TI September 2013

www.tourismindia.travel

Vol. 16

No. 05

Thiruvananthapuram

www.tourismindiaonline.com

September 2013

Pages 20+4

Reg. No. KL/TV (N) 432/2012-2014

Price: (India) Rs.50 (Overseas) US $5 £3 Dh10

The Gateway Hotel

Manchester Airport

Kabani

Jordan

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he launch of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Summit in Korea saw former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and WTTC President David Scowsill join forces to warn western governments not to miss out on the future powerhouse of global wealth creation Travel and Tourism.

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he Ministry of Tourism launched “777 Days of the Incredible Indian Himalayas” campaign to centre stage the Incredible Indian Himalayas on the World Tourism Map. On this occasion, Dr. K.Chiranjeevi, Minister of Tourism(I/C) announced that the Ministry of Tourism has decided to meet 50% of Peak fee

chargeable by Indian Mountaineering Foundation from the climbing expeditions during the period of 777 days of the campaign.

The Minister added that the campaign has been designed to spread awareness around the globe that 73% of Himalayan range lies in India. Launching the campaign,

The two-day Summit, which featured a keynote address by former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, is looking at how to best exploit the huge projected growth in tourism throughout China, Korea and the wider Pacific region, while urging developed Western nations not to miss out by introducing taxes which will lose more

the Minister said the Indian Himalayas themselves are a complete destination which can be explored around the year for variety of experiences. The travellers can look towards Indian Himalayas for adventure and skiing in winters; exploring bio-diversity hotspots during the spring; mountaineering expeditions during

money than they generate.

Revealing how Asia’s travel and tourism sectors is forecast to grow six per cent per annum over the coming decade, Mr. Scowsill said: “It is no accident that we are here today for our first Asia Summit. Of Contd. on Page 14

the summer; and undertaking variety of leisure and cultural activities during autumn.

Describing the Incredible Indian Himalayas as a greatest show on the earth, Dr. Chiranjeevi said that the purpose of the campaign was to tell the entire world that Himalayas provide opportunity for a round-the-year tourism right from hard adventure to soft adventure, rich flora and fauna to bio-diversity hotspots, high altitude peaks to beautiful lakes, from varied culture to the realm of spirituality and wellness. Dr. Chiranjeevi also highlighted the need for promoting Contd. on Page 14

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September 2013

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September 2013

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September 2013

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Let’s Welcome a New Season with Hope!

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fter the long days of recession and tragedies, we are stepping into a new tourism season. The industry is expecting good harvesting in this year. The increase in foreign tourist arrivals to the country gives hope to the players, and almost everyone is prepared to welcome the new season. The warning by British PM Tony Blair and WTTC President David Scowsill to the western industry to compete with Asia’s booming travel and tourism industry shows the dominance of Asian country in the business. India, being one of the key players in the region can provide more, if proper strategies are implemented.

The fall of Indian Rupee affected the market differently. Some benefited from it while others paid the price. However, the market now responds positively to the crisis and building new strategies to tackle the recession. In recent months, the Indian tourism industry faced several tragedies and crises. The worst being the Uttarakhand tragedy, the government now

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growth of 29.4 percent has been recorded in the number of tourists availing of the Tourist Visa on Arrival (T-VoA) Scheme during the period January to August, 2013. A total number of 12,176 VoAs have been issued in this period as compared to 9,412 VoAs during the corresponding period of 2012 registering a growth of 29.4 per cent.

The following are the other important highlights of VoAs issued during August, 2013: (i) During the period January to August 2013, a total number of 12,176 VoAs were issued as compared to 9412 VoAs during corresponding period of 2012 registering a growth of 29.4%. (ii) During the month of August, 2013, a total number of 1,694 VoAs were issued under this Scheme as compared to 1,750 VoAs during the month of August, 2012. (iii) The number of VoAs issued under this scheme during August 2013 for nationals of the eleven countries were Japan (678), New Zealand (257), the Philippines (249), Indonesia (234), Singapore (175), Finland

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oncur a leading provider of integrated travel and expense management solutions, has announced new investments by the Concur Perfect Trip Fund, the Company’s initiative to allocate $150 million in capital to invest in and nurture emerging companies in the T&E Cloud.

Through this initiative, Concur is driving its vision of The Perfect Trip throughout the travel supply chain by creating a travel ecosystem that dynamically responds to the needs of business travelers, the companies that they work for and the suppliers that serve them.

“Concur is committed to driving the innovation agenda for our industry, and we recognize that a critical component of that agenda is providing compelling, emerging companies with the funding they need to deliver world-class solutions,” said Mr. John Torrey, Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy of Concur.

“By leveraging our balance sheet to foster innovation and nurture game-changing technologies that can be leveraged by the entire business travel ecosystem, we

Editorial & Corporate Office: SRL C-36, Sankar Road, Sasthamangalam P.O, Thiruvananthapuram-695010, India Tel : +91.471.2315256 Fax: +91.471.2315197 E mail: info@tourismindiaonline.com Internet edition: www.tourismindiaonline.com

can efficiently extend our vision of The Perfect Trip to companies, suppliers and travelers as well as the developers, TMCs and other vendors who serve them. Smart companies like StayNTouch, Trover and Yapta share Concur’s spirit of creativity and entrepreneurship that will help us build out the services, functionality and global infrastructure available via the Concur T&E Cloud,” he added.

As part of this strategy, Concur recently completed new investments in StayNTouch, a developer of next-generation cloud-based solutions for hotels, and Trover, a mobile app and website that allows its community of travelers to share and explore discoveries in a highly visual way, and closed a new round of investment in Yapta, a leading provider of Intelligent Price Tracking for the travel industry. StayNTouch and Trover join a growing list of innovative companies in which Concur has invested, including Evature, developer of an Expert Virtual Agent (EVA) which provides natural-language search capabilities for online travel; buuteeq, the leading cloud

realises the vulnerability of major tourism spots in the country. The illegal construction and development projects took the life of many. Now is the time to take it seriously and propel the need of strong laws.

The implementation of Tourist Visa on Arrival (T-VoA) facility at major Airports around the country has boosted foreign tourist arrival. This also encourages the players and gives them hope to welcome a new season. Expanding this facility to more Airports will encourage travellers coming to India to use the facility and will make them comfortable to visit India.

The industry expects more such facilities and that will give them a strong hand support to expand their business and the industry. So, let’s hope for the best and welcome the new season right away!

(43), Luxembourg (23) Vietnam (16), Myanmar (13), Cambodia (3), and Laos (3). (iv) The number of VoAs issued under the Scheme during January to August 2013 were Japan (4,290), New Zealand (2,165), Indonesia (1,688), the Philippines (1,652), Singapore (1,338), Finland (646), Vietnam (126), Luxembourg (102) Cambodia (78), Myanmar (78)and Laos (13). (v) During the period January to August 2013, the highest number of VoAs were issued at New Delhi (6,906) followed by Mumbai (2,549), Chennai (1,832), Kolkata (846), Bangalore (17), Hyderabad (12), Kochi(10) and Trivandrum(4).

As a facilitative measure to attract more foreign tourists to India, Government launched the “Visa on Arrival” (VoA) Scheme in January 2010 for citizens of five countries, viz. Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore, visiting India for tourism purposes. The Scheme was extended to the citizens of six more countries, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar in January 2011. digital marketing system for hotels; Room 77, the industry’s most advanced hotel search site; Cleartrip, India’s leading online travel portal; Nor1, provider of upsell technologies to the hotel industry; and TaxiMagic, the leader in mobile consumer solutions for the ground transportation industry.

StayNTouch is pioneering new technology systems for the hospitality sector. By creating a single cloud-based solution designed and optimized for tablets and smartphones, StayNTouch is aimed at rethinking the entire interaction between hotels and their guests in a way that will dramatically simplify all business processes for the hotel staff. The company’s first product is the StayNTouch Mobile App Platform allowing any hotel or group to extend white-labeled, hotel-branded apps to their guests’ smartphones. Providing solutions that brilliantly connect guests to hotels, StayNTouch provides guests with the ability to check-in/out, order hotel services, communicate to hotel staff and more via their smartphone from anywhere anytime. The result is a more nimble and effective hotel staff and dramatically increased guest engagement.

Since its launch in 2011, Trover has grown steadily as a community of travel,

culture and photography enthusiasts via its website and mobile apps. Trover’s defining feature is its location-based discovery mosaic, which allows users to visually browse through an ever-growing collection of images created and posted by the community from more than 175 countries. Trover members connect with one another through favorite places and shared interests, and exchange feedback, tips, and inspirations for new adventures.

Yapta is the developer of FareIQ, a patent-pending Intelligent Price Tracking technology that provides in-depth, 24x7 analysis and insights into corporate airfares, spotlighting opportunities to re-book tickets at lower prices, saving corporations crucial T&E dollars on a daily basis. The solution integrates seamlessly with agents’ workflow by dynamically monitoring pricing on individual passenger name records (PNRs) that are placed on a queue by the corporation or its travel management company (“TMC”). Upon recognizing a savings opportunity, FareIQ immediately issues a series of messages through multiple channels that enables those savings to be acted upon by an agent or a travel manager.

To date, FareIQ customers have saved a combined total of more than $1 million in airfare.

Managing Editor: Ravisankar K.V. Executive Editor: Rajani A. Art Editor: N. Bhattathiri Sub Editors: Rahul Krishnan, Anoop B. Special Correspontant: James Joseph Correspontant: Ganesh Mohan, Jeeth Thomas Senior Layout Artist: Vijayagopalan G. Marketing: Ravikumar.K. (AGM) Mob: +919847560531 Director - International Marketing - Theresa Van Den Dool Consultants: Baby Mathew (Hospitality) Ashokan C.V. (Technical) R. Bhadrakumar FCA& D Ravi FCA (Financial) P. Govardhan (Legal) Dr. S. G. Pandalai (Editorial) Business Offices: UK-England: T. Haridas (Advisor) 86 Tooting High St. London SW 17 0RN Mob:+447775833754 New Delhi: D. Anil Kumar Tel: +91 11-24634248, Mob: +91 98681 23311, Mumbai: K.V. Sathyanath Tel: +91 22 29209285 Kolkata: Jayasree Singh Tel: +91 33 24187750 Mob: +91 9433060333 Bangalore: Damodaran K. Nair Mob: +91 9035616040 Hyderabad: Premraj A. Mob: +91 9446514732, Pondichery: K.Ramasubramanian Mob: +91 98949 77161 No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of Tourism India Publications Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2013

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n recognising the importance of Australia as a source market for India in the tourism sector, Mr. Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, led a delegation from India of more than 20 organisations for this month’s (September) “Incredible India PATA Road Show”.

The road show came hot on the heels of last year’s successful visit and held in Melbourne at the Langham Hotel on September 10 and Sydney at the Sofitel Wentworth on September 12.

The recent re-launch of Air India services to Australia coupled with regular visits by leading tourism delegates from India will lead to a healthy growth in numbers of Australian tourists to India.

India’s tag as an incredibly diverse and affordable product “within the reach of consumers” will also help in the increase which sees Australia among the top 10 tourist-generating markets in the world for

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oon after the launch of Keys Hotels’ upscale brand, Keys Klub, Berggruen Hotels, its parent company has announced the name of its first Keys Klub property – Keys Klub Hotel Parc Estique, Viman Nagar, Pune.

Under the brand Keys Klub, this 115 rooms property is the first franchised hotel of Berggruen Hotels and is an out performer in the business area of Viman Nagar and Pune airport, known for its quality service, excellent facilities and product offerings.

Mr. Jai D. Advani, the Managing Director of Keys Klub Park Estique and Owner of Central Park Smart Hotels Pvt. Ltd. Said, “Our organisation has 5 decades of experience in designing, developing

India’s inbound tourism.

Mr Dewan, who is also chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) India Chapter, said his country had witnessed a substantial increase in the inflow of tourists from Australia in the past few years. More than 214,000 Australians visited India in 2012, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, an increase of 11.8 per cent on the previous year’s figure of 191,300.

This year’s tourism road show arranged and conducted by India Tourism Sydney, the overseas office of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in cooperation with the PATA India Chapter, attracted the presence of over 100 key players from amongst Australia’s leading tourism service providers and travel media both at Melbourne and Sydney.

“The presentations showcased India’s portfolio of tourism products and a line-up

of activities that travellers can indulge in while visiting the sub-continent. They were designed to better equip Australians with significant information for them to explore the various attractions of India.”

The delegation included executives from Air India, Asia Travel & Tours, Distant Frontiers, Go India Journeys, Impression Tourism Services (India), Indo Asia Leisure Services, Lotus Destinations, Mercury Travels Limited, Network Travels, Travel Link, Travel Spirit International and Travel Corporation (India).

Adventure specialist Shikhar Travels was in the party along with Trail Blazer Tours India Private Limited, cruise companies Jungle Travels India and Vivada Cruises and hotels Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts, Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces and The Oberoi Group.

State tourism corporation Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation also represented along with officials from PATA, the Ministry of Tourism and the India Tourism Sydney. The delegation shared insights into the booming tourism industry in India and acquainted participants with its vast portfolio of tourism products.

In addition to special presentations there were engaging B2B sessions between buyers

and sellers from Australia and India with invaluable information on destinations and new product beyond the iconic Taj Mahal and the Golden Triangle.

India had a great deal to offer to an Australian visitor. For adventure lovers, India presented countless destinations to explore and activities to indulge in while visiting the country. The sub-continent is known for its geographical and cultural diversity.

Visitors to India are spoilt for choice as they can experience a wide variety of tourism products ranging from cruise tourism to adventure tourism, medical tourism, wellness tourism, golf tourism, polo tourism, the Meetings, Incentive, Conference and Events (MICE) market and film tourism.

“Given the buoyancy in the Australian dollar, tourism to India is an affordable product and well within the reach of consumers,” said Mr. Dewan. “Air India’s daily non-stop flight operations, effective 30th August, 2013, to Sydney and Melbourne, will only bring the two countries closer and enable enhancement of people to people contact through tourism.

“The contribution made by the Indian High Commission and the Indian consulates in Sydney and Melbourne as well as the Australian Government in commencing the direct flights was overwhelming. Good air-connectivity is essential for the growth of the tourism industry,” Mr. Dewan added.

The re-emergence of Air India services to Australia after a long gap gave a tremendous boost to tourism for both Australia and India.

Air India’s daily non-stop service to and from capital Delhi delivered by the state of the art Boeing Dreamliner touching down in both Melbourne and Sydney every day.

With this addition, Berggruen hotels now boasts of 34 properties in 20 cities, of which 13 are operational. By 2016, Berggruen hotels is targeting 75 hotels with an inventory of 6600 rooms. As Mr. Sanjay adds, “We plan to add at least 2 Keys Klub Hotels into our bouquet every year in our target cities at Mumbai, NCR, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Jaipur, Kolkata and Hyderabad and by 2016, we are expecting combined revenue of INR 410 - 430Crs from the owned and managed hotels.”

and managing hotels in and around Mumbai, and after putting up its 3 rd project in Pune with Amar Builders, has decided to transform its business strategy.

With the arrival of multiple international chain brands, we felt that we needed a strong national footprint for sales and marketing. With state of the art distribution technologies, international representations, and several sales offices at our disposal now, with this association we will be able to cut through the clutter of various other competitor hotels and increase our reach and profitability by great lengths. Keys is a rapidly growing brand that is gaining huge traction and enjoys great visibility across

the country. The company is professionally operated with the rich experience of its core management team, and is very promising in terms of the value it can add to Hotel Parc Estique.”

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Sanjay Sethi, MD & CEO, Berggruen Hotels said, “We are very proud to announce the very first offering by Keys Klub. After having extensively studied the consumer and having successfully established Keys Hotels chain across India, we designed the personality of Keys Klub which is meant to be elite, stylish, world-class and cheerful with cutting edge technology and infrastructure support. Keys Klub Hotel Parc Estique is the perfect match, and this move is in the direction of turning Berggruen Hotels into a holistic hotel company catering to all categories of customers. He further adds, “This also is the launch of our first franchised hotel.”

Amidst a range of several international branded luxury hotels around the area, Keys Klub Hotel Parc Estique, is an affordable luxury hotel that boasts of a full service spectrum along with 350-400 square foot rooms, amongst the largest in the city. It aims to appeal to the urbane and contemporary world traveler like senior managers and professionals seeking personalized experience with crisp and prompt business service within a viable price range. It has 115 ambient, boutique, classique and designer rooms, suites and service apartments with ensuite bathrooms, a business floor with a dedicated lounge, a business center, multiple and flexible banquet options for weddings, conferences and meetings, 3 restaurants, a rooftop swimming pool, gymnasium and a full service spa.

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ith the intention of boosting business travel and promoting Dubai as a leading international MICE destination in India, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), India office has undertaken several initiatives to tap the burgeoning MICE market in India.

From participating at leading MICE events such as OptiMICE and IBTM (Incentives, Business, Travel & Meetings) Expo India, to promoting leading exhibitions and business events through its newsletters and advertorials to most recently organising a corporate familiarisation visit to Dubai, the tourism office is strengthening its efforts to enhance corporate travel to the emirate.

The corporate familiarisation trip organised by DTCM India was in conjunction with Indigo Airlines, Starwood group of hotels and Discovery Travels for

9 corporate representatives from some of India’s leading multi-national companies from the 7th - 9th of September 2013. The itinerary highlighted Dubai’s tourism product offerings for business travellers with visits to attractions such as iFly Dubai, Ski Dubai and a dhow cruise experience.

Commenting on their latest marketing initiative, Mr. Carl Vaz, Director - DTCM India said, “Dubai ensures MICE travellers have an unforgettable experience as it offers the perfect blend of world-class convention centres and exciting attractions of a tourist destination. Familiarisation trips are an effective way of enhancing the understanding of a destination to unique and diverse market segments in addition to building relationships with key influencers in the industry and increasing their knowledge of and affection for the emirate.

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package products, such as complimentary VIP group clinics at the Championship with a world top 30 player for all five- or seven-night package buyers.

“We cannot achieve our goals alone and we need our partners to help us boost the tournament’s international visitor numbers.

“To achieve this, several exciting new incentives have been devised to encourage tour operators and trade reps to engage their local, regional and international clients – it’s all part of our mission to make sure the 2014 Championship crowd is as international as the star-studded field,” added Al Sheikh.

“The Championship is now globallyrenowned for bucking expectations and next year’s event has been launched earlier than ever so local and international trade reps can push Abu Dhabi and the tournament, which offers the ultimate in up-close viewing, as the ideal leisure-meets-sports experience to see in the New Year.”

International fans attending the Championship can expect to see defending champion, Jamie Donaldson; Rory McIlroy, the world number three; Justin Rose, the reigning US Open champion and world number five; Luke Donald, the world number 11, and Abu Dhabi’s recordbreaking global golf ambassador, Matteo Manassero, the world number 29.

With more big names due to be unveiled in coming the months, the battle for the Championship’s coveted Falcon Trophy and US$ 2.7 million prize fund – the richest purse offered on the Desert Swing, the European Tour’s trio of earlyseason, regional events – will kick-start a huge Ryder Cup year for global golf.

bu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority has launched a series of ‘Play, Stay, and Watch’ packages to increase international attendance at next year’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, which runs January 16th-19th at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Based around three, five, and seven night products, dubbed ‘Tee For Three’, ‘Five Beats Fore’ and ‘Week at the Tees’, the packages – which include varying options for flights, on-the-ground transfers, accommodation, tee-times at the emirate’s six diverse playing facilities and access to most of Abu Dhabi’s leading leisure and culture-based attractions - are available via TCA Abu Dhabi’s specialist one-stop ‘Golf in Abu Dhabi’ initiative.

TCA Abu Dhabi also plans to ramp up the Championship package product line by rallying the emirate’s hospitality partners – including DMCs, hotels, airlines, tour operators, travel agents, golf clubs and attractions – at an inaugural ‘Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship Stakeholder Briefing’ on September 11.

“At this mega summit, we will give guidance to our local partners and seek their innovation on how the industry can collectively work together to create enticing, tailored package products that leverage one of the emirate’s most popular annual sporting and lifestyle events, as well as the wider destination,” said Mr. Faisal Al Sheikh, Director, Events Bureau, TCA Abu Dhabi.

Having attracted 61,240 fans over four days to this year’s Championship, TCA Abu Dhabi is targeting international attendance of 15 per cent at next year’s event and has introduced a series of ‘money-can’t-buy’ add-ons for long-stay

Our corporate FAM visit focused on showcasing the destination to influencers in leading companies and we hope to organize similar trips in the future.”

Mr. Vaz further added: “India represents the top source market for inward visitor traffic into Dubai with the first six months of 2013 attracting 463,175 Indian guests, representing a growth of 15.8% increase over the corresponding period last year. Going forward for this year and the next, we intend working closely with several trade members to bring in not only the numbers but more high yielding incentive and groups to Dubai. There are a plethora of exhibitions that are held at Dubai World Trade Centre which receive a large level of Indian participation as exhibitors and visitors.

Our aim will be to showcase and thus promote these exhibitions and events conducted in Dubai so that the overall number of corporate travellers from India significantly increases.”

Dubai is the fastest growing and most preferred MICE destination for leading companies worldwide. Its well developed infrastructure, dynamic business environment and excellent transport links have strengthened the Emirate’s position as the convention and trade show centre of the Middle East. This multifaceted city offers a host of recreational activities such as desert safaris, golf and water sports, world-class shopping malls and beautiful beaches to MICE travellers during their much-deserved leisure time.

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anchester Airport is preparing to celebrate its 75th anniversary, as thousands are expected to visit the Runway Visitor Park on September 14 for a day of vintage fly-pasts.

All through the day there will be fly pasts at intervals, with planes on display including the legendary Lancaster Bomber, Hornet Moth, Dragon and Morane Sauline. A range of vintage aircraft dating back to the 1930s will be on display at the free event.

Mr. Andrew Cowan, Chief Operating Officer for MAG, which owns the airport, said: “This year has been a significant milestone in our history as we reached our 75th anniversary. It’s even more significant for us this year as we’ve completed a transformational increase in the size of the company having added London Stansted to our group of airports.

This summer, Manchester has surpassed 20m passengers again and we are the third largest airport in the UK, and we will begin to build our Airport City development this year.We’ve achieved much in our opening 75 years of existence

and we’re well placed for an even brighter future.”

The day will also feature parachute jumps, commemorating the air display from the Royal Air Force on June 25, 1938 – when the airport opened for service.

The first passenger flights took off two days later, with nearly 7,600 passengers passing through its doors in the first 14 months. The Blades, former RAF Red Arrows pilots – experts at formations and aerobatics, will perform. The Ravens’ parachute group will plunge from 5,000ft right into the Runway Visitor Park, armed with birthday messages, flags and smoke.

A fancy dress competition for 1930s attire will also be held, and prizes will include a tour of the Concorde.

The Runway Visitor Park has five aircraft, including the legendary Concorde.

The park’s other aircraft are the Nimrod, the DC-10, Trident and an Avro RJX. Entry to the event on September 14, from noon to 6.00 pm is free for pedestrians and bus travellers. For those using their cars, a full day’s car parking would cost £10 per car.

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isitors to New Zealand’s famed Fiordland wilderness region will have the chance to experience the majestic beauty of the Great Walks Milford Track as never before when one of the world’s best known multi-day hikes celebrates a special anniversary. To mark the 125th anniversary of the opening of Milford Track, a unique hiking event has been organised in the place that was once described by London Spectator poet, Blanche Baughan as ‘the finest walk in the world’.

In the hands of experienced and knowledgeable guides, walkers participating in the commemorative heritage walk between the 2nd and 4th of November 2013, will have an added and richer experience as they delve into the history of this natural marvel. The history of Milford Track will be brought to life as 10 heritage walkers - including five who are experts on the Track itself - reveal

how the Track has evolved over the last 125 years into one of New Zealand’s foremost iconic tourism destinations.

Experienced guides will add a nostalgic element to the 53.5km walk, dressed in period costumes and telling historic tales mixed with real life experiences from those who know the Track like the back of their hands. Evening talks will recount history, culture and current biodiversity work.

Conservation efforts have recently seen the release of some of New Zealand’s rarest wildlife back onto the Track including pateke / brown teal duck, and - scheduled soon to follow - the curious takahe, a flightless alpine bird that was thought to be extinct until rediscovered in an alpine valley near the Track.

Walkers are also encouraged to take part in the celebrations and will be provided with heritage information and encouraged to dress

in theme as described in the early guides, some dating back as far as 1890. Now one of a series of nine New Zealand Great Walks, the Track route leads visitors on a journey of discovery through one of the world’s most diverse and spectacular landscapes.

During the walk, which takes approximately four days, visitors can expect to be captivated by the glories of Fiordland National Park - towering virgin forests, an endless panorama of snow-capped mountains, glaciers and valleys inhabited by rare and endangered wildlife. Visitors on the anniversary walk will also have the privilege of experiencing the re-opening of the Sutherland Falls Track - a track that leads visitors to thundering Sutherland Falls, the biggest waterfall in New Zealand.

The prize at the end of the Track is spectacular Milford Sound - described by

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tihad Holidays, a division of Etihad Airways, has said that it is planning to launch in the UK as it seeks to serve the increasing leisure travel demand to Abu Dhabi, one of its key global markets, Asia and the Indian Ocean.

Etihad Holidays’ first venture outside the Middle East, the UK service reflects its expertise in providing customers with the ideal package of accommodation, excursions, transfers and Etihad Airways flights.

Mr. Peter Baumgartner, E t i h a d Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “ E t i h a d Holidays has expanded considerably in our home market and regionally, with popular retail centres across the UAE and preferred distribution partnerships in the Middle East. It is a proud moment to now take our established Holidays brand internationally to further boost growing tourism numbers into Abu Dhabi and the UAE and to ensure a growing market can benefit from our attractive range of packages.”

“Etihad Airways has a strong customer

base in the UK, using our three times a day service from Heathrow and double daily from Manchester as well as regions served by our codeshare partners, so international expansion of our Holidays operation to this market makes perfect sense,” he added.

Etihad Holidays offers an extensive range of packages in the UAE, as the airline seeks to attract more business and leisure travellers to Abu Dhabi and the other emirates. The new operation provides fully secure and dynamic online booking of holiday packages and exclusive offers at the new website, www. etihadholidays. co.uk.

Prospective UK travellers can now book packages at a full range of hotels in Abu Dhabi city, Saadiyat Island, and Yas Island, with a comprehensive range of tours and excursions including desert safaris, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, as well as boat and ferry trips. In addition to holidays in the UAE, Etihad also offers its UK customers more than 300 breaks in China, Malaysia, Maldives, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

storyteller Rudyard Kipling as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ and a bucket list destination for thousands of international travellers every year. Walkers who choose to go on the Heritage Walk - organised by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) - will have access to all the adventures mentioned.

The cost of the walk will also contribute towards the redevelopment of the historic Beech Hut, which will provide an on-going legacy for future walkers to access the heritage element of the Great Walk. Ultimate Hikes is also offering a special offer for walkers who want to celebrate this historic event.

Walking the Milford Track is an experience in itself, but the opportunity to learn about the history of one of the greatest destinations in the world will take the experience to a completely new level.

ith the smartphone surely and steadily making itself an indispensable part of our lives and with the growth in tablet sales; applications downloads have become a multi-billion dollar industry. Gartner forecasts worldwide downloads in mobile application stores to surpass 21.6 billion by 2013, while free downloads will account for 87% of total downloads.

And as the smartphone business continues to evolve, so will mobile applications as increasingly more applications are being sold and downloaded daily.

With a plethora of travel and destination apps to choose from, the next destination and travel app you should download is the beautifully designed and conceived ‘Visit Jordan’ app for iphone, ipad and itouch!

Get ready to explore the beautiful Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and prepare yourself to be transported to this amazing destination even before you get there. The official iPhone App from the Jordan Tourism Board provides you with a short description of the many historic, religious, cultural, natural, adventure, and leisure sites in Jordan, accompanied by incredible pictures, helpful tips and useful maps!

The Jordan Tourism Board iPhone App, features sections like general info about Jordan, the many experiences to be had in Jordan, some itinerary suggestions, a checklist of things to do in Jordan, weather status, a photo gallery, videos, contact information, and some helpful language tips.

Currently in English and French, more languages are in the pipeline to be released soon.

This iPhone App is the first step in JTB’s content mobilisation strategy to meet the increasing demand for available information on the go, and cater to the trend in technological advances in mobile devices.

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nion Minister for Tourism Dr. K.Chiranjeevi has approved Central Finance Assistance (CFA) of Rs. 25.04 crore for the ongoing tourism mega circuit projects at Tirupati and Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh.

The mega circuit project at Tirupati has been sanctioned Rs. 1395.75 lakh under the 2nd installment. This project involves the development of tourism facilities at various temples in Chittoor District like Sri Kalyana Venkateshwara Swamy Temple, Sri Vedanaryana Swamy Temple, Srivari mettu, Chandragiri fort, Sri Kalahasteeshwara Temple and Sri Varasidhi Vinayaka Temple. These funds have been sanctioned for the construction of tourist arrival centres & tourist information centres, mini cultural auditoriums, children’s parks and renovation of Dwaja Stambham at various temples.

An amount of Rs. 1107.87 lakh has been sanctioned for the mega circuit project in Kadapa under the 2nd instalment. Kadapa was selected as a mega circuit destination because of the presence of chain of temples

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entre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), the IT wing of Indian Railways, has developed an enhanced new interface for the www.trainenquiry. com for dissemination of information to public. National Train Enquiry System (NTES) developed by CRIS is the backend system which collects information about train running on near real time basis and disseminates information through various interfaces like nationwide unique number 139, Website, face to face enquiry, mobile interfaces, etc. The new interface is accessible through www.trainenquiry.com or www.enquiry.indianrail.gov.in.

The new interface for the website was made public for past one week as field trial to get users’ feedback. The new interface, which offers quick and easy access to essential information for passengers, has been largely appreciated for its speed, simple interface and richness of information and smooth user experience.

This new interface has been launched with effect from September 6, 2013.

Main features of the website provided under different Tabs on the Home page are as under:“Spot your train”- This query offers information about a train like Train Schedule, current running status, expected time of arrival/expected time of departure (ETA/ETD) at queried station. Complete running of the selected train can be easily

and forts that exist since the Vijaya Nagara Empire. There are a total of 21 temples and related forts covered under this project in Kadapa District that include Gandikota fort, Vaidhyanatha Swami Temple, Saumya Natha Temple, Kodandarama Temple, and Athirala Parasurma Temple.

All these temples have immense antiquity and heritage importance.

Development of tourism facilities like construction of public toilets, drinking water facilities, landscaping & park development and tourist information centres at various locations shall be undertaken as part of the project.

Development and promotion of various tourism destinations & products, is primarily the responsibility of the respective State Government/Union Territory (UT) Administration. However, the Ministry of Tourism provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for tourism projects identified in consultation with them, subject to availability of funds, inter-se-priority and adherence to the Scheme Guidelines.

seen through this interface.

“Station”- This query has been given to replicate the display boards at station. One can see, sitting at home the trains expected to arrive/depart at any given station in next 2/4/6/8 hours. Stations can be entered through code or name both. Option is also given to automatically refresh the screen every two minutes.

“Trains between Stations” - A very valuable query covering all trains defined on IR between any two stations. This complete information is presently not available on any other government website.

“Trains Cancelled”– This query displays all trains cancelled on IR. The tab displays trains which are cancelled through entire route as well as cancelled partially and providing service on partial route.

“Rescheduled” and “Diverted” – These queries display all trains marked as rescheduled or diverted on IR. The respective tabs display trains rescheduled timings and diverted route (from – to) information.

Some general characteristics are that all train numbers in different pages have been given as hyperlinks to view the schedule and

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he state tourism department has set its eyes on developing Chandaka wildlife sanctuary into an eco-tourism spot. Given its flora and fauna, water bodies and the presence of wild animals, the scope for developing the sanctuary into an ecotourism destination can be explored.

The tourism department, which embarked upon a project to tap the tourism potential in the Chandakaforest in 2011, is hopeful that the fringe area (periphery of the core area of the sanctuary, where animals roam freely), can be used for ecotourism purpose.

“A high-level team, comprising officials from forest and tourism departments would visit the sanctuary on August 1 to study the feasibility for developing the place as an ecotourism hub.

The team will submit its report to the government after which further decision will be taken to develop the area,” said Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) general manager Mr. M.R. Patnaik.

He said that OTDC opened a twostorey tourism complex near Godibari and created some facilities for tourists.

“Presently, we have an information centre, a centre for audio-visual and souvenir show, children’s park, rope climbing, trekking trail and a recreation zone. About

current running. Pages have been kept light weight to enhance the speed of the website. All the information is navigable from a single home page with minimum clicks. Mobile version of the site is also available through same URL. The interface has been made bilingual with Hindi version available on the website.

50 groups of tourists have visited the area in the last two years,” said Mr. Patnaik.

The tourism and forest departments will explore whether an eco-cottage and more nature trail facilities can be created here, apart from providing boating and sightseeing facilities, which are already there.

“Currently, trekking facilities are available.

We need to explore whether some of the water bodies can be developed for boating.

The water bodies are frequented by elephants. So, we need to look for the water bodies, which are close to the fringe area,” said Chandaka DFO, Mr. S.N. Mohapatra.

The sanctuary is home to various animals, including elephants, deer, leopards, fox and peacocks.

Spread over 193sq km, the sanctuary boasts of 23 natural water bodies. Promotion of eco-tourism facility in this area is expected to boost the tourism potential of the capital city.

“Chandaka can become another holiday destination for the people of the city. However, it needs to be ensured that no animal is disturbed in the process,” said retired wildlife DFO Akshaya Patra, adding that creation of eco-tourism facility will also create employment opportunities for nearby villagers.

As part of the IR/CRIS ongoing efforts to enhance the quality and availability of information to public, new features such as separate pages for special trains and major events would be made available subsequently.

The existing website interface running as beta version will be replaced with the new interface. All other interfaces namely Events (events.trainenquiry.com), Rail Radar (railradar.trainenquiry.com), Rail Radar Fog view (railradar.trainenquiry. com/fog), SpecialTrains (trainenquiry. com/liveupdates/SpecialTrains.aspx) Mobile (mobile.trainenquiry.com) and (onthego.trainenquiry.com) will be redirected to the new interface and all the information will be available through the new web interfaces.

September 2013

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agic Holidays, a leading player in the timeshare vacations sector in India, announced its aggressive growth plans during a select media meet in Delhi.

Mr. Hitesh Kshatriya, Chief Operating Officer of the Panoramic Group, which owns Magic Holidays outlined the group expansion model and spoke at length about the timeshare industry and its growing relevance in India. He stressed on the fact that the company’s growth is driven by strategic plans and a consistent, focused approach that concentrates on giving customers the best of holidays.

“We are conscious about our customers’ dynamic needs and strive to over-deliver their expectations. One of the main things

that we have in mind when it comes to our growth plans is that we are targeting a number of 100 resorts in the next Five years. What makes Magic Holidays unique is that all the resorts under our portfolio are owned & operated by the group and this adds to the element of trust associated with us,” said Mr. Kshatriya. Magic Holidays currently owns over 33 properties in India and abroad and they plan to add one resort a month in India and one abroad every quarter to their existing bouquet of properties.

Keeping the varied needs of the Indian vacation-goer, the company also plans to focus on lesser-known holiday destinations that will provide their members with

a chance to explore locations during their vacations. Mr. Kshatriya explained, “Travel is all about gaining experiences and knowledge and that is something that we are very conscious of. While there are some popular vacation spots in India which never go out of fashion, we also want our members to travel across the country and experience the diversity that is India. As a result of this, we have also focused on acquiring properties in some lesser-known but equally enjoyable holiday destinations.

Some of the places that we have resorts are Bageshwar, Tehri, Bhimtal and Todgarh.”

In July the Panoramic Group has acquired properties in Lonavala and Sasan Gir, Gujarat.

In a bid to expand their customer base, Magic Holidays is planning to launch the second phase of their marketing campaign in mid-August. “As the costs of living go up, investing in a timeshare vacation makes more sense. This ensures that your vacation cost does not go sky-high every year and large network of properties allows you to take that much-needed sheer break in the midst of a stress-filled routine,” added Mr. Kshatriya while elaborating that the company has several timeshare plans to cater to different categories of customers.

The company’s promise of ‘Unforgettable Times’, which is an integral part of the repositioning, seeks to provide customers with a holiday experience like never before that will keep them coming back for more such magical moments. This promise comes along with the assurance of affordable and flexible holidays supplemented with assured booking of holidays in some of the best locations in India and abroad.

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he Civil Aviation Ministry has called for the first meeting of Aviation Ministers and Secretaries of state governments on September 10, 2013 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi to discuss the issues regarding civil aviation sector. The agenda of the meeting would include reduction of VAT on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) by state governments, formation of a dedicated agency for facilitation of civil aviation matters in the state, compliance of the Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) by the State governments/ PSUs which operate aircraft for VIPs and updation of the details of all the approved or operational helipads in the state.

The delegates attending the meeting would also deliberate upon connectivity issues and development of new airports in different states. The identification of the places of importance for encouraging air connectivity and underwriting of seats on new routes between towns identified for the promotion of regional/remote connectivity by the state governments or industrial houses would also be discussed at the meeting. The construction and development of smaller airports, sharing cost of provision of security by CISF, reduction of property tax rate for the airport land and provision of land and extension of roads and utilities for the development of low cost-airports would be other important issues to be discussed during the meeting. The meeting will be addressed by Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and Minister of State for Civil Aviation K. C. Venugopal.

September 2013

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eflecting the change happening at its properties, the iconic Marriott Hotels, the signature brand of Marriott International, Inc. has launched its new global marketing campaign in Asia.

Called ‘Travel Brilliantly,’ it is a bold

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he Gateway Hotels & Resorts, part of the Taj Group, announced the launch of The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai.

This marked the debut of The Gateway Hotel brand in Chennai. This is also the first hotel to be launched in a metro city after the brand was unveiled in 2008. Catering to the upscale segment, The Gateway Hotels & Resorts has 23 hotels in its portfolio.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Prabhat Verma, Chief Operating Officer, The Gateway Hotels & Resorts said, “The launch of The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai is a proud moment for us and essential to the brand’s growth strategy of catering to the new age traveller. There is immense growth and development potential in a burgeoning market like Chennai, especially on the Old Mahabalipuram Road.

We look forward to welcoming guests to the Gateway experience” “The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai will offer guests contemporary and refreshing hospitality. Located in the heart of the IT corridor and within close proximity to the East Coast Road, the hotel is well equipped to cater to both leisure

move amplifying the brand’s dedication to leading the future of travel.

The dynamic campaign reflects the lifestyle of the next generation of travellers, who seamlessly blend work and play in a mobile and global world. The campaign includes online TV and digital advertising, a new brand look and logo, and enhanced social media platforms. In addition, Marriott has launched an English-language website www.travelbrilliantly.com, revealing innovations under development within the brand, as well as a co-creation platform to solicit user-generated ideas.

At its core, the multi-year campaign disrupts the traditional industry idea that a hotel is bound by its four walls. Rather, the campaign shifts the focus, celebrating how the global travel experience opens minds and is inspirational. As the advertising proclaims, “This is not a hotel. It’s an idea that travel should be brilliant. It’s not only about where you’re staying. It’s about where you’re going.” From culinary to design to technology, the new campaign draws on the personal passion points and values of the next generation guest, to

and business travellers,” said Mr. Ranjit Shankar, General Manager.

Located near Sholinganallur junction on Rajiv Gandhi Salai, erstwhile Old Mahabalipuram Road, The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai offers guests the dual advantage of being right where the IT action is, as well as being within easy reach of the temple town of Mahabalipuram and the French influenced Union Territory of Puducherry. The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai would present a refreshingly new face of hospitality to the evolving metropolis, Chennai. Gateway Hotels & Resorts are designed keeping the modern nomad in mind, offering consistent, quick and crisp service for travellers seeking hassle-free and contemporary experiences.

The hotel would let the guests enjoy their space. It would take the unwanted surprises out of travel with a welcoming, consistent and enjoyable stay experience, unobtrusive service and warm, friendly hospitality.

The hotel is a sophisticated sanctuary offering a refreshing blend of Indian hospitality and modern cosmopolitan efficiency. Each of the 200 spacious rooms,

create a visual that is emblematic of the new Marriott experience.

“The iconic Marriott Hotels brand is on a journey to transform itself and reassert its position as an innovation leader,” saidM ara Hannula, Vice President of global marketing, Marriott Hotels. “Therefore, the campaign had to be bold in not only staking our claim, but also engaging the next generation of travellers to join us in co-creating the future of travel.“ To signal change, Marriott created a new brand logo, keeping its iconic ‘M’ while modernising its overall appeal. Grey NY, one of the world’s leading advertising and communications agencies developed the integrated campaign and the new brand voice.

“The ‘Travel Brilliantly’ campaign reestablishes Marriott’s role as a pioneer in the travel industry,” says Jan Egan, Executive Creative Director, Grey New York. “Beyond creating new industry advancements, Marriott is shifting the process of how these innovations are ideated. By fostering dialogue with guests and engaging the modern traveller to cocreate the travel experience, Marriott will define the future of travel.”

The new website, www.travelbrilliantly. com will be a platform for portraying Marriott’s past and future innovations and soliciting similar, future-forward ideas from influencers, experts and traveling consumer enthusiasts. Visitors have an uninterrupted view of the city’s skyline.

Guests can workout at Go! – the Fitness Centre or the swimming pool, Wavelength or relax at the Spa at Gateway.

The hotel has a spacious 4,800 sq. ft. Ballroom Concorde - to host up to 600 guests.

Food connoisseurs can indulge in a variety of local Chennai specialties to satiate their palate at Buzz, indulge in contemporary Chinese cuisine at Sian or relax over a few drinks at Swirl the lounge.

Buzz offers a perfect mix of international cuisine and authentic regional home-style delicacies including signature specialties like the Thanjavur Virundhu – a traditional and authentic home-cooked Tanjore feast.

The hotel also offers its health conscious guests the opportunity to savour the special Active Food menu where they can indulge in the sumptuous Wake up Breakfast. Swirl, located at the lobby level, offers a relaxed and designed ambience with an eclectic lounge space and low seating couches.

The hotel has been designed by Sim Boon Yang and allows guests to experience a tranquil retreat in the hectic city. Given the dense urban setting of this hotel, the simple concept is to enhance the feeling of space and tranquility by keeping to a pale and minimalist palette. This is populated by carefully placed artwork and screens

to the website are invited to share their groundbreaking ideas to improve the modern travel experience across design, culinary, wellness and technology.

Phase one of Marriott’s new campaign in Asia will see a 30-second video advertisement run online in prominent news and lifestyle outlets in China, India and Australia, such asYouku, PPTV, YouTube, Fairfax Media, BBC India and CNBC India from the end of August.

The second phase of the campaign will see the Marriott Hotels brand tie up with TripAdvisor/Daodao to drive engagement and participation through the use of Key Opinion Leaders and bloggers to curate editorial content on the brand’s four key pillars to enable people to Travel Brilliantly.

On-property elements representing 30 touch points, including key cards, flags, “do not – disturb” hangers, in-room directories will embrace the brand’s new visual look. These will feature a series of topographical maps and travel-inspired patterns, inviting travelers begin their journeys with and then beyond the hotel.

These will be progressively rolled out in AP hotels in 2014.

As a part of Marriott Hotel’s transformation, the iconic brand has been innovating throughout its hotels globally. Re-designed lobbies and public spaces known as Greatrooms are being rapidly deployed for the next generation of travellers who blend work and play, demand style and substance, and require technology.

to create visual accents. Photographic art that features local architectural elements provides a visual counterpoint to the clean lines of the interiors.

Chennai is the commercial, cultural, economic and educational capital of Southern India - a city younger than its image - a true reflection of the country’s diversity Guests can discover Chennai with Gateway Explore. Famous for its temples and churches, silks and art, as well as South Indian cuisine, Chennai is the gateway to the south. The stunning Marina Beach, beautiful colonial buildings in Puducherry, delightful Pulicat Bird Sanctuary, boat ride at Muttukadu Boating, Vellankani Shrine are just some of the many getaways frequented from the city.

With crisp, efficient service and great location for both business and leisure guests, The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai promises unique culinary and destination experiences for the modern-day traveller.

September 2013

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atar Airways will become a full member of Oneworld with effect from Wednesday October 30, 2013, adding one of the world’s fastest growing and most highly rated airlines to the world’s leading quality airline alliance.

One of just seven carriers worldwide rated five-star by the Skytrax airline quality agency and the organization’s Airline of the Year 2011 and 2012 and runner-up 2013, Qatar Airways is the only one of the “Gulf Big Three” carriers slated to join any of the global airline alliances.

It received clearance to board Oneworld after successfully completing a thorough review of its readiness, conducted by British Airways, which is sponsoring Qatar Airways’ entry into the alliance, with oneworld’s central team.

Qatar Airways completes its oneworld implementation programme just one year after receiving its invitation to join, announced at a press conference in the alliance’s New York home in October 2012. This will make its induction into oneworld one of the fastest in the alliance’s history.

Normally it takes around 18 months for any airline to be readied to enter any alliance.

Qatar Airways’ addition to Oneworld will come shortly before the airline moves into its new home base, Hamad International Airport, which has been designed to strengthen Doha’s position as a premium global hub, with an eventual capacity for 50 million passengers a year. From its first flights on Wednesday, 30 October, Qatar Airways will offer oneworld’s full range of services and benefits. From then, the 3 million members of Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club loyalty programme will enjoy frequent flyer privileges whenever they fly with any oneworld member airline, which include leading brands from each global region – airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and some 30 affiliated airlines. This includes earning and redeeming Qmiles for awards and earning Qpoints for tier status when flying with all these airlines.

Privilege Club Platinum cardholders will have Emerald status in the oneworld programme. Privilege Club Gold will be equivalent to oneworld Sapphire and Privilege Club Silver will be oneworld Ruby. From 30 October, Privilege Club Platinum and Gold members will be able to access 550 airport lounges worldwide offered

by Oneworld member airlines when they fly with one of the alliance’s carriers. Qatar Airways’ First and Business Class passengers will also be able to use Oneworld partner airline lounges.

Also from 30 October, the 130 million members of the established oneworld airlines’ frequent flyer programmes will be able to earn and redeem awards and tier status points and receive all other oneworld benefits on Qatar Airways. Qatar Airways is already participating in Global Explorer, the round-the-world fare offered by all oneworld members and various airlines that are not part of the alliance. When it becomes part of oneworld, Qatar Airways’ network – serving 130 destinations in 70 countries across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, North and South America, Asia and Australasia – will be covered by the full and extensive range of oneworld fare and sales products.

More than 20 of its destinations and five countries – Ethiopia, Iran, Rwanda, Serbia and Tanzania – will be new to the Oneworld map. More significantly, Qatar Airways will substantially strengthen the

alliance’s customer offering by providing superior routing alternatives across many hundreds of city pairs. For example, passengers flying between Asia and Southern Europe or between Asia and Africa will now have convenient one-stop connections not previously available within the Oneworld network.

Its implementation, making Oneworld the leading alliance in the Middle East region, comes as the group undergoes the biggest expansion in its history with: • The addition of Malaysia Airlines, one of this industry’s most frequent award winners, six months ago, further strengthening Oneworld’s position in South East Asia, one of the fastest growing regions for air travel demand.

• The switch in the second quarter of next year to Oneworld from the Star Alliance by TAM, the leading airline in Latin America’s leading economy, Brazil, along with its Paraguayan affiliate, following the addition to oneworld on 1 October 2013 of the newest member of the LAN group, LAN Colombia, solidifying oneworld’s position as the leading alliance in Latin America.

• The introduction early next year of SriLankan Airlines, as the first airline from the Indian subcontinent to join any global alliance, which, with Qatar Airways, will make oneworld the leading alliance in the region.

In addition, US Airways proposes to switch from Star to Oneworld as part of its planned merger with American Airlines, subject to necessary approvals.

With Qatar Airways and the other airlines lining up to join, Oneworld will: • Serve almost a thousand airports in more than 150 countries, with 14,000 daily departures.

• Carry 480 million passengers a year on a combined fleet of almost 3,500 aircraft.

• Generate US$ 140 billion annual revenues Qatar Airways’ Oneworld implementation programme has represented one of the most extensive projects in the airline’s 16-year history, with working groups covering some 20 streams of activity. Projects are nearing completion to bring its various internal processes and procedures into line with the alliance’s requirements, and extensive employee training and communications programmes are now underway at Qatar Airways and the alliance’s established members, to ensure they are ready to provide oneworld’s customer services and benefits across the expanded alliance from 30 October.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “In Qatar Airways’ relatively short history, we have quickly established a reputation for innovation, quality and excellence in everything we do. We are pleased to build on that by becoming the only major airline from the Gulf to date to be joining any of the global airline alliances. We are proud to entering the best of them, in Oneworld – and to be doing so in record quick time. We very much look forward to flying alongside some of the best airlines in the world from October 30, bringing the heightened benefits offered by Oneworld to our customers.”

Oneworld CEO Mr. Bruce Ashby said: “Quality has always been the hallmark of Oneworld, so we are pleased to be adding to our alliance another of the world’s highest quality airlines, in Qatar Airways. Oneworld aims to be the first choice alliance for frequent international travellers the world over. Qatar Airways will significantly improve our connectivity between many of the destinations that are most important to those customers. We look forward to welcoming it and their customer on board the world’s leading airline alliance.”

September 2013

12 We, continue in our endeavour to provide unparalleled customer satisfaction, backed by new and innovative technologies. The Meru Cab application is another example wherein we reinforce our brand promise of “Reliability” to our customers. Our technology is solely

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eru Cabs Introduces a unique service - ‘ICE ALERT’ to safeguard Customers in any emergency situation Meru Cabs, India’s favourite and largest radio cab service provider, today announces the launch of the Meru Mobile App for iPhone and Android devices that enables instant cab bookings on the go, making the cab booking process even more convenient for customers.

What makes the application even more special is that it offers a unique, first of its kind service called ‘ICE Alert’ that can be used by Meru customers “In Case of an Emergency”. Safety being at the forefront of Meru’s technological innovations, ICE Alert will help the consumers be prepared for emergencies wherein they will be able to alert their trusted ones immediately at the press of a button.

The Meru Cab application can be downloaded free of cost through Android Play Store and iphone App Store respectively Commenting on the Meru Cab phone application launch, Mr. Siddhartha Pahwa, CEO, Meru cabs, stated, “As the largest radio cab operator, with over 6,000 cabs in 5 cities, we continue to stamp a firm footprint across the country. While we are the market leaders, we believe that we must continue to strive towards delighting our customers, whose needs are at the core of everything we do. We believe in introducing innovative services and travel technologies that will revolutionize the Indian radio cab industry. The Meru Cab phone app will make the booking process more convenient, personalized, efficient and quicker for our customers.

What’s truly unique about the application is that the ‘ICE Alert’ emergency option can be used by customers who have downloaded the application, not only while travelling in a Meru Cab, but at

any given time, in any kind of emergency situation. We view the safety concerns of our customers very seriously and will continue to enhance our service offerings to give them more value.”

Mr. Nilesh Sangoi, CTO, Meru Cabs, further commented, “At Meru Cabs, we are dedicated towards providing a superior travel experience enabled by state of the art technology. The application efficiently enables people to make an effective booking, track the progress of their cabs via live mapping and incorporates ICE Alert which is one of the ‘firsts’ to be introduced

by Meru.

focused on customer satisfaction by providing a safe, efficient, comfortable and world class experience to our customers.”

A first time user upon registering and logging in will be taken through an auto demo, for a clear understanding of how to use the application. While booking a cab, the application identifies the current location of the customer through GPS, thus saving the customer the effort of having to enter the pick-up address. The next step would be to enter the drop location or select the drop location from ‘My Favourites - addresses that have

WTTC and Tony Blair Warn West to Compete with Asia’s Booming Travel and Tourism Industry the 70 million new jobs Travel & Tourism will stimulate globally by 2023, two thirds – some 47 million - will be in Asia. This phenomenal growth will be driven by increasing wealth among Asia’s middle classes, particularly in China. The United Nations describe it as a historic shift, the likes of which has not been seen for 150 years. Asia’s middle class is forecast to triple to 1.7 billion by 2020.”

The need for the West to maintain its market share of the global Travel and Tourism industry was not lost ion Mr Blair, who said: “As this power shifts to the East, the West is going to have to discover a new

partnership with the East. The US remains for now the most powerful country but it is likely in time China will become the most powerful country in the world.”

Mr. Blair also emphasized the need for all national governments to embrace the Travel and Tourism industry as a force for good – not just economic growth: “It is an industry that can help bring about more peace and understanding. Travel is important because then you see what people have in common.”

Globally, the future continues to look positive with the World Travel and Tourism Council predicting 3% growth this

year and generating US$ 6.8 trillion – 9% of global GDP - as well as employing more than 266 million people and accounting for 1 in every 11 jobs on the planet.

Longer term, the prospects are even brighter, with the industry expected to grow an average 4.4% per annum, exceeding forecasts in other major sectors such as manufacturing, retail and financial sectors.

Although the future of the industry looks secure, Mr. Scowsill warned the 500 leading Travel and Tourism business leaders at the Summit that success could not be taken for granted and that every

777 Days of The Incredible Indian Himalayas Campaign Launched

Himalayan tourism in a sustainable manner keeping in view the carrying capacity of the destinations. He also informed that the issue of opening up of new air strips to facilitate travel to Himalayan regions has been taken up with the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Civil Aviation and the

State Governments.

On the occasion of launch of the campaign Mr. G.A.Mir, Minister of Tourism (J&K), Mrs. Amrita Rawat, Minister of Culture & Tourism (Uttaranchal), Mr. Bhim Prasad Dhungel, Minister of Tourism & Civil Aviation(Sikkim), Mr. Pasawj Sona Dorajee, Arunachal Pradesh were present.

The Ministry also launched a Himalayan Map and a Directory of Events that would contain the activities to be undertaken during this period of “777 days of the Incredible Indian Himalayas” campaign. A book on safety regulations brought out by

been saved in the past. On receiving a cab booking confirmation, one can actually track the location and proximity of the cab through the GPS system on a map and can also call the cab driver directly if required. Users can also retrieve receipts of previous trips, rate the experience or provide detailed feedback through the app.

The unique ‘ICE Alert’ option that one can avail in an emergency situation is a value added service offered by Meru, specially designed keeping in mind the safety of Meru customers. Through this service one can alert family members or friends in case of an emergency and receive help as soon as possible. A customer who wishes to avail of this service would have to feed in 2 contact numbers of family or friends, who will be alerted as soon as the ‘ICE Alert’ option is selected. They will also be able to view the exact location of the person for 30 minutes. This service can be used at any given time and not only on booking a Meru Cab. Over the years, one of the most important aspects of Meru Cab services has been to provide a comfortable and safe commuting experience to its customers through the continuous tracking of cabs via the GPS and GPRS system. Meru is consistently distinguishing itself as a provider of superior quality transport and as a viable option for commuters in the city to feel safe and free while travelling.

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effort must be made to warn national governments of negative overall effect to their economies by the introduction or expansion of tax schemes to exploit this growth.

Mr. Scowsill singled out the UK as an example. “The UK’s Airline Passenger Duty is the worst culprit, destroying UK GDP by around $6.3 billion per annum and costing some 90 thousand jobs. Taxing the tourist does not lead to positive economic growth – in fact it leads to the opposite.

We intend to promote this message heavily whilst we are here in Asia.”

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ATAOI was also release on the occasion.

The Ministry also released two short films titled “Greatest Show on the Earth” and “Life Altering Journey”.

Earlier in his welcome address, Mr. Parvez Dewan IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, said that the promotion of Himalayas as a tourism destination will also enable India to be marketed as a round-the-year travel destination since Himalayas provided opportunities for travellers round the year.

Dr. Conrad Anker, a noted mountain climber with experience of more than 25 years of climbing expeditions in the Himalayan region shared his experiences of the area. He expressed the hope that the reduction of Peak Fees by the Government

of India shall motivate mountain climbers to come to the Himalayan region in greater numbers.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ashwani Kakkar, Chairman, Mercury Travels Ltd. said that this campaign would highlight the virtues of Himalayan Tourism since this region contained one of the biggest bio-diversity hotspots of the world. The Himalayas was home to 10,000 species of plant life and more than 2000 species of animal life and was the single largest natural asset on the earth.

The Adventure Travel Association of India (ATAOI) is collaborating with the Ministry of Tourism in this campaign and they have designed special adventure programmes running over the next 777 days.

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he Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has partnered with the Asia Cruise Association (ACA) to develop training for travel agents within the region and for the first time, is co-hosting training sessions for the Indian market in Mumbai and New Delhi.

These sessions aim to foster cruise tourism stakeholders’ interaction and networking, facilitate and broaden cruise members’ outreach into new Asian markets, and enhance cruise product knowledge and standards within its distribution network through training and accreditation programmes among other things. The tremendous growth potential in the cruise segment warrants STB and ACA to work closely in educating trade partners in the region, to familiarize them with the available cruise products and to promote and boost the awareness of cruising as a top travel option in Asia.

In Singapore, the cruise industry performance has been on an uptrend. From 2003 to 2012, cruise passenger throughput has grown at a compounded annual growth rate of 6.6%. As an ecosystem, the cruise industry in Singapore offers wideranging business opportunities on many fronts, besides catering to an increasing demand amongst Asian travelers for alternative holiday options.

Carnival Corporation, the biggest cruise company and one of the largest vacation companies in the world, has estimated that even with moderate penetration assumptions, total potential cruise guests could reach 3.7 million in 2017 and over 7 million by 2020, such that by 2020, Asia could represent over 20 per cent of the global cruise market.

Cruise lines have recognized this potential and have placed greater emphasis on Asia. This is evident in recent deployment decisions in the region, including bringing two Voyager-class ships from Royal Caribbean (Mariner and Voyager of the Seas) and two Costa ships (Costa Atlantica and Victoria) from Carnival Corporation to Asia. In addition, Carnival Corp opened the Carnival Asia regional corporate offices in Singapore in

May 2013, signaling the importance the company sees in Asia’s and Singapore’s cruise industry.

Speaking at the training event,Mr. Chang Chee Pey, Executive Director, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, STB, said “India is one of our top five source markets for cruise. However, awareness of cruising and what cruising offers is still very low amongst Indian consumers. Given the great potential that the cruise industry has for Asia and Singapore, it is timely that we are partnering with the Asia Cruise Association to start the education journey with travel agents. This collaboration will help develop the in-market trade’s competencies, resulting in well-developed distribution channels. And through this, we are confident that Indian consumers will get to know more about the plethora of entertainment, retail and dining options that a single cruise holiday brings.”

STB conducted focus group studies in 2012 to understand Indian consumers’ travel motivations and behaviour, as well as their awareness and receptivity to cruising.

The study revealed interesting consumer insights. For example, during the survey, Indian travellers perceived cruise as a premium and ‘expensive’ product, given the wide range of activities. Further, they felt that there may be many hidden costs with each experience or activity on board.

When these misperceptions were clarified during the survey, consumers expressed surprise at the entertainment, activities and dining options available on board, and considered cruise to be a value-for-money vacation choice they would be interested in.

Given Singapore’s close proximity to all major cities in India, it is the ideal destination to embark on a cruise holiday.

The cruise holiday is hassle-free, owing to the excellent connectivity between Changi Airport and Singapore’s wellequipped cruise terminals. Both its worldclass marinas – the Marina Bay Sands Cruise Centre and the Singapore Cruise Centre offer numerous conveniences from limousine charters, powder rooms to baggage storage facilities.

STB, in association with ACA, is looking

to be more robust in Asia by engaging with the travel agencies in providing education, training, certification and working with them to promote cruising to consumers through various activities. In the western countries, around 76% of all cruises are booked through travel consultants. To promote this trend in India, the STB and ACA are jointly conducting certification programmes for the trade partners across the region.

Key programmes that ACA are organizing are: • Training and accreditation programme for travel agents • Networking events at cruise trade events • Alliances and partnerships with international and regional cruise associations Mr. Kevin Leong, General Manager, Asia Cruise Association/CLIA Asia, said, “Our metrics show that travel agencies certified by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) have higher cruise sales, we are looking at how we may evolve that with cruise lines having ships and offices based here such as Star Cruises, Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and recently the Carnival Corporation Asia Office having this footprint in Asia. You will see and hear more from us in terms of how we can further engage travel agencies. A lot of materials have already been developed for travel agencies in other markets that we think we could help agencies in this part of the world. There is a lot of benefit for the agencies if you know the product well, understand how to sell it, how to link it to air and other forms of holidays. Cruising has made many agents from other parts of the world more profitable .As we expand rapidly, there will be big opportunity for travel consultants who really want to learn about cruising early on and create the space for themselves to become experts.”

STB has undertaken several initiatives in India in the past year to promote cruising among Indian travellers. Its efforts have been focused on promoting cruising as another attractive holiday option that travellers could consider and the convenience and various options of cruising out of Singapore. STB is keen to expose the evolved Indian traveller to the range of cruise destinations and cruise

products available to them and influencing them to explore the cruising horizons.

The latest promotional initiative is its collaboration with the Cruise Club.

The Club has launched “Embark”, a comprehensive guide that simplifies the cruise vacation discovery process and gives a complete lowdown on the world of cruising, including where to cruise, when to go, and on which cruise ship.

From destination features to proposed itineraries to exciting ship launches, “Embark” offers all the help a traveller needs to plan the dream cruise. It is distributed primarily in Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore and the Club has plans to make it available in other cities like New Delhi. STB collaborated with the Cruise Club to develop a special destination feature that showcases Singapore’s wide range of Cruise offerings as well as allied leisure offerings that make Singapore a destination of choice for the Indian cruise travellers.

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K

abani is the most popular wildlife destinations of Karnataka famous for large lakes and large herds of elephants in Enbegour.Kabani is a visual treat – a mecca for wildlife - big and small! Sambars, spotted deer, gaurs, wild boars, elephants, leopards, and tigers-it is the place, widely considered to be among the best for wildlife viewing.

The forests extend as far as the eyes can see.

The forests of Bandipur National Park (870 sq.km) and Nagarhole National Park (643 sq.km) are among the best protected areas in the country.

Rajiv Gandhi National Park (Nagarahole National Park) Rajiv Gandhi National park is situated in spread over the districts of Mysore and Kodagu in Karnataka. It was originally constituted into a sanctuary in the year 1955 coverage an area of 285sq kms. And subsequently enlarged to include the adjoining areas of Mysore district and now spreads over an area of 643.39 sq.kms. It was given the status of anational Park in 1983.

The Park has gently undulating terrain, well drained by rivers and streams. Kabini, a tributary of the Cauvery is the largest river draining the Park. An irrigation dam was built across Kabini in the year 1974 creating the picturesque backwaters which separate Nagarhole and Bandipur National Parks.

The other main rivers flowing through the Park are Taraka, Nagarahole, and Lakshmanateertha.

Nagarhole National Park is part of the

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and together with the Bandipur national Park (874.2sq. kms), Mudumalai(320.99 sq.kms) and Wyanad (344.44 sq.kms), it is one of the last remaining and best protected habitats for endangered species like the Elephant and the Tiger.

A river Lodge in the shore of Kabani by jungle lodges and resorts The story of Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd. began with its operations at Kabini over 30 years ago. Today, it is one of the famous wildlife resorts in the world. It showcases the wealth of Nagarhole and indeed wild Karnataka.What is now the Kabini River Lodge was earlier the hunting Lodge of the maharaja of Mysore and a favourite of his guests. The lodge is located in Kanpura village on the backwaters of the kabini dam which was built in 1974. During the late 18th and early 19th century- it was common to see Viceroys of the British East India Company at Kabini. Lord Mintow, King Edwards, Lord Irwin and the Russian Grand Dukes visited kabini.

Later on JLR took over began its path breaking experiments of ecotourism in a wilderness setting.The sprawling premises of the Kabini River Lodge have a plethora of interesting wildlife that can delight the eye. A stroll around the property is sure to spring a few surprises. Besides the many species of trees, there are over 50 species of grasses on the property. Also seen are birds, mammals, butterflies, ants and spiders.

This river resort rated by the British Tatter’s Travel Guide as one of the top 5 wildlife resorts in the world. The breathtaking locale with the tranquil backwaters of the River Kabini presents an ideal setting for a long-awaited vacation .Kabini is home of herds of Elephants, Gaur, Chital, Sambar and Barking Deer, Sloth Bears and Langur. Crocodiles and over a hundred species of birds and the elusive Cats, the Leopard and Tiger. Once widely known for the mass elephanttrapping operations called ‘Khedda’, Kabini stands as the one of the brightest beacons for wildlife preservation in India today.

Kabini River Lodge has a colonial stylearchitecture equipped to accommodate 50 persons at a time. Fourteen spacious, colonial style double rooms with modern amenities, six twin-bedded cottages in sylvan surroundings and five tented cottages with attached modern bath ensure that your stay here is in comfort. Apart from the luxurious living areas, the Viceroy’s building houses our well-equipped bar. There is also a large, charming room exclusively for seminars, meetings with multimedia projector and other conferencing facilities. Our communal dining area called the GholGhar (circular, open-to-sides gazebo) overlooks River Kabini and is the perfect place for guests to share their experiences of the day with each other. The Resort takes special care to cater to the varied tastes of an international clientele. The buffet meals include Indian

and Continental menus. Food is an integral part of every holiday. At KabiniRiver Lodge, they will pamper your taste buds with delicious and piping hot buffet of Indian, Chinese or Continental cuisine.

Fresh Tandoori preparations are offered daily. Safari jeep Perhaps nowhere else in India can one see so much wildlife.

Sighting of elephants, sambhar, spotted deer, gaur, wild boar, sloth bear, wild dogs, etc., are almost assured, while if one is lucky, a tiger or a panther too, could be sighted. Our clients are permitted to shoot, not with guns but with camera and video.

The sighting of wildlife in their eco-system creates awareness and respect among the humans towards other life forms.

Getting There: Kabini is surprisingly accessible. Located 5 km off the Mysore-Mananthavadi Road, it’s only a few hours away from Mysore and Bangalore.

Options from Bangalore to Kabini: • If you are travelling by your own car, all you have to do is reach Mysore and then follow the detailed route sketches.

Incidentally, your driver can stay free of cost at our comfortable dormitory.

• You can hire a taxi for the to and fro journey, including a night halt at Kabini.

• Another alternative is to take a train ride of 2 - 2 1/2 hours from Bangalore City to Mysore, and from there proceed by car/bus to Kabini.

Mysore to Kabini: • If you’re arriving by train, arrange for a taxi to meet you at the station for your onward journey to Kabini.

• Those setting out from Ooty can follow the Bandipur, Gundlupet, Begur, Nugu Dam & Hand Post Circle for a shorter albeit bumpy route, or come via Mysore, which is a better road.

• Guests from Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Hyderabad, Madras etc., can arrive via Bangalore.

• Guests from Trivandrum, Cochin & Calicut can come via Mananthavadi, along the Mysore Mananthavadi road.

• Guests from Mangalore &Madikeri could come via Hunsur, H.D. Kote and Hand Post Circle.

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otel Classification / Re -Classification Guidelines have been revised to make the hotel services customer oriented. The revised guidelines have been approved by the Union Minister of State for Tourism Dr. K. Chiranjeevi after receiving suggestions from the Tourism and Hospitality Industry.

The revision of these guidelines has been aimed to provide a higher level of services in hotels and also making the information about customers’ rights available to them on and even before their arrival. The Minister expressed the hope that the revised guidelines will make the hotels more visitor-friendly and hospitable. The important changes in the guidelines include the following: • All Star Hotels should clearly indicate on their website under the head ‘Facilities and Amenities provided on complimentary basis’ the facilities and amenities provided to guests “free of cost” like complimentary breakfast (indicating broad classification

like Indian breakfast, Continental breakfast or American breakfast), iron and iron board facility, shoe polishing facility, shoe horn and slippers, dental kit, shaving kit, etc. If any facility is provided only ‘on request’ but is included in the room rent, that should also be mentioned on the hotel’s website under the head ‘Facilities and Amenities provided on complimentary basis.’ All such facilities should also be mentioned to the guest when the hotel staffs introduce the room to him/her on arrival. In case the ‘complimentary’ breakfast is not a buffet, the guest must be shown a list stating in English the name of all complimentary items.

• All Star hotels shall provide water sprays or bidets or washlets or other modern water based post-toilet-paper hygiene facilities. This condition shall be applicable to all new hotels that will start operating from April 1, 2016.

For the hotels which have come into

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operation or will come into operation before March 31, 2016 these facilities will be mandatory from April 1, 2022.

All hotels in the categories 4 Star, 5 Star & 5 Star Deluxe shall provide a telephone within an arm’s reach of the toilet seat or provide a mobile internal telephone.

This condition shall be applicable to all new hotels that will start operating from April 1, 2016. For hotels which have come into operation or will come into operation before March 31, 2016, this guideline will be applicable from April 1, 2022.

All Star hotels shall provide at least two multi-purpose sockets capable of handling US, European Community and Japanese plugs at or just above the table level. It should be possible for guests to charge a laptop and cell phone simultaneously. This condition shall be applicable to all new hotels that will start operating from April 1, 2016. For the hotels which have come into operation or will come into operation till March 31, 2016, this guideline will be applicable from April 1, 2022. However, till such time as this facility is provided on a permanent basis, it will be mandatory for all star hotels to provide multi-socket adapter plugs on request.

All 4 Star, 5 Star and 5 Star deluxe hotels shall provide tea/coffee making facility in the room on complimentary basis. The iron and iron board facility will be made available on request in the room in 1 to 3 Star category hotels on complimentary basis and in the room in 4 Star, 5 Star and 5 Star Deluxe hotels on complimentary basis. This will be stated on the hotel’s website under the head ‘Facilities & Amenities provided on complimentary basis’ and mentioned to guest while checking in.

All 3 Star, 4 Star, 5 Star and 5 Star deluxe hotels shall provide a hair dryer facility in the room on complimentary basis. In 1

Star and 2 Star, this facility will be made available on request on complimentary basis.

• All 3 Star hotels shall have the facility of a mini fridge and all 4 Star, 5 Star and 5 Star deluxe shall have the facility of mini bar with effect from April 1, 2014.

• Air-conditioning common areas like Lobby, Restaurants, Verandas, bar where they are open to nature on one or more sides shall not be mandatory for beach, lake, backwater, river, hill, mountain, forest or nature Hotels & Resorts.

• All 4 Star, 5 Star and 5 Star deluxe hotels shall provide a luminous LED wall clock with numerals of three inches or more on display near their swimming pools.

• It will be desirable for all 5 Star deluxe hotels to have air-conditioned porches and heated swimming pools.

• All 4 Star, 5 Star and 5 Star deluxe hotels shall install blackout curtains by April 1, 2015.

• All 4 Star, 5 Star and 5 Star deluxe hotels shall provide luggage racks, portable or fixed, for two large suitcases by 1.4.2015.

This will be stated on the hotel’s website under the head ‘Facilities & Amenities provided on complimentary basis’ and mentioned to guests while checking in.

• The bathrooms of all Star hotels shall have hooks for at least 3 garments in the bath room.

• All 4 Star, 5 Star and 5 Star deluxe hotels shall provide a safe in the rooms.

• It will be mandatory for all the hotels classified under the category 1 to 4 Star to display their classification status prominently outside the hotel and at the reception from April 1, 2014 as per a scheme to be evolved in consultation with FHRAI and HAI. Henceforth time-sharing accommodation will also be considered for classification as per the guidelines for classification/re-classification of hotels.

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I

ndia is called as the ‘Land of Unity in Diversity’. Amongst that, one of the most outstanding geographically distinct region is the seven sister states of the North East including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. They are comparatively very smaller states in their geographical extent.

And they are distinct for their people, food, culture, ethnicity etc.

It has been a great desire for me over the past many years to visit the NE. Fortunately, this came true recently as I got an opportunity to visit Nagaland. My cousin had come down to India from the US and he wanted to visit some friends in Nagaland. Since he has never traveled to that part of the country before and was totally unaware about the language, he asked me to accompany him. Seeing my dream come true, I readily agreed. And that is how our journey started off. I traveled from Thiruvananthapuram to New Delhi and then to Kolkata where my cousin joined me from Chennai. Kolkata is the main connection spot for most of the NE states.

Only Air India and recently Jet Airways also operates a single flight daily to Nagaland.

Even though the capital of Nagaland is Kohima, which is more of a hilly town, the airport in the State is located in Dimapur, which is rather in the plains. We took the national airliner Air India from Kolkata to Dimapur. The two hour odd flight had a stop in between, Dibrugarh. Hearing the name of the place, I had no idea, in which state this place belongs to. Anyway my copassenger sitting next to me, overhearing me sharing my ignorance to my cousin (anyway he also had no idea since he is from the US) clarified that it was in Assam. Later on, when we landed at Dimapur, and after collecting our baggage and when we were coming out of the airport terminal, I saw my helpful co-passenger get into a Govt. of Nagaland vehicle with the board Secretary, Govt. of Nagaland. Anyway, thanks to him for that timely piece of information.

We had our friends waiting to pick us up from the airport and we boarded their BOLERO. On our way to their institution cum home (Eastern Bible College based in Dimapur) we could catch the first glimpses of the countryside. Comparing with other

states of India, Nagaland has a long way to go in developing itself (but then again, we need to be very careful how we define the word ‘development’) – the roads are rather very bad, buildings looks very old, houses and other smaller constructions are mainly of GI sheets. The first information I got was that, since the people of Nagaland, mainly belongs to the Naga Tribes, they do not have to pay taxes and hence the revenue for the State Government is rather very less. Only the non-tribal people and the people who have immigrated from outside the State, which is rather the minority, alone pays taxes. Obviously, the Central Government is giving much support to such states.

We reached Nagaland by afternoon and after a quick freshening up, our first task was to catch lunch. We decided to try the ethnic food of Nagaland and our friends took us to the top class hotel in Dimapur.

Reaching the hotel (I do not want to name the hotel), I was amazed to see that, it was almost in a state of buildings that existed in my city i.e. Thiruvananthapuram, maybe some 10-15 years back. Going in, there was one beautiful woman at the reception and moving into the restaurant, there was no one else other than us and the waiter. We glanced through the menu and discussed with our friend on what would be the best option for lunch. He suggested that we take one portion of pork and one portion of fish and order boiled white rice along with it. Since we had set our mind on trying the local food, we went by his advise.

Anyway, when the food came, we were not impressed by the first looks of it. Then our friend explained to us that, the local people prefer to take their food in a boiled manner.

I had ordered fish. From my background of having the tasty and much spicy fish curry from Kerala which is rather very red in color from a lot of chilly powder, turmeric powder, garlic, tamarind, curry leaves etc, this was a whole lot different since the fish was lying in a watery transparent gravy with small pieces of bamboo shoots and other flavoring leaves floating around it.

The pork that my cousin ordered came in 6 pieces of fried pork, but the problem was, each piece was 75% fat and 25% meat.

Anyway we decided to dive in since it was

our own choice orders and we were very hungry also. Anyway the first lunch did not meet our expectations. We took some rest for the afternoon and in the evening roamed around in the main town.

The next day we decided to visit the capital city of Kohima, which is around 2 hours uphill drive from Dimapur. The initial stretch of the road through the plains was rather comfortable. But as we started the upward climb through the hilly roads, the condition of the roads turned bad and in some landslide and landslip affected areas, the condition turned from bad to worse. The bumpy ride really shook us thoroughly from head to toe. On the way, we stopped to buy the local pineapples being sold on the side of the road. That was a real treat. Different from the pineapples that we get from other parts of the country, this was really juicy pineapples, and that too very sweet. It feels like, you just don’t need any juicer to extract the juice out of these pineapples. The local sellers deskin it and give it to you for Rs 50 and you just need to press it between your lips and the juice just starts flowing. This is one ‘should experience’ items I would suggest for anyone visiting Nagaland. And this is safe to eat also since we select the fruit which we want based on the level of ripeness and they peel the skin and give it you right in front of your eyes. Further on the way up, we were caught in a traffic jam for about 20 minutes since a transport lorry had skidded off the road and was lying caught on the side railings. The army was called in and they with their heavy machinery were lifting the lorry back on to the road. Since the road width is rather narrow, all this time, only one way traffic was allowed. Drawing near to Kohima, we were caught up in a much worse traffic jam, which we were informed is rather common, since the roads are very narrow, junctions are unplanned and traffic density has shot up in the recent past.

On reaching Kohima, we directly went to see the War Cemetery, which holds the

rather most prominent position among the tourist attractions in Kohima. The cemetery stretched out in different levels with rocky steps along the side going all the way to the top where there stands a big cross and the marble engravings of the details of the various regiments and the number of soldiers who had lost their lives during the segment of the World War fought in Kohima. After a quick tour of the cemetery taking some photographs, we went to a nearby hotel to have lunch.

Sitting in the hotel, we heard people talking in Malayalam and on inquiry we found out that this chain of hotels located in Kohima, Dimapur and others parts of Nagaland was run by a Malayalee with some staff from Kerala and the others from Nagaland itself. We enjoyed the food as we restricted ourselves to the normal menu of fried rice and some preparations of chicken and such.

By late afternoon, we decided to visit the Museum in Kohima. We reached there by 3.25pm and to our utmost surprise we were informed that they work from 9.30am to 3.30pm and that they had closed for the day.

And as per my watch, it was still 3.25pm.

Otherwise also, 3.30pm is rather very early for a Museum to down its shutters. Our local friends clarified to us that, most of the things in Nagaland run on an early timing.

People get up at around 4am in the morning and they take breakfast rather very early in the morning, in villages, even before sun rise. Then early in the morning, before the break of dawn, they set out to work on their land. They have lunch by 10.30 in the morning and evening dinner is around 4pm. I was so surprised to know about this totally different lifestyle. It was informed that shops and commercial establishments also close by 6.30 or 7.00pm and the people prefer to spend the rest of the evenings socializing with friends and families. In the other parts of the country, where people are extending their working hours to late evenings and sacrifice their good time with friends and families, this region is really an

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exception. And on one side, it is rather very good and healthy for the society also. So we completed our trip of Kohima and started back to Dimapur and reached back by 8pm.

The next day we spent to roam around Dimapur. Our first stop was to the remnants of the Kachari Kingdom. The place was actually in ruins and had nothing to attract a tourist. The large stone remnants were rather fenced off because, earlier, there were incidents of vandalism. Then the whole surrounding area had five feet tall grass.

There was absolutely no maintenance.

From there we proceeded to the adjacent Green Park. On arrival, our expectations were rather shattered. The Park has an entry ticket. But since the counter staff were sitting outside under a tree and playing cards, they just let us go through without taking any tickets. That gave us a good impression about how significant the place might be and how many people might be visiting the area. We just went around the compound in our vehicle itself. We came to a small wetland within the Green Park which did not have any maintenance. The water was heavily loaded with all kinds of weeds and also the surface was polluted with plastic bottles and other trash. There were 2 or 3 boats kept on the shore. We realized that the boats would always remain on land since no one would like to go boating on such a degraded waterbody. The tourism potential the place holds and the reality was rather very contradicting.

We visited the Bamboo Resources Development Centre which is quiet some distance away from Dimapur. The Bamboo

Emporium was again rather disappointing since the range of products was nowhere as expected and the staff was not very keen to show us around and explain things. It was more like a ‘Take it if you want, or leave’ approach. We went around the area and saw the workshop where bamboo furniture and bamboo briquettes are made We had lunch in the Bamboo Restaurant located in the campus. The menu was not much different from other restaurants. The food was good.

Winding up our visits, we decided to roam around in the local markets in and around Dimapur. We went to the vegetable and meat market in the area and we got the biggest surprise of our entire trip – the shop selling dogs and dog meat.

There were live dogs, many in numbers, kept there to be sold. Their bodies and limbs were wrapped and tied in sacks, maybe to prevent them from running away. Only their heads stuck out of the sacks. It was surprising to see that all of them were lying down quietly, as if sleeping without realizing what was going to happen to them, or maybe sedated to keep them quiet and make handling easily.

Different portions of the dogs like head, legs, meat etc were kept on display to be sold.

The pieces of meat with fat, around 5-6 in number, were hooked onto metal stings and were sold for Rs 100 a string. Our friends told us that since it has fat with a lot of energy content, dog meat was given commonly to people who are reviving from long periods of sickness. Opposite to my understanding that people are catching dogs off the streets and eating them, I was informed that all these dogs are reared in Dog Farms in Assam and brought here to be sold. Our local friends bought a string of dog meat and we were treated to Dog Meat Curry for the evening dinner. I chose not to have it.

But my cousin decided to just try one piece.

But since the meat was very rubbery, and maybe because of the images from the market flashing through his mind, he very much choked on it and with the help of water, he just pushed it down the throat and proudly announced that he has finally tried dog meat also. Another feather to his cap of traveling around the world, visiting odd places and always trying new things.

We also visited some local Nagaland Emporium of Arts and Handicrafts. We picked up only very few items as token take back gifts for the immediate family since the prices were very high. We also visited the famous Hong Kong Market in Dimapur famous for electronic items, mainly coming in from China. We did not do any major purchase from here since we had our own doubts about the quality of the stuff. If we were locals, we could atleast return the purchased items if they do not work properly. But since we were tourists and we were getting back on a plane the next day back to our home town, which is on the southern most tip of the country, we did not want to spend money and take chances.

Successfully completing our itinerary in Nagaland, the next day afternoon we boarded back the Air India flight to Kolkata.

From the aerial view, we again saw Dimapur and its immediate surroundings and waved goodbye for the time being.

For the people planning to visit Nagaland, the best time to visit is from December 1-7 when they have the Hornbill Festival in Kohima every year. I would also like to share the information that there is air connectivity to other towns and cities of Nagaland from Dimapur by helicopter, based on prior bookings (government run and charges vary from Rs 900 to Rs 1500 per person based on the distance).

Renjan Mathew Varghese (State Director, WWF-India)

www.tourismindiaonline.com www.keralatourismmagazine.com www.brandkerala.biz

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S

riLankan Holidays and the MICE Department of SriLankan Airlines jointly organised a MICE conference to promote Sri Lanka as a sought-after travel destination for the leisure and MICE traveler at Hotel Jetwings Blue, Negombo, Sri Lanka held on September 13th, 2013.

Mr. Nishantha Wickremasinghe, Chairman, SriLankan Airlines inaugurated the one day conference in the presence of Mr. Hiran Cooray, Chairman, Jetwings Hotels & Resorts, Mr. Lal Perera, Head of Worldwide Sales, Srilankan Airlines and Mr. Vipula Wanigasekera, General Manager, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau.

Around 150 participants including SriLankan Holidays Franchise Operators (SHFO), SLH Ground Operators (SHGO), MICE Operators and foreign media representatives from all SriLankan online points network wide attended

the conference. It is aimed at promoting tourism in to Sri Lanka in keeping with Sri Lanka’s s target of 2.5 million tourists by 2016.

“After the end of war, Sri Lanka has become one of the safest countries to explore and a popular family holiday getaway.

The growing number of tourist arrivals is a good indication of the appeal our wildlife, beaches and hospitality have on them. As the national carrier, Sri Lankan Airlines is also actively involved in the expansion of Sri Lanka’s MICE industry at a time when the country is increasingly receiving global attention.

Thus Sri Lanka’s transformation from a typical holiday getaway to an important MICE destination sought after by the international event-planners can bring in dividends in time to come.” Said Mr. Nishantha Wickremasinghe, Chairman, SriLankan Airlines, while delivering his inaugural speech.

The conference showcased newly launched MICE services provided by the airline, various products and services of SriLankan Holidays, and the outstanding characteristics that make SriLankan the ideal airline for both business and leisure travellers.

Mr. Lal Perera, Head of Worldwide Sales, Srilankan Airlines said, “Through the conference, we are hoping to enlighten the participants on our products and services while educating them on the effective methods of promoting Sri Lanka as a MICE and

holiday destination. We are hopeful that through raising awareness we will be able to increase the number of leisure and MICE tourists to Sri Lanka and beyond, with SriLankan as the preferred carrier.”

Mr. Hiran Cooray recalled the journey of Sri Lankan tourism industry during the agaonising days of the Isalnd nations.

“We lost almost 30 years of business in tourism during the conflict. It was a period of unbelievable agony, but Lankans kept smiling through it all. But ill fate in the form of the Tsunami again brought tourism in the country to a halt with lot of uncertainty and loss of life and damaged our properties beyond the imagination of a normal entrepreneur from other part of the world.

But tourism being a resilient industry, we are all bounced back with smile. From 2009 onwards, we are doing very well and our infrastructure facilities are fabulous.

According to Mr. Vipula Wanigasekera, General Manager of Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, “India and China are our main focus for the coming days and we are expecting 25 lakhs tourist in 2016 and our projected earning is 2 Billion US$. We are also planning to promote ‘The Ramayana Trail’ among Indian tourist and already this trail is very popular with Indian tourists.”

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C

onstance Hotels & Resorts, represented by Nijhawan Group in India, in a joint initiative with Sri Lankan Airlines, organised a travel agents’ FAM Trip to Constance Halaveli (a member of Leading Hotels of the World) and Constance Moofushi in Maldives from 27th August to 1st September 2013. The 5 nights, 6 days trip to Maldives was aimed at allowing participants to enjoy the delights of a luxury hideaway in a jewel island. The participants had an exhilarating experience of luxury, water sports and gourmet delights.

The participants’ verdict on the beautiful destination was unanimous: A trip to Constance Resorts Maldives is more than a holiday; it is an escape from the hustle and bustle of modern life to your very own luxury hideaway.

The participants were Mr. Ajay Seth (Vision Travels), Mr. Pankaj Nagpal (Travstarz), Mr. Mohinder Tirath (Horizon Dream Vacations), Ms. Anjali Gupta (Y Not Travels), Ms. Ruchi Munjal (Leading Hotels of the World), Ms. Durdana Iqbal (Kuoni), Mr. Amit Advani (Krisia Holidays), Ms. Shrutika Parab (Akquasun), Mr. Chetan Yellapurkar (Honeymoon Havens), Mr. Santosh Anemahal (Saltours), Mr. Aamir Ali (Sri Lankan Airlines) and Ms. Sara Juneja (Nijhawan Group, Constance India office).

P

admabhushan Capt. C P Krishnan Nair, Founder Chairman and Chairman Emeritus of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Literature for his exemplary contribution to the hospitality industry and business management by Jodhpur National University, at the University’s

2nd Convocation Ceremony, which was attended by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, Dr. C. Rangarajan, Chairman, the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, dignitaries from Jodhpur and around the world, and hundreds of graduating students. Capt. Nair, who is the recipient of several accolades, including

the Global 500 Laureate Roll of Honour by the United Nations for his untiring efforts in environmental conservation, received the prestigious honour along with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, who was also awarded a Doctorate in Literature for his exemplary contribution to Hindi cinema.

Mr. Kamal Mehta, Chairperson and Chancellor of the University, awarded the Doctorate to Capt. Nair for his inspiring leadership, outstanding business acumen and unwavering commitment and exemplary contribution to the Indian hospitality industry and establishing The Leela as one of the leading hospitality brands in India.

Commenting on the recognition, Capt.

Nair said, “It is a privilege for me to be the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Jodhpur National University. It is a reminder of my dream for a fully literate India, where every child, whether a girl or a boy, is given compulsory free education.

Only a strong educational foundation will prepare our youth for our country’s future -” a future of progress and prosperity.”

Jodhpur National University (JNU) is the first private university created under the State Government Private University Act, has pioneered the concept of technical and professional education in the Western part of Rajasthan. It is housed in a campus of 30 acres and has more than 13,000 students.

Capt. Nair, in his address to the hundreds of graduating students of the University, passed on the message of positivity. He said, “The success code lies within you. Whatever dream you choose to pursue, take pride in it. Aim at being the best-of-the-best. Innovative thinking and persistent action are a necessity in this highly competitive globalized economy.

You are responsible for our tomorrows, and you have to change, the much needed reforms that will transform India as one of greatest nations our global family.”

Edited, Printed and Published by Ravisankar K.V. for Tourism India Publications Pvt. Ltd., Printed at Arsha Offset Graphix Sreehari, TC 9/2519-1, Janvilla Lane, Vellayambalam, Thiruvananthapuram 695 019 and Published from TC 9/1785, Anandam, Pattanikkunnu Lane, Sasthamangalam P.O,Thiruvananthapuram-695010. Editor: Ravisankar K.V.

Tourism India

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Vol. 162013 No.05 September

September 2013

RNI. No.: KERBIL/1998/7642

Postal Reg. No. KL/TV (N) 432/2012-2014