Dec 2021

MEDIA PARTNER

Dec 2021 Vol 1 Issue 09

Conversations With Srijan Vadhera General Manager Conrad Bengaluru Dharmendra Kumar Founder & CEO at GEANIS WORLD

SUSTAINABILITY BITEC & SCGP To Launch The “We Draw The New World Together” Campaign

ASSOCIATIONS FHRAI Submits Hospitality Industry’s Recommendations

THE GREAT

CONNECTOR The hospitality industry will need to bear these new trends in mind if it is to experience a renaissance and continue to thrive.

It won't be easy nor swift, but the industry has often shown its resilience and capacity to rebound from unexpected scenarios and is blessed with a solid backbone.

BARUN GUPTA President, SITE India Director of Sales & Marketing - Crowne Plaza, Greater Noida

SUSTAINABILITY

NETWORK An online community of MICE industry professionals who know that sustainability is not a choice in future but a priority in the present

ONBOARDiNG STARTED NETWORK Meet like minded professionals from across the globe

COLLABORATE Consider if sharing resources can be mutually beneficial

LEAD Lend a voice to this cri cal element and build momentum for ac onable change as Ambassadors LEARN Discover best prac ces, gather latest know-how & absorb keen insights that will guide you to take wise decisions

EXPRESS Share your ideas to bring about a change that will drive the future of our industry

Open for professionals across the globe who are associated with the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Events, Exhibitions & Business Tourism ecosystem. Enquiries solicited at raghav@miceshowcase.com Powered By: SHOWCASING THE WORLD OF BUSINESS TOURISM

M I C E Showcase

&

PSU BUZZ

LATEST NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF TRADE ASSOCIATIONS & PSU’S

If 2020 was a year of interminable waiting and vexation, 2021 proved to be a year of adaptation and adjustment. The rollout of vaccinations encouraged a signicant number of travellers to feel condent enough to board planes to reunite with family and attend MICE events. Despite a signicant uptick in travel, it was nonetheless also a year where travellers vacillated between fear and relief, sadness and joy, frustration and hope. Many events were announced and some postponed, many cancelled and nally some actually happened in physical formats this year. 2021 was a year of shutdowns and comebacks and its Raghav Khosla quite tough to summarize this year in one unanimous tone. However, the MICE industry has proven since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that it is resilient in the face of adversity. The industry also learnt to use technology as its aid to deliver & remain engaged with audiences.

Just as slight normalcy seemed to be resuming, the threat of Omicron began to loom large.

Recently, the World Health Organization said that preliminary evidence appears to indicate that vaccines may be less effective against infection and transmission linked to the Omicron variant of Sars-CoV-2, which also carries a “higher risk of re-infection”. This is not good news for our industry and sparks increased anxiety while putting a serious question mark on how the year 2022 will look like. For now, all I can express is that may 2022 be a year of sanity; good health and prosperity for the global MICE fraternity which has been affected enough already in the previous two years.

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QUICK NEWS

NEWS BUZZ

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INTERVIEWS

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MESSAGE FROM INDUSTRY 63-66

This Year That Month THIS YEAR THAT MONTH Monthly

SUSTAINABILITY

ASSOCIATION NEWS

GLOBAL NEWS

Proud To Be

Preferred Media Partner Announcing New Collaboration

MICE SHOWCASE

United States The Anaheim Conven on Center has helped raise $5,000 for Anaheim families and non-profits at the first annual disc golf tournament on Dec 13. The Anaheim Conven on Center is a major conven on center in Anaheim, California and is the largest exhibi on facility on the west coast. Seventy-two disc golfers par cipated in the fundraiser, represen ng numerous local tourism and hospitality organiza ons and businesses throughout the area.

Switzerland The World Economic Forum will defer its Annual Mee ng in Davos, Switzerland, in the light of con nued uncertainty over the Omicron outbreak. The Annual Mee ng was scheduled to take place in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland between 17-21 January 2022. It is now planned for early summer. Par cipants will instead join a headline series of State of the World sessions bringing together global leaders online to focus on shaping solu ons to the world’s most pressing challenges.

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South Africa Recent travel bans imposed on South Africa due to the omicron variant have hammered the country's safari business. South Africa's tourism industry suffered a more than 70% drop in foreign tourists in 2020. In South Africa, 4.7 percent of the workforce is involved in tourism and safari businesses.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Russia A er a decade-long hiatus, Russia is relaunching an ambi ous bid for dominion over the world's budding space tourism industry. Russia flaunted its comeback this month dispatching two cosmic adventurers - Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and his assistant -- to the Interna onal Space Sta on (ISS) in its first launch of tourists in 12 years.

Malaysia Leveraging Malaysia’s heavy rainfall as part of its sustainability strategies, the Kuala Lumpur Conven on Centre reveals its newly installed zero-energy rainwater harves ng system, designed by its own team member. Designed to e ffe c v e l y u l i s e t h e C e n t r e ’s architecture, the gravity-reliant system is comprised of four 300-gallon tanks constructed on the venue’s roo op with the poten al of harves ng up to 60,000 gallons of rainwater a year. The collected water will primarily be used fo r d ay- to - d ay a n d p o st- e ve n t housekeeping works such as cleaning of loading bays and to provide nonchlorinated water to plants.

Philippines Kuwait Effec ve December 26, Kuwait will require travellers arriving to the country to have the COVID-19 vaccine booster shot if more than nine months have passed since their vaccina on, the government communica on centre tweeted. Kuwait will also require incoming travellers to quaran ne at home for 10 days unless they receive a nega ve PCR test for the coronavirus within 72 hours of their arrival.

Philippines has once again secured the tle of the world's leading dive des na on at the pres gious 2021 World Travel Awards. Philippines boasts of having the best diving des na ons with biologically diverse marine and aqua c resources. It bested other dive des na ons in the world, such as the Maldives, Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Azores Islands, Bora Bora in French Polynesia, Cayman Islands, Fiji, Galapagos Islands and Mexico.

Australia Premier of Western Australia the Hon. Mark McGowan MLA has announced a new tourism recovery package that will see the State’s official conven on bureau, Business Events Perth, receive $15 million in funding to a ract lucra ve business events to WA, which will help to support the state’s business event, hotel and hospitality industry. As well as the funding for Business Events Perth, the package includes a $65 million avia on fund directed towards re-establishing interna onal and interstate flight routes that were disrupted by the pandemic, as well as targe ng new routes including Germany, India, China and Vietnam.

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Industry In Pictures From The World Of Social Media

FIEO Par cipated in Super Sourcing 2021 Dubai from 12-14 December, 2021 with 30 Indian Companies. The Indian companies represented mul ple sectors like Tex les, Apparels, FMCG and allied sectors. Over 425 B2B mee ngs with 135 buyers were concluded during the expo.

Glimpses from the recently concluded IATO Conven on in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad. #travelconven on #iatoindia

IELA, the Interna onal Exhibi on Logis cs Associa on, invited peer associa ons from the event and exhibi on industry to talk about leadership, reless advocacy and vision for a be er event & exhibi on industry during the ASSOCIATIONS DAY online event. @IELA

Western Australia’s ancient Aboriginal rock art and academic strengths in the field have led to the State being chosen as the host des na on of the Congress of the Interna onal Rock Art Organisa ons (IFRAO) and the 4th Australian Rock Art Research Associa on Congress (AURA) 2024.

A PHDCCI delega on met with CNI leadership at Kathmandu. In associa on of its ins tu onal partner CNI and other stakeholders, PHDCCI is organising “Indo-Nepal Mul -Sector Business Expo & Summit 2021” on Dec 17-19 at Chitwan Interna onal Expo Centre, Bharatpur, Nepal. @PHDCCI

Ready to move forward to regain confidence and trust, Thai Airways, in collabora on with TCEB and other partners, held a networking conference “THAI Networking: Discover Brand New Sky” a ended by key local and overseas travel agencies along with interna onal media.#TeamThailand #ThaiAirways #THAINetworking #Thailand

Proud to showcase Qatar Tourism's luxury offerings at ILTM Cannes 2021 at our exclusive networking event at Five Seas Hotel, Cannes.#VisitQatar #QatarAirways #KataraHospitality @ Deveekaa Nijhawan

Addressed the 94th Annual Conven on of FICCI India. The Captains of Industry are contribu ng remarkably towards building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.With Govt. & Industry working together as partners, there is no limit to what can achieve. @Piyush Goyal

Last week, the #IBTM took place in Barcelona and it was a great success! Together with our partners we were able to welcome people from all over the world and have interes ng conversa ons at our booth K40 during the three days of the event. #IBTM21 #IneedSwitzerland #InLoveWorkingForST

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QUICK BYTES

December 2021

Thailand International Health Expo 2022 Aims To Promote Thailand As “The World’s Medical And Wellness Hub”

Sambit Patra Appointed Chairman Of Tourism Development Corporation; IAS Officer GKV Rao To Continue As MD

M e d i c a l a n d We l l n e s s Tourism is an activity where travellers are not only able to receive medical or wellness treatment but also can participate in activities or enjoy a trip in their destinations. Visitors who travel for enjoying medical and wellness tourism spend 80,000-120,000 baht per capita and that means this group of travellers can create huge economic value for a country of destination. Currently, Thailand is also one of the top-ranked destinations for travellers who are interested in medication and wellness. Under the government policy, “One Ministry One Expo”, TCEB cooperates with Ministry of Public Health by Department of Service Support, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) to create a national MICE event as a platform by organizing “Thailand International Health Expo 2022” on 20-23 January 2022.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra as the chairman of India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). According to an official order, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the Tourism Ministry's proposal to split the post of chairman and managing director of India Tourism Development Corporation into chairman, ITDC, and managing director (MD), ITDC. IAS officer GKV Rao will hold the post of managing director of ITDC. “ACC has approved the proposals of the Ministry of Tourism of splitting of the post of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) into two posts of Chairman, ITDC and Managing Director (MD) ITDC; Appointment of Dr Sambit Patra as Part-Time Non-Executive Director and Chairman of ITDC for a period of three years from the date of assumption of charge, or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” the order stated.

AmEx Global Business Travel To Go Public Via $5.3 Bln Apollo SPAC deal

U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Diversity Matters Announce Partnership

American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) is to merge with a blank-check firm backed by Apollo Global Management Inc (APO.N) to go public in a deal valued at around $5.3 billion. The merger with Apollo Strategic Growth Capital (APSG.N) will deliver gross proceeds of up to $1.2 billion, including a $335 million private investment in public equity, or PIPE. Investors in the PIPE included investment manager Ares Management Corp, travel technology company Sabre Corp (SABR.O) and Zoom Video Communications Inc (ZM.O). The deal comes at a time when business travel is recovering from a pandemic-induced slump, in a boost for companies like AmEx GBT that help plan corporate trips. AmEx GBT has over the past year strengthened its business by acquiring several companies, including Ovation Travel Group, Expedia Group's corporate travel arm Egencia and 30SecondsToFly, a travel tech startup that uses artificial intelligence. The combined company will be renamed Global Business Travel Group after the deal, but it will continue to do business under the AmEx GBT brand name.

The U.S. Travel Association a n d To u r i s m D i v e r s i t y Matters announced a new strategic partnership that will strengthen the association’s focus and support of the industry on issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and provide greater access to Tourism Diversity Matters’ subject matter expertise, research and resources.

Tourism Diversity Matters was founded in 2021 to address blind spots in ethnic disparities within the tourism and events industry while providing these industry leaders with resources and tactics to develop more effective DEI strategies to engage, recruit and retain a diverse workforce.

DEI is a core priority of the U.S. Travel Association, which is committed to having a vital role in affecting lasting change and supporting the development of industrywide DEI plans.

The partnership will be key to advancing workforce development issues and federal policy initiatives that support travel’s recovery.

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

NEWS BUZZ

December 2021

FHA-HoReCa Returns From 25-28 October 2022

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nforma Markets has announced following close consultations with key stakeholders, that FHA-HoReCa, one of the world's leading industry events serving the hotel, restaurant and café sectors, will resume from 2528 October 2022 at the Singapore Expo. FHA-HoReCa is an expansion from one of Asia's longest-running food and hospitality biennial trade events in the region, Food&HotelAsia (FHA).

Where the world's leading hotels, restaurants and café suppliers gather, FHA-HoReCa brings the latest foodservice & hospitality equipment, products and services across five key profiles – Bakery, Pastry & Gelato; Foodservice & Hospitality Equipment; Hospitality Style; Hospitality Technology; and Speciality Coffee & Tea – serving distributors, importers, manufacturers and retailers from Asia under one roof.

FHA Match – a virtual business matching and sourcing platform In addition to the physical show floor,

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FHA-HoReCa 2022 will also be accessible in the digital space on FHA Match, a virtual business matching platform launched by Informa Markets in 2021 to bring suppliers and buyers a 'barrier-free' space where they can still connect, hold meetings and do business.

With FHA Match, virtual attendees no matter where they are located will still get to experience the festivities organised on and off the FHAHoReCa 2022 showfloor, participate in virtual networking, business matching and knowledge sharing activities.

Mr Martyn Cox, Event Director, Hospitality, Food & Beverage – Singapore, Informa Markets, said “We are very eager to bring FHA-HoReCa back as a live event, on the heels of continuous

engagement and encouragement from key exhibitors who have expressed keen interest to return to the event, and now will be able to do so when more travel borders are open and safety measures further relaxed. Also with FHA Match, anyone not able to come in person will be able to tune in to the event live or on-demand, and connect with existing partners or new prospects via video call or message chat.

We are thankful to all exhibitors, partners and the wider food, beverage and hospitality community for their continued patience and understanding, and we look forward to catching up with everyone at FHAHoReCa 2022.”

The FHA team will contact all exhibitors, visitors and partners to discuss and plan for their future participation in FHA-HoReCa 2022.

FHA-HoReCa's sister show, FHAFood & Beverage, will be held from 58 September 2022 at the Singapore Expo.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

NEWS BUZZ

December 2021

Kerala Travel Mart To Hold Its Eleventh Edition In Kochi In March 2022

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erala Travel Mart (KTM), the country's leading congregation of tourism industry, will be holding its eleventh edition in Kochi in March 2022, giving an impetus to the efforts to revive the pandemic-hit tourism sector by attracting visitors from across the world.

The event will be inaugurated at Grand Hyatt at Bolgatty, Kochi on March 24, 2022, while the following three days' proceedings will be held at Sagara and Samudrika Convention Centre in Willingdon Island. As the ensuing edition of KTM is coming on the heels of the launch of the Caravan Tourism project by the State Government, the event will have caravan tourism and adventure tourism as the main themes, even as the internationally acclaimed responsible tourism will also receive prominent attention.

KTM 2022will give greater prominence to domestic buyers, given that tourists within the country have resumed travel even as many foreign countries are yet to fully resume travel to India revoking the pandemic-

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induced restrictions. The meet anticipates the participation of no less than 1,500 buyers, wooing them in much larger numbers compared to the previous editions.

Dr. Venu V, Additional Chief Secretary (Tourism), said KTM has been planned by placing trust on the domestic market, which will help rejuvenate tourism and bring a qualitative change in the sector.

KTM comes at a time when the travel industry is looking at the nascent Caravan Tourism with hope, considering its potential to fetch Kerala a special place in the world tourism map, as did Houseboat Tourism earlier. The government is coordinating among various departments to carry forward Caravan Tourism, which is a pioneering project being developed on PPP mode with private investors, tour operators and local communities being key stakeholders to ensure safe, customized and closest-tonature travel experience.

The KTM had organized a

virtual summit in March this year, facilitating more than 7,000 business meets that enabled the travel industry to take major strides in overcoming the Covid-triggered economic crisis. Since then, Kerala Tourism had been considering organising a physical KTM to showcase Kerala as a place fast regaining normalcy after the pandemic.

In 2021, KTM was held online from March 1 to 5. A virtual buyers meet at the event saw the participation from all over the world, including India. The majority of international buyers were from the US and UK. The others in the category included Brazil, Germany, Spain and Canada, Mexico, Oman, UAE, Australia and France.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

December 2021

NEWS BUZZ

National Tourism Policy Will Focus On Skilling, Digitalization, Sustainable And Green Tourism: Arvind Singh, Tourism Secretary, Govt Of India

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ddressing the session on 'Tourism India, Post Covid' in conversation with Dr Jyotsna Suri, Past President, FICCI & Chairperson & Managing Director, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, at FICCI's Annual Convention & 94th AGM, Mr Singh said, "For international travellers, we have to focus on promoting wellness tourism in a safe and healthy destination. The fact that the vaccination programme has done well and that all the tourism stakeholders have been vaccinated must be highlighted."

Mr Singh highlighted that for domestic travellers, Ministry of

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ecognizing the potential of Cruise Tourism, Ministry of Tourism has identified Cruise Tourism as one of the Niche Tourism Products.

Development and promotion of tourist destinations and products, including cruise tourism, is primarily the responsibility of the respective State Government/Union Territory (UT) Administration. However, Ministry of Tourism provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) to the Central Government Agencies for development of tourism, including Cruise Tourism and Cruising along rivers on receipt of complete proposals under the Scheme of 'Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development'.

In addition, Ministry of Tourism has

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Tourism used the opportunity to promote domestic tourism through the webinar series 'Dekho Apna Desh'.

"This is the time for travellers who can't travel abroad to use this opportunity to explore the country.

India also has immense potential for weddings and convention, and these events should be organized in the country rather than taking them abroad," he added.

For the national tourism policy, some of the focus areas are sustainable &

identified Coastal Circuit as one of the fifteen thematic circuits for development under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme and provides financial assistance to various State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations for various tourism projects, which may include components related to cruise tourism, prioritized in consultation with States/UTs every year subject to availability of funds, inter-se priority and adherence to the scheme guidelines. Apart from the above, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and

green tourism and increasing more digitalization in the sector by making it more user friendly not only for the operators but also for the tourists which will make travel much more convenient. A massive emphasis is given to skill upgradation, so creating more centres for skill upgradation for those employed in the hospitality industry and also an online training programme for guides.

Tourism in India today employs about 80 million people, and this is projected to double to 190 million in the next 20-25 years. The sector has a huge employment potential. The policy will also have a host of other incentives and environment that is required to create more investment opportunities in the sector for both domestic and Indian from international sources.

Government Of India To Promote Coastal Circuit And Cruise Tourism Waterways has also implemented Sagarmala, which is a national programme aimed at accelerating economic development in the country by harnessing the potential of India's 7,500 km long coastline and 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

NEWS BUZZ

December 2021 B. Hotels Ÿ

Mr. Parveen Chander Sharma – Vice President, Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. Mumbai

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Mr. Arjun Sharma – Managing Director, Select Holiday Resorts Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi

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Mr. Rohit Arora – General Manager, Apeejay Surendra Park Hotels, New Delhi

Sustaining Category Ÿ

PATA India Chapter Announces Its New Executive Committee

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ATA India Chapter held its 249th EC Meeting on 23rd December, 2021. Mr. Arvind Singh, Chairman PATA India Chapter & Secretary Tourism presided.

PATA India Chapter announced its Executive Committee, which was elected unopposed and Office Bearers for the term 2021-23, as follows: Mr. Arvind Singh, Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Tourism, will lead PATA India Chapter as its Chairman.

Category : Active Government Ÿ

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Mr. Arvind Singh – Secretary Tourism, Government of India, Ministry of Tourism New Delhi Mr Rakesh Verma – Additional Secretary Tourism, Government of India, Ministry of Tourism

Category : Associate Government Ÿ

Mr. G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, Managing Director, India Tourism Development Corporation Pvt.

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Mr. SanJeet – Director, DDP Publications Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi

Co-opted Members Ÿ

Mr J. K. Mohanty – Chairman & Managing Director, Swosti Group, Odisha

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Mr Riyaz U.C. Managing Director, Spiceland Holidays & Entertainment Private Limited, Kerala

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Mrs Ragini Chopra, VP, Interglobe Enterprises Pvt Ltd.

Ltd. New Delhi Category : International Carrier Ÿ

Mr. Rajinder Nath, General Manager Commercial, Air India.

New Delhi

Category : Domestic Carrier Ÿ

Mrs. Rajni Hasija – Chairman & Managing Director, Indian Railways Catering & Tourism Corporation Ltd. New Delhi

Category : Industry A. Travel Agent & Tour Operator Mr. Jatinder Taneja – Managing Director, Travel Spirit International Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi

Further, following members were elected unanimously as the office bearers of PATA India Chapter for the term 2021-2023 during the EC meeting held on dated 23/12/21. Ÿ

Mr. Jatinder Taneja, MD, Travel Spirit International, Vice Chairman

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Mr. Vikram Madhok, MD, Abercrombie & Kent, Hon. Secretary

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Mr. SanJeet, Director, DDP Publications, Hon. Treasurer.

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Mr. Runeep Sangha will continue as Executive Director, PATA India Chapter.

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Mr. Vikram Madhok – Managing Director, Abercrombie & Kent (I) Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi

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Mr. Anoop Kanuga – Director, Bathija Travels Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai

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Mr. Sunirmol Ghosh – Director, Indo Asia Tours (P) Ltd. New Delhi

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

NEWS BUZZ

December 2021

IATO Annual Convention Concludes With Grand Success

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he theme of this year’s IATO Annual Convention from December 16-19 in The Leela Gnadhinagar, which was held in Gujarat after 10 years, was Brand India – The Road to Recovery. The speakers gave food for thought for officials and members alike, and it will be watched with interest how things shape up for the Indian tourism industry in the months to come. The highlights of the 36th edition of IATO's flagship event were that it attracted 600 delegates, conducted 8 business sessions, and included the presence of as many as 13 states, with participation of top brass in the industry and IATO members as well.

The Chief Guest for the Convention was Bhupendra Patel, Chief Minister, Gujarat. The office bearers of IATO

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such as Shri Rajiv Mehra, President; E M Najeeb, Senior Vice President, IATO and Convention Chairman and Rajnish Kaistha, Hony. Secretary and Co-Chairman of the Convention came on stage to welcome the delegates.

"The 36th IATO Annual Convention held in Gandhinagar from December 16 to 19 was a grand success and more than what we had expected. The convention this year was by far one of the best conventions of IATO," said Rajiv Mehra, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO).

The Convention hosted 8 business sessions: Brand India - The Road to Recovery for Revival of Business, Hotels in the New Normal, Connectivity: New Frontiers, SEIS: New Policy under FTP 2021- 2026, Responsible Tourism, Automation and Digital Marketing, Preparedness under New Normal and Dekho Apna Desh.

There were state presentations also by Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab and Rajasthan.

Following the convention, 5 postconvention tours were organised and over 200 delegates explored Gujarat by visiting places of their interest like Statue of Unity, Somnath, Dwarka, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Modhera, Bhuj, Patan, Little Rann of Kutch.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

COVER INTERVIEW

December 2021

“

As a President of Indian Chapter, my mandate is to create an environment among its members and industry as a whole for knowledge sharing and mutual growth. Members should have the right knowledge and they should be able to connect to the right platform for driving their business growth. Our endeavour is to make them discover the endless possibilities.

As a leader of Site India Chapter, I will put forth my efforts to develop a community of Incentive travel specialists in India by focusing on skill development in our trade.

Further, as a team together we will pivot to develop India as a source market for global incentive travel. I am also looking forward to expanding the network of SITE in SAARC region and work towards adaptive recovery of the travel industry.

“

Barun Gupta, President, SITE India & Director of Sales & Marketing - Crowne Plaza, Greater Noida

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

COVER INTERVIEW

December 2021

MS. With what mission and objectives, the SITE India was set up? What are some major activities of SITE India Chapter in India?

Barun Gupta. Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) India is the India chapter for Site Global, which is dedicated to the incentive travel industry. Here research trends and data are used to analyze decision making capabilities in our industry. Site code of conduct acts a guardrail for community with high standards. It is also a platform for members to get access to fantastic professional support from over 27 global chapters. The SITE India Chapter was launched in December 2013 with an initial membership of 23 members. India Chapter hosted Site Global Conference in 2015 within two years of its existence backed by undying support of Ministry of Tourism and entire travel industry of India.The SITE Global Conference 2015 in New Delhi was a huge success with a record participation of 255 delegates & 29 guests.

Almost 100 international delegates took advantage of the visit and went on the pre & post tours and many SITE members worldwide still say that this was one of the best Global Conferences ever. SITE India also hosted super successful virtual event - SITE India Incentive Meet 2021” – virtual B2B meetings for buyers and suppliers from across the globe.

The SITE India Chapter has a Board of 11 volunteers. The Chapter has been effectively running Educationals and Networking meets for the members and we even had a CIS (Certified Incentive Specialist) Workshop for the industry, where 46 professionals qualified and today proudly wear the CIS pin. It also provides Certified Incentive Travel Professional (CITP) certificates to those who have more than 10 years of experience. Education is the core of the association. As we go into our 7th year as a Chapter, we are looking for greater participation from discerning members to help grow this forum into a strong medium for the promotion of effective incentive travel to and from India.

efforts to develop a community of Incentive travel specialists in India by focusing on skill development in our trade. Further, as a team together we will pivot to develop India as a source market for global incentive travel. I am also looking forward to expanding the network of Site in SAARC region and work towards adaptive recovery of the travel industry.

MS. What are your passions and how do they tie in with your career today? Could you provide the readers with a bit more about your early life and career?

Barun Gupta. It was during my school days, when I started getting inclined towards the travel and hospitality industry and decided to pursue my career in Hotel Management.

There was no stopping after that. I started off with Operations and then switched to Sales and Marketing. Now I have a combined experience of 16 years in domestic leisure, corporate sales and global sales. I have lead Incentive segment as market director for Marriott Hotels and handled global travel sales for Starwood Hotels and operated large incentive groups in India and abroad. With my passion towards the travel & hospitality industry, together with the professional experience of many years, I have been instrumental in setting up launch strategies for clients to enter the market successfully and also plan, organize and execute various sales and marketing activities to achieve business growth through development of distribution networks.

MS. Post the second wave, there have been many limitations and restrictions on travel and tourism, can you enlighten us about the recent changes in the global hospitality industry?

Barun Gupta. We can all agree to this fact that Covid-19 has caused a vast and unforeseen impact on all our lives.

The hospitality, travel and tourism sectors have been hit

MS. As a president of SITE India Chapter, what would be your key priorities in the coming one year?

Barun Gupta. As a President of Indian Chapter, my mandate is to create an environment among its members and industry as a whole for knowledge sharing and mutual growth. Members should have the right knowledge and they should be able to connect to the right platform for driving their business growth. Our endeavour is to make them discover the endless possibilities.

Crowne Plaza, GreaterNoida

As a leader of SITE India Chapter, I will put forth my

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

COVER INTERVIEW

December 2021

Crowne Plaza, Greater Noida

hard but we can't ignore the impact on society. Consumer behavior and eventually consumer spending have been, and will continue to be altered and business plans need to adapt to these new circumstances.

The hospitality industry will need to bear these new trends in mind if it is to experience a renaissance and continue to thrive. It won't be easy nor swift, but the industry has often shown its resilience and capacity to rebound from unexpected scenarios and is blessed with a solid backbone. If I look into the situation of the hotel I am working for currently as Director of Sales & Marketing (Crowne Plaza), there was a strong demand for Q4 2021 and particularly in relation to high demand dates in 2022. Incentive programs are also competing for space with high-rated leisure demand, especially in the back half of 2021. Despite the pandemic, we retained most of our property-based sales people, and customers have really appreciated the continuity of relationships.

This fostered a partnership approach when programs had to be postponed or cancelled and we’re now finding that this shared risk mindset is paying dividends as recovery takes hold.

MS. Please share your thoughts on the India Chapter vision document called “Vision 2025” Why is imparting and disseminating global education in incentive tourism to its members and industry is important?

Barun Gupta. Going ahead with the discovery of

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possibilities, India Chapter has come with its vision document called “Vision 2025” which looks forward to impart and disseminate global education in incentive tourism to its members and industry at large. We are tying up with leading global tourism and event education providers to embark on our journey to create professional incentive executives in years to come. Pedagogy of Events and Incentives with local knowledge and experience is being built along with the veterans of Indian tourism industry for its members.

Why one should join SITE? Education and certification opportunities help you build skills and stand out from the competition Learn ways to improve your business through online educational resources. Ÿ Take part in educational sessions at SITE events, led by industry experts. Ÿ Deepen your knowledge of the industry by becoming a Certified Incentive Specialist (CIS). Ÿ

Access to the right incentive customers will take your business further Make valuable connections with like-minded peers in our members-only database. Ÿ Access a global community of professionals at SITE events around the world. Ÿ Establish your credibility as a SITE member, guided by the SITE Code of Ethics. Ÿ

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COVER INTERVIEW

December 2021

Connect with a community of experts and peers around the world through SIT Build a global base of incentive travel connections by attending SITE's networking events. Ÿ Meet and connect with professionals in your area through involvement in your local chapter. Ÿ Make lifelong friendships with fellow professionals - all while growing your incentive travel business. Ÿ

MS. Having won the "Best Wedding Venue in India Hotels" award, how do you see the success of this award and how does Crowne Plaza Greater Noida meet the MICE requirement by providing seamless services to the guests?

Barun Gupta. This year, the wedding season has proved to be a whopper for the hospitality industry. The hotel has done a total of 113 weddings that includes destination weddings attracting clients from Tier 2, Tier 3 and metropolitan cities including Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Moradabad, Ahmadabad, Mumbai, Kanpur, and more. The wedding segment was the first to revive from all the other segments and can be considered as a savior for the entire hotel industry, since our corporate consumers gained confidence in organizing their events with every successful wedding organized in the hotel.

MS. Tech is now an enabler for great hospitality. What key trends do you observe in the Hotel industry?

Barun Gupta. In 2020, Crowne Plaza Greater Noida launched World’s First Virtual Reality Experience Centre that allows users to indulge in an immersive 8K threedimensional, computer-generated virtual environment that can be explored and interacted with as per the client’s

requirements. The service enables the clients to experience a 360 tour of various hotel spaces from one point at the lobby. The technology is playing a key role in showcasing hotel’s expansive and versatile 51,000 sq.ft banqueting space and it allows the guests to experience and visualize multiple décor setups for the same space, thus assisting with decision making and positive closure of business queries.

Till November 2021, Virtual site visits were conducted for with over 7000 customers. Today VR helps the hotel to pick more than 60% its events. The story was featured by Forbes USA and various mainline, business, regional, travel trade and hospitality publications including Economic Times – Hospitality, Daily Pioneer, Business World – Hotelier, Hotelier India, Hospitality Talk, Travel Trends Today, Tourism Breaking News, HospitalityBiz India and many more.

MS. How many regional, national and international conventions and meetings, are hosted by Crowne Plaza, Greater Noida?

Barun Gupta. As hotel is very closely connected with India Expo Mart India Limited (IEML), which is within 10 minutes from the property, we have successfully done business as a host hotel during its leading exhibitions including SATTE, CPHI, Surat Dreams, REI, HGH, LED & Media Expo, Pedicon, Paperex, IHE and more.

MS. Please share your hobbies, what keeps you busy when you are away from work?

Barun Gupta. I love to travel with my dog and I always prefer to find new destinations which are pet friendly.

About SITE SITE, the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence, is t h e o n ly g l o b a l o r ga n i z at i o n d e d i c at e d t o strengthening and supporting the incentive travel industry. We connect incentive travel to business results. For our members we provide professional development, certification, and business connections.

Over the last 40 years, SITE has grown to over 2,000 members in 90 countries with 29 local and regional chapters. Incentive travel is not a luxury — it’s a necessity.

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

INTERVIEW

December 2021 suites offer unparalleled views of the Ulsoor Lake and the city skyline. They boast contemporary design with inbuilt television mirrors and digital check-in features. Conrad Bengaluru is the tallest Hotel in the south of India with the largest pillar less ballroom in the city. It has become the most desired venue for Big Fat Indian weddings which has been enhanced further by the new concept of “Wedding Diaries By Hilton” and “Wedding Studio” which offers especially curated delightful wedding experiences for guests.

Apart from this, we also have a temperature controlled pool, a gym equipped with top-notch equipment and the Conrad Spa with a rejuvenating ice fountain. Being a Hilton Honors member will also provide additional benefits to our guests availing various services at Conrad. Conrad Bengaluru offers customized packages/ experiential offerings which makes the guests come back to us time and again. We have curated many such experiences like a Vineyard tour with brunch along with our Staycation package which has attracted many families and couples. We also have Great Small Breaks, a concept that revolves around a family experience right from your door step and all throughout the journey which has engaged huge audiences in the local market. Our customers truly value something exclusive & experiential in essence & are willing to pay the extra buck if our offering is on the lines of what money cannot buy.

WHAT SETS CONRAD BENGALURU APART IS

MS. The position of leadership involves high stakes, and leaders are responsible for forward progress.

Having the privilege of leading a young, energetic team, please tell us how has your leadership led the hotel to greater heights?

ITS DESIRABLE LOCATION Srijan Vadhera, General Manager, Conrad Bengaluru MS. Conrad Bengaluru is about to complete successful four years of serving Hilton hospitality to guests in Bengaluru. Please describe some of the key aspects of Conrad Bengaluru that distinguish it from other hotels.

Srijan Vadhera. Spanning five continents with nearly 41 properties, Conrad Hotels & Resorts creates a seamless connection between contemporary design, leading innovation and curated art to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit of the globally connected traveller. What sets Conrad Bengaluru apart is its desirable location. Situated amidst attractions, the hotel is at a comfortable proximity to key corporate hubs and lifestyle destinations. All of our 285 rooms and

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Srijan Vadhera. During these difficult times, I did everything in my capacity to ensure Conrad Bengaluru climbs to the top. I was able to connect Conrad Bengaluru with the wedding fraternity across India through the connections I have gained from almost two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. Conrad Bengaluru also collaborated with EEMA (Event and Entertainment Management Association) as the hospitality partner and hosted one of their recent meets in Bengaluru.

Lastly, from my vast wedding segment experience from my previous assignment, I was able to shift

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

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December 2021

Conrad Bengaluru Conrad Bengaluru from being a primarily business oriented hotel to the most desired wedding destination in Bengaluru.

To cater to the growing wedding market at Conrad Bengaluru, we designed Wedding Studio, which is a miniature version of elements that you would need to plan your dream wedding. It is a one-stop solution for our guests wanting to plan their wedding with Conrad Bengaluru.

MS. What was an early project that you're proud of, as well as an early career defining moment? How did you land up here? Please share with us your professional journey, hurdles overcome and milestones achieved so far.

Srijan Vadhera. I possess almost 2 decades of rich experience in hospitality primarily in luxury and upscale segments. I was the General Manager of Fairmont Jaipur before I was appointed at Conrad Bengaluru. Prior to this, I have been associated with other hospitality brands such as Shangri-La, Marriott International and Hyatt in different capacities.

I have a comprehensive knowledge of international service standard procedures and believe in building teams from within using an adept business development approach

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Some milestones achieved so far would be the following: Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Luxury Hotel General Manager of the Year 2021 at the India Hospitality Excellence Awards.

Fit and Fab Award 2021 at the SYNTH Global SPA The Fit and Fab show Recognition for outstanding leadership as Chairman of the Tourism, Hospitality and Facility Expert Committee, 2019 – 2020 from Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

General Manager of the Year 2017 (Luxury to Upper Upscale category) at the Hotelier India Awards by a jury eminent of travel & hospitality experts.

Special recognition for outstanding dedication & excellent performance by MD India & Regional Vice President South Asia - Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Marketing & PR Person of the Year 2011 (First runner up) at the Hotelier India where he was celebrated for his excellence in all visible aspects of hospitality and his contribution in making Sheraton Bengaluru known for world class standards.

MS. We have heard, amid the challenges, the hotel supported society on many occasions. How have you dealt with the situation and geared up for resurgence?

Srijan Vadhera. Any activity that Conrad Bengaluru takes

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December 2021 given back to Biswa Gouri Charitable Trust and IKSHA foundation. Along with this, special activities were planned for the Children of the NGO’s by our human resources department. We also conduct regular CSR activities, for example, we recently visited “The Friends in Need Society” to bring smile and happiness among the elderly people and clean their garden to make it more beautiful. We have also previously conducted a ‘Hygiene and Self-care workshop for them by our hygiene manager.

Srijan Vadhera, General Manager of Conrad Bengaluru being handed over the masterclass certicate by Aindrila Mitra, Editor, Travel + Leisure India and South Asia

part in, we try to revolve it around a purpose. We echo our brand values with everything we do and strongly believe that the most important things to do is to give back to society. We also focus majorly on sustainability in our hotel like the eco-friendly compost process we use, our on-site recycled water bottle plant and our Christmas tree is also driven by the tagline “Travel with Purpose”. This year’s Christmas tree decor is an encapsulation of all elements real and authentic. Incorporating the brand’s tag line – Travel with purpose, the Christmas tree will be adorned with saplings. These saplings will be supported with repurposed tin cans and repainted by the team of Conrad Bengaluru. The funds generated and raised from the sale of saplings will be donated to the Iksha foundation. IKSHA Foundation is a public charitable trust which primarily focuses on supporting children with eye cancer (Retinoblastoma).

Last year we installed an eco-friendly tree swaddled with jute and adorned with goody bags (coasters, fridge magnets, beaded earrings and bracelets) hand made by the individuals with Autism and other Intellectual challenges from NGO Biswa Gouri Charitable Trust and as we also encourage to use local and go global concept, the wooden toys sourced from an NGO of Toymakers from Channapatna, backed by the government of Karnataka were part of the tree decor. We also had members and the children of IKSHA Foundation - a public charitable trust that is focused on Retinoblastoma (eye cancer) and Biswa Gouri Charitable Trust, an NGO working towards empowerment and enhancement of Individuals with Autism and other Intellectual challenges present at the event.Last year all the proceeds from the goody bags were

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MS. How do you overcome the challenge in initiating and conducting the events? Please share your experience on some of your recently held events at your venue.

Srijan Vadhera. The biggest challenge we face while conducting such events is the safety and security of all the guests present at the hotel, especially during these difficult times with all the government protocols and restrictions in action.

We have recently conducted a few residential conferences at the Hotel during which we insisted on receiving negative RT-PCR tests from guests travelling from outside Bangalore. We follow strict hygiene protocols in line with Hilton’s safety and hygiene program called Hilton CleanStay. We ensure frequent sanitization of public areas, sanitizer stations around the Hotel, contactless check-in and check-out facilities and more.

Hilton has also launched Hilton EventReady along with CleanStay which provides curated solutions for every step of our guests’ event planning process to create event experiences that are clean, flexible, safe and socially responsible.

MS. Bengaluru is still largely driven by business travelers considering the overwhelming presence of IT and ITeS companies in the city. How Conrad Bengaluru is attracting events and conferences that are relocating from other states?

Srijan Vadhera. Apart from IT, Bangalore also has a base of infrastructure and automobile industry. Before the pandemic, a lot of global companies with offices in Bangalore and around used to conduct major conferences in international destinations which has certainly been affected due to Covid-19. These companies have started to look at properties in Bangalore to conduct their conferences for the

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December 2021 aspect of the guest experience.

Conrad Bengaluru has incorporated multiple elements of technology like in - mirror television in our guest rooms, digital check-in services through the Hilton Honors app enabling contactless experiences throughout the guest stay. Guests can even choose the room in which he’d like to stay in, before physically entering the hotel using the app. They can enjoy card less access to all areas of the hotel and manage and redeem their Hilton Honors points. All of these member benefits make life on the go much easier. We offer our guests complimentary MAGZTER access, which is a digital news stand that provides access to thousands of magazines and newspapers from around the world in almost every language.

ease of both the employees and the management. Conrad Bengaluru, having the biggest venue in the city, has been able to attract these corporate residential conferences. Our promise of Hilton EventReady along with CleanStay, which is a program launched by Hilton Worldwide to ensure ease of conducting corporate events for our guests, provides confidence and trust to companies looking to organize an event at our property. We provide hybrid solutions, redesigned spaces, event planner resources, innovative technology and more as part of Hilton EventReady.

Our multiple payment gateways enable seamless digital transactions for any guest payment. We have also been able to deliver exceptional concierge services through Kipsu, a messaging software that facilitates seamless real-time assistance around the clock. We also disinfect rooms with ultra-violet electrostatic sprays 24-hours post guest departure. We have also replaced traditional print menus with QR – code enabled digital menus at all our Food & Beverage outlets to reduce cross contamination.Hilton has partnered with Reckitt, makers of Lysol & Dettol, to help deliver an even cleaner stay for our guests with the creation of the Hilton CleanStay program. Conrad Bengaluru also follows Hilton CleanStay and Hilton EventReady which is launched by Hilton across 6400+ hotels worldwide.

Every staff member wears a face mask at all times, there are disinfecting stations with wipes and hand sanitizer placed strategically around the Hotel, the rooms are sealed with a Hilton CleanStay tag after disinfecting, public areas are cleaned at scheduled intervals giving extra importance to high-touch areas like elevators, all the team members are vaccinated and as a hotel we are Certified ISO 22000:2018 for Food Safety Management System, the property ensures complete hygiene and safety.

MS. Tech is now an enabler for great hospitality. Can you share with us some of the tech that goes into creating your guest experience? With the objective of providing major impetus to safety, how have you equipped to ensure safe and secure events?

Srijan Vadhera. The pandemic has pushed the hospitality industry towards investing in technological advancements in every

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December 2021

MS. What are your learnings from the pandemic and how it has changed the face of the MICE industry?

Srijan Vadhera. The Covid-19 pandemic has taught the hospitality industry how to sustain and recover from the most unexpected and difficult of hits. It has taught us to be proactive and get things done quickly without waiting for things to happen. Another major learning was the importance of investing more time and resources into the use of technology in every aspect of guest experience as possible. Many hospitality businesses were able to sustain the pandemic solely due to the use of technology. Conrad Bengaluru has also taken advantage of technology to continue to welcome guests to the Hotel through contactless check-ins, online Concierge services and digital keys. With respect to employees, he pandemic has taught us the importance of mental health and how crucial it is to maintain high levels of productivity in the workplace.

During the lockdown, I made sure to keep a track on my employees through regular online meetings to ensure their overall well-being during these difficult times.

On a personal note, I have used this time to gain momentum in building thought leadership – from industry led webinars to connecting with university students, there was so much that was keeping me busy. Through my association with Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and in my capacity as Chairman – Tourism, Hospitality and Facility Expert Committee, I represented the industry body to receive a relief on power charges and an extension of license fees through interactions with the Chief Minister and Cabinet of Karnataka. I also learnt about the importance of the fixed costs of running operations and how to critically review and minimize expenses wherever possible. Being cautious about the cash flow, relooking at operational manpower ratios and finding areas to optimize, and the need of having strong expense mitigation plans are very important leadership lessons that I gained this year.

Bengaluru currently houses 43% of the Indian Unicorns and is known as India’s startup capital. Along with our promise of Hilton CleanStay and EventReady, guests have started to travel again for business. We also offer top-notch hybrid meeting facilities for companies who wish to opt for the same. We have seen a steady increase in the number of corporate bookings in the past quarter.

MS. An ardent rider, with a cause, and has previously taken part in awareness programs for road safety, on a personal note, we would like to know, how has the love for bikes transformed your life?

Srijan Vadhera. My rides have always been purpose-driven and I always promote riding as a sport which requires safety gears as a mandate. We have also conducted joint bike rides along with defense officers on Independence Day and Vijay Diwas. We initiated an awareness campaign Silent Expedition to create awareness for disabled riders which would aid them in getting licenses, along with it we hosted a breakfast event at Conrad Bengaluru. Lastly, Conrad Bengaluru does not allow any vendor or guest to enter the hotel without a helmet or seal belts. When I’m away from work, I love to spend time with my family and friends to maintain a good work-life balance. I like to start off my days with a workout session at the gym to ensure I feel energized for the rest of the day, as I always encourage everyone towards a healthy lifestyle. Lastly, I try to travel to new places whenever I get time because discovering new and unknown places is one of my passions.

The MICE industry has been affected drastically. More and more organizations have shifted from large conventions to online meetings across the globe. This has impacted both corporate travelers and event spaces for Hotels.

Businessmen are skeptical of leaving the safety of their Homes and travelling away. However, as the number of vaccinations have increased, people are becoming more confident to travel. Conrad Bengaluru has been attracting business travelers regularly in the past few months.

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INTERVIEW

December 2021

Now The Travellers Prefer To Enter Their Preferred Destination Directly And Without Any Halts We at Geanis World try to understand travellers’ interests so that we can suggest to them the places as per their choice. We can also organise big incentive groups to far and wide locations with ease.

Our objective is to match the traveller’s mental script, that attracts travellers to choose Geanis World.

Dharmendra Kumar Founder & CEO at GEANIS WORLD & MICE, Founder at Solar Geanie MS. Please describe your professional journey with us and tell us how you thought up the idea to start the Geanis World.

MS. In what ways has Geanis World been instrumental in making the tourists' experiences in memorable? What are your key travel services to the tourists?

Dharmendra Kumar. I embarked on my career after gaining my Master's in Tourism Management from Lucknow University in 1999. In 2009 an idea came to my mind: Let's become an entrepreneur. I gathered old colleagues and founded the company Geanis World with Ragini Singh and Ankit Dang. The past 21 years have been valuable in the areas of Leisure Travel, Corporate Meetings and Incentives, Group Tours, FITs, Incentive Group Tours Project Management, Conferences, Events Corporate & Social, Executive Management. I've traveled extensively in the Far East, the CIS countries, China, the Middle East, Africa, the United States and Europe. I share excellent business relationship with key corporate clients in India and Destination Management Companies all over the world.

Dharmendra Kumar. We have always held a strong belief that tourism is an integral part of the world coming together, and that is why the motto "Selling tourism with a difference" has always been accurate. The team has the responsibility to have perfect insights and to make tourism not just a phenomenon but a wonderful experience for all the clients. We at Geanis World try to understand travellers’ interests so that we can suggest to them the places as per their choice. Our key service is to suggest to them the best of their interest. Our objective is to match the traveller’s mental script, that attracts travellers to choose Geanis World.

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MS. Who are your key clients and what makes you apart from other Travel agencies?

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

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December 2021

Dharmendra Kumar. Geanis World is majorly serving MICE, so we have a lot of Corporates, Clubs, and Family Groups committed to our brand for all their travel requirements whether it is International or Domestic. We believe that the key to success is “Let's be in client’s shoes on every assignment to ensure customer delight”. We have a dedicated team to assist 24 hours during the travel & they have been delegated the authority to take any financial decision for the traveller’s need.

MS. Booking behaviours have drastically changed in the post-Covid-era. Can you tell us what changes have you been observing in the tourists for the last few months?

Dharmendra Kumar. COVID has impacted Travel & Hospitality Industry a lot. Travellers have started looking for refund options before booking any travel plans. They look for flexibility & easiness. Hygiene has now become topmost priority for a traveller. We have seen a paradigm shift in tourist behaviour in terms of the type of accommodation they wish to have, they have been asking for short-haul accommodations with self-drive options, small boutique properties/homestays. Crowded places or hotels is no more the choice rather they need more private/personalised services. MICE Industry has shifted to Domestic as International travel has lot of restrictions.

Key Trends will be Personalization, Safe Events & Relaxed Cancellations.

MS. What behavioural changes have you noticed in the tourists when it comes to choosing their mode of transportation?

Dharmendra Kumar. After COVID there are lot of entry regulations for any city or country, now the travellers prefer to enter their preferred destination directly so they choose the first direct available entry mode for their

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transportation. In terms of flights, they are preferring destinations that can be reached directly without a change flight connection. Destinations that can be reached directly are preferred. In terms of Road Transportation, we saw that they were not asking for vehicles on hire, they prefer short-haul places where they can reach by self-driving their vehicles so that they are sure of hygiene & safety. This has impacted car hiring companies /transporters to a great extent as they lost direct business though hotel accommodation were earning. This has been continuing for the last 18 months & will go on for a few months more at least.

MS. Geanis World has been at the forefront of promoting students across India. What is your organization's approach to promoting these students in the MICE industry?

Dharmendra Kumar. There were a few entrepreneurs within the tourism industry who realized that the situation was not only getting alarming for people working in the tourism industry, but also for students getting ready to enter the tourism industry looking for a bright future.

These Individuals realized that a handholding for students is required and decided to commit their attention, time and energy to the task of creating a bridge between the students who wish to pursue their future in Tourism and the Indian Travel & Hospitality Fraternity. In 2020-21, we were able to give summer training to more than 2500 students from 120+ Universities/Institution from across India. VOIT-Skill Development is a non-profit organization focused on sustainable support through short-term tourism education and training. The exercise is about organizing MICE Human Capacity building through Internship / training programs to empower the tourism fresher’s, by providing them with the required knowledge and skill to achieve a sustainable future through tourism and related services.

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M I C E Showcase

INTERNATIONAL M.I.C.E. SHOWCASE SUMMIT 3rd Edition An Empowering Summit For The Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions & Events (MICE) Professionals To Learn, Connect And Build Meaningful Business Connections

INTRODUCING IMS2021 Highlights

MICE & BUSINESS TOURISM

AWARDS o honour the resilience of ou r in d ative t ustr initi n A y

2022 dates will be announced soon

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MESSAGE FROM INDUSTRY

December 2021

To have faith is to trust yourself to the water.

When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.

Alan Wa s

MESSAGE FROM INDUSTRY

December 2021

MICE TOURISM WILL START THRIVING AGAIN SOONER THAN WE EXPECT Ronjon Lahiri, ADG (Re red Feb 2020) From Min. of Tourism, Govt. of India MS. If you would like to summarize the learnings from 2021, then what would they be?

Ronjon Lahiri. People are of the opinion that Covid-19 is here to stay and the MICE industry needs to recognise this constant factor and has to work out as to how to deal with it, at least until a vaccine that can work against each and every COVID strain is synthesised. This may be months or even years. So, the new norm is a world with Covid-19 until we are able to transit to a stable Post Covid-19 world probably not before 2024.

MS. What according to you would be the top trends in 2022?

Ronjon Lahiri. A cautious re-opening of the MICE sector,

the focus could be on domestic conference and exhibition events. For example New Zealand and Taiwan have opened up their domestic markets their stadiums and exhibition venues with almost no restrictions. Events organised by Government agencies will lead the reopening in efforts to create confidence.

MS. What will be your plans for 2022?

Ronjon Lahiri. To spread the message internationally that MICE tourism is a booming industry in India and best practices of hygiene, safety, security and digital technology for guest management are in place to regain the confidence of the business traveller.

MS. What message would you like to give to the industry?

Ronjon Lahiri. As business tourism picks up, the World Economy rebounds, consumer regains confidence, International travel comes back full throated, MICE tourism will start thriving again sooner than we expect. So, one should look forward and with optimism about reopening of trade shows, exhibitions, etc.

COOPERATION IS THE REAL MANTRA FOR SUCCESS Capt. Swadesh Kumar, MD, Shikhar Travels India Pvt. Ltd MS. If you would like to summarize the learnings from 2021, then what would they be?

Swadesh Kumar. I would say that the most important thing we learnt is to invest in technology and also how to use it to the best advantage for our business. Another thing we learnt is that do not focus your attention only on one product. Just to give you an example, if you are in inbound tourism business, you must also focus on domestic market.

Most of the agents who were in inbound tourism suffered the most during the pandemic but those who were dealing in the domestic market could survive to some extent.

MS. What according to you would be the top trends in 2022?

Swadesh Kumar. The world has gone through drastic change during the pandemic and most importantly all the industry events were held on virtual platform. Now the trend would be to create infrastructure to hold the events on hybrid i.e. on virtual platforms as well as on physical space. Another important aspect would be to focus more

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on your social media platforms including websites for your business.

MS. What will be your plans for 2022?

Swadesh Kumar. The whole world is now adapting to the new normal because of the ongoing pandemic. We need to keep ourselves positive and confident to meet the challenges ahead while persisting on your core strength which in my opinion will definitely bring results.

MS. What message would you like to give to the industry?

Swadesh Kumar. Do not depend up on the Government entirely. We should keep on pushing ourselves and cooperate with our colleagues in the Industry as there is no competition. Cooperation is the real Mantra for success.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

MESSAGE FROM INDUSTRY

December 2021

SUSTAINABILITY IS AN ELEMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE FACTORED INTO MEETINGS Monimita Sarkar, Managing Director - KW Conferences l Entrepreneur MS. What according to you would be the top trends in 2022?

Monimita Sarkar. The trends that we are seeing in the Meetings industry are veering towards Hybrid events in the coming year.

Organizations which had decided to go ‘fully live’ are now reverting to the hybrid model. This will work in the short term as domestic participants and those able to travel via the air bubbles can attend in person. Others can join the conference online. Corporates and Associations need to work with PCOs who can provide the technology and resources for Hybrid Meetings. Venues need to gear up to ensure uninterrupted internet connectivity. Sustainability is another important element that needs to be factored into

meetings, particularly after the world has witnessed the ravages of climate change in 2021. There may be a conscious effort to reduce long haul travel in order to reduce carbon footprints.. For Meeting Planners there is a need to source and plan meetings with a focus on reducing carbon footprints and wastage.

MS. What will be your plans for 2022?

Monimita Sarkar. Working with a tech team to develop technology for Hybrid meetings. To develop cost effective solutions for our clients.

MS. What message would you like to give to the industry?

Monimita Sarkar. It’s been a very difficult 2 years for those of us in the Trade. I believe a two -pronged approach of Innovation & Collaboration. Hopefully we will get through the current phase of Omicron without too deep an impact.

And meanwhile, we need to build our tech capabilities for the next phase.

2022 WILL BE THE YEAR OF DOMESTIC MICE Jagdeep Bhagat, Na onal Coordinator, Network of Indian MICE Agents MS. If you would like to summarize the learnings from 2021, then what would they be?

Jagdeep Bhagat. The biggest learning from 2021 (in fact since the pandemic outbreak) is to take the Life as it comes and set the priorities right. Maintain balance between Work & Family Life.

MS. What according to you would be the top trends in 2022?

Jagdeep Bhagat. 2022 will be the year of Domestic MICE. Events and Exhibitions will be with reduced strengths and most of them will be held in hybrid mode. Incentive tours to the less explored and secluded destinations in natural surroundings will be more in demand. Outbound MICE to short haul destinations may see some growth.

MS. What will be your plans for 2022?

Jagdeep Bhagat. NIMA will work closely with State Tourism Boards in charting out the enormous MICE

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opportunities within our country and to apprise our members and other stake holders about the same. In 2022, we plan to have at least two networking programs per quarter per region along with our regional partner associations.

The Annual Residential MICE Forum will be held towards end of second quarter.

To train them young, in 2022 we plan to conduct multiple training sessions for students in association with institutes imparting education in hospitality and tourism.

MS. What message would you like to give to the industry?

Jagdeep Bhagat. Be Resilient, Be Agile, Stay Motivated and Be Thankful. Collaborate and Grow Together.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

MESSAGE FROM INDUSTRY

December 2021

WISHING THE TOURISM INDUSTRY A GREAT TIME AHEAD IN 2022 P P Khanna, Director, Diploma c Travel Point & Director, Advaita Showbiz MS. If you would like to summarize the learnings from 2021, then what would they be?

P P Khanna. We highly appreciate people enthusiasm, their energy to enjoy their full life in 2021 despite the pandemic threat moving around on shopping, holiday, business social cause etc. and the industry was slowly on the road to recovery.

However threat is now looming again in a variant form Omicron and having gone through a catastrophic experience during the second wave, Government does not want take a chance or show any laxity in taking all precaution to stop the spread of Omicron and soon there

might be another phase of lock down restricting movement of people at all places.

MS. What according to you would be the top trends in 2022?

P P Khanna. We can say or predict only after knowing the Government’s policy in the matter.

MS. What will be your plans for 2022?

P P Khanna. We being optimistic for the industry revival look forward to work for the progressive growth of domestic tourism in the country and would be taking various measures to promote destinations among the domestic tourists.

MS. What message would you like to give to the industry?

P P Khanna. Wishing the tourism industry a great time ahead in 2022 and let all of us work together to achieve it.

OUTBOUND MICE BUSINESS WILL TAKE TIME TO PICK UP IN 2022 Naveen Rizvi, Execu ve Director, ICE MS. If you would like to summarize the learnings from 2021, then what would they be?

MS. What will be your plans for 2022?

Naveen Rizvi. The COVID-19 crisis has a box full of important learnings that the MICE industry can draw from. One important lesson that the pandemic taught us was to be flexible and innovative in our approach. The industry players who adapted to the changes demanded by the situation survived the calamity but others who didnot, could not.

Naveen Rizvi. Revenue generation has become a challenge for the MICE industry since the pandemic caused the world to hault.

MS. What according to you would be the top trends in 2022?

Naveen Rizvi. In the wake of travel bans all across the world, with several countries yet to open borders for tourists, outbound travel has been stagnant for a while.

Further owing to the rising flight costs, hotel rates and differing quarantine rules between countries, domestic destinations within India will be still the preferred choice for the travel enthusiasts in 2022. Outbound MICE business will still take more time to pick up in 2022.

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With business picking up little by little, the key factors we will integrate in our preparedness planning for 2022 will be investing in digital innovation and revisiting our commercial approaches to offer the new age travel experience.

MS. What message would you like to give to the industry?

Naveen Rizvi. Industry friends and partners, stay positive, have patience, try to be cost effective and be adaptive to the situation by working with limited resources in such testing times.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

MESSAGE FROM INDUSTRY

December 2021

ENGAGING WITH THE GOI TO CREATE SINGLE WINDOW LICENSING Roshan Abbas, President, Event and Entertainment Management Associa on MS. If you would like to summarize the learnings from 2021, then what would they be?

Roshan Abbas. 2021 has taught us that we can work together to conduct safe events and keep our industry going on. Living with the pandemic is something we need to get accustomed to. Therefore vaccination passes at events, event apps, virtual and hybrid events with Covid protocols, conducting safely distanced events is important. It is equally important for the government to realise that human beings are meant to gather together that is why we are called social animals.

MS. What according to you would be the top trends in 2022?

Roshan Abbas. As for the top trends of 2022 we will see a

lot of people thronging to festivals and spending more on travel. People already realise that life is about creating memories and that this wealth is best created at events and exhibitions.

MS. What will be your plans for 2022?

Roshan Abbas. Even in trying times like these some associations and bodies are trying to profit from the industry by imposing heavy license fees which we believe are illegitimate. The fight against these needs to continue as one body and I am glad that both FHRAI and EEMA have come together to fight this menace. We are also engaging with the government of India to create single window licensing, and with Ministry of Tourism in a celebration of India as a wedding destination to promote both tourism and commerce.

MS. What message would you like to give to the industry?

Roshan Abbas. I hope all these measures will prove a shot in the arm for the industry at large.

2022 WILL DEPEND ON THE WORLD OPENING UP & DEALING WITH NEW VARIANTS Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts MS. If you would like to summarize the learnings from 2021, then what would they be?

Sanjoy Roy. 2021 was a year of trepidation and despair, learning and hope! Companies in the entertainment, tourism and hospitality business found it difficult to bounce back and reinvent themselves. Many were unable to cope with the continuing devastation and loss of vital experience and man power. It also allowed for innovation and the ability to grow new markets and create new opportunities.

At Teamwork Arts we were able to pivot digitally and expand the length and breadth of our work across markets reaching out to new audiences from China and Indonesia to Uzbekistan and The Caribbean.

MS. Top trends in 2022?

Sanjoy Roy. 2022 will be dependent on the world opening up and dealing with new variants of Covid -19. Even as digital fatigue abounds and people long for on ground events, celebrations and conferences, there is wish to return to the old `normal’. This is unlikely to play out, hybrid events will continue to dominate with organizers trying to improve the virtual experience and convert these from cookie cutter formats to more endearing and immersive

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programs.

MS. What will be your plans for 2022?

Sanjoy Roy. Our plans for 2022 continue to evolve with new festivals that we are hoping to launch on ground as well as online. At the 2022 Jaipur Literature Festival, the on ground experience will be immersive and hopefully safe within the protocols laid down by the Government. Not everything we do on ground will be viewed virtually and not everything virtual can be accessed by on ground audiences. Even as the world tries to formulate its response to the new variant we are hopeful of opening up new festivals in Sone Fushi, Maldives, France, The Bay Area, Florida and Milan.

MS. What message would you like to give to the industry?

Sanjoy Roy. Resilience, future planning and the ability to rethink our business is key to our collective future.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

MESSAGE FROM INDUSTRY

December 2021

KTO TO RESTART OUTBOUND TRAVEL FROM INDIA TO SOUTH KOREA Sandeep Du a, Marke ng Manager, Korea Tourism Organiza on C. Staying positive is the key – 2021 has been very tough for all of us. Tough enough to make you think that one might not recover from the setback only. However, as they say “there is always light at the end of the tunnel”, it is very important to have a positive and focused frame of mind while undertaking your professional duties.

MS. Top trends in 2022?

Sandeep Dutta. For outbound travel especially MICE, the top trends in 2022 would be: A. One stop destination with direct flight connectivity will see faster recovery with incentive groups from Indian companies.

B. People travelling for trade fairs may look at new destinations like South Korea to explore new business partnerships for their imports/exports.

MS. If you would like to summarize the learnings from 2021, then what would they be?

Sandeep Dutta. 2021 has been a year of learning for all of us be it personally or professionally. However, if I had to pick the top 3 things that influenced us, they would be: A. Collaborating with other brands to reach out to new target audience - With no travel resumption between India and Korea and limited budgets, we went beyond our regular initiatives and collaborated with everyday brands in fashion, lifestyle and food to create awareness about Korean cosmetics, cuisine, fashion and music/drama.

B. Constant innovation is required to adapt to the unpredictable travel scenario – In 2021, we were always a few months away before all borders opened and international travel restarted. But it kept on getting delayed. As a tourism board, you always make marketing plans for the coming month which had to be constantly changed or modified every time international travel got postponed. If you are not able to innovate and think of creative ideas to use your marketing budget, you would not have been able to use your budget effectively.

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C. Overall outbound travel costs will be much higher than the pre-covid levels and hence MICE travel will see reduction in average group strength & duration with preference to short-flight destinations.

MS. What will be your plans for 2022?

Sandeep Dutta. In 2022, we at KTO look at restarting outbound travel from India to South Korea by mainly targeting the luxury travel segment and small incentive groups. In addition to that we will be targeting the fans of Korean drama’s and Korean Kpop music with new and innovative tour products for leisure travel. From marketing and promotions wise, we look forward to participating at the major travel trade shows with our DMC partners and also organize our own roadshow and seminars in multiple cities. We would also be actively build upon the recent popularity of Korean films, dramas, music and food to with direct consumer engagement activities to keep them constantly busy.

MS. What message would you like to give to the industry?

Sandeep Dutta. Our travel trade is a very resilient industry and does not need any special message. I believe that the worst phase for the tourism industry is now behind us and even though for some it may mean starting from scratch, the only way we can move now is up with better and more business.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

MESSAGE FROM INDUSTRY

December 2021

WE HAVE A PLETHORA OF SITES, DESTINATIONS, MONUMENTS, FAUNA FLORA, ADVENTURE AND WILDLIFE Jyo Mayal, President, Travel Agents Associa on of India MS. If you would like to summarize the learnings from 2021, then what would they be?

Jyoti Mayal. 2021 was truly a year of learning amidst confusion, frustration & hope. The three words that immediately come to my mind would be “resilient” “adaptable” & “my family & me.” What happened in these last two years couldn’t be imagined by anyone in their wildest of dreams. A series of unpredictable challenges kept erupting which made us quick to adapt & go the extra mile as per the situation demands & become resilient. We adapted to the changed environment, demographic of the traveller, the destination & most effectively the digital world. We also became obsessed & paranoid in protecting are loved ones, as each relationship was & is vital.

MS. Top trends in 2022?

Jyoti Mayal. Everything what we speak is speculation in this world of new learnings. Speaking from the wise man’s perspective the strong sentiment that I believe 2022 would bring, would be Hope with a Positive attitude. The trend would be, to keep a check on reality and work accordingly to re-establish in the market and revive business and focus on generating income instead of waiting for the right time but surely not forgetting to be cautious & follow the new norms diligently. The trends in tourism will be more of reunion travel, better technology, virtual reality tours with more focus on wellness, spiritual & rural tourism.

Sustainable tourism will be the buzz word. TAAI is working with certain Indian destinations to create experiences which would be sustainable & inclusive. I also believe business travel will be back as it cannot sustain non presence interactions & transactions. The third quarter will surely see tourism bounce back with much more vigour & multiple numbers. The variant of the virus may keep evolving but its strength will certainly weaken & we will have to be smarter than the virus & learn to navigate it away from our lives by adopting the safety procedures.

MS. What will be your plans for 2022?

Jyoti Mayal. As President TAAI, Vice Chairperson FAITH, Chairperson THSC, my plans would be to continue looking for opportunities for TAAI members, indulge in more

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skilling & upskilling, working closely with government bodies & stake holders to bring effective ease of business, protection of cash & inculcate hope and a positive attitude to revive the travel & tourism industry to all possible levels. As an association Chair I would continue to deliver to my best to urge the government, as well to have policies resonating with the travel and tourism industry’s best of interest and further pursue relaxation in terms of the tax cut and uniform travel guidelines among others so as to let the industry revive. India is truly a country made for tourism. We have a plethora of sites, destinations, monuments, fauna flora, adventure, wildlife & much-much more, along with culture, heritage, cuisine, crafts etc. This page would run out of space in the listing & I strongly believe that we had missed the opportunity to make India the largest & strongest hub between the east & west & as the world is once again reinventing, we need to focus on this huge opportunity the crisis has brought.

MS. What message would you like to give to the industry?

Jyoti Mayal. During the MICE expo I had concluded my discussion on “if you are not willing to learn no one can help you, if you are determined to learn no one can stop you,” so to continue from there, I would like to add that the world is a platform where everyone gets a fair chance to perform and achieve, it is in our hands whether we want to crib about the bad times or to see a silver lining and cash the opportunity.Let us work together in a collaborated, coordinated manner to achieve our vision milestones & make this a robust, self-sustainable industry. Begin your new year on a joyous and positive note and definitely, you will see the results. I would like to quote Whitman who said, “Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.” Happy 2022!! God Bless!!

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

MESSAGE FROM INDUSTRY

December 2021

IN 2022, WE WILL CONTINUE WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR TRAVEL TRADE PARTNER-FRIENDS, UNDER THE THEME OF “CHARTING OUR PATHWAYS TO TOURISM RECOVERY, TOGETHER!” GB Srithar, Regional Director India, Middle East & South Asia, Singapore Tourism Board consumer engagement, we embarked on a series of innovative marketing initiatives in 2021. We began the year with an artistic collaboration between Indian Gond artist Bhajju Shyam and Singaporean artist Sam Lo in January 2021 to create one of the tallest murals in Little India in Singapore. In July 2021, we collaborated with Voot Kids and Green Gold Animation to present a “Gift of Smiles” to children and families across India - an animated seven-part webisodes titled ‘Chhota Bheem – Adventures in Singapore’. We had partnered with Foodhall India to celebrate the 28th edition of the Singapore Food Festival by bringing diverse culinary experiences at Foodhall stores across the country. And we have wrapped up the year with our Instagram reel campaign, where 27 influencers shared their favourite moments in Singapore to the beat of Khoye Se song and invited audiences to share their versions.

MS. If you would like to summarize the learnings from 2021, then what would they be?

GB Srithar. Being Agile and Creative, Keep Connecting and Stand United – these were for me the main learnings in 2021. It has been a very busy and fruitful year in trade and consumer engagements for us, despite the many constraints that we faced. The tough pandemic situations through the year forced us to re-think our plans and required us to be agile, nimble and get creative in keeping Singapore in the minds of the Indian leisure and MICE travellers. Instead of stepping back, we stepped forward, aiming to be proactive in reaching out to our consumers and travel trade. We kept them informed of how Singapore is putting in place the essential protections to assure travel safety and evolving its tourism offerings.

We continued our firm belief in keeping our connections with our audiences growing. As part of our ongoing

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On the trade engagement front, our call of solidarity was #UnitedWeStand. This was to signal our commitment to stay connected with them and work together for tourism recovery. We started the year by organising a Virtual Tradeshow 2021 which saw more than 45 SG stakeholders and 2800+ participants for the 4-day event. Under the theme “Charting Our Pathways to MICE Recovery, together” we organised a virtual lunch session for 50+ distinguished MICE corporate decision makers from various industry sectors in February and August. STB India was the exclusive Platinum partner of International MICE Showcase 2.0. The virtual event assembled more than 800 MICE industry professionals and 93 global leaders from 50+ countries as esteemed speakers in 20 live sessions across three parallel tracks. We had regularly updated our trade partner-friends on the latest happenings in Singapore through our WhatsApp subscriber platform.

As 2022 approaches, the evolving Omicron situation will impact travel for at least the first few months of 2022. As travel conditions improve, we will continue to engage the travel trade and consumers to showcase Singapore as a must-visit destination.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

MESSAGE FROM INDUSTRY

December 2021

MS. What according to you would be the top trends in 2022?

GB Srithar. Tourism is and no longer will be the same.

More so than ever, the ability of a destination and its tourism establishments to provide good health and sanitisation practices will be vital in inspiring confidence and influencing consumers’ choice to travel.

Going digital & contactless: Singapore has gone digital and contactless to provide added reassurance to its citizens and visitors when international travel resumes. For example, Changi Airport’s kiosks have proximity sensors instead of touchscreens, immigration lanes use biometric face and iris recognition and robots in the terminals spray disinfecting mist. Some attractions have gone completely contactless too, with apps that allow customers to pre-book at appointed time slots to visit the attractions. In addition, consumers will likely be more adept at using digital tools and may choose to consume services and experiences in different ways. The current COVID-19 environment presents an opportunity for Singapore to continue to reimagine tourism and design safe experiences for visitors through innovative formats and digital adoptions.

Immersive travel on the rise: The one thing that the pandemic has taught people is to slow down and appreciate an unhurried life, which is why there will be rise of slow, immersive travel options.

According to a news report by MakeMyTrip, more and more people will prefer travel that balances their itinerary with a languid pace affording them the time to explore more while eliminating the stress of rushing around many places to tick the boxes.

Conscious Travel: According to a research conducted by Booking.com, 96% of Indian travellers identified sustainable travel as important to them, while 76% said they were more

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determined to make sustainable choices when looking to travel again in the future. Travelers are putting a lot of thought into planning their next trip – in terms of safety as well as being environmentally and socially conscious about their choices. This puts the travel industry in a position of great responsibility. Consumers are looking to make sustainable and more conscious choices and as travel picks up, there will be more pressure on the industry to identify exactly what is being done to protect the planet and understand how travel is positively impacting local communities. Hence, we expect to see a more sustainable approach to travel in the near future.

MS. What will be your plans for 2022?

GB Srithar. We remain confident in the long-term prospects of Singapore's tourism sectors – both for leisure and MICE & business travel – as the fundamentals that make Singapore an attractive place for unique, high-quality travel and MICE experiences remain unchanged. In 2022, we will continue working closely with our travel trade partner-friends, under the theme of “Charting Our Pathways to Tourism Recovery, Together!” to present Singapore’s offerings to their clients. Continuing the innovative consumer engagement partnership projects we had in 2021, we will work with relevant brands to bring Singapore closer to the hearts and minds of the Indian travellers.

As travellers from India are likely to seek more immersive and longer stays in Singapore, we will present the different, re-imagined experiences in the city. Some new attractions that visitors can enjoy when visiting the country include: the Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC), a popular US-based attraction launched in August this year; SkyHelixSentosa, Singapore's first open-air panoramic attraction that allows visitors scenic views of Sentosa and Southern Waterfront, opened in December; and Slingshot – Asia's tallest slingshot, a new thrill ride concept at Clarke Quay, is due to open in 2022.

MS. What message would you like to give to the industry?

GB Srithar. I believe the learnings in 2021 are relevant for 2022. Let us be agile and creative in dealing with the evolving situations and how best to pivot our businesses, consumer and MICE corporate engagements and delivering safe, top-class traveller experiences. We need to keep connecting with our audiences with clarity, empathy and authenticity. And, as members of the travel and tourism fraternity let us stand together and united as partner-friends to chart the pathways to tourism and MICE recovery, together.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

MESSAGE FROM INDUSTRY

December 2021

Adam Burke, President & CEO at Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

"We are extremely grateful to the MICE community for their con nued collabora on and support. Since Los Angeles remains the only U.S. des na on to maintain its own dedicated, full- me offices and staff in seven loca ons interna onally, we've been able to work closely with our partners in the travel trade throughout the past 20+ months to provide the most current informa on available, including extensive online training through our L.A. Insider and Angels Academy cer fica on programs.”

We're very optimistic about recovery in the MICE segment moving forward. While our industry must continue to make health and safety our highest priority, we also need to provide a seamless experience for both planners and event participants.

That's been our primary focus in Los Angeles - to ensure that attendees can feel confident about event safety while still enjoying all that our City of Angels has to offer.

While virtual platforms have been vital in helping us manage through the past two years - and will certainly continue to be a valuable tool moving forward - there's simply no substitute for the power of in-person events.

collaboration and support. Since Los Angeles remains the only U.S. destination to maintain its own dedicated, fulltime offices and staff in seven locations internationally, we've been able to work closely with our partners in the travel trade throughout the past 20+ months to provide the most current information available, including extensive online training through our L.A. Insider and Angels Academy certification programs. And for planners and attendees alike, there are more reasons than ever that make Los Angeles the ideal place to meet. First of all, we're proud that L.A. is one of the world's most diverse and inclusive destinations, with Angelenos hailing from 140 countries and speaking over 220 different languages. As a result, guests from around the globe will feel welcome in our community. Secondly, in addition to an abundance of direct air service, Los Angeles International Airport is in the midst of a $14 billion modernization that will totally transform the passenger experience and make LAX one of the world's premier facilities.

Finally, in addition to countless outdoor meeting options and 300 days of sunshine, we've been fortunate to see significant investment in new product offerings over the last 24 months. From the spectacular Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to over two dozen new hotels to the stateof-the-art SoFi Stadium - home to both the National Football League's L.A. Rams and Chargers - the Los Angeles experience is more exciting than ever.

While this has been an incredibly challenging time for our industry, MICE business has proven remarkably resilient over the years, and the future is bright for this critical business segment.

From group collaboration and ideation to building new relationships and strengthening existing ones, there's so much that can only be effectively accomplished by meeting face-to-face. As a result, we anticipate that MICE business will steadily increase throughout 2022. We are extremely grateful to the MICE community for their continued

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

MESSAGE FROM INDUSTRY

December 2021

WORKCATION' TREND LIKELY TO CONTINUE IN 2022 Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI & MD, Chirag Travels Pvt. Ltd. new Omicron variant, however once the vaccines’ efficacy against the variants proves durable, we expect a big release of pent-up demand in 2022. Ÿ Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

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MS. If you would like to summarize the learnings from 2021, then what would they be?

Riaz Munshi. 2021 has been a trying year but also one that has proved the resilience of travel like never before as we have all adjusted our businesses to fit into this new and precarious setting.

The learning that has come from this is that we need to rethink old processes and constantly adapt, innovate and map out the growing needs of a new era of travel. Our focus has been to improve the customer experience across the entire end-to-end journey, from the planning and booking phase to the travel and return home. With different government rules, digital health certificates, travel restrictions, safety measures and dynamic policies, more considerations and information is required than ever before. Consistent trainings have been crucial to act fast and ensure a seamless experience for the travellers.

As we move towards recovery and new travel trends and traveler expectations emerge, leveraging the skills of people and technology will ultimately allow us to deliver journeys that meet travellers’ expectations and gain their confidence to travel in the new normal.

MS. What according to you would be the top trends in 2022?

Riaz Munshi. Travel has again taken a hit again with the

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Destinations that offer quick flights, little to no restrictions, and good mix activities would be preferred.

Given the unpredictability of restrictions, we have also noticed a trend of increasing last-minute bookings.

People are becoming more flexible and spontaneous in their travel planning.

We also saw a much greater inclination towards private jets and anticipate that there will be a strong retention of this new customer base in 2022 as well.

The ‘workcation' trend has also seen an upturn and will likely to continue in 2022 as the distinction between home and work life has become increasingly blurred and many people have seized the opportunity to work from wherever they choose.

Travellers will now be much more cognisant of their travel choices, moving towards fuller and immersive travel experiences that allow them to truly connect, explore and unwind. The resultant demand for luxury stays would increase significantly as we saw it grow this year.

MS. What will be your plans for 2022?

Riaz Munshi. The plan is to utilise our learnings and constantly implement solutions to adapt to the changing global travel norms. We have also re-evaluated our offerings and collaborated with our global partners to put careful consideration into embracing slow and sustainable travel, focusing on curating new itineraries that are impactful, purposeful and responsible. We will thus, be working more on experiential travel and immersive journeys along with introducing new, unexplored destinations.

MS. What message would you like to give to the industry?

Riaz Munshi. The travel industry has been incredibly resilient for the last two years. Even though we are not on the other side of the tunnel just yet, the courage and solidarity shown during these difficult times make me confident that our industry will grow out of this ordeal and will bounce back stronger than ever before. India is going to emerge as one of the leading outbound markets of the world and I am optimistic that the 2022 will shine new light and prove to be a breakthrough one for travel.

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This Year That Month

Bidding Adieu To 2021

This was another tough year for our industry but we stood resilient more than ever. MICE Showcase did numerous stories and interviews to keep the industry informed and engaged.

In this section, we bring to you excerpts from some of the interviews that were featured in 2021.

THIS YEAR THAT MONTH

December 2021

Domestic Travel Will Continue Being The Trend Globally MS. Finally, what according to you will be the emerging trends in 2021?

Jyoti Mayal. Domestic travel will continue being the trend globally & will play a very important role in the revival of economy JYOTI MAYAL & travel business. Inbound President, TAAI & Vice & international will slowly Chairperson, FAITH increase as & when January 2021 confidence starts getter stronger. Consumers will want more information about their end-to-end journey, such as which aircraft, which airport to transit and the hotel's 'COVID' cleanliness processes – as people want to make their careful decisions to minimise their risk and exposures for themselves and their families. Search engines will need to supply more information to enable filtering and selections. When people feel safe, they will travel more – as they now know what it is like to be prevented to go to places, they thought they could go anytime.

We'll start to embrace travel in a more conscious way, seeking out smaller brands, hotels and experiences that reconnect us with nature and minimise our footprint. Short stays and weekend trips will be huge next year. Because international travel will be limited, we will most likely travel locally, more frequently. More road trips for 2021.

Packing up the car, with a flexible itinerary is a great way to explore our amazing country. While it's difficult to predict exactly what tourism will look like in the future, we can expect that travellers will have a greater desire to seek out less crowded attractions and destinations, as well as nature-based experiences.

Fortunately, some of India's key attributes including our wide open spaces, our relative isolation and our reputation for being a safe destination, will be attractive to draw international travellers when they can travel here again.

One of the key areas that we are committed to is telling our incredible Indigenous story and celebrating that rich history of the oldest continuous living culture on Earth.

Another key focus for us is tapping into an increased desire for, and awareness of, sustainable tourism products and experiences among travellers.

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MICE Plays A Key Role In Our Tourism Industry MS. How do you see the way ahead for the MICE industry in Singapore?

Raymond Lim. MICE plays a key role in our tourism industry. MICE events bring about significant spill over benefits to our economy, including RAYMOND LIM bringing in business for Area Director, India & our lifestyle and hospitality South Asia (New Delhi) STB sectors. Business travellers May 2021 are also important to our long-term yield-driven tourism growth strategy, as they spend almost double that of leisure travellers to Singapore. Industries will need to reinvent themselves and pivot to new markets and products to remain relevant in the new COVID-19 world. The MICE industry is one such industry, and it is therefore critical that we take steps to chart a new direction and capture future demand. We must unlock new value, as well as businesses and opportunities for our MICE players. In line with the gradual reopening of the Singapore economy, we have been resuming business events in a careful and controlled manner under the Safe Business Events Framework, with limits on size and capacity to reduce transmission risk and avoid creating clusters of infection. Since October 2020, more than 60 events hosting over 9,000 attendees have been held in Singapore. Through our pilots, STB will continue to further refine the framework with industry feedback and learnings from the pilot events, as well as build confidence to scale up when these have been successfully implemented.

MS. What would be your message to the industry?

Raymond Lim. It is important that we use this time to recalibrate our businesses and take concrete steps to ready ourselves for a new operating environment when international travel resumes. There is a call for a more collaborative approach among the different players in the tourism industry and each to play their part to ensure that we collectively join the dots so that the entire eco-system can support a customer experience that is more seamless, safer and of higher value to visitors. The team at STB India has been actively engaging and connecting with our industry partners.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

THIS YEAR THAT MONTH

December 2021

The Pandemic Has Encouraged The World To Be More Hygiene & Safety Inclined MS. Top trends in MICE tourism Niall Gibbons. 1. Safety, Hygiene and Clean Tourism: The pandemic has encouraged the world to be more hygiene and safety inclined. This is a NIALL GIBBONS habit that many experts CEO, believe will be carried Tourism Ireland forward post covid as well and will ripple through the June 2021 travel and hospitality industry leaving visitors extremely cautious and careful about the cleanliness of their environment. Hotels, event venues and hospitality professionals will need to take note of this and be able to guarantee the visitor a clean and safe environment.

2. Hybrid Events: Hybrid events are events that incorporate both in-person and virtual, live-streaming elements. Hybrid events are a good way to manage crowd levels, ensure all relevant attendees of the event are able to attend, and offer increased eyeballs and in turn, increased Return on Investment. The hotel, hospitality and event industry will need to keep up with this growing trend by educating themselves on the technology involved and of course, good internet bandwidth to be able to support hybrid events.

3. Sustainable Tourism: With more and more activism towards environment protection, corporates are shifting their gaze towards sustainable practices and tourism.

Experiences that leave a low carbon footprint, little to no impact on the environment, limited waste and zero plastic usage are gaining popularity. Tourism is shifting outdoors and towards nature and nature-based activities are gaining popularity. Younger travellers are engaging in more cultural and local authentic experiences that are environment friendly and this will translate to corporate and MICE tourism as well.

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Not Intended To Replace Existing Good Work But Rather Shine A Light On It And Add Value MS. What are some main pillars of activity to benefit the Tourism Industry?

Mike Gamble. Our 4 pillars are Workforce Development, DE&I, Research and Data and our Apprenticeship program.

Let me speak about our MIKE GAMBLE Apprenticeship program.

CEO at Tourism This is a program designed Diversity Matters to provide hands-on June 2021 working experience to ethnically diverse Apprentices interested in pursuing a career in the tourism and hospitality industry. Potential Apprentices will receive an opportunity to choose a tourism, hospitality, events, venue or sports career path that aligns with their professional career goals. The Tourism Apprentice Career Track (TACT) is comprised of three distinctive tracks: a Destination Track, a Sports Track, and a Meetings & Events Track. The Apprentice will complete a total of 600 working hours (not to exceed six months) among all three partners and during this time they will gain experience working across multiple departments (i.e., marketing, sales, finance, operations, etc.) They will also gain exposure to other local stakeholders and community partners such as the Airport, Government Agencies, Meeting and Event Organizations, Restaurants and Attractions etc.

MS. How does TDM’s goal help to sustain and expand, fellow industry partners, research institutions, and creates solutions to organizational success?

Mike Gamble. This is a collective impact approach. Not intended to replace existing good work but rather shine a light on it and add value. We will be immediately collaborating with many industry organizations in order to make a difference together. We have already started to share some of the great research currently being done in the industry. Our intent is to absolutely produce our own research but this will take some time as we are only in our 4th month of operation. We launched TDM during the pandemic and the universal industry support has been overwhelming.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

THIS YEAR THAT MONTH

December 2021

Biggest Lesson That The Pandemic Has Taught Us Is The Importance Of Preparedness & Adaptability MS. What will be the upcoming top trends in Maldives?

Thoyyib Mohamed. As we move into the 2021, we are seeing a lot of new resorts with new trendy concepts and numerous experiences are opening up across the THOYYIB MOHAMED MD, Maldives Marketing country. These new resorts & Public Relations Cor. offer an additional layer of charm to potential visitors.

July 2021 More resorts are also being opened further away from the Maldives, giving holiday makers access to distant atolls. The Maldives will remain one of the most desired honeymoon destinations of the world. However, new aspects of tourism such as MICE tourism will begin to expand during the year and beyond. The Maldives offers a relative safe destination for meetings and conferences, as businesses begin to host face-to-face events as the pandemic eases.

MS. What according to you are the learnings from this pandemic?

Thoyyib Mohamed. I believe the biggest lesson that the pandemic has taught us is the importance of preparedness and adaptability. During these times we have been forced to change our course and our actions on short notice.

Planning too is crucial in order to adapt to various situations that may arise. The systems required to ensure smooth operation of the industry in the new normal are already in place and have been strengthened during the last many months.

These include the measures put in place to ensure the safety of visitors at all tourist facilities and touch points such as airports and transfer vessels and seaplanes. Resorts have the capacity to test for Covid-19 and isolation facilities in the event of someone testing positive. Industry staff are trained to ensure the safety of holiday makers and follow the protocols that are in place. Once all those working in the industry are vaccinated it will be contributing an additional layer of safety for visitors.

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The Principle Will Never Change While The Means May Vary MS. The meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions (MICE) industry in Thailand is one of the major branches of tourism in Thailand, how has the incentive travel industry changed in the last 2 years?

Where do you see the future headed?

SUMATE SUDASNA MD, CDM - Conference & Destination Management

Sumate Sudasna. Incentive travel evolved with global July 2021 trends. Programs are less extravagant but still quality focused, with more considerations on sustainability issues. Group size is smaller, food & beverage arrangements are more concise as dietary habits and requirements are more varied. Hygiene, safety and security are important considerations.

MS. What key trends do you currently observe in the MICE industry?

Sumate Sudasna. Event hosts and planners need good return on efforts and investment on programs to meet objectives so suppliers have a duty to help them. The principle will never change while the means may vary.

MS. What would be your piece of advice to the industry?

Sumate Sudasna. Totally dedicate efforts in the business, promote and market the destination as a team, support each other, keep up with evolving trends, and always understand your customer needs.

MS. Are there any learnings from past challenges that you think translate to the current situation?

Sumate Sudasna. No risk aversion/transferring/sharing plan can mitigate this crisis. Companies should have business continuation plan which differs from one to another but the essence would be business segment diversification, management flexibililty, workforce multi tasking abilities and financial security.

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December 2021

Safety Will Undoubtedly Be A Top Priority MS. What according to you would be the top trends that will shape up business/MICE tourism in the new normal?

Steen Jakobsen. Safety will undoubtedly be a top priority for meeting planners going forward, even as the pandemic STEEN JAKOBSEN continues to subside Assistant Vice President, around the world. Just as Dubai Business Events previous events in recent August 2021 decades put the focus on security, embedding them into practices over the longer term, the same will apply to health and safety. They key will be for destinations such as Dubai to show attention to details and the ability to handle new challenges in this area. Another by-effect of the pandemic has been that planners have seen both the possibilities and limitations afforded by virtual meeting technologies, both when these were completely relied upon while face-to-face was not feasible, and since then in hybrid settings. While the experience of the past 18 months has underlined the fact that face-to-face meetings provide unrivalled opportunities, they have also shown that there is a place for hybrid elements, to maximise the reach of business, associations and other organisations and add value to their offerings.

MS. What synergies do you see that exist between India and Dubai to grow MICE tourism?

Steen Jakobsen. In recent years, before the onset of the global pandemic, India was Dubai’s number one source market for international visitation, and this applied across both leisure and business. The synergies are built on a number of key pillars: the proximity of India and the extensive network of flights connecting us, the historic links between us, and the strong bilateral ties between India and the UAE that exist today. There is also strong familiarity with Dubai in India, among meeting planners, businesses and the wider population, and at the same time always an eagerness to explore the latest offerings and experiences here. In terms of our marketing activities, India is at the forefront, with a dedicated office in Mumbai, roadshows visiting key cities around the country, participation in key trade events and regular inbound study missions from India.

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Azerbaijan Has Abundant Natural Resources With 9 Out of 11 Climate Zones MS. As we moved into 2021, what will be the top trends in Azerbaijan?

Florian Sengstschmid. The pandemic has certainly introduced new travel patterns. Obviously, one such trend right now is to provide sustainable and FLORIAN SENGSTSCHMID responsible travel CEO, Azerbaijan experiences focusing on Tourism Board the unique features of Azerbaijan. Our advantage August 2021 is that Azerbaijan has abundant natural resources with 9 out of the world’s 11 climate zones, and this allows us to improve ecotourism here. We have recently developed and marked hiking trails along a 150 km-long route, so travellers in need of a ‘safe haven’ can certainly find it in Azerbaijan as they pass by splendid lakes and waterfalls, through forests and the magnificent Caucasus mountains. In addition to hiking, we are working on rural tourism as well as infrastructure development in remote villages to make them accessible for unforgettable travel experiences. Another one of our main offerings is birdwatching. Azerbaijan combines regionally special or endemic bird species with amazing views and landscapes for birdwatching enthusiasts in places like Khinalig and Laza in the Guba and Gusar regions in the north as well as the Talish Mountains in the south. I would also like to mention the mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan, whose moonlike landscape makes for a unique stargazing or glamping experience. Quite recently, we had a high-level ceremony to lay the foundation of the Mud Volcanoes Tourism Complex. The complex is located near the UNESCO-listed Gobustan Reserve, where an astonishing collection of over 6,000 ancient petroglyphs depict ways of life dating as far back as 40,000 years, and it will welcome visitors with an exhibition hall, café and workshop.

Together with ecotourism, we are also reemphasising the importance of the history and culture that makes any trip unforgettable.

There are 3 unique UNESCO Heritage Sites in Azerbaijan.

While you can stroll through the labyrinth-like narrow streets of Icherisheher – the Old City where the Shirvanshahs’ Palace, the 15th century residence of Baku’s medieval rulers, as well as ancient Maiden Tower, will allow you to dive into the historic roots of the country.

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THIS YEAR THAT MONTH

December 2021

We Have Been Fortunate Enough To Make Some Great Innovations MS. Two things you would like to change in the industry.

What can we expect in the coming years?

KUSH KAPOOR CEO, Roseate Hotels & Chairman, Assocham September 2021

Kush Kapoor. Use of technology In the most efficient & effective manner having a synergy between human capital & Artificial intelligence. Secondly, to bring Indian Hospitality to the World map.

MS. What have been the crucial lessons learned and how has that helped changed your strategy?

Kush Kapoor. Be your competition, keep competing with your yesterday. Forget what you did yesterday, learn from your mistakes & moves ahead. Make mistakes & keep learning as this is the Best way to grow faster.

MS. Any message that you would like to share with us.

Kush Kapoor. 3 things. Make sure you know your WHY – why you are doing what you are doing.

Make sure you know your goals.

Know the process you have to follow to achieve your goals. Ÿ Know what you will have to sacrifice in order to achieve your goals Ÿ Ÿ

MS. How do you see the hospitality industry evolve in postCOVID? What would constitute the new normal hotels?

Kush Kapoor. Flexibility, sticking to your basics when it comes to Hospitality will always be the key in any industry.

There are numerous brand who have perished in the last 18 months & many Brand have evolved, its always survival of the fittest in any industry. We at Roseate Hotels & Resorts have been fortunate enough to make some Great innovations ( our own bottling plant, generating water from moisture, 24 X 7 access to anyone who wishes to see their food being prepared by our Chefs in our kitchens, opening of our Cafes, biggest Iskate ring in India, etc. and many more innovations have been done by us in the last 15 months ) which will take us a long way ahead.

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The Incentive Travel Story Is An Inspired Narrative MS. How would you make a layman understand what Incentive Travel is?

Dr. Patrick Patridge.

Incentive Travel is a special tool that uses an exceptional travel experience to motivate, recognise and / or reward DR. PATRICK PATRIDGE individuals for exemplary MICE, Tourism Marketing & levels of engagement, PR Consultant performance, and achievement in support of September 2021 either organisational, scientific, climate, environment or societal goals. Incentive Travel in the company of colleagues or customers is a special, complex, and emotional journey. The Incentive Travel story is an inspired narrative that is curated for the mind but felt with the heart. It is not something which can be purchased ready-to-wear from a travel agency. It is either couture – or tailor-made by an Incentive Travel professional.

MS. Some current trends in Incentive Travel?

Dr. Patrick Patridge. Trends that remain relevant to all involved in our industry include: Ÿ Planners still wish to be kept informed about changes, future planning and destination developments postCovid. Ÿ Reliable and speedy air access with MICE terms and conditions from key international airports will remain essential due to shorter programme duration and increased time constraints. Ÿ Tips for “hip” and “unusual” venues, affordable hotels with a personal touch (health and compliance regulations), and “in” pubs and restaurants to highlight the “attractiveness”, “uniqueness” and “saleability” of an Incentive Travel destination. Ÿ Fiscally compliant events, individual travel experiences and vocational training are increasingly in demand. Ÿ Immersive sightseeing, shopping, culture, music festivals and iconic sporting events will remain popular, paired with visits to technical facilities, factory production units and university research departments. Ÿ Topped off by informal get-togethers in suitably themed settings where, e.g., researchers, developers, distributors, and sales forces come together to talk shop.

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THIS YEAR THAT MONTH

December 2021

The White Paper Takes Stock Of How Various Sectors Within The Industry Have Transformed MS. Singapore Tourism Board, Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and UFI (The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) had partnered to launch a whitepaper titled “Reimagining Business Events –Through COVID-19 DR. EDWARD KOH and Beyond”. What were the ED, Conventions, Meetings main findings of this report? and Incentive Travel, STB

October 2021

Dr. Edward Koh. Launched at the first hybrid Singapore MICE Forum x IBTM Wired at Marina Bay Sands on 28 June 2021, the white paper takes stock of how various sectors within the industry have transformed in response to COVID-19, and consolidated ideas from around the world to help business event organisers rethink their offerings and operations.

Some of the main findings: As the world continues to grapple with the pandemic, optimism among business events organisations has continued to grow over the past months and revenues have also started to pick up. This year, the exhibitions industry, which contracted by 68 per cent in 2020, is expected to register global revenues 106% higher than 2020 figures Ÿ Within Asia Pacific, there are strong indications of growth and innovation. Based on UFI, Explori and SISO’s Global Recovery Insights report 12, exhibitions in Asia are likely to see stronger growth in participation from both visitors and exhibitors, compared to the rest of the world Ÿ Visitors from Asia are significantly more likely to convert from attending a new event digitally to attending in person in the future – 64 per cent compared to 48 per cent of respondents from the rest of the world Ÿ Innovation will be critical to carry the sector through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. To begin, organisations should think about innovating across three pillars: Business Models, Delegate Experience, and Talent and Capabilities Ÿ

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There Are Many Lessons Learnt & Many We Are Still Learning For Our Industry MS. If you get ten times more funding, what would you do with those funds?

Brent Hill. I would definitely ramp up our marketing and digital capability and add a few roles into the team that I am very keen for us to BRENT HILL pursue. I want to CEO, encourage Destination TOURISM FIJI Development in Fiji – that is, helping businesses and November 2021 entrepreneurs develop tourism product that offers something unique and special to the market, but also benefits Fijians. I think to be able to market around the world to our key markets is critical, & extra funds would help us differentiate and grab share of voice from our competitors.

MS. How the pandemic has changed the face of Tourism industry? What are the lessons learnt?

Brent Hill. Prior to COVID-19, tourism was Fiji’s largest industry, GDP-earner and source of employment. As a postCOVID destination, there are many lessons learnt and many we are still learning for our industry, such as adaptability, innovation, collective vision towards recovery and supporting colleagues displaced and affected by the pandemic. COVID 19 was devasting for our industry, so we cannot wait for borders to reopen so that people can be reemployed, & we can start things going again and generate investment and jobs for the industry and for Fiji.

MS. What are some of the major developments in Fiji that you would want to highlight?

Brent Hill. The completely renovated Sheraton on Denarau in Nadi will be an incredible property, opening in 2022 and critical to the MICE market. It is a $70M renovation, and completely revamping the property. This is the most significant upgrade that has gone through during the COVID period, however there have also been a number of properties revamp, refresh and set themselves up for 2022 and beyond including the Hilton Fiji, Radisson Blu, Sofitel and Intercontinental. Many island properties have also had significant developments and new properties and experiences that have been developed.

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December 2021

India Is A Real Case Study Of Travel And Tourism Destinations MS. What are the challenges and threats surrounding the Tourism Industry in Pakistan?

SUMAIRA ISAACS CEO, World Tourism Forum Institute November 2021

Sumaira Isaacs. No threats only opportunities, but like any country in the region, safety and security is always foremost critical focus and priority for consistent tourism flow of investments and tourists.

MS. Would you come as a tourist to India, and if so,

why?

Sumaira Isaacs. India is a real case study of travel and tourism destinations and a great brand. I have been to India several times, and it was my honor started one of the first International Professional Congress Organiser PCO’s in the country MCI Group – hence directly contributing to local economy and creating jobs in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.

MS. Could you tell us about your recently organised events for MICE industry? How was the Summit proved to be a vital meeting place for the Travel & Tourism industry?

Sumaira Isaacs. All of our events are a testimony to the destination we place them in – where all stakeholders come together to talk about the issues at hand. Our recent hybrid events of Indonesia and Brussels are a example where although live component due to covid restrictions was small – but the online viewership exceeded a million plus. That means there is a real need for the industry to come together, and people in far flung parts of the world are looking for a North Star and we are trying to fill that gap.

MS. What has been your biggest challenge in navigating today’s uncertainty? How are you keeping yourself motivated and positive?

Sumaira Isaacs. Again it’s been really just opportunities. I had huge opportunity to reinvent our organisation form a conference based to a travel tourism think tank. Our online adaptation was quick and fast – and not because everyone was talking about digitization, but for us it was matter of survival do or die! And we are one of the lucky ones who got the model right!

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For The MICE Industry, The Focus Will Continue To Be Domestic For At Least The Next 6 – 8 Months MS. What are the key challenges surrounding our industry? In your opinion, what does the future hold for the MICE industry?

Punam Singh. Industry challenges are manifold.

Starting from the fact that we are a largely PUNAM SINGH unrecognized and Chief Happiness Ofcer, unsupported by our Indian Hospitality Network government industry, lack of infrastructure, no November 2021 clarity on Covid travel policy, rules and regulations changing almost daily so it’s almost like navigating a minefield and the increased dependency upon each other for information and to work together for greater effect and mutual profit! For the MICE Industry, the focus will continue to be domestic for at least the next 6 – 8 months. So redefining deliverables to metaphorically Sex Up the product in comparison to overseas glamorous trips is desirable by way of unusual elements, entertainment capsules, new properties, onsite engagements, accompanying party favours or gifts, catering to adventure, spiritualism, shopping, food and drink will win brownie points! Overall, the UN focus on Sustainability will also need to be concentrated upon.

MS. We all need white space – open, unassigned time for better relationships, mental health, and better productivity. On a personal note, we are curious to know what keeps you busy when you are away from work?

Punam Singh. I am a bit of a free spirit with multi interests.

Family, friends, pets, reading, writing, gardening, travelling, music, events, tarot, art, story-telling, Empath work, my practice of Nichiren Buddhism, spiritualism, cooking, entertaining – the list is fairly long.

MS. Is there anything else you would like to add as we wrap up?

Punam Singh. Do what you love to do and believe in so it doesn’t feel like work. Mentor whenever you can. Empower women always. Be a person of integrity, a giver rather than a taker. Always inspire, spread the smiles, be kind and compassionate to folks. Build a legacy!

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THIS YEAR THAT MONTH

December 2021

AAHOA Members Own 60% Of The Hotels In The US MS. Please tell us about Oxford Economics Study?

Looking ahead, what is AAHOA’s growth strategy for another 5 years?

Akshar Patel. The Oxford study was commissioned back in 2019 and has been years in the making.

Because of their reputation and leadership in the space, AKSHAR PATEL AAHOA chose Oxford to Vice President of do a deep dive of AAHOA Conventions at AAHOA membership so we could get a better understanding November 2021 of our economic impact across the country. Since our start in 1989, AAHOA has been a fast-growing organization, and we knew our impacts on hotel ownership were significant, but we wanted to quantify the data with a formal study to truly understand how significant our contributions are. Some of the most impressive findings is that AAHOA Members own 60% of the hotels in the US, and there are more than 34K AAHOA Member-owned hotels that comprise of 3.1M guestrooms.

In addition, in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, AAHOA Members own nearly a staggering 90% of the hotels in each state. In addition the study explored jobs, revenue, taxes, GDP, and more, and all of the detailed data is available at AAHOA.com/Oxford. Our industry has been through so much over the past 18+ months, and in 2020, we worked on our new strategic plan that will take us from 2021-2023.

This shorter time frame allows us to better react to market conditions and our members’ needs since they’re ever changing at the moment. That being said, strategically, we’re looking more at the short term right now. How can we be the best resource and advocate for America’s hotel owners as they continue to grapple with the effects of the pandemic over the next few years? That said, we’re continuing to grow and reach even more hoteliers across the nation, and we have some other exciting updates that we’ll be rolling out in 2022 that will help us better serve our members and hopefully attract some hotel owners who have never been a part of AAHOA before. In addition, we have new leadership with Ken Greene becoming AAHOA’s new president and CEO, and he’s been in the business for over 20 years and has so much to bring to AAHOA.

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We Have The Best Providers To Do Quality Events MS. Can you give our readers your perspective on the MICE sector in the global market?

César Bermejo. Companies need to do events and they will do even more. Yes, there will be many virtual ones such as training and technique but there will always be team building and family days to unite the work team because it is key.

CÉSAR BERMEJO RICHART CEO, El Olivar Complex November 2021

MS. How do you assess the attendees’ satisfaction level? What innovative elements do you apply to make an event successful?

César Bermejo. According to our clients we have an outstanding score, this can be verified through the internet in different places of secure information and we give, above all, a lot of security and confidence because we have been doing events since 1975. They request all kinds of elements and we have the best providers both audiovisual and team building to do quality events. You can watch videos inside our event space. https://elolivar.es/en/business-events/ MS. The economic effects were devastating post the pandemic Covid-19, how do you personally perceive the cancellation of events? How has your company adapted to the new normal?

César Bermejo. It has been very hard, but I think has already happened the strongest and we have been flexible with our clients at cancellations because we believe it has been very hard for everyone and if we support each other, then it will be a bit easier. And we have been able to adapt very well because our Venue has many open spaces more than 20,000 m2 and customers I think they seek to make outdoor events and I think will benefit from the future.

MS. What shows are you planning for this year and ahead, given that the epidemiological situation will be favourable?

César Bermejo. We have created a program called www.cervantour.com is a unique experience in our city and unites on a gastronomy, culture and leisure day.Our slogan is “Spain in a day” as representative of Spain in a day. The customers said that its totally different and amazing.

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SUSTAINABILITY

December 2021

BITEC & SCGP To Reinforce Sustainable Management Practices In MICE Industry Using Circular Way

B

angkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) partners with SCG Packaging Public Company Limited (SCGP) to launch the “We Draw the New World Together” campaign. The campaign's goal is to promote environmental conservation by maximizing the usage of environmentally friendly products and waste materials from the events at BITEC in accordance with the Circular Economy. This is to drive sustainable management in efforts to support Thailand to become the ASEAN region's MICE industry hub.

The “We Draw the New World Together” campaign focuses on maximizing the use of paper and plastics by developing and designing products that are durable, easy to use and can be recycled in a comprehensive way (Close-loop Management), including booth decoration accessories, meeting tools, equipment and packaging used at BITEC food and beverage events and exhibitions. The guideline applies not just to BITEC management, but also to subsidiaries such as About Food, BITEC's food and beverage provider and SAMA, the

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organization in charge of the centre's retail and establishments.

Panittha Buri, Managing Director of Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) said “BITEC operates the business in accordance with the BITEC Sustainability principles, with the goal of making the centre a sustainable MICE venue that addresses the economy, society and environment.

The collaboration with SCGP strengthens our service capacity and advances our work by embracing the Circular Economy and encouraging changes in BITEC's internal thinking and practices as well as allowing organisers, exhibitors and audiences to collaborate on using sufficient resources through reusing and recycling.”

Danaidej Ketsuwan, SCGP Chief Financial Officer, said “The concept of sustainable development is a strategy that SCGP has focused on continuing to manage its business. We believe that

collaboration across sectors is key for transformation, thus it is a privilege to be working with BITEC to improve resource efficiency and waste management throughout the value chain. The collaboration focuses on employing innovative environmentally friendly materials for a variety of purposes and encouraging people to sort waste correctly and send it to the SCGP Recycle Drop Point for recycling. This results in an exhibition experience in the form of Event Sustainable Management and we believe that this initiative will aid in understanding and promoting resource-efficient behavior in accordance with the Circular Economy for global sustainability.”

To be comprehensive, the partnership between BITEC and SCGP in the “We Draw the New World Together” project, under the circular economy concept, requires engagement from all sectors, including government, business, and civil society. In addition to innovation and durable product design, waste materials management is a crucial element. Waste management will increase the efficiency of reuse circulation, making the goal of managing MICE business genuinely sustainable.

“BITEC encourages domestic and international organizers to use upcycling goods for booth decoration that may be brought into processing to generate new products that are as efficient as those used in final manufacturing. This is the most efficient use of resources, addressing cost management while also helping to protect the environment,” said Panittha.

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SUSTAINABILITY

December 2021

Visit Belfast Wins UK Excellence Award For Its Sustainable Tourism Drive

Gerry Lennon, Visit Belfast Chief Executive and Kathryn Thomson, Chair of Visit Belfast celebrate the big win

V

isit Belfast's commitment and action in driving tourism growth in a new and sustainable way has been recognised by Britain's leading body of conference organisers.

In a major first for the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) and the destination marketing organisation for the Belfast City region, Visit Belfast came out on top to secure its inaugural Corporate and Social Responsibility award at its annual Excellence Awards 2021 in London.

Overtaking Edinburgh's International Conference Centre (EICC) and P&J Jive, Aberdeen's state-of-the-art event complex – two of the UK conference industry's most progressive sustainability heavyweights – Visit Belfast won over the judges with the city's drive towards a more regenerative tourism model.

Revealing the APBCO 2021 Excellence Award winners at London's ExCel, the judges commended Visit Belfast for the

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destinations across 73 cities in the 2021 Global Destinations Sustainability Index. The GDS-Index is the world's largest sustainability performance improvement and benchmarking programme for destinations.

“extent, commitment, impact and inclusivity” shown in delivering a suite of initiatives that put sustainability first and how the city had adapted and reimagined its approach to tourism in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. In less than 12 months, Visit Belfast worked in partnership with Belfast City Council to develop the city's first sustainable tourism and impact plan, launched the largest ever Green Tourism partnership with a city to support businesses on the road to sustainability and established a new events framework to help event organisers deliver more sustainable events in Belfast.

Earlier this year, Belfast was ranked as one of the world's Top 20 sustainable

Setting an example in its own operations this year, Visit Belfast became certified organisation with a Green Tourism standard, rolled out sustainability training to all staff and Board members, created a new sustainability and impact role within the company, established a Visit Belfast sustainability team and developed sustainability blogs, toolkits and practical support to help local event organisers and delegates make sustainable choices. Visit Belfast is also developing a network of local CSR partners and projects to support conferences and events held in the city.

Next year, around one third of all conferences in Belfast will have a sustainability plan – a figure it is targeting will grow to 80 percent by 2025.

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TECH NEWS

December 2021

The ACC Liverpool Group Partners With Halo Solutions To Keep Event Goers Safe At Its Venues

T

he ACC Liverpool Group has partnered with Halo Solutions to streamline event safety and security at the multitude of events it hosts.

The Halo System streamlines incident management from “boots to boardroom” for every stakeholder from operational staff to decision makers and venue owners - seamlessly connecting multiple agencies, venue functions and disconnected teams like no other system. Delivery teams can log and record incidents using Halo in real-time with user-friendly mobile and desktop applications.

The ACC Liverpool Group will now use the Halo System across its campus of venues – the M&S Bank Arena, Exhibition Centre Liverpool and ACC Liverpool convention centre. The ACC Liverpool Group's Assistant Director of Operations and FM, Eddie

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dos Santos, says: “The safety of our visitors is our number one priority and we continually analyse how we can develop our methods of communications during live events.

“We require a system that allows us to share information quickly and efficiently between departments in real time. We were able to trial the Halo system during a particularly challenging event and, because the nature of our industry is extremely fast paced, it enabled members of staff to be kept constantly up to date with any developing situations and incidents. Streamlining our different methods of communications will help support the smooth delivery of our events.”

Venue and event managers need information in real-time to enable rapid and effective decision-making

and they also require robust post-event reporting to support analysis of operational performance. The reporting of incidents during and post-event can be complicated, inefficient and often delayed when applications and tools are spread across various platforms from paper based incident report forms to spreadsheets and whatsapps.

Two-way communications can also suffer when it's “one voice at once” over the radio system and not every digital replacement has a versatile mobile app that allows for embedded, auditable, instant communications between a number of parties. The ACC Liverpool Group has partnered with Halo to resolve some of these challenges and drive value for its clients and the visitor experience.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

December 2021

IEIA EC Expanded For The 1st Time Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

T

he Executive Committee of IEIA for the term 21-23 has been elected during the 15th AGM held on 21st Dec 2021. The number of contested candidates were equal to the posts on offer so there was no need for any voting process. For the first time since the formation of IEIA, the EC has nominated three more co-opted people who will also be a part of the EC (Two from organiser segment and one from service provider)

Sonia Prashar – President, IEIA & Managing Director, NürnbergMesse India Sudeep Sarcar – Vice President, IEIA & CEO, IEML Sooraj Dhawan – Hony.

Secretary, IEIA & Director, Falcon Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd

Ÿ

Gaurav Juneja – Hony. Treasurer, IEIA & Director, MEX Exhibitions

Ÿ

Rakesh Kumar – Ex Officio Past President, IEIA & DG, EPCH & Chairman, IEML

Ÿ

Ravinder Sethi – International Ambassador, IEIA & CMD, R.E. Rogers India

Ÿ

Bhupinder Singh – Executive

Member, IEIA & CEO, Messe München India Ÿ

Yogesh Mudras – Executive Member, IEIA & Managing Director, Informa Markets India

Ÿ

Ubaid Ahmad – Executive Member, IEIA & Senior Director, IMTMA & Marketing Head BIEC

Ÿ

Dharampal Singh Malhotra – Executive Member, IEIA & Executive Director at Namdhari Events N Promotions (P) Ltd

Co-opted: Ÿ

Jagdish Patankar, Executive Chairman, MM Active

Ÿ

RK Agarwal, Managing Director, IndoreInfoline Pvt. Ltd.

Ÿ

Vipul Agarwal, Managing Partner, Expro Events & Exhibits

PATA Annual Summit 2022 Set To Bring Global Travel Leaders To The UAE

T

he Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced the next PATA Annual Summit to be held live and in-person from March 22 - 25, 2022 in Ras Al Khaimah, the northern most Emirate of the United Arab Emirates. The event will be the first time that the not-for-profit travel trade association, which serves government, tourism offices, hotels, airlines and other travel-related companies with interests in the Asia Pacific region, will host its Annual Summit in West Asia. Hosted

by Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), the four-day event will lead a global forum on sustainable growth and the

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value and quality of tourism today, bringing together international thought leaders, industry shapers and senior decision-makers who are invested in driving tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region.

Comprising of conference elements, experiential networking sessions, the PATA Executive Board and Board Meeting, and Annual General Meeting, the four-day Summit will be hosted in various locations across the Emirate, including the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah, The RitzCarlton Al Wadi Desert and Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Center. Exploring the theme ‘Reconnecting the World’, the

program will provide a platform for PATA’s public and private sector members and partners to convene on critical industry topics, including destination recovery strategies, sustainability and resilience, human capital development and innovation.

Considered as the fastest growing destination in the Middle East, Ras Al Khaimah set a global benchmark by being the first city in the world to be certified safe by the ‘SafeGuard Label’ from Bureau Veritas and the ‘Safe Travels Stamp’ from the World Travel and Tourism Council. It was also named the ‘Gulf Tourism Capital’ for both 2020 and 2021 by the Gulf Cooperation Council.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

December 2021

Dubai Exhibition Centre To Host Dubai Association Conference

Martin Sirk, International Advisor, Global Association Hubs Partnership – who has supported DAC in designing the conference agenda – said: “Resilience and reinvention should be the top concerns on every association leader's mind and every board's agenda: ensuring survivability as a necessary pre-condition to re-imagine how we can serve our association's mission, whilst working out how to deal with the extreme uncertainty of the post-Pandemic world.”

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he flagship event of Dubai Association Conference is to take place on 21 February 2022 at Dubai Exhibition Centre, within Expo 2020 Dubai site. The event will feature a strong line-up of leaders from the global associations sector as well as Dubai's public and private sector among its speakers and participants.

Under the theme of 'Associations and The New World: Resilience & Reinvention', the third edition of the conference will provide a platform for exploring how associations can adapt amid not just the aftermath and direct impact of the global pandemic but shifting dynamics among the professions and industries they serve.

The conference will once again be hosted under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council. Sessions on the agenda will explore themes and topics including design thinking, policymaking priorities, innovation, diversity and revenues. Among the international speakers bringing their international insights and expertise will be: Michelle I. Mason, President

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pandemic has changed the way people work and the way they want to receive critical services, so associations are very much in a race for relevance. “In my session in Dubai, I'll be sharing more about ASAE's Conscious Inclusion strategy which will help organisations unlock the full potential of a diverse workforce and membership through intentional representation and creating spaces and places where differences are valued.”

and CEO of the American Society of Association Executives; Marjorie Anderson, Founder, Community By Association; Jason Thompson, Professional Thinker, Copywriter and Speaker; Marc Mekki, Digital Innovator and UX & Design Thinking Expert; and Bo Kruger, Owner, Moving Minds.

Michelle I. Mason, President and CEO of the American Society of Association Executives, said: “I'm looking forward to engaging in meaningful dialogue with global association leaders at the Dubai Association Conference in February 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered how association leaders engage with their members and other stakeholders, even as face-toface meetings are returning. The

The conference is the flagship event of the Dubai Association Centre (DAC), which was established in 2014 to support and license regional and international associations in setting up an office or chapter in Dubai. DAC opened its state-of-the-art offices in One Central, DWTC in December 2019, providing a collaborative environment for registered associations. Previous editions of the Dubai Association Conference have explored key themes and priorities for the sector, attracting experts from around the world and building momentum behind the city's status as an association hub.

The inaugural event in 2017 successfully established the conference under the theme 'Building a Community' while the second edition in 2019 built a compelling programme around the theme 'Driving change: The societal impact of associations'.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

December 2021

FHRAI Submits Hospitality Industry’s Recommendations To The Finance Ministry For The Union Budget 2022-23

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ndia's apex Hospitality Association - Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has submitted a comprehensive list of recommendations on the upcoming Union Budget 2022-23 to the Finance Ministry outlining some of the muchneeded expectations of the Hospitality industry. The Association has requested that the industry to be allowed to carry forward business losses up from the existing 8 years to 12 years and avail the SEIS/EPCG (Service Exports from India Scheme/ Export Promotion Capital Goods) benefits without any capping and rate reductions.

It also expects the Budget to provide extension on the timeline for export obligation under EPCG scheme and grant Export Status to the industry; inclusion of hotels and tourism related sectors in the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), offer special emphasis for promoting meetings and conferences at hotels in view of the massive setback that hotels suffered due to the pandemic; grant Infrastructure Status to the hospitality industry, and provision of special tax incentives for domestic travel.

“We are requesting that hotels and tourism related sectors be included in infrastructure projects listed in the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) set up under the Development Financial Institution (DFI) by the Ministry of Finance for promoting infrastructure funding. This will enable the COVID hit hospitality sector to avail funds with extended repayment periods at a low rate of interest. The hotel industry is a long

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gestation industry which incurs losses in the initial years of operations and profitability improves only after few years. Because of this, most hotels carry forward business losses with the expectation to set them off over the coming years. However, the industry's profitability took a massive hit due to the unprecedented pandemic conditions and expects businesses to post losses for the next few years.

This may result in hotels being unable to set off past business losses within a period of eight years, adversely impacting cash-flow and RoI. Hence, we request that business losses be allowed to be carried forward from the existing 8 years to 12 years,” says Mr Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, Vice President, FHRAI. The hospitality industry is facing an existential crisis due to the lockdowns and restrictions imposed on it due to the on-going pandemic. FHRAI has stated that the sector is relying heavily on the support and favourable policies of the Government for its recovery.

The Association has stated that hotels under Service Sectors witnessed a high decline in business scenarios post 2007. Occupancy dropped by 20 per cent to 40 per cent and the decline of foreign exchange earnings during this

period had been in excess of 5% on a year-on-year basis. “Increasing SEIS entitlement from existing 3 per cent to 10 per cent of the net Foreign Exchange Earnings for the next three to five financial years will help the industry mitigate some of the damage inflicted on it due to the pandemic.

Also, to accelerate and incentivize allround development of Tourism infrastructure catering to foreign tourists, fiscal incentives in the form of SEIS certificates and import against EPCG should be continued for the near future. In view of the volatile economic environment, the timeline for meeting Export Obligations (EO) should also be extended by at least four years for all the EPCG licenses which has EO period falling from February 2020 onwards.

The granting of Export Status to hospitality Industry with tax incentives and benefits would enable the sector to be more competitive and help the sector to jumpstart its growth,” says Mr Pradeep Shetty, Jt. Hon. Sec., FHRAI. Among other recommendations, the FHRAI has asked that special emphasis be given for promoting meetings and conferences at hotels in India in view of the massive losses suffered through the pandemic. In its recommendations to the FinMin, the FHRAI has once again pleaded for one of the industry's long-standing demands of receiving Infrastructure status and Industry status.

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PARTNERSHIPS

December 2021

Cvent Announces Partnership With Id.me To Enhance Event Health And Safety

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vent, a market-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, announced that it has partnered with ID.me, the leading secure digital identity network, to bring seamless health, testing, and vaccine status verifications to hybrid and in-person events in the United States.

Cvent Health Check, powered by ID.me, is a user-friendly solution that allows event planners to implement a secure method of verifying attendee health status in just a few simple steps.

By combining ID.me vaccine, testing, and identity verification capabilities with Cvent's robust event marketing and management platform, Cvent customers can include additional health and safety protocols at their events with easy-to-use, confidential health checks on event attendees' own mobile devices. Built with planner flexibility and usability in mind, Cvent Health Check allows event hosts to set specific parameters around attendees' proof-of-vaccination, testing status, and/or health screening in a privacycompliant manner, giving individuals sole control over their personal medical information to determine when, how, and with whom it is shared.

Once attendees' health or vaccination statuses are verified, their credentials can be easily checked through a digital image displayed on a user's mobile device at the event.

The portable digital ID streamlines check-in and helps to ensure all attendees meet any requested health criteria to enter the event. Importantly, no user information is passed between ID.me and Cvent, allowing for individual privacy and control while also ensuring event planners and

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organizers are not storing, accessing, or distributing sensitive attendee health data.

“As health and safety remain top priorities for event planners and attendees alike, reliable and secure solutions like health or vaccine verifications are critical,” said Patrick Smith, Chief Marketing Officer of Cvent. “We're pleased to combine ID.me's proven technology and strong commitment to user data privacy with our event marketing and management platform to enable a more customerand safety-centered approach for inperson event experiences.” “Anyone considering attending an in-person meeting, conference, or event during

the pandemic wants to know that they will be in a safe environment, and in many cases, that means health checks and vaccine verifications,” said Mark Lockwood, General Manager of Commercial Sector of ID.me.

“Our partnership with Cvent is enabling meeting organizers and hosts to simplify health checks and vaccination verification processes while meeting the highest levels of security and data privacy. As the industry works to return to normal, we believe our partnership will bring greater confidence to attendees, encourage higher in-person attendance, and reduce the stress and burden on event hosts.

We could not be more thrilled to partner with Cvent.” The ID.me secure digital identity network has been rigorously tested against the highest technical and policy controls and is trusted by 10 federal agencies and more than 500 brands to verify users' identity and facilitate access.

SITE Global- India Chapter appoints Barun Gupta as President (2022-2023)

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ociety for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), Indiachapter dedicated to the incentive travel industry, has elected Barun Gupta, Director of Sales and Marketing, Crowne Plaza Greater Noida, as the new President for the next one year (2022-2023). Barun will replace Nitin Sachdeva as President who has now been nominated as the SITE Global Board of Directors representing the Asia region. In Barun's words, “As a leader of Site India Chapter, I will put forth my efforts to develop a community of

Incentive travel specialists in India by focusing on skill development in our trade.

Further, as a team together we will pivot to develop India as a source market for global incentive travel. I am also looking forward to expanding the network of Site in SAARC region and work towards adaptive recovery of the travel industry.”

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AVIATION

December 2021

Etihad Launches World’s First Green Loyalty Programme: Etihad Guest To Reward Members For Making Sustainable Choices

their existing tier or upgrade to the new tier to unlock even more benefits.

Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Etihad's commitment to sustainability sits at the core of our business, and we're pleased to welcome our 8 million members to jump on board this journey to sustainability. Empowering

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our Members to offset their personal travel or shopping in a sustainable way, and be rewarded for it, gives the Etihad sustainability programme even more weight. Over the last two years, despite the challenges of COVID-19, Etihad has introduced a number of significant CO2 reduction initiatives under its Greenliner sustainability programme. This includes adopting thousands of mangroves, using sustainable fuels, reducing contrails, flying optimised flight paths, operating more electric vehicles and working with partners who share its vision for cleaner skies. At the recent Dubai Airshow, Etihad expanded its strategic sustainability programme to unite industry leaders including Boeing, Airbus, GE and Rolls-Royce in the most comprehensive, crossorganisational aviation sustainability initiative ever undertaken.

tihad Guest, the award-winning loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, has introduced a series of sustainability-focused initiatives to reward members for making 'green' choices and providing options to reduce their own carbon footprint.

Conscious Choices, the new range of sustainable initiatives offered by the Etihad Guest programme, has been created to support Etihad's overarching sustainability ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and halve 2019 emissions by 2035.

Travellers wishing to fly and spend more consciously and sustainably can now earn Tier Miles, and other rewards, for making sustainable choices.

Empowering Etihad Guest members to travel with a lighter carbon footprint, Conscious Choices rewards

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travellers with Tier Miles and additional benefits for carrying less baggage on board and offsetting their flights' carbon emissions using Etihad Guest Miles. In their daily lives, when not flying, members can earn Tier Miles by offsetting everyday emissions such as driving, with options ranging from one month to one year worth of offsets, as well as emissions such as cooling your home or cooking your dinner for a month up to a year; donating miles to a green cause; and by purchasing sustainable products from the Etihad Guest Reward Shop in partnership with Collinson and CarbonClick.

Members can also choose to 'go green', by opting for a digital membership card instead of physical.

Rewarding members with Tier Miles helps them on their way to maintain

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December 2021

AVIATION

AAI To Spend Around INR 25,000 Crores In Next Five Years For Expansion And Modification Of Existing Terminals

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irports Authority of India or AAI which is the government body in charge of overseeing the civil aviation infrastructure, is planning to spend about Rs. 25,000 crore in the next 5 years to expand and modify the existing terminals, said the government in Parliament. A few other measures that are being carried out are the major expansion of 3 publicprivate partnership (PPP) airports in Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru for Rs. 30,000 crore by year 2025. An investment of Rs 36,000 crore too, has been planned to develop new greenfield airports across India under the PPP mode. Government of India has accorded 'inprinciple' approval for setting up of 21 Greenfield Airports across the country. So far, eight Greenfield airports namely, Shirdi in Maharashtra, Durgapur in West Bengal, Pakyong in Sikkim, Kannur in Kerala, Orvakal in Andhra Pradesh, Kalaburagi in Karnataka, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh have been operationalized.

Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate has been reduced from 18% to 5% for domestic Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services. Under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), also known as the Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) Scheme, as on 24 Nov 2021, 393 routes have commenced connecting 62 unserved and underserved airports, including 2 water aerodromes and 6 heliports.

The Government of India has released over Rs. 2,062 crores for revival of unserved and underserved airports/heliports/waterdrome of State Government, PSUs and AAI etc since April 2017 to October 2021.

Ministry of Civil Aviation introduced a new mode of transportation i.e., seaplane operations from water aerodromes under UDAN-3. Till date a total of 14 water aerodromes have been identified in the states of Gujarat, Assam, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

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World Travel Expo Miami Announces First Global Partners

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orld Travel Expo (WTE) Miami 2022, a three-day travel industry forum and exposition scheduled for October 11-13, 2022 in Miami, has announced that it will have American Airlines as its first Global Sponsor and The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Association of Travel Agents Network (IATAN) as its first Global Partners. The event will be hosted by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, with support from Miami-Dade County’s International Trade Consortium (ITC), the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) as the Platinum Sponsor. “In addition to raising awareness about the diverse travel benefits that Miami International Airport and Miami-Dade County have to offer, the World Travel Expo will also assist our industry partners and network destinations with promoting the ongoing return of visitors. The Miami travel market continues to see impressive passenger growth this year, with MIA now the fastest-growing U.S. airport compared to 2019, and we hope to spur additional growth by hosting networking events like this”, said Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor of Miami-Dade County.

With the goal of increasing tourism to their respective destinations, more than 2,000 travel industry representatives are expected to attend the Expo at the Miami Airport Convention Center. The event will give international airports the opportunity to meet with airlines, tourism bureaus, tour operators, cruise lines, hotels, and other industry organizations, to discuss potential future air service routes. Along with the exposition, attendees can participate in one-on-one meetings, network events, and panels where international opinion leaders will discuss the future of travel and tourism, sustainability, and project challenges facing the industry.

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SURVEY

December 2021

ITM Buyer Survey Reveals Priorities And Challenges For 2022

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anaging the return to travel' has made its debut at number one on the list of top ten priorities for business travel manager in 2022, closely followed by duty of care, traveller wellbeing and sustainable practice, according to the Institute of Travel Management's (ITM) annual survey of buyer members. However almost half of respondents feel that their online booking tool is not ready to support delivery against these priorities.

Over a two-week period at the end of November 2021, some 100 corporate travel buyers, managers and heads of travel, with a mix of global, EMEA, UK and Ireland responsibilities, completed ITM's Top Priorities for 2022 survey to explore travel programme trends and challenges for the next 12 months.

Whilst sustainability appears to have remained in fourth place as per 2021's priorities, it has in effect moved up one step, taking into account the newcomer at number one. Diversity, equity and inclusion move into the top ten for the first time, rising two places to rank ninth. And budget control has fallen by two places to sixth place on travel buyers' agenda.

Most buyers (48 per cent) expect their travel spend to be down by 50 per cent in 2022 indexed to their 2019 volumes.

They will also allocate only 25 per cent of their budget to internal meetings, compared with 50 per cent in 2019.

Besides Covid-19 the top challenge buyers will face when it comes to managing travel in 2022 is the complexity of border restrictions, quarantine and testing protocols. In fact, 88 per cent of respondents also

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felt that this would be the top factor to negatively impact on their confidence in business travel levels next year. EU legislative changes relating to travel will also knock confidence levels – 49 per cent of buyers ranked this factor in second place (moving up from fourth place in 2021).

Influencing sustainable practice ranks as the second biggest challenge that buyers will face when it comes to managing travel in 2022. However, 40 per cent of buyers said that they currently do not stipulate suppliers must comply with sustainability requirements. Nevertheless, travel policies are evolving to reflect sustainable travel practices. In terms of air travel, 36 per cent of buyers said that their policy allows travellers to select a sustainable option even if the cost was higher. This is up from 30 per cent in 2020, and 17 per cent in 2019. For the first time, the ITM survey also asked buyers if their travel policies allow booking sustainable ground transport practices regardless of cost. Almost half of respondents (47%) said that they would favour

sustainable ground transport practice over cost.

Other findings include: 51 per cent of buyers will not make any changes to their TMC commercial models as a result of the pandemic; 38 per cent will switch to a hybrid model; only 2 per cent said that they would switch to a subscription model Ÿ 58 per cent expect to see a modal shift in air to rail travel in 2022 compared with 33 per cent last year Ÿ 58 per cent of buyers said that the pandemic has impacted favourably on their profile and value within their business. Only 5 per cent said it had been affected less favourably Ÿ Almost all buyers have taken on additional responsibilities during the pandemic including corporate cards, traveller guidance and safety, risk management, and engaging with senior executives regarding the return to travel Over one third said that they are actively involved in their company's rationale about the value and ROI of an in-person meeting. Ÿ

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SURVEY

December 2021

UNWTO And ADB Partner For Report On Big Data And Tourism Recovery

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NWTO and the Asian Development Bank have launched a joint report on the use of big data for better tourism planning and management.

The report features examples from across the Asia and the Pacific region while also showcasing the main trends in the use of big data in tourism at the forefront of technology and innovation. The report also makes clear the role that big data can play in recovery and the measurement of the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of tourism.

Data to empower decision makers Tourism suffered the greatest crisis on record in 2020. International arrivals plunged by 73% in 2020. This is likely to followed by a 70% and 75% fall on 2019 levels for 2021. As the sector looks to recover, data and market

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intelligence are critical to empower destinations, businesses, and tourism workers to be better prepared in a rapidly changing landscape. The COVID-19 pandemic has also accelerated the shift toward digitalization and so further highlighted the need for relevant and reliable data and intelligence to manage tourism.

The joint UNWTO and ADB report will assist both governments and the private sector as they look to complement official statistics with big data so as to better understand changes in consumer behaviour and to enhance recovery with targeted products, segments, and source markets. Big data will also be key to supporting seamless travel through the implementation of safety protocols, biosecurity technologies, and digital health certificates to enable the safe

reopening of borders. The report further addresses some of the key challenges standing in the way of fully realizing the potential of big data and digitalization for better tourism policy.

These include ongoing concerns over privacy, skills gaps, data reliability, inadequate governance and infrastructure, the digital divide, accessibility barriers. These challenges make clear the need for comprehensive agenda to pave the way for the effective use of big data to assist tourism recovery and its transformation toward a greener, more resilient sector.

Together, UNWTO and ADB will work to ensure tourism policies across the region are aimed at establishing measurement, monitoring, and management systems and frameworks, thereby ensuring harmonized, comparable, and reliable data and indicators.

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CRUISING

December 2021

Dream Cruises Opens World Dream Cruise Bookings To International Travellers In Addition To Singapore Residents Boosting Singapore's international tourism industry and Fly-Cruise sector

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n accordance with the prevailing guidelines by the Singapore authorities, Dream Cruises has opened World Dream sailings to non-residents in Singapore, as well as international travellers, including those entering the country via the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs). This marks a new milestone for Dream Cruises that will help to fuel the recovery of the cruise industry in Singapore and regionally.

Non-residents in Singapore and international travellers can now look forward to more holiday options beyond local land-based resorts, with exciting opportunities to cruise aboard World Dream from Singapore.

International travellers entering Singapore will have to fulfil the mandatory Border & Health Control Measures in Response to COVID-19 as implemented by the Immigration &

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Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to be eligible to cruise.

As part of Dream Cruises' ongoing commitment towards the safety of its guests and crew, all embarking guests will need to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and continue to undergo a compulsory pre-boarding Antigen Rapid Test (ART) at the cruise terminal and present a negative test result for COVID-19.

“World Dream has carried over 200,000 guests since cruising resumed in Singapore on 6 November 2020 and celebrated its first anniversary earlier this month. With cruise bookings now open to non-residents in Singapore and international travellers, it is indeed fantastic news, as we have been working hard towards this goal with the demonstration of safe cruises over

the past year,” said Mr. Michael Goh, President of Dream Cruises.

“Our progression to the next phase of cruising is timely and we are highly optimistic that demand will continue to rise with the contribution of the Fly-Cruise segment.

With the support of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and local authorities, as well as from our local and international travel partners, we are excited to now welcome international travellers on World Dream under prevailing national guidelines and we look forward to exploring future possibilities, including destination cruises,” added Mr. Michael Goh.

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CRUISING

December 2021

FCCA To Relaunch Award-winning Marketing And Strategic Destinations Partnership Campaign With New Initiatives To Drive Overall Travel Demand

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lorida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) – the trade association that represents the mutual interests of destinations and stakeholders throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Mexico, along with Member Lines that operate over 90 percent of the global cruising capacity –has announced that it will resume its award-winning marketing campaign, with new programs focused on specific needs of its destination partners and driving overall travel demand for the foreseeable future.

“We are excited to relaunch our Strategic partnership Programs efforts, especially since that signifies the impressive progress that has been made in our partner destinations and the cruise industry,” said Michele Paige, President, FCCA. “Through the constant communications with all parties during this crisis, we have learned more about what our partners need and retooled our new programs and initiatives to their goals.”

In addition to continuing the Gold SABRE Award-winning Caribbean Is Open/Caribbean for Everyone marketing campaign, which generated more than 6 billion impressions in tracked initiatives and showed a measurable improvement in terms of those who would take a Caribbean cruise vacation, the new programs and campaigns will further foster overall demand for traveling to partner destinations – targeting consumers, travel agents, media, and FCCA contacts and resources in order to drive both cruise traffic, including

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homeport calls, securing year-round calls, and/or more.

summer cruising, and overnight visitors, also working to convert cruise passengers into overnight guests.

The largest changes in the new programs and initiatives will come directly from destination partners, with strategies tailored specifically for destinations' varying wants and needs.

On top of FCCA's numerous successful strategies that utilize its reach and platforms, FCCA will work with destination partners to develop courses of actions for the differing destinations and their objectives, whether those goals include more cruise calls, developments, training programs, purchasing/sourcing, increasing employment, establishing

FCCA will also apply new ways to utilize its numerous resources and contacts to actualize both the specific destination goals and the increase of overall travel demand for its partners.

Created in 1972, the FCCA is a notfor-profit trade organization that provides a forum for discussion on tourism development, ports, safety, security, and other cruise industry issues and builds bilateral relationships with destinations' private and public sectors. By fostering an understanding of the cruise industry and its operating practices, the FCCA works with governments, ports and private sector representatives to maximize cruise passenger, crew and cruise line spending, as well as enhance the destination experience and increase the amount of cruise passengers returning as stay-over visitors.

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GLOBAL NEWS

December 2021 innovation, attracting and retaining talent and sustainability, which will certainly feature in our seminar programme next year,” added Curtis.

In terms of innovation, the board debated how the pandemic had accelerated the adoption of digital and technology in general and that companies were now focused more on innovating and leveraging third party data to adapt to the new normal.

Innovation, Sustainability And Human Resources Top ATM Advisory Board Agenda

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rabian Travel Market (ATM) hosted an Advisory Board Meeting at the Address Skyview, Downtown Dubai, bringing together travel and tourism leaders and experts to discuss trending opportunities and challenges facing the industry postpandemic.

ATM's Advisory Board was set up to provide counsel on industry themes, challenges, growth opportunities and future strategies, while brainstorming other topics and issues for debate at ATM 2022, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 8-11 May. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market, said: “We wanted to connect with a broad range of industry stakeholders to fully appreciate their key issues. More importantly, how those issues might impact the hospitality and the regional tourism landscape, as we work to build the agenda for ATM 2022, providing

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more business opportunities for our exhibitors and visitors.”

Board attendees included Jamel Chandoul, SVP Retail ME&A, Amadeus; Gregory Fuller, Director of Brand Activation, Dubai Tourism; Mark Kirby, Head of Hospitality, Emaar Hospitality; Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, IHG; Ian Albert, CEO MENA, Colliers International; Jeff Strachan, Director, Dubai College of Tourism; Sandeep Walia, COO, Marriott International; Raki Phillips, CEO, RAKTDA; Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels; Mohammad Al Hashimi, VP Commercial, Emirates; Bilal Kabbani, Sector Lead Branding, MENA Google; Marloes Knippenburg, CEO, Kerten Hospitality; and Guy Hutchinson, President & CEO, Rotana.

Although members agreed that technology would never totally replace human interaction, offering choice was imperative. By limiting the need to interact physically, the risk of further contamination could be reduced, highlighting the need to integrate all tech' products for mainstream travel sectors, accommodating, wherever possible, a seamless travel experience.

“The Middle East's track record is especially strong in this area, having taken advantage of cutting-edge services and technologies to bring luxury travel to millions, however it was acknowledged that tourism and hospitality is still being disproportionately affected by the fallout from Covid-19. Supporting sector-specific innovation and bringing it to market, therefore, has never been so important – both in terms of the immediate recovery and longer-term sustainability,” added Curtis. Turning to sustainability, the board discussed the positive trend of environmentally friendly practices and how essential it was, especially when reaching out to younger travellers.

“During the debate which took place on 23rd November, three main topics came to the fore –

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GLOBAL NEWS

December 2021

Fira De Barcelona Plans To Boost Its Activity In 2022 With Major International Events Fira de Barcelona expects to close the year with revenue of 60 million euros.

At the expense of the evolution of the pandemic and the progressive normalisation of the trade fair calendar, the institution is already working with its sights set on 2022, a year which is expected to hold some 80 different national and international events, as well as activities in other countries. In addition to the face-to-face format, in which the established prevention measures will be applied, the digital proposal will be added in some cases, in order to broaden the international projection and impact.

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ira de Barcelona foresees a year 2022 of great activity in its venues with the celebration of important international events such as Alimentaria, MWC Barcelona, ISE or Seafood, among others. It has prioritised the holding of trade fairs albeit on a smaller scale- and set its sights on the next financial year, with the caution inherent in a situation that is still pandemic.

This plan was covered at the meeting of Fira's General Council, chaired by Ada Colau, the Mayoress of Barcelona.

Pau Relat, Chairman of the institution's Board of Directors, and Constantí

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Serrallonga, General Manager presented the economic results for 2021 with an estimated income of 60 million euros, thanks to the activity concentrated in the second part of the year, due to the impossibility of holding events during the first half of the year because of covid.

Pau Relat stated that “despite the fluctuating pandemic situation, we look to 2022 with optimism and caution at the same time, confident that we will be able to hold the large number of events planned —applying the relevant prevention measures—with the aim of contributing to the much-needed reactivation of the country's industrial and social fabric”. In this sense, he also expressed “the importance of the progressive standardisation of international mobility and of the trade fair sector”.

The calendar also includes important events organised by other operators such as Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, the most important seafood event which, until now, was held in Brussels; the European Congress of Cardiology (ESC Congress), as well as the European meetings of Respiratory Medicine (ERS International Congress) and Education (EAIE); Ibtm World (business tourism); VM World (ICT); and events such as Sónar, Comic Barcelona, Manga Barcelona and SIL, among others.

With regard to its foreign activity, Fira plans, with all the precautions due to the effects of covid in the world, is to co-organise next year Smart City Expo Latam in Mérida (Mexico) and Smart City Expo in Doha, Curitiba (Brazil) and Shanghai, and four events in Cuba on food, construction, transport and renewable energies, as well as Expo ANTAD&Alimentaria Mexico, in addition to the management of two venues in China and the design of a third.

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December 2021

GLOBAL NEWS

Luxury Travel Industry Gathers, Renews And Rebuilds At ILTM 2021

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LTM, the world's leading luxury travel event portfolio celebrated the 20th edition of ILTM Cannes.

The global flagship event for the ILTM Portfolio brought together luxury travel professionals from 73 countries with over 1300 luxury travel suppliers from across the world for a week of dedicated one-to-one meetings - over 50,000 in total - as well as an extensive programme of networking events.

With high level safety precautions in place, the event was a successful live reunion for industry professionals from around the world, as well as catalyst for new business connections in luxury travel. ILTM Portfolio Director Alison Gilmore commented the success of the week's events: “We are so proud of the role ILTM 2021 has played in giving the global luxury travel industry the live event so desperately needed. The love of travel is still as real as it ever was - so many reunions, so many introductions and so many real human connections with so much emotion.”

Over 1300 luxury travel brands, experiences, destinations, and suppliers enjoyed a week of building and renewing connections with international travel planners, curators and agencies once again, taking full benefit of the prescheduled, one-to-one appointments. ILTM brings together the full breadth of luxury travel experiences from hidden gems to industry's most celebrated and established brands - a catalyst for professionals and brands to form and renew rewarding relationships and discover new business opportunities. ILTM now looks forward to its next editions: ILTM Latin America in Sao Paulo, 3 – 6 May 2022 and ILTM Asia Pacific in Singapore, 22 – 23 June 2022. ILTM is a global collection of invitation-only events that brings together leading international buyers to meet and discover the most luxurious travel experiences.

Each event introduces an unrivalled selection of luxury travel brands to ILTM's extensive network of handpicked luxury travel advisors, through bespoke appointment programmes and networking sessions.

Alongside the global flagship events in Cannes and Asia Pacific, ILTM has three core local events: ILTM Arabia, ILTM Latin America and ILTM North America.

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VisitBritain Launches New Fund For DMCs And Inbound Tour Operators To Build Back Demand For Britain Visit

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ritain has announced a new fund available to destination management companies (DMCs) and inbound tour operators to support in building back demand for Britain. The £300,000 Destination Management Company (DMC) and Inbound Tour Operator Amplification and Distribution Fund is open to eligible DMCs and inbound tour operators to apply for grant funding to develop and market tourism to Britain, working with international tour operators to dial-up promotion in their 2022 programmes, supporting the sector's recovery. VisitBritain is seeking DMCs and inbound tour operators who can develop and market new Britain itineraries, with a focus on extending the tourism season, and see these incorporated in to the 2022 sales effort of international tour operators in the fund's target markets of France, Germany and The United States.

VisitBritain Chief Executive Sally Balcombe said: “We are very pleased to announce this new grant funding, in response to a clear ask from the industry, to support DMCs and inbound tour operators at a critical time in the sector's recovery.

“Our priority is building back demand and visitor spending for those most likely to visit in 2022, and this fund will support the travel trade to sell Britain, driving immediacy to visit and bookings. Broadening travel itineraries to boost inbound visits across the shoulder seasons will also support local businesses, destinations and economies.” Britain-based DMCs and inbound tour operators who meet the qualifying eligibility criteria can apply for individual grant awards between £20,000 and £40,000 in one of the two application categories, relative to their 2019 financial turnover of sales of holiday packages to Britain. Applications open on 10 December with applicants having until 13 January to apply for activity to run from February to June 2022, key booking periods for the fund's target markets.

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December 2021

UNWTO Calls Against Blanket Travel Restrictions

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he World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) of the United Nations calls out against the introduction of blanket restrictions on travel, as witnessed in recent days.

This call echoes the concerns raised

by UNWTO Members during the 24th UNWTO General Assembly (30 November–3 December). Countries from all global regionsexpressed their solidarity with Southern African states, calling for the immediate lifting of travel bans imposed on specific countries and for freedom of international travel to be upheld.

UNWTO takes note of the recent declarations of the United Nations Secretary-General and the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the unfairness and ineffectiveness of blanket travel in respect to the countries of Southern Africa.

Restrictions ineffective and discriminatory

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In light of recent developments, UNWTO has once again reminded countries that the imposition of blanket restrictions on travel is discriminatory, ineffective and contrary to WHO recommendations.

Blanket restrictions may also stigmatize countries or whole regions.

During the UNWTO General Assembly, Members States and partners, including voices from international organizations and across the private sector, echoed WHO's advice that travel restrictions should only be imposed as a very last resort in response to changing circumstances. Furthermore, it was stressed that if restrictions are introduced, they must be proportionate, transparent, and scientifically based.

They must also only be introduced with a full appreciation of what halting international travel would mean for the most vulnerable,

including those developing countries and individuals who depend on tourism for their economies and livelihoods.

Coordination not discrimination Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNWTO has called for coordinated and evidence-based approaches to balancing public health concerns with keeping the lifeline of tourism intact. Over recent months, such an approach has been shown to be the most effective way forward.

UNWTO notes that travel and vaccination levels are closely connected, as the emergence of new variants facilitated by low levels of vaccination has shown. As such, UNWTO calls on all countries to act in solidarity to ensure equitable access to vaccines for all, to recognize all WHO approved vaccines for the purpose of international travel and to facilitate access to patents for local production of vaccines.

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