathrow From March 2020 B r i t i s h A i r way s currently operates 49 flights a week from five cities in India, with a double daily from Mumbai and Delhi and a daily service from Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. In summer 2019, the airline added four additional flights to its existing schedule from Mumbai to London, increasing the weekly total from 14 to 18 flights a week. British Airways will further enhance its schedule to Mumbai in March 2020 by adding an additional service to London, offering customers three flights a day to choose from. This increase will take British Airways’ weekly schedule from 49 to 56

97690 58991 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

Air Tanzania Direct Flight on Mumbai - Dar Es Salaam

www.safariplus.co.in

flights from India to the UK. The daily flights will be operated by the state-of-the-art 787-9 aircraft offering a four-cabin configuration including First, Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller.

Moran Birger, Head of Sales Asia Pacific and Middle East at British Airways, said: “With these additional flights we will be offering a convenient choice of three flights a day from Mumbai to connect to our worldwide network of over 200 destinations.”

As British Airways marks its centenary year, the airline is set to look to the future with the arrival in July of its first of 18 A350-1000s, complete with the new Club Suite, which will begin flying to Bangalore by early 2020.

As part of British Airways' £6.5 billion investment for its customers, the airline has also introduced several changes in its Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller cabins, by offering exceptional new restaurant-style catering, industry-leading Wi-Fi on board and opening of new lounges across the world.

21

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

Travel Heels

Travel Heels

Ms Kashish Jiandani

Travel Heels is a global group for the women who loves to Travel. The group is founded by Ms. Parul Kesari, Editor-in-Chief, Safari Plus with a vision to unite and give a platform to women in travel community and to connect with others who have same passion “To Explore the World”. The two aspect of the group are the women from the Travel Industry (making your travel easy) and the Travellers (women only) be it solo or only women group (with or without kids). It is an open group on facebook and whatsapp. www.facebook.com/groups/2065559377069793

Mamta has 19 years of rich experience in the Industry and she has worked with every possible segment of the business. She started from domestic hotels and very swiftly moved on to tourism boards and international hotels. She has handled various senior positions with brands like TUI, SOTC Kuoni & Uniglobe. Currently at Outbound Marketing, she handles a diverse portfolio of hotel products including Louvre Hotels Group, GLH Hotels, Sun international and Corinthia Hotels and is leading a team of young & dynamic professionals.

A passionate and curious learner with over 20 years of experience in the various vertical of travel industry. She has earned the recognition of the ONLY Masters Cruise Consultant in India and the First Indian till date; by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), one the world's largest cruise industry trade association. She says, “No matter where you go and reach, always stay grounded. Keep appreciating good people along the way who have helped you and never forget them in your Life. Keep believing in your self and keep smiling always.”

Nikita joined her husband Travel business Pristine Travel (Kolkata) in 2011. She loves to travel. She is an Aussie and Kiwi Specialists.

She is very active on social media platforms.

Has a very simple funda of life “JEEYO aur JEENE do”. She says, “I am very fun loving , always keep my bags ready to travel anytime.”

Ms. Savithri Balasubramanian Director - Travel Savvy

Regional Manager South East Asia, Association of Corporate Travel Executives

M: 9820945392 E: plazatour81@gmail.com

A leading women entrepreneurs and a Travel Icon Jinal Shah owns Plaza Tour, an outbound travel company based in Mumbai.

Her company represents Turkey DMC in India since 13 years now. Specialised for all kind of Turkey ground arrangement. Plaza Tour also specialised in for all Middle East Visa services. She runs a successful ventures and generate employment for many.

General Manager Sales and Marketing, The Riverview Resort Chiplun,

Ms. Vidhi Shah Founder, Xplorer’s Paradise E: info@xplorersparadise.com

M: 8080011179 E: varadholidays@gmail.com

M: 8828473815 E: holiday.tickle@gmail.com

A post-graduate in Tourism and Travel Industry Management. She founder her company named Xplorer's Paradise to follow her passion for traveling and exploring new places.

She says, “ My passion has not only always heavily dominated my decisions but also ensured that I live my dream ‘a nomad-life’ while giving my best in what I chose to pursue! Xplorer's Paradise is an extension of me through which I aim to make traveling a luxury everyone can afford irrespective of their budgets.”

Ms. Sonia David, CO- Founder Unadvised Traveller

With more than a decade of experience in market research, she decided to quit and follow her passion for Travel. Started as a travel planner and is now the founder of Holiday Tickle Tours. As a traveler, she has left her footsteps in more than 25 countries. Specialist in creating customized trips in Domestic & International sector. Her motto is to convert a tourist into a traveler and wanting them to travel often. She believes, that the world is beautiful, and how much ever she explores she is just left amazed wanting more !!!

After 10 years of experience in operations & sales, Pallavi founded Varad Holidays in February 2015.

With a mission to provide client satisfaction to the fullest. Specialized in Domestic Tours in all over India as well as in International like Japan, Greece, Europe, Turkey, Far-East sectors (i.e. Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hongkong-Macau), Maldives, Mauritius, Srilanka & Dubai. And also STAR CRUISE BOOKING. The company goal is to fulfill the expectations in the best possible way.

Juhi Patel, Owner Sharanam Holidays

Ms. Purvi Jhaveri, Founder, ways2wander everything travel

M: 91 8469994571 E: info.sharanamholidays@gmail.com

E: unadvisedtraveller25@gmail.com

E: purvi@ ways2wander.com

Juhi Patel proprietor of Sharanam holidays is based in Vadodara, Gujarat. Her journey in the industry started in 2017 and she has 6 years of experience. Her specialization is in customizing International and Domestic Holiday Packages at a very attractive cost. They also do cruise booking, Air Ticketing, Travel Insurance, Destination events and Visa consultancy.

Sonia, has done post graduation in Tourism Management from Garware in Mumbai, worked in SOTC for 3 years before starting of her own venture. She is also a fashion & lifestyle blogger and had hosted food & travel show.

Her company Unadvised Traveller is an online content creator company venturing into food, travel and wellness. The main platform is YouTube where one can see the content videos related to delicious food of various countries to enriching travel experiences and soothing wellness centres around the world. She says, “I believe that the best time is always spent out of your comfort zone.”

ways2wander believe that there’s a lot more to a fulfilling travel experience than just the right destination! Started with a passion for travelling and curiosity for new places. Purvi passionately design and customize itineraries to create a hassle free experience leading to cherished travel moments. They focus on slow-placed travel wherein one explores a place to its whole than just sightseeing.

Ms. Zeenat Anjum, Director, Haw Travel Management Pvt Ltd

Ms. Mehak Kriplani, Owner Aashirwad Tours and Travels

E: zeenat@holidaysaroundworld.com

www.tourtotanzania.com

Aashirwad Tours and Travels was established in 2015 and is B2B based in Delhi. Specialised in Kerala & South India packages. Designing the packages as per the client requirement. The company also offers B2B rates for Hotel Booking, Package Booking, Airticketing, Car rental, Houseboat.

The best deals are guaranteed for the destinations Kerala, South India, Himachal, Goa, Kashmir, Leh Ladakh, Rajasthan, NorthEast & Andaman.

Holidays Around World (HAW) is a DMC that creates unforgettable experiences for the customers. With a long and extremely successful career, a wealth of expertise and knowledge, Founder and MD Zeenat Anjum is leading the way for a company for more than 12 years. She continues to inspire and drive the success of building the brand. Besides infusing the spirit of action and a result-oriented work culture she set the tone and the vision for their organization, and as a result the company has risen to levels of fame.

22

Ms. Pallavi Ghate, Proprietor Varad Holidays

Ms. Reena Dsouza- Founder Holiday Tickle Tours, Mumbai

M: 7827650270 E: info.att07@gmail.com

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

Her travel passion drove her to start her own company and Blue Duck Holidays was born in 2013. With no background in Travel Industry, but a believe and her innovative ideas brought her clients. And also her office location is Bandra, Mumbai iced on it.

In her words, “We are engaged in curating Bespoke and Personalised Travel Packages for our clients offering them Travel Consultancy and Bookings. Blue Duck Holidays believes in – Travel in Personal, So is Our Planning !!

The resort offers the most pristine surroundings with peace and tranquil. Spread over 10 acre with 37 family sized rooms, restaurant, pool and spa.

Whatever you do, be different from the crowd.

Alpana has proved her dedication towards her work and commitment. She has given 15 years to nurture The Riverview Resort Chiplun. She says, “We at The Riverview are committed to give you impeccable service & hospitality.”

M: +255762874630

Tour To Tanzania, is a tour company offering all kind of Safaris, Mountain Climbing, Beach Holidays and Cultural Tourism in Kenya and Tanzania. If anyone looking forward for trusted partners to work in Kenya and Tanzania can connect to Mary Muna on her WhatsApp no +255762874630.

M: 9820082243 E: ruchika@blueduckholidays.com

M: 98203 34671 E: alpanachauhan@chiplunhotels.com

Travel4unme Solution's is a niche travel boutique company offering services in all Travel & Holiday related fields, based in Bangalore. Specializes in customized family and group travel solutions on global basis. Also specialize in Only Women Travel via two Clubs - Women Travel Clubs Indian Solo Woman Travel Club and Premuim Club Travel Divas. Anjali says, “Our USP lies in handpicked hotels and tailormade experiences as we ourselves are well travelled and have travel alliances through out the world.

Ms. Mary Muna Arusha Tanzania East Africa

Ms. Ruchika Gupta Founder, Blue Duck Holidays

Ms. Alpana Chauhan,

M: 9379819990 E: Anjali.sinha@travel4unme.com

M: 8652476677 E: deepti@global-holidays.in

Sangeeta comes from the beautiful state of Assam. She is one of the prominent Tour Operator, approved by govt of Assam since 17 years. The company has Special deals for North East. And it can be a one stop shop for all the travel needs ranging from Hotel Reservations, Holiday Packages, Ticketing, Passports, Visas, Mediclaim Insurance, to Foreign Exchange.

A balanced, analytical individual, proven business leader with 20 year plus of, with a number of years of handling P&L responsibility, with proven track record, with the magnitude and levels of confidence to influence and tutor, guide at all levels and who can make a quick and positive impact on the business.

Ms. Anjali Sinha

India Marketing Rep of Brightstar Tours Egypt

M: 98641 05242 E : ntp2003assam@gmail.com

M: 9663433966 E: jvarma@acte.org

Tour Director & Promoter Organizer of Women Travel Club

Ms.Deepti Deorukhkar,

Ms. Jinal Shah, Director, Plaza Tour

Ms. Sangeeta Deka, CEO, New Travellers Point, Assam

M: 9819596569 E: savithri@travelsavvy.in

Proprietor of Global Holidays and

After a long trail and 15 years of experience in Travel, Shikha started her own firm for Marketing and Representing the companies in Delhi to make them accessible to B2B market. She has worked with many big brands and current in her portfolio are - Country Inn & Suites By Radisson (GuruGram), Udaan Hotels & Resorts (North East Hotel Chain), Trip Anthem, AirIQ, Harsh Travels, Fasinating Ireland, Gateway of Europe Ltd, Eazee Connect Repz.

Ms. Jyothi Varma

A post graduate from SNDT College, Savithri has worked in the travel and hospitality industry for almost 10 years. She believes that the best thing money can buy you is memories and the perfect way of buying it is through travelling. This led to the birth of Travel Savvy, 4 years ago. She has nurtured this baby and developed it into a full fledged travel management company. Travel Savvy caters to corporate and leisure clients and offers a wide range of travel options and travel related services.

M: 9998472851 E: info@nmsholidays.com

Deepti has more than 15 years of experience in the travel Industry which, enhanced her knowledge in all the stream. And thus she founded her company Global Holidays, five years back. She also takes care of Marketing Representations of Bright Star Tours, Egypt in India. She says, “This was a proud moment for the company to handle the position in India Market. My childhood dream to travel to different places is now my passion and this passion has created ME, what I am today.”

M- 9818863748 E: contact@shikhakhanna.co.in

M:98302 88109 E:nikita@pristinetravel.com

Ms. Bhavna Sheth Owner, NMS Holidays NMS HOLIDAYS was established in 2014 and is based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Specialised in North East (Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal, Seven Sister Tour). The Company also deals in Domestic & International packages, and Air ticketing. Some other offering from the company - Exclusive Honeymoon package to Maldives, Bali and Seychelles; specializes for group tour, customize tour, and group air tickets .

Marketing & Representation, Delhi

M: 9833359847 E: kjiandani@nclcorp.com

Ms. Mamta Pall, Group Director Outbound Marketing M: 9810175385

Ms. Shikha Khanna

Ms. Nikita Sarrof, Director Pristine Travel Pvt Ltd

Business Development Manager Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, India

www.safariplus.co.in

www.safariplus.co.in

Ms. Swati Kapoor Saraogi Director, Holiday Tripster M: 9831761003 E:swatikapoor@holidaytripster.com

Swati, a young chirpy girl who takes travel seriously! With an eye for the unusual and a longing to have the most unique travel experience. She founded Holiday Tripster in 2013.

Connecting with new people and exploring the new destinations defines the way of life for her to experience this world! Swati's motto in life: "Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success."

23

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

Travel Heels

Travel Heels

Ms Kashish Jiandani

Travel Heels is a global group for the women who loves to Travel. The group is founded by Ms. Parul Kesari, Editor-in-Chief, Safari Plus with a vision to unite and give a platform to women in travel community and to connect with others who have same passion “To Explore the World”. The two aspect of the group are the women from the Travel Industry (making your travel easy) and the Travellers (women only) be it solo or only women group (with or without kids). It is an open group on facebook and whatsapp. www.facebook.com/groups/2065559377069793

Mamta has 19 years of rich experience in the Industry and she has worked with every possible segment of the business. She started from domestic hotels and very swiftly moved on to tourism boards and international hotels. She has handled various senior positions with brands like TUI, SOTC Kuoni & Uniglobe. Currently at Outbound Marketing, she handles a diverse portfolio of hotel products including Louvre Hotels Group, GLH Hotels, Sun international and Corinthia Hotels and is leading a team of young & dynamic professionals.

A passionate and curious learner with over 20 years of experience in the various vertical of travel industry. She has earned the recognition of the ONLY Masters Cruise Consultant in India and the First Indian till date; by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), one the world's largest cruise industry trade association. She says, “No matter where you go and reach, always stay grounded. Keep appreciating good people along the way who have helped you and never forget them in your Life. Keep believing in your self and keep smiling always.”

Nikita joined her husband Travel business Pristine Travel (Kolkata) in 2011. She loves to travel. She is an Aussie and Kiwi Specialists.

She is very active on social media platforms.

Has a very simple funda of life “JEEYO aur JEENE do”. She says, “I am very fun loving , always keep my bags ready to travel anytime.”

Ms. Savithri Balasubramanian Director - Travel Savvy

Regional Manager South East Asia, Association of Corporate Travel Executives

M: 9820945392 E: plazatour81@gmail.com

A leading women entrepreneurs and a Travel Icon Jinal Shah owns Plaza Tour, an outbound travel company based in Mumbai.

Her company represents Turkey DMC in India since 13 years now. Specialised for all kind of Turkey ground arrangement. Plaza Tour also specialised in for all Middle East Visa services. She runs a successful ventures and generate employment for many.

General Manager Sales and Marketing, The Riverview Resort Chiplun,

Ms. Vidhi Shah Founder, Xplorer’s Paradise E: info@xplorersparadise.com

M: 8080011179 E: varadholidays@gmail.com

M: 8828473815 E: holiday.tickle@gmail.com

A post-graduate in Tourism and Travel Industry Management. She founder her company named Xplorer's Paradise to follow her passion for traveling and exploring new places.

She says, “ My passion has not only always heavily dominated my decisions but also ensured that I live my dream ‘a nomad-life’ while giving my best in what I chose to pursue! Xplorer's Paradise is an extension of me through which I aim to make traveling a luxury everyone can afford irrespective of their budgets.”

Ms. Sonia David, CO- Founder Unadvised Traveller

With more than a decade of experience in market research, she decided to quit and follow her passion for Travel. Started as a travel planner and is now the founder of Holiday Tickle Tours. As a traveler, she has left her footsteps in more than 25 countries. Specialist in creating customized trips in Domestic & International sector. Her motto is to convert a tourist into a traveler and wanting them to travel often. She believes, that the world is beautiful, and how much ever she explores she is just left amazed wanting more !!!

After 10 years of experience in operations & sales, Pallavi founded Varad Holidays in February 2015.

With a mission to provide client satisfaction to the fullest. Specialized in Domestic Tours in all over India as well as in International like Japan, Greece, Europe, Turkey, Far-East sectors (i.e. Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hongkong-Macau), Maldives, Mauritius, Srilanka & Dubai. And also STAR CRUISE BOOKING. The company goal is to fulfill the expectations in the best possible way.

Juhi Patel, Owner Sharanam Holidays

Ms. Purvi Jhaveri, Founder, ways2wander everything travel

M: 91 8469994571 E: info.sharanamholidays@gmail.com

E: unadvisedtraveller25@gmail.com

E: purvi@ ways2wander.com

Juhi Patel proprietor of Sharanam holidays is based in Vadodara, Gujarat. Her journey in the industry started in 2017 and she has 6 years of experience. Her specialization is in customizing International and Domestic Holiday Packages at a very attractive cost. They also do cruise booking, Air Ticketing, Travel Insurance, Destination events and Visa consultancy.

Sonia, has done post graduation in Tourism Management from Garware in Mumbai, worked in SOTC for 3 years before starting of her own venture. She is also a fashion & lifestyle blogger and had hosted food & travel show.

Her company Unadvised Traveller is an online content creator company venturing into food, travel and wellness. The main platform is YouTube where one can see the content videos related to delicious food of various countries to enriching travel experiences and soothing wellness centres around the world. She says, “I believe that the best time is always spent out of your comfort zone.”

ways2wander believe that there’s a lot more to a fulfilling travel experience than just the right destination! Started with a passion for travelling and curiosity for new places. Purvi passionately design and customize itineraries to create a hassle free experience leading to cherished travel moments. They focus on slow-placed travel wherein one explores a place to its whole than just sightseeing.

Ms. Zeenat Anjum, Director, Haw Travel Management Pvt Ltd

Ms. Mehak Kriplani, Owner Aashirwad Tours and Travels

E: zeenat@holidaysaroundworld.com

www.tourtotanzania.com

Aashirwad Tours and Travels was established in 2015 and is B2B based in Delhi. Specialised in Kerala & South India packages. Designing the packages as per the client requirement. The company also offers B2B rates for Hotel Booking, Package Booking, Airticketing, Car rental, Houseboat.

The best deals are guaranteed for the destinations Kerala, South India, Himachal, Goa, Kashmir, Leh Ladakh, Rajasthan, NorthEast & Andaman.

Holidays Around World (HAW) is a DMC that creates unforgettable experiences for the customers. With a long and extremely successful career, a wealth of expertise and knowledge, Founder and MD Zeenat Anjum is leading the way for a company for more than 12 years. She continues to inspire and drive the success of building the brand. Besides infusing the spirit of action and a result-oriented work culture she set the tone and the vision for their organization, and as a result the company has risen to levels of fame.

22

Ms. Pallavi Ghate, Proprietor Varad Holidays

Ms. Reena Dsouza- Founder Holiday Tickle Tours, Mumbai

M: 7827650270 E: info.att07@gmail.com

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

Her travel passion drove her to start her own company and Blue Duck Holidays was born in 2013. With no background in Travel Industry, but a believe and her innovative ideas brought her clients. And also her office location is Bandra, Mumbai iced on it.

In her words, “We are engaged in curating Bespoke and Personalised Travel Packages for our clients offering them Travel Consultancy and Bookings. Blue Duck Holidays believes in – Travel in Personal, So is Our Planning !!

The resort offers the most pristine surroundings with peace and tranquil. Spread over 10 acre with 37 family sized rooms, restaurant, pool and spa.

Whatever you do, be different from the crowd.

Alpana has proved her dedication towards her work and commitment. She has given 15 years to nurture The Riverview Resort Chiplun. She says, “We at The Riverview are committed to give you impeccable service & hospitality.”

M: +255762874630

Tour To Tanzania, is a tour company offering all kind of Safaris, Mountain Climbing, Beach Holidays and Cultural Tourism in Kenya and Tanzania. If anyone looking forward for trusted partners to work in Kenya and Tanzania can connect to Mary Muna on her WhatsApp no +255762874630.

M: 9820082243 E: ruchika@blueduckholidays.com

M: 98203 34671 E: alpanachauhan@chiplunhotels.com

Travel4unme Solution's is a niche travel boutique company offering services in all Travel & Holiday related fields, based in Bangalore. Specializes in customized family and group travel solutions on global basis. Also specialize in Only Women Travel via two Clubs - Women Travel Clubs Indian Solo Woman Travel Club and Premuim Club Travel Divas. Anjali says, “Our USP lies in handpicked hotels and tailormade experiences as we ourselves are well travelled and have travel alliances through out the world.

Ms. Mary Muna Arusha Tanzania East Africa

Ms. Ruchika Gupta Founder, Blue Duck Holidays

Ms. Alpana Chauhan,

M: 9379819990 E: Anjali.sinha@travel4unme.com

M: 8652476677 E: deepti@global-holidays.in

Sangeeta comes from the beautiful state of Assam. She is one of the prominent Tour Operator, approved by govt of Assam since 17 years. The company has Special deals for North East. And it can be a one stop shop for all the travel needs ranging from Hotel Reservations, Holiday Packages, Ticketing, Passports, Visas, Mediclaim Insurance, to Foreign Exchange.

A balanced, analytical individual, proven business leader with 20 year plus of, with a number of years of handling P&L responsibility, with proven track record, with the magnitude and levels of confidence to influence and tutor, guide at all levels and who can make a quick and positive impact on the business.

Ms. Anjali Sinha

India Marketing Rep of Brightstar Tours Egypt

M: 98641 05242 E : ntp2003assam@gmail.com

M: 9663433966 E: jvarma@acte.org

Tour Director & Promoter Organizer of Women Travel Club

Ms.Deepti Deorukhkar,

Ms. Jinal Shah, Director, Plaza Tour

Ms. Sangeeta Deka, CEO, New Travellers Point, Assam

M: 9819596569 E: savithri@travelsavvy.in

Proprietor of Global Holidays and

After a long trail and 15 years of experience in Travel, Shikha started her own firm for Marketing and Representing the companies in Delhi to make them accessible to B2B market. She has worked with many big brands and current in her portfolio are - Country Inn & Suites By Radisson (GuruGram), Udaan Hotels & Resorts (North East Hotel Chain), Trip Anthem, AirIQ, Harsh Travels, Fasinating Ireland, Gateway of Europe Ltd, Eazee Connect Repz.

Ms. Jyothi Varma

A post graduate from SNDT College, Savithri has worked in the travel and hospitality industry for almost 10 years. She believes that the best thing money can buy you is memories and the perfect way of buying it is through travelling. This led to the birth of Travel Savvy, 4 years ago. She has nurtured this baby and developed it into a full fledged travel management company. Travel Savvy caters to corporate and leisure clients and offers a wide range of travel options and travel related services.

M: 9998472851 E: info@nmsholidays.com

Deepti has more than 15 years of experience in the travel Industry which, enhanced her knowledge in all the stream. And thus she founded her company Global Holidays, five years back. She also takes care of Marketing Representations of Bright Star Tours, Egypt in India. She says, “This was a proud moment for the company to handle the position in India Market. My childhood dream to travel to different places is now my passion and this passion has created ME, what I am today.”

M- 9818863748 E: contact@shikhakhanna.co.in

M:98302 88109 E:nikita@pristinetravel.com

Ms. Bhavna Sheth Owner, NMS Holidays NMS HOLIDAYS was established in 2014 and is based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Specialised in North East (Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal, Seven Sister Tour). The Company also deals in Domestic & International packages, and Air ticketing. Some other offering from the company - Exclusive Honeymoon package to Maldives, Bali and Seychelles; specializes for group tour, customize tour, and group air tickets .

Marketing & Representation, Delhi

M: 9833359847 E: kjiandani@nclcorp.com

Ms. Mamta Pall, Group Director Outbound Marketing M: 9810175385

Ms. Shikha Khanna

Ms. Nikita Sarrof, Director Pristine Travel Pvt Ltd

Business Development Manager Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, India

www.safariplus.co.in

www.safariplus.co.in

Ms. Swati Kapoor Saraogi Director, Holiday Tripster M: 9831761003 E:swatikapoor@holidaytripster.com

Swati, a young chirpy girl who takes travel seriously! With an eye for the unusual and a longing to have the most unique travel experience. She founded Holiday Tripster in 2013.

Connecting with new people and exploring the new destinations defines the way of life for her to experience this world! Swati's motto in life: "Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success."

23

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

INTERNATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL

Event Highlights With All-Time High Engagement For All Delegates IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific 2019 will feature a re-designed programme with proven engagement activities aimed at fostering new avenues of lead generation between suppliers and buyers beyond one-on-one business appointments.

Following a successful roll-out during the China event earlier this March, new initiatives such as Brand Showcase Presentations, Exhibition Walkabouts and MeetThe-Corporates have seen adoption by close to 20 brands that have chosen these activities to supplement their business appointments and enhance their outreach to niche buyer segments during the upcoming show.

Another newly added segment to the show this year is Say Hi to Everyone. Formatted as an interactive ice-breaker and helmed by MICE Strategist and Hospitality Consultant Mr. David Barrett, this session allows all delegates to get a sense of who's who at this year's show and to identify profiles they would like to meet across both events, kick-starting connections before business days begin.

More Brands Engaging Target Segments Beyond One-On-One Appointments In line with the strong take-up of new initiatives, more brands have also opted for captive engagement sessions this year with an extensive line-up of sponsored events to date.

TCEB will be presenting a "Corporate Exchange, Exclusively Thailand" networking mirroring the new "Meet-The-Corporates" format, featuring up to 48 Thai suppliers, and attended solely by corporate buyers over 2 days.

"Our new branding Thailand Redefine Your Business Events inspires us to find every window of opportunity to create value and enhance return on investment and return on time for MICE stakeholders. Our partnership with IT&CMA in launching Corporate Exchange, Exclusively Thailand initiative is a perfect match with our new branding.

We are excited to see the Thai suppliers and Corporate Travel Managers leverage on this new initiative and deepen their interaction in an exclusive setting" said Mrs. Nichapa Yoswee, Senior Vice President – Business of TCEB. New exhibitor and sponsor OMT Group joins the line-up of luncheon, cocktail and dinner hosts that presently include Accor Bangkok & Hua Hin Hotels, Conrad Bangkok, Japan By JTB, Marina Bay Sands, TCEB and more. Hosting not one but two functions, this ASEAN-based DMC is aiming to promote their MICE-based itineraries

through their Networking Lunch Europe Cruise Preview and Networking Chao Phraya River Cruise Dinner. The latter is also open to invited exhibitors.

As strategic partner, TCEB will continue to host the perennially anticipated Opening Ceremony and Welcome Dinner, pre-show city tours of Bangkok and post-show tours to Ayutthaya and Khao Lak. Said Darren Ng, Managing Director, TTG Asia Media, "The encouraging space expansion of returning exhibitors attest to continued confidence that IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific delivers across all fronts, internationally and locally. As the show continues to evolve, we progressively put in our best to cater to the ever-changing needs of our suppliers and buyers."

Other revitalized event highlights include: Sticky Awards – IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific's very own appreciation program for top-performing delegates – comprising a new awards list and voting format Attractive lucky draw incentives for good performing buyers Expanded knowledge programme with a Sustainability theme that ties across the various sessions at: the extended Asian MICE Cruise Conference, Keynote Lecture, Association Day forums, ASEAN MICE Forum and CTW Asia-Pacific Conference.

App-centric event that reduces the use of printed materials and increases connectivity between delegates.

If you would like to procure, network and learn at IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific 2019, join us from 24 – 26 September at the Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld. The leading MICE event is co-located with CTW Asia-Pacific – The Leading Corporate Travel Management Conference for the Asia-Pacific.

For more info - www.itcma.com | www.corporatetravelworld.com/apac

Tourism Malaysia’s VISITMALAYSIA 2020 Tourism Malaysia launched the much anticipated VisitMalaysia 2020 campaign, during the 3-city roadshow in India (Amritsar, Mumbai & Hyderabad) in July 2019.

A total number of 37 participants from Malaysia comprising a combination of 16travel agents, 4-product owners, 9- hotels, 3 airlines and 5 others combine together to share the latest development of Malaysian tourism, and also to announce the Visit Malaysia year in 2020.

The VM2020 roadshow emphasizes India as main potential market for the country.

There was a special briefing on VISA, presentation by delegates.

Mr Mohd Hafiz Hashim, Director, Tourism Malaysia Mumbai said, “We are happy to host VISIT MALAYSIA 2020 Roadshow in India because this will enable us to do a quality networking with the Travel Trade fraternity and to boost Indian tourist footfalls to Malaysia.”

In 2018, 600,311 (+8.6%) Indian tourists visited Malaysia and spent almost RM 2.7 billion. Statistic from January until May 2019 show that a total of 295,609 with the growth of 15.5% Indian visited Malaysia compared to same period last year.

To bounce back the Tourism, many development took place from south to north of Malaysia, in addition to Borneo’s wonderful natural landscape. In state of Johor, there are new attractions in Desaru Coast – an integrated beach destination spanning 3,900 acres where tourists can enjoy golfing at the renowned Els Club, stay in Hard Rock, The Westin or other beach hotels, or have fun at the water theme park with one of the biggest wave pools in the world! In latest addition, the interactive sea aquarium

in Legoland Malaysia, the Sea Life has some 13,000 fishes and 120 types of species on display. More fun await families or thrill-seekers, as many new indoor entertainment parks are booming, like Superpark in Avenue K, My Best Box in Berjaya Times Square, Futureland Fun Zone in Sunway Pyramid, and VR’s hotspot the Rift in Mid Valley Mega Mall and Skytropolis in Genting.

Nepal Tourism Promotes ‘Visit Nepal Year 2020' N e p a l To u r i s m B o a r d ( N T B ) conducted a destination presentation in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. The event showcased the country’s many tourism offerings and the Nepalese delegation interacted with the travel trade.

The Indian market continues to be one of the most important co nt r i b u to rs o f i nte r n at i o n a l visitors into Nepal and last year, the Board recorded 200,438 visitors from India. NTB targets a 25% growth in arrivals from India.

C o m m e nt i n g o n t h e to u r i s m connect between the two nations, Mr. SanJeet, Director, Buzz Travel Marketing India, said, “Indian outbound to Nepal has been growing rapidly, owing to the fact that the destination caters to the demands of all age groups. This growth will surge in the coming years. There has been a steady increase in FITs and small groups travelling to Nepal from India. ”

Visit Nepal Year 2020 - The government of Nepal is working rigorously to ensure a successful tourism period till 2020, and the Tourism Board has set a target of two million tourist arrivals by the end of next year. Currently, the country sees nearly one million visitors annually, which is expected to double as the Board continues promoting the ‘Visit Nepal Year 2020’ campaign aggressively.

By 2020, the government plans to operate two new international airports Pokhara and Lumbini - and introduce the Airbus 330-200 to provide airline services to the growing number of tourists. The government also plans to run Tribhuvan International Airport for an additional three hours from the regular 18, to ensure continued availability of service to both incoming and outgoing tourists. The private hotel sector, too, has planned to add 4000 rooms in the four and five-star categories in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara. A number of international hotel chains, including Hilton and Marriott, are expected to operate properties in Nepal in the coming years.

Serbia Tourism Expands Its Footprint In India

N ational Tourism Organisation of Serbia has appointed Beautiful Planet Destination Marketing to expand its tourism activities in India. As part of the mandate, Beautiful Planet will be responsible for organising roadshows in

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

24

www.safariplus.co.in

www.safariplus.co.in

Mumbai and Delhi and a group media familiarisation visit to Serbia.

In a move to promote border free tourism, the Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the decision on visa exemption for Indian nationals in September 2017.

On engagement with Beautiful Planet – Marija Labovic, Acting Director, National Tourism Organisation of Serbia, said, “Beautiful Planet has an excellent track record in destination representation. Outbound tourism from India is on a growth trajectory and we would like to be part of the growth story. Serbia has everything to offer the discerning travellers and we are geared up to cater to the needs and demands of the Indian market.”

Commenting on the same, Huzan Fraser and Beena Menon, Directors, Beautiful Planet Destination Marketing, said, “We are absolutely delighted to be chosen as the India representative for the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia to market this new and exciting destination in the Balkans. We would like to enhance the visibility and image of the destination using the culture, history and diversity, to uniquely position the same in the market.”

Some of the features that make Serbia an incredibly attractive tourism destination include: UNESCO World Heritage Sites; National Parks; Adventure Sports like white water rafting, free climbing, flying, orienteering; diverse Fauna; Nature Parks; Sports and Recreating Activities like hiking, bicycling, and walking; Mountain Resorts and Spa & Health Resorts; Monasteries and Museums.

25

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

INTERNATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL

Event Highlights With All-Time High Engagement For All Delegates IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific 2019 will feature a re-designed programme with proven engagement activities aimed at fostering new avenues of lead generation between suppliers and buyers beyond one-on-one business appointments.

Following a successful roll-out during the China event earlier this March, new initiatives such as Brand Showcase Presentations, Exhibition Walkabouts and MeetThe-Corporates have seen adoption by close to 20 brands that have chosen these activities to supplement their business appointments and enhance their outreach to niche buyer segments during the upcoming show.

Another newly added segment to the show this year is Say Hi to Everyone. Formatted as an interactive ice-breaker and helmed by MICE Strategist and Hospitality Consultant Mr. David Barrett, this session allows all delegates to get a sense of who's who at this year's show and to identify profiles they would like to meet across both events, kick-starting connections before business days begin.

More Brands Engaging Target Segments Beyond One-On-One Appointments In line with the strong take-up of new initiatives, more brands have also opted for captive engagement sessions this year with an extensive line-up of sponsored events to date.

TCEB will be presenting a "Corporate Exchange, Exclusively Thailand" networking mirroring the new "Meet-The-Corporates" format, featuring up to 48 Thai suppliers, and attended solely by corporate buyers over 2 days.

"Our new branding Thailand Redefine Your Business Events inspires us to find every window of opportunity to create value and enhance return on investment and return on time for MICE stakeholders. Our partnership with IT&CMA in launching Corporate Exchange, Exclusively Thailand initiative is a perfect match with our new branding.

We are excited to see the Thai suppliers and Corporate Travel Managers leverage on this new initiative and deepen their interaction in an exclusive setting" said Mrs. Nichapa Yoswee, Senior Vice President – Business of TCEB. New exhibitor and sponsor OMT Group joins the line-up of luncheon, cocktail and dinner hosts that presently include Accor Bangkok & Hua Hin Hotels, Conrad Bangkok, Japan By JTB, Marina Bay Sands, TCEB and more. Hosting not one but two functions, this ASEAN-based DMC is aiming to promote their MICE-based itineraries

through their Networking Lunch Europe Cruise Preview and Networking Chao Phraya River Cruise Dinner. The latter is also open to invited exhibitors.

As strategic partner, TCEB will continue to host the perennially anticipated Opening Ceremony and Welcome Dinner, pre-show city tours of Bangkok and post-show tours to Ayutthaya and Khao Lak. Said Darren Ng, Managing Director, TTG Asia Media, "The encouraging space expansion of returning exhibitors attest to continued confidence that IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific delivers across all fronts, internationally and locally. As the show continues to evolve, we progressively put in our best to cater to the ever-changing needs of our suppliers and buyers."

Other revitalized event highlights include: Sticky Awards – IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific's very own appreciation program for top-performing delegates – comprising a new awards list and voting format Attractive lucky draw incentives for good performing buyers Expanded knowledge programme with a Sustainability theme that ties across the various sessions at: the extended Asian MICE Cruise Conference, Keynote Lecture, Association Day forums, ASEAN MICE Forum and CTW Asia-Pacific Conference.

App-centric event that reduces the use of printed materials and increases connectivity between delegates.

If you would like to procure, network and learn at IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific 2019, join us from 24 – 26 September at the Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld. The leading MICE event is co-located with CTW Asia-Pacific – The Leading Corporate Travel Management Conference for the Asia-Pacific.

For more info - www.itcma.com | www.corporatetravelworld.com/apac

Tourism Malaysia’s VISITMALAYSIA 2020 Tourism Malaysia launched the much anticipated VisitMalaysia 2020 campaign, during the 3-city roadshow in India (Amritsar, Mumbai & Hyderabad) in July 2019.

A total number of 37 participants from Malaysia comprising a combination of 16travel agents, 4-product owners, 9- hotels, 3 airlines and 5 others combine together to share the latest development of Malaysian tourism, and also to announce the Visit Malaysia year in 2020.

The VM2020 roadshow emphasizes India as main potential market for the country.

There was a special briefing on VISA, presentation by delegates.

Mr Mohd Hafiz Hashim, Director, Tourism Malaysia Mumbai said, “We are happy to host VISIT MALAYSIA 2020 Roadshow in India because this will enable us to do a quality networking with the Travel Trade fraternity and to boost Indian tourist footfalls to Malaysia.”

In 2018, 600,311 (+8.6%) Indian tourists visited Malaysia and spent almost RM 2.7 billion. Statistic from January until May 2019 show that a total of 295,609 with the growth of 15.5% Indian visited Malaysia compared to same period last year.

To bounce back the Tourism, many development took place from south to north of Malaysia, in addition to Borneo’s wonderful natural landscape. In state of Johor, there are new attractions in Desaru Coast – an integrated beach destination spanning 3,900 acres where tourists can enjoy golfing at the renowned Els Club, stay in Hard Rock, The Westin or other beach hotels, or have fun at the water theme park with one of the biggest wave pools in the world! In latest addition, the interactive sea aquarium

in Legoland Malaysia, the Sea Life has some 13,000 fishes and 120 types of species on display. More fun await families or thrill-seekers, as many new indoor entertainment parks are booming, like Superpark in Avenue K, My Best Box in Berjaya Times Square, Futureland Fun Zone in Sunway Pyramid, and VR’s hotspot the Rift in Mid Valley Mega Mall and Skytropolis in Genting.

Nepal Tourism Promotes ‘Visit Nepal Year 2020' N e p a l To u r i s m B o a r d ( N T B ) conducted a destination presentation in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. The event showcased the country’s many tourism offerings and the Nepalese delegation interacted with the travel trade.

The Indian market continues to be one of the most important co nt r i b u to rs o f i nte r n at i o n a l visitors into Nepal and last year, the Board recorded 200,438 visitors from India. NTB targets a 25% growth in arrivals from India.

C o m m e nt i n g o n t h e to u r i s m connect between the two nations, Mr. SanJeet, Director, Buzz Travel Marketing India, said, “Indian outbound to Nepal has been growing rapidly, owing to the fact that the destination caters to the demands of all age groups. This growth will surge in the coming years. There has been a steady increase in FITs and small groups travelling to Nepal from India. ”

Visit Nepal Year 2020 - The government of Nepal is working rigorously to ensure a successful tourism period till 2020, and the Tourism Board has set a target of two million tourist arrivals by the end of next year. Currently, the country sees nearly one million visitors annually, which is expected to double as the Board continues promoting the ‘Visit Nepal Year 2020’ campaign aggressively.

By 2020, the government plans to operate two new international airports Pokhara and Lumbini - and introduce the Airbus 330-200 to provide airline services to the growing number of tourists. The government also plans to run Tribhuvan International Airport for an additional three hours from the regular 18, to ensure continued availability of service to both incoming and outgoing tourists. The private hotel sector, too, has planned to add 4000 rooms in the four and five-star categories in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara. A number of international hotel chains, including Hilton and Marriott, are expected to operate properties in Nepal in the coming years.

Serbia Tourism Expands Its Footprint In India

N ational Tourism Organisation of Serbia has appointed Beautiful Planet Destination Marketing to expand its tourism activities in India. As part of the mandate, Beautiful Planet will be responsible for organising roadshows in

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

24

www.safariplus.co.in

www.safariplus.co.in

Mumbai and Delhi and a group media familiarisation visit to Serbia.

In a move to promote border free tourism, the Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the decision on visa exemption for Indian nationals in September 2017.

On engagement with Beautiful Planet – Marija Labovic, Acting Director, National Tourism Organisation of Serbia, said, “Beautiful Planet has an excellent track record in destination representation. Outbound tourism from India is on a growth trajectory and we would like to be part of the growth story. Serbia has everything to offer the discerning travellers and we are geared up to cater to the needs and demands of the Indian market.”

Commenting on the same, Huzan Fraser and Beena Menon, Directors, Beautiful Planet Destination Marketing, said, “We are absolutely delighted to be chosen as the India representative for the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia to market this new and exciting destination in the Balkans. We would like to enhance the visibility and image of the destination using the culture, history and diversity, to uniquely position the same in the market.”

Some of the features that make Serbia an incredibly attractive tourism destination include: UNESCO World Heritage Sites; National Parks; Adventure Sports like white water rafting, free climbing, flying, orienteering; diverse Fauna; Nature Parks; Sports and Recreating Activities like hiking, bicycling, and walking; Mountain Resorts and Spa & Health Resorts; Monasteries and Museums.

25

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

INTERNATIONAL

INSIGHT

Singapore Welcomes Vistara’s Inaugural Delhi & Mumbai Flights

TCEB - Business Strengthens Thailand's Position As Exhibition Hub Of ASEAN

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and partners welcomed passengers on board Vistara’s inaugural international flights from Delhi and Mumbai with a taste of Singaporean hospitality. The STB, together with tourism partners like Gardens by the Bay, Resorts World Sentosa, Sentosa Development Corporation, Trick Eye Museum Singapore and Wildlife Reserves Singapore (comprising the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Safari and Jurong Bird Park) have put together value deals and discounts to popular attractions and experiences in Singapore.

Singapore received 1.44 million visitors from India in 2018, crossing the one million visitor mark for the fourth time in a row. India is also the third largest visitor source market for Singapore. Mr. GB Srithar, Regional Director (India, Middle East & South Asia), Singapore Tourism Board said, “The new direct flight services will help bring more Indian visitors to Singapore to enjoy a multitude of experiences, catering to their different passions and interests. To welcome passengers taking the inaugural flights to Singapore, we decided to do something special for them with our tourism partners. We are happy that our attractions are offering special deals to enhance the guests’ experiences in our city.”

Vistara will operate two daily flights to Singapore, one each from Delhi and Mumbai.

Customers can also take convenient one-stop connections to and from several other Indian cities including Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jammu, Lucknow, Ranchi, Raipur, Srinagar, Varanasi, and more. Aircraft on the route will be Boeing 737-800NG aircraft with two-class cabin configuration consisting of Business and Economy Class. And you enjoy Vistara World, our complimentary inflight entertainment. The introductory allinclusive return fares for Delhi-Singapore-Delhi start at INR 21,877 and SingaporeDelhi-Singapore start at SGD 451, while fares for Mumbai-Singapore-Mumbai start at INR 20,778 and Singapore-Mumbai-Singapore start at SGD 522.

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) - Business' effort to position Thailand as the exhibition hub of ASEAN is bearing fruit with 2019.

This year sees Thailand hosting the 86th UFI Global Congress, from 6 to 9 November in Bangkok, welcoming more than 400 of the global exhibition industry's movers and shakers.

Mrs. Nichapa Yoswee, TCEB's Senior Vice President Business, said Thailand's position as ASEAN's leading exhibition destination is catching the attention of foreign organisers and the international community.

"In total 22 international exhibitions held in Thailand during 2018-2019 were certified by UFI - The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, representing the highest number of UFI-certified exhibitions in ASEAN," Mrs. Nichapa said.

During 2019, TCEB also supported and won bids for 17 new international exhibitions a record number. They include four events on Smart Devices from China, Singapore and Malaysia; one event on Digital from Germany; one event on Energy from Singapore; two Food events from Thailand; and one each on Logistics and Health from Thailand. In the pipeline, TCEB - Business is also eyeing an additional 22 possible events, mostly focusing on the 10 S-Curve industries including three Digital events, two Food events and two events each on Energy, Smart Devices and Logistics.

Mrs. Nichapa added: "New trends are emerging where international organisers are utilising Thailand as a gateway to the ASEAN region. They are also keen to explore the many business opportunities provided by the Thai government's 'Thailand 4.0 - EEC' (Eastern Economic Corridor) initiative, which is considered ASEAN's largest in terms of investment values and development potential."

According to Mrs. Nichapa, this record setting performance is driven partly by TCEB's "360 Degree Exhibition Success" campaign. The 'Exhibiz in Market scheme' has so far supported six national pavilions at various exhibitions in Thailand, including for China at CEBIT ASEAN Thailand, LED Expo and METALEX; South Korea at Propak Asia, SILMO and Medical Devices ASEAN; Singapore at Infocomm Southeast Asia; Malaysia at CEBIT ASEAN Thailand; Taiwan at Propak Asia and Medical Devices ASEAN; and the United Kingdom at Propak Asia.

Jammu & Kashmir Investors’ Summit The Government of Jammu & Kashmir with Confederation of Indian Industry as the National Partner is organizing its first-ever Jammu & K a s h m i r I n v e s t o r s S u m m i t o n 12th October 2019 and 14th October 2019 at Srinagar and Jammu respectively.

The Summit will be a showcase of available investment opportunities across sectors in the State as well as that of the enabling framework created by the State Government to facilitate investors and investments. Sectoral Sessions based on the competitive advantages of the State and Business to Government (B2G) meetings will also be organized as a part of the main event.

The summit will also accelerate the state's industrial growth and development.

After the government revoked the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories – Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh. The Global Investor Summit will be held for the first time ever in these new union territories. The opening ceremony of the summit will be held on October 12 in Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) Srinagar and closing on 14th October at Jammu.

The state administrative council approved the engagement of CII as National Partner for the JK Investor Summit 2019 and execution of a MoU between Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organisation (JKTPO) and CII for organisation and management of the event.

Commenting on Mr. Naveen Choudhary, State's Principal Secretary said, “The state government has decided to hold the first-ever J&K investors’ summit to attract investments in various sectors of the economy of the state and to showcase J&K as a favourable investment destination. This meet will provide Jammu Kashmir an

Yusmarg Kashmir

Yusmarg is a pine framed grassy hilltop meadow. The divine beauty of the place is beyond words. Dense pine trees, grassy pastures with multi-hued blossoms and snow clad mountain peaks in the background. Increasingly becoming a popular hill station of Jammu and Kashmir, many factors contribute to its allure. It is situated 47 kms to south west of Srinagar at an altitude of 8900 ft. The valley is perfect to enjoy the blessed natural beauty.

Adventures also abound in the valley as there are beautiful lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. Known as trekkers' paradise it is full of thrilling trails. Yusmarg is also known as the 'Meadow of Yesu’. It is believed to be the home of the Lord.

It is an ideal one day picnic spot for someone who loves nature and tranquillity. It is possible that after reaching this place, you may want to even stay for a few days. Specially, for the lovers of long walk in picturesque locales, Yusmarg is a place to be. A trek of 4 km leads to a small lake called Nilnag. Another trail leads to the lakes in Sang-e-Safed valley, mostly covered by ice even during the summer. Other tourist activities include horse riding, fishing, skiing during winter and photography.

What you can do: This grassland is a trekker's paradise. You can trek these ridges to the beautiful Nilnag Lake.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

26

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opportunity to showcase its strengths, strategies and potential. It will also help allay fears and apprehensions in the minds of the trade and business community outside the state. Opportunities for sectors like tourism agriculture health education are welcome to be explored here in the state.”

The micro, small and medium enterprises from Jammu region are optimistic that the Investors’ Summit, announced will help in rapid industrialization in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his address to the nation on 15th August said that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have the potential to become the world’s largest tourist destination. Jammu and Kashmir would now attract investors and benefit from its rich resources like in horticulture, agriculture, handicraft and tourism.

www.safariplus.co.in

You can hire a pony for three or four hour and gallop through these majestic grassland, your eyes on the snowy mountains all the while.

If you want to play in the snow, you can trek farther away to hills like Tatta Kutti and Sang Safed. You would want to reach this place pretty early if you plan on trekking these routes either by foot or pony.

There is a Charari-Sharief, the shrine of Kashmir's patron saint Sheikh Noor-ud-din or Nund Reshi, at about 13 kilometres away from the meadows which you must visit. This is pretty huge structure rebuilt after a fire destroyed the original building in the war of 1994.

Since, Yousmarg has a very untouched appeal. You won't find too many tourists over there, apart from some locals and school kids from Srinagar.

Therefore this is an ideal retreat if you want to spend a day away from tourist crowds away even in the Kashmir peak season.

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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

INTERNATIONAL

INSIGHT

Singapore Welcomes Vistara’s Inaugural Delhi & Mumbai Flights

TCEB - Business Strengthens Thailand's Position As Exhibition Hub Of ASEAN

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and partners welcomed passengers on board Vistara’s inaugural international flights from Delhi and Mumbai with a taste of Singaporean hospitality. The STB, together with tourism partners like Gardens by the Bay, Resorts World Sentosa, Sentosa Development Corporation, Trick Eye Museum Singapore and Wildlife Reserves Singapore (comprising the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Safari and Jurong Bird Park) have put together value deals and discounts to popular attractions and experiences in Singapore.

Singapore received 1.44 million visitors from India in 2018, crossing the one million visitor mark for the fourth time in a row. India is also the third largest visitor source market for Singapore. Mr. GB Srithar, Regional Director (India, Middle East & South Asia), Singapore Tourism Board said, “The new direct flight services will help bring more Indian visitors to Singapore to enjoy a multitude of experiences, catering to their different passions and interests. To welcome passengers taking the inaugural flights to Singapore, we decided to do something special for them with our tourism partners. We are happy that our attractions are offering special deals to enhance the guests’ experiences in our city.”

Vistara will operate two daily flights to Singapore, one each from Delhi and Mumbai.

Customers can also take convenient one-stop connections to and from several other Indian cities including Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jammu, Lucknow, Ranchi, Raipur, Srinagar, Varanasi, and more. Aircraft on the route will be Boeing 737-800NG aircraft with two-class cabin configuration consisting of Business and Economy Class. And you enjoy Vistara World, our complimentary inflight entertainment. The introductory allinclusive return fares for Delhi-Singapore-Delhi start at INR 21,877 and SingaporeDelhi-Singapore start at SGD 451, while fares for Mumbai-Singapore-Mumbai start at INR 20,778 and Singapore-Mumbai-Singapore start at SGD 522.

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) - Business' effort to position Thailand as the exhibition hub of ASEAN is bearing fruit with 2019.

This year sees Thailand hosting the 86th UFI Global Congress, from 6 to 9 November in Bangkok, welcoming more than 400 of the global exhibition industry's movers and shakers.

Mrs. Nichapa Yoswee, TCEB's Senior Vice President Business, said Thailand's position as ASEAN's leading exhibition destination is catching the attention of foreign organisers and the international community.

"In total 22 international exhibitions held in Thailand during 2018-2019 were certified by UFI - The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, representing the highest number of UFI-certified exhibitions in ASEAN," Mrs. Nichapa said.

During 2019, TCEB also supported and won bids for 17 new international exhibitions a record number. They include four events on Smart Devices from China, Singapore and Malaysia; one event on Digital from Germany; one event on Energy from Singapore; two Food events from Thailand; and one each on Logistics and Health from Thailand. In the pipeline, TCEB - Business is also eyeing an additional 22 possible events, mostly focusing on the 10 S-Curve industries including three Digital events, two Food events and two events each on Energy, Smart Devices and Logistics.

Mrs. Nichapa added: "New trends are emerging where international organisers are utilising Thailand as a gateway to the ASEAN region. They are also keen to explore the many business opportunities provided by the Thai government's 'Thailand 4.0 - EEC' (Eastern Economic Corridor) initiative, which is considered ASEAN's largest in terms of investment values and development potential."

According to Mrs. Nichapa, this record setting performance is driven partly by TCEB's "360 Degree Exhibition Success" campaign. The 'Exhibiz in Market scheme' has so far supported six national pavilions at various exhibitions in Thailand, including for China at CEBIT ASEAN Thailand, LED Expo and METALEX; South Korea at Propak Asia, SILMO and Medical Devices ASEAN; Singapore at Infocomm Southeast Asia; Malaysia at CEBIT ASEAN Thailand; Taiwan at Propak Asia and Medical Devices ASEAN; and the United Kingdom at Propak Asia.

Jammu & Kashmir Investors’ Summit The Government of Jammu & Kashmir with Confederation of Indian Industry as the National Partner is organizing its first-ever Jammu & K a s h m i r I n v e s t o r s S u m m i t o n 12th October 2019 and 14th October 2019 at Srinagar and Jammu respectively.

The Summit will be a showcase of available investment opportunities across sectors in the State as well as that of the enabling framework created by the State Government to facilitate investors and investments. Sectoral Sessions based on the competitive advantages of the State and Business to Government (B2G) meetings will also be organized as a part of the main event.

The summit will also accelerate the state's industrial growth and development.

After the government revoked the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories – Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh. The Global Investor Summit will be held for the first time ever in these new union territories. The opening ceremony of the summit will be held on October 12 in Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) Srinagar and closing on 14th October at Jammu.

The state administrative council approved the engagement of CII as National Partner for the JK Investor Summit 2019 and execution of a MoU between Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organisation (JKTPO) and CII for organisation and management of the event.

Commenting on Mr. Naveen Choudhary, State's Principal Secretary said, “The state government has decided to hold the first-ever J&K investors’ summit to attract investments in various sectors of the economy of the state and to showcase J&K as a favourable investment destination. This meet will provide Jammu Kashmir an

Yusmarg Kashmir

Yusmarg is a pine framed grassy hilltop meadow. The divine beauty of the place is beyond words. Dense pine trees, grassy pastures with multi-hued blossoms and snow clad mountain peaks in the background. Increasingly becoming a popular hill station of Jammu and Kashmir, many factors contribute to its allure. It is situated 47 kms to south west of Srinagar at an altitude of 8900 ft. The valley is perfect to enjoy the blessed natural beauty.

Adventures also abound in the valley as there are beautiful lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. Known as trekkers' paradise it is full of thrilling trails. Yusmarg is also known as the 'Meadow of Yesu’. It is believed to be the home of the Lord.

It is an ideal one day picnic spot for someone who loves nature and tranquillity. It is possible that after reaching this place, you may want to even stay for a few days. Specially, for the lovers of long walk in picturesque locales, Yusmarg is a place to be. A trek of 4 km leads to a small lake called Nilnag. Another trail leads to the lakes in Sang-e-Safed valley, mostly covered by ice even during the summer. Other tourist activities include horse riding, fishing, skiing during winter and photography.

What you can do: This grassland is a trekker's paradise. You can trek these ridges to the beautiful Nilnag Lake.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

26

www.safariplus.co.in

opportunity to showcase its strengths, strategies and potential. It will also help allay fears and apprehensions in the minds of the trade and business community outside the state. Opportunities for sectors like tourism agriculture health education are welcome to be explored here in the state.”

The micro, small and medium enterprises from Jammu region are optimistic that the Investors’ Summit, announced will help in rapid industrialization in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his address to the nation on 15th August said that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have the potential to become the world’s largest tourist destination. Jammu and Kashmir would now attract investors and benefit from its rich resources like in horticulture, agriculture, handicraft and tourism.

www.safariplus.co.in

You can hire a pony for three or four hour and gallop through these majestic grassland, your eyes on the snowy mountains all the while.

If you want to play in the snow, you can trek farther away to hills like Tatta Kutti and Sang Safed. You would want to reach this place pretty early if you plan on trekking these routes either by foot or pony.

There is a Charari-Sharief, the shrine of Kashmir's patron saint Sheikh Noor-ud-din or Nund Reshi, at about 13 kilometres away from the meadows which you must visit. This is pretty huge structure rebuilt after a fire destroyed the original building in the war of 1994.

Since, Yousmarg has a very untouched appeal. You won't find too many tourists over there, apart from some locals and school kids from Srinagar.

Therefore this is an ideal retreat if you want to spend a day away from tourist crowds away even in the Kashmir peak season.

27

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2019

Networking is the No. 1 unwritten rule of success in Business

Sallie Krawcheck

TRAVEL DIRECTORY Since 2006, fulfilling your Business Goals and Connecting you to the Travel Trade

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September - October 2019 Vol: 21 Issue: 1