Voyager's World September 2015

Vol XII

Issue XI

Pages 48

September 2015

Rs 60

AIRCOVER TO INDIA M.I.C.E...

PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

28, 29, 30 August 2015

03, 04, 05 September 2015

04, 05, 06 March 2016

4>>

Industry in need of ‘infrastructure’ status

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he contribution of the travel and tourism industry to the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) cannot be overlooked any longer; as it is one labour intensive industry that can be broken down into micro managed units for employment generation and revenue earning. The local economy, in particular, plays a major role in this and is also the direct recipient of the advantages and benefits of developments in this sector. It is high time that the various state governments shift tourism investment proposals upward on their agenda and enhance the tourism infrastructure, so, in a chain reaction, we can draw overseas investments into the sector, and subsequently, improve the industry and contribute to the economy. In this regard, the recently ended IATO Convention saw the industry stakeholders soliciting to the ministry to accord ‘infrastructure’ status to the industry, which would go a steady way in this direction.

In this issue, we have the role of airlines in supporting the burgeoning MICE industry as the cover story, as well as interviews with travel start-ups and immigration opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs in some stories. We will look at more MICE-centred stories in the upcoming edition.

Warm Regards

PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

priyamvadha@voyagersworld.in

Managing Editor

Associate Editor

Chief Designer

Web Developer

Advertising & Marketing

Operations Executive

Rohit Hangal rohit@voyagersworld.in

EDIT

ORIA

L

Priyamvadha Balaram priyamvadha@voyagersworld.in

Shyam Vishnot shyam@voyagersworld.in

06 12

Industry Buzz

18

India Outbound Macau, Korea, Mauritius, Australia

Irene Susan Eapen irene@voyagersworld.in

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Mobile +91-9844092150 advertising@voyagersworld.in

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Assistant Editor

Published By

Surinder Hakhu sanjay@voyagersworld.in & Rohit Hangal rohit@voyagersworld.in

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Hospitality

31 45

Zostel, hotel loyalty programmes and trends

22

Online Travel New travel start ups in the country

Cover Story Airlines support to the MICE industry

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Industry Buzz

6>> Indonesia to host PATA Travel Mart 2016

SKAL Hyderabad Club is top contender for World Congress 2017

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ndonesia is gearing up to host the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart from 7 - 9 September, 2016. The handover from India (host country of PATA Travel Mart 2015) was held on farewell dinner in Bangalore on 8 September. By the end of 2015, Indonesia will give free visa extension to 30 countries including India, extended

by Presidential decrees no. 69, 2015.

(Earlier there were only 15 countries).

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KAL Clubs in India and the tourism professionals at large are upbeat after it was learnt that the SKAL Club of Hyderabad has emerged the front runner during the first round of voting by World Tourism Professionals for hosting the Skal International World Congress in 2017. The first and only time an Indian Club was chosen to host the World Congress was in 2001 in Chennai.

Despite the final voting remaining, SKAL National President Amarjit Lidder expressed her confidence that the SKAL Club of Hyderabad would be able to clinch the right to host the World Congress in 2017. The SKAL Hyderabad President, Vijay Mohan, expects to put together a very viable package and attract between 1000 and 1500 delegates.

Nepal Airlines resumes services to Mumbai

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epal Airlines resumed its services from Kathmandu to Mumbai from 4 September, after exiting nine years ago. The airline will deploy an Airbus 320 aircraft which will fly into Mumbai twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. As a promotional offer, it is offering a buy-two-get-one offer at Rs 14,000 for a round-trip ticket. The offer is valid through September.

RezLive.com opens office in Bangkok

R Qatar Airways to reinforce Doha-Nagpur service

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atar Airways will re-launch its non-stop flights to Nagpur from Doha starting 1 December 2015.

The reinstated service will be daily on an A320 with an average flight time of just over four hours. The carrier had previously served Nagpur from January 2008 to May 2009. The flight QR 588 will depart Doha at 19:55 hrs and arrive in Nagpur at 02:15+1.

The Nagpur-Doha sector QR 589 will depart at 03:45 hrs and arrive in Doha at 05:55 hrs. The aircraft will have 144 seats in two-class configuration.

ezLive.com opened a new office in Bangkok, Thailand on 1 September, 2015, with a view to further strengthen its reach and scope of operations. Through the Thailand office, RezLive.com’s team will satisfy the growing travel related needs of the travel partners locally and also will expand and establish direct contracting with hotels across Thailand. Jaal Shah (Group Managing Director, RezLive. com) said, “Thailand will act as a potential market for us and we would like to capitalize on the same by offering better Inventory at Best Net rates to our travel partners complemented by world class support. We are confident that we will be able to create buzz about RezLive.com in this region.”

Royal Orchid opens two hotels

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oyal Orchid Hotels is opening two hotels under its upscale arm Regenta in Haridwar and Kolkata. The Regenta Orko’s Haridwar is a property located on the Haridwar-Rishikesh highway, the railway station and the religious sites of Chandi Devi and Har-Ki-Pauri temples. The hotel offers commendable facilities and radiates with an on-site spa, a fitness centre, dining outlets and a banquet space of 4,800 sq.ft for business meetings and social engagements.

Regenta Orko’s Kolkata is a property for business and leisure travellers located in Kasba popular for shopping areas . The property has a total of over 3500 sqt.ft banquet space.

Coimbatore TAs attend presentation on Malaysia

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he Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, Chennai and Malindo Air invited travel agents and tour operators from Coimbatore for a product update presentation by Tourism Malaysia last month in line with the Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015 and the announcement of a new route by Malindo Air from Trivandrum to Kuala Lumpur effective 24 August 2015. Malindo Air, being a hybrid carrier, offers fares which are inclusive of 30 kg check-in baggage, 7 kg cabin baggage, on board refreshments and personalized in-flight on board entertainment.

The presentation was followd by a Q&A session with prizes.

Voyager’s World > September 2015

Travel Technology

7>>

technology is only way forward in travel industry future PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

The dependence on technology in the travel industry is dynamically evolving by the minute, changing the ways in which people think and book their travels.

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echnology and model changes are something that travel companies must watch out for and quickly adapt to what suits them best. They have to look out for the best global methods of distribution so as to increase their business volumes while reducing costs. Right from the points of sale, managing real-time inventory to the overall merchandizing, a good technologically-forward distribution channel will shape the end sale of the travel products.Travel management and expense reporting company Concur has been promoting its Open Booking tool. Through this tool experienced travellers make their bookings with the supplier of their choice. The booking procedure entails corporate offers, discounts included. The individual bookings are collected and assembled into a single itinerary using TripIt technology (which Concur had recently purchased).

For technology futurists, this is a great time. We are able to observe in real time how new technology affects and improves our lives, enables new business opportunities, and allows new and different kinds of human-machine interaction. In addition, many of the essential catalysts for technology-enabled growth – e.g., large numbers of highly educated people, rapid pace of technological discovery, globalization, and relative political stability – are at their strongest point yet in human history.

The keys to business and personal progress in this tech-enabled era are connectivity and interoperability. Connectivity is already very high – there are mobile phone accounts for 96% of the people on the planet, and approximately 40% of the global population has Internet access.

This connectivity is rapidly becoming the foundation for the global economy – and leveraging hyper connectivity for business value has just begun.

In travel distribution, marketing and

IT executives need to look at new technology-enabled business opportunities through the eyes of venture capitalists – evaluate potential and risks and rewards; manage tech initiatives with a portfolio approach; and create a mix of shorterand longer-term initiatives with varying ROI. Travel sales, which totaled $1.3 trillion in 2014, are expected to rise 6% in 2015, and competition will be intense. This year’s Travel Innovation and Technology Trends pinpoints the biggest trends that businesses need to consider before making their next technology investments.

Sabre Corporation recently revealed seven trends emerging within the Asia Pacific region’s corporate travel management sector.

Over 100 respondents from 15 key markets participated in the Sabre Corporate Travel Practices Survey 2015, representing both dedicated corporate travel management companies and travel agencies, together with a sample of online travel brands servicing corporate accounts.

“The evidence is that Asia Pacific agents are managing more travel for this region’s demanding corporate clients, while achieving tighter cost control and with technology playing the enabling role. It seems to be happening without compromising the comfort of travellers. In fact this year they are having more of their personal preferences met,” said Roshan Mendis, senior vice president, Sabre Travel Network Asia Pacific.

The seven core themes revealed this year are: 1.

Premium Economy is attracting a loyal corporate following 2.

Secondary expenses, including ancillary services, are under tighter control 3.

Better pre-trip planning is reducing the risk of ‘off-policy’ booking

4.

Mobile itinerary management apps are now mainstream 5.

Data analytics will be key to more personalized services 6.

With more reliance on agents, some see a ‘concierge’ model emerging 7.

Technological integration (B2B2C client-servicing) is much more important now As for the hospitality industry, with the help of Hotelicoper’shotel shopping and booking technology, leading hotels like the Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton and Wyndham have implemented a hotel shopping service called Room Key backing all their properties. All of their properties can be displayed in many ways. The Room Key display allows guests to check the prices, read the reviews and also evaluate other properties.

Accor had last year implemented a digital solution that revolutionizes guest welcome in its hotels worldwide. The main idea is to use digital technology to offer customers a unique personalized welcome. It seeks to ensure that guest welcome is less devoted to administrative formalities, making the hotelier entirely available to greet guests, cater for their individual needs or simply help them save time.

In the aviation sector, several international airports have introduced holograms in the form of avatars to assist travellers, especially in the USA and the UK. Holograms are ‘virtual assistants’ who are videoprojected creating the illusion of a real person to assist passengers at security checks. US-based Delta Airlines offers real-time luggage tracking to passengers on their mobile phones. American Airlines provides flight attendants with tablet computers to help them refer to and record food preferences, passenger names, frequent traveller data, and other special requests.

Other important technology trends in this industry include the role of

social media and that of big data.

As per a 2012 survey by the American Society of Travel Agents, just 39% of travel agents employ social media in their business processes.

Among those, 49% use Facebook and 44% use LinkedIn. Of travel agents using social media, 15% consider these services essential to their business, 29% are still learning how to use social media, and 20% say social media is still unproven as a marketing channel.

Big data is the current development through which the tourism industry will try to make travel easier. When talking big about data, quality is the quintessential element. The company will be valued if it is able to provide information before a trip on the number of people travelling on a particular flight, considering that even a single drop-out can have an effect.

Amadeus recently revealed some key trends in travel technology for this year from content marketing, exploring new markets to personalization of services. They are: - Ancillary in indirect channels: A few implementations of ancillary have already taken place in the indirect channel, but this is now ready to break through. So far this year, we have implemented 14 airlines for Amadeus North American customers, and have development projects underway for several major U.S. airlines. We are also pursuing ancillary services distribution with a large number of additional international carriers.

- Reaching new markets: Flight search technology continues to evolve and we are seeing some interesting business models evolving.

This will continue to create new and ultimately larger markets for flight search. One of the most interesting new business models is Options Away; another is GetGoing, both Amadeus customers. Entrepreneurs will continue to evolve.

www.voyagersworld.in

Industry Buzz

8>> FHRAI has 'Atithi Devo Bhubaneswar' as Golden Jubilee convention theme

Shangri-La Hotel Bengaluru to open on 24 Sept

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hangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru will open on 24 September this year and its reservation lines are now open for guestroom and event enquiries. Managed by Shangri-La, the hotel is offering a special introductory rate from INR 9,500 per room per night that includes a INR 3,000 credit, which can be applied to any service in the hotel. The rate is based on two adults sharing and excludes taxes. The 19-storey hotel has 397 rooms.

Capable of holding up to 900 guests is the 739 sq m Grand Ballroom on level one of the hotel that can be customized.

Korea signs MoU with OTOAI, C&K to promote Gyeongnam

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he Tourism Division of Gyeongnam Development Corporation, Cox & Kings Travel India; Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) and Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) signed an MoU on 10 and 12 August 2015 respectively to attract Indian tourists to Gyeongnam province in Korea.

The recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Korea threw light on the legendary marriage of Queen Heo, believed to be from Ayutya (Ayodhya).

Big names join line-up of new WTM London exhibitors

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he Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) will celebrate its Golden Jubilee Convention from 25 - 27 September, 2015 at Mayfair Convention, Bhubaneswar. The theme chosen for this year is ‘Atithi Devo Bhubaneswar’. The convention will see the top echelons and policymakers of the hospitality fraternity taking part in it. On 27 September, which is also the World Tourism Day, a Heritage Walk will be organised in Bhubaneswar.

Indian Railways has 450,000 followers on Twitter

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irlines, luxury resorts and technology specialists from a range of sectors and countries are among over 100 new exhibitors that have signed up for World Travel Market London 2015 from 2 - 5 November, 2015. India, sponsor for the WTM Buyers’ Club, has seven new exhibitors -Hotel Pushkar Palace in Rajasthan; DMC Orange; and the Tourism Department of Telangana.

AI Express starts Varanasi Sharjah direct flights

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he Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Culture (Independent Charge) and Tourism (Independent Charge), Dr. Mahesh Sharma jointly inaugurated the direct flight of Air India Express between Varanasi and Sharjah last week. The Varanasi-Sharjah flight, IX 183, took off from Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi with 170 passengers. Air India Express has deployed a 186-seater Boeing 737-800 aircraft which will depart from Varanasi thrice a week at 1700 hours and arrive Sharjah at 1930 hours. On the return leg flight IX 184 will depart from Sharjah at 1050 hours and will arrive in Varanasi at 1600 hours. The flight will operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Voyager’s World > September 2015

RCI to draw fly- cruise guests from Singapore

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oyal Caribbean International signed a first-ever multi-million dollar marketing collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) to promote cruising out of Singapore and, in turn, attract the cruise line’s largest number of overseas fly-cruise guests here.

The tripartite collaboration - which runs between 2015 and 2018 - is estimated to pull in over 170,000 overseas visitors to Singapore to sail on Royal Caribbean’s cruises over that period, resulting in a projected growth of over 50%.

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ndian Railways has 450,000 and 380,000 followers on its Twitter Handle and Facebook Page respectively, thus going on to show its efforts to reach out passengers on social media in a big way. Indian Railways is popularly known as RailMinIndia in social media. All DRMs and General Managers of the zones have created their own official handles to interact closely with passengers and offer real time solutions. Both platforms are followed widely for news related to passengers, new policies, ideas, suggestions, etc.

Guiddoo launches world's first map-based tour

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uiddoo launched the world’s first mapbased tour and activity marketplace. The marketplace, which will be available for activities across 15 countries such as India, Jordan, Philippines and Vietnam, has more than 5000 tours and activities enlisted already.

Guiddoo invited a selection of top rated independent tour and activity operators to put this together. Guiddoo plans to have unique features as Traveler-Activity Mappings, Adaptive Price forecasts for Activities, Travel Happiness Index and Activity-Lifestyle Maps for Travelers.

The features are map based and will soon be available on Guiddoo Android and iOS Apps.

OTA

9>>

OTAs’ search: Where ‘more’ is the need of the hour PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

The present volatile situation in the industry has alerted the OTAs to make smarter moves to stand them in good stead by diversifying products and expanding investments.

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kyscanner started powering flight search for MSN Travel in 31 markets, including India, Singapore, Australia, France, USA, UK, etc. recently.

Through the Skyscanner White Label product, the partnership with Microsoft will ensure that those searching for flights on MSN will benefit from Skyscanner’s global content, giving them the ability to search for their best itinerary options and book flights in 17 languages via a MSN branded product, powered by Skyscanner.

MakeMyTrip.com launched a trainbooking app in six languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Gujarati. The app enables the booking of general and Tatkal quota train tickets on all routes in India; enables return-ticket bookings (one-way tickets also available); it gives information on trains from nearby stations, if no trains are available from the boarding station selected by the passenger.

Railway stations are available on the app powered by IRCTC and other services include enquiry of fare details, PNR status, seat availability, selection of berth preference and

safe and secure online payment.

TripHobo partnered with Zomato. com to enhance the former’s offerings to holiday planners as a one stop solution for all their trip requirements. TripHobo users can access and utilize the extensive database of restaurants on Zomato.com’s network worldwide.

It offers TripHobo users content and deals on restaurants as well as specialized recommendations based on their itinerary. For instance, if a person is planning to visit the British Museum in the morning, followed by the Buckingham Palace in the afternoon, TripHobo will now offer suggestions on unique places to eat along the route.

TripHobo believes that any trip planning process is incomplete until you provide the best content and user experience for the traveler. The process of planning should provide relevant content and information that helps the traveler decide on his entire trip and results in a booked trip. Apart from travel, and accommodation, food is a critical component of a well-defined travel itinerary. Through this unique partnership with Zomato.com, we are one step

closer to creating the perfect trip planning experience for our users.

While mature markets like the USA may be mounting a lot of pressure on online travel agents like ticketing portals and booking companies, India being an emerging market, there is still a long way to reach that stage over here. This is so even as the threat of metasearch engines is looming large on the travel-search front. Yet, OTAs and ticketing portals in the country have seen a few developments of late. TicketGoose. com, for instance, partnered with United India Insurance so as to provide its customers with travel insurance. This policy seeks to cover personal accident cover with coverage on bus travel-related risks such as loss of baggage, damage of belongings, emergency medical expenses and any consequential loss due to disruption of travel. The insurance is particularly aimed to secure bus travellers and the insured’s family.

Perhaps, a spate of bus mishaps that occurred about six months ago may have been a trigger for this initiative. The insurance cover extended by the portal for personal accidents stands at two lakh rupees per passenger; Rs. 15000 for loss of baggge; Rs.10000 for emer-

gency medical expenses and up to Rs.6000 for any loss due to disruption of travel. This new cover is an optional value-addition and is priced at Rs. 20 per passenger, in addition to the cost of each ticket booked on TicketGoose.com. Customers can avail of the policy while booking the tickets on the portal. As mentioned earlier, metasearch engines eating into the spaces of travel obviously means a better search experience and facilitating searches for the lowest prices available online. Perhaps this is why it is imperative for OTAs to improve the search experience. ixigo.com has overhauled its trip planner product offering with a lot of new features. Some of the new additions on this comprise 360-degree views of historical monuments in tandem with Google street view; a comprehensive list of destinations and attractions of nearly 5,000 cities, towns and hill stations in India; 16,000 hotels; 5,000 nature and wildlife areas; more than 65,000 hotel options and the ‘Near Me’ location- based mobile feature in its app; reviews and feedback from travellers on places to visit, hotels, restaurants and photos; user reviews and ratings of places visited; user ratings and reviews of trains, platforms and facilities on the ixigo train app.

www.voyagersworld.in

Cruise

10>>

new initiatives depict growing interest in cruise segment VW BUREAU

Fly-cruise packages and extensive holiday promotions by cruise companies are slowly, but surely garnering interests of Indian travellers.

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akshadweep Lok Sabha member P.P. Mohammed Faizal announced last month that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs was expected to implement the online issue of permits to visitors to Lakshadweep in approximately six months.

Speaking to reporters in Mangalore on the sidelines of a MoU signing between Karnataka and Lakshadweep administration for the construction of a dedicated jetty for Lakshadweep vessels, Mohammed informed that presently, permits are issued in Kochi in the conventional format, either in person or by post. “The issue of online permits is expected to boost tourism in Lakshadweep,” he said.

The Lakshadweep administration has been operating seven passenger vessels from the islands, one each with 150 seating capacity, to Mangalore and Kozhikode and five to Kochi. The vessel to Mangalore is used by residents of Lakshadweep as tourists cannot board the same due to the lack of issue of permits in Mangalore.

Voyager’s World > September 2015

Mohammed also urged the Karnataka Ports Department to provide certain basic amenities at the Mangalore port for passengers to Lakshadweep such as shelter, toilets etc., till the jetty is constructed.

Likewise the Royal Caribbean International signed a first-ever multi-million dollar marketing collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) to promote cruising out of Singapore and, in turn, attract the cruise line’s largest number of overseas fly-cruise guests here.

The tripartite collaboration - which runs between 2015 and 2018 - is estimated to pull in over 170,000 overseas visitors to Singapore to sail on Royal Caribbean’s cruises over that period, resulting in a projected growth of over 50%.

This will be done via a series of marketing campaigns, research studies and channel development activities, such as partnerships with the media and trade, in markets not only within Asia such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, China, Hong

Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, but also beyond the region in Australia, Europe and North America.

Royal Caribbean also plans to increase its number of sailings from Singapore during this period to over 40 a year. Currently, the cruise line’s 3,807-guest Mariner of the Seas makes around 30 voyages annually.

Her next Singapore season which will be the largest ever starting from this October, will feature more long cruises of seven to 15 nights, aimed at attracting more overseas flycruise guests.

Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN Travel Marketing and exclusive India representative of Royal Caribbean International added, “Singapore is fast emerging as the hub of cruise tourism in South-East Asia thanks to its beautiful locales, entertainment options and strategic proximity to all major tourist destinations in the Pacific region.

This tripartite agreement will optimally leverage the city state’s ideal geographic placement to further cement Royal Caribbean’s position as the leading cruise brand across ge-

ographies. We at TIRUN see this as a great opportunity to tap the growing market for cruising in India and are geared up to cater to the vacationing requirements of the Indian consumer looking for unique, value-driven experiences.”

This goes on to show the optimistic trends in cruise travel from India.

The encouraging figures of inbound and outbound traffic in the Indian market in the recent times, against the backdrop of a not-so-good global economy, have only prodded the Ministry of Tourism, the State Tourism Boards and other parts of the Indian travel fraternity to introduce newer initiatives to boost and sustain tourism revenue. These developments may also be attributed to the growing middle-class segment, better disposable income, increased media exposure and a desire for newer travel experience.

The cruise sector, too, is no exception to these changes. In India, the idea of taking a cruise vacation seems to be slowly catching up as cruising features a number of options all in one product – multiple destinations,

Cruise

11>> accommodation, meals, amenities and activities, thus giving more value for money.

The cruise segment has been definitely making its presence felt in the Indian market in the last few years.

From being looked at as a far-fetched, remote holiday option reserved only for the niche upper class vacationers, today, cruising has evolved as a possible ‘destination by itself’ in India. While the idea of cruising is still to become a top-of-the-mind option for the Indian vacationer, the trend here has proven to be a promising one for outbound travel only in the recent years. Earlier, cruise companies were packed with their main core markets such as the USA, UK and Europe and obviously developing nations like ours was nowhere near their target. Today, these cruise companies are growing with a lot of fleets and newer routes and itineraries. Besides there is more visibility of cruise products in emerging markets. Earlier there was a major prejudice against cruising in India that it is a luxury product and that it only offered nautical experiences.

tourist segment. This view changes approach, outlook, coordination and infrastructure that a tourism segment needs to thrive. The government can play a significant role by investing in infrastructure and changing taxation policies. These steps will go a long way in attracting cruise companies to base their ships in India, which will help grow our inbound and outbound cruise market.

Plus, the more brand awareness created for the complete worth of a cruise vacation will enable agents to sell better. Cruise companies need to conduct training programmes for

the agents on how to sell the products, helping a huge market understand and consider luxury holiday options.

The idea of cruising is very unique as it has something to offer to all age groups. Mass cruising will continue to grow and has tremendous potential for volume.

Today, Indian travellers are quick to check holiday review sites, social media, word-of-mouth and blogs among other data sources before narrowing down on a holiday option. Agents can consider using di-

rect mail to appraise them of cruise itineraries of specific destinations like Alaska, Panama Canal, Arctic & Antarctic expeditions, in addition to outdoor advertising like hoardings and billboards.

The cruise vacation segment will only grow in the Indian marketplace as this option was non-existent till we pioneered the concept 20 years ago. Despite the fact that Indian travellers have to fly overseas to take a cruise vacation due to the absence of ships sailing along our coastline, the India outbound story is emerging.

However, the situation is now changing and the rapidly developing metro capitals in the country like Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Chennai are huge mature markets while the emerging Tier 2 cities also hold a lot of promise for the cruise sellers.

The fact that the Indian travel trade has begun diversifying its products testifies that cruise products are easy to sell off the shelf as they are all-inclusive and holds potential for the family holiday market.

This holds good despite the fact that we do not have any cruise ship based in India. Other countries in Asia like China, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia have ships based in their country and they have also heavily invested in infrastructure and build world class cruise ports for passenger ships. Cruise countries like Singapore, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Myanmar and Thailand have huge potential to be a sought-after cruise hub in South-East Asia and India will continue to be important source market for the region.

The hitch in the travel trade fraternity s that the knowledge about cruises is still quite limited to a few cruise liners and as the market grows, more and more specialist players will enter this segment.

The cruising segment is more looked as a shipping segment rather than a

Your gateway to the Indian Outbound Travel Market

13 – 21 JANUARY 2016 Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi Email: otrindia@otrindia.com www.otrindia.com

www.voyagersworld.in

India Outbound

12>>

India will require 1,740 airplanes in next 20 years: Boeing VW BUREAU

Over the next 20 years, India carriers will be needing more than 4.5 per cent of the total global demand for new airplanes.

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eleasing the annual India Current Market Outlook (CMO), Dr Dinesh Keskar, Senior Vice President, Asia-Pacific and India, Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, highlighted that the domestic passenger traffic in India is at the highest level. The domestic load factor has increased from 74.4 per cent during the January-June, 2014 to 83.6 per cent in during January to June 2015. More than 66.4 million domestic passengers flew by air in 2014 and domestic passengers have increased by 21 per cent in the first six months of 2015. Moreover, we expect this year to end with 75 million domestic passengers, said Keskar, while addressing a press conference yesterday at The Imperial, New Delhi.

Keskar projected a worldwide demand for 38,050 new airplanes over the next 20 years, with India carriers

needing more than 4.5 per cent of the total global demand during the period. Throwing light on the future demand, Keskar predicted that airlines in India will need 1,740 new airplanes valued at USD 240 billion, over the next 20 years (as per sources). “The Indian economy continues to be strong and will emerge as the third largest economy by 2034. The traffic is poised to grow and India cannot be ignored. There is a huge potential for growth and we hope that the upcoming civil aviation policy will give the much needed push to the untapped segment of regional connectivity. As per our outlook for the next 20 years, we expect India to comprise 4.6 per cent of the global market,” he stated.

Elaborating on the CMO findings, Keskar said that fuel price and the exchange rate continue to drive airline operating costs and profitability.

Fuel prices have decreased about 33 per cent from their October 2013 peak. Yet, Indian carriers pay up to 50 to 60 per cent more for fuel than the carriers in the United States.

Since last year, a stable rupee with decreasing fuel prices has reduced break-even fares. The growth this year from January to June is also a result of the capacity being added with more flights rather than increased seats per flight. However, increased fare discipline is required to grow profitability, outlined Keskar.

Talking about Boeing’s state-of-theart Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) facility in Nagpur, Keskar elaborated that it has been completed and handed over to Air India. It has the capacity to accommodate two 777 size wide body aircraft, six 737 size narrow body aircraft and has provisions for a major component overhaul shop.

On the other hand, Boeing aims to offer solutions for airline materials, engineering and maintenance needs under its GoldCare vertical. It has been implementing this model with Singapore Airlines and plans to tap Jet Airways and SpiceJet in the Indian market. “We intend to explore Boeing’s ability beyond manufacturing airplanes. We plan to venture with this service in India in the coming time and may tie up with Air India to use their MRO facility,” revealed Keskar. Talking about future plans, Keskar stated that Boeing is developing new fuel efficient airplanes to address the needs of customers, including India. About 2,831 and counting, 737 MAXs have been sold so far to 58 customers as of June 30, 2015. Around 655 customers are yet to announce the orders. The delivery of this 14 per cent more fuel efficient will start from 2017 onwards.

mauritius tourism organises three city roadshow VW BUREAU

Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority conducted 3 city Luxury Roadshow in August in Mumbai, Bengaluru & Delhi with participation from 20 stakeholders.

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auritius Tourism Promotion Authority conducted 3 city Luxury Roadshow from 24-28th August, 2015 in Mumbai, Bengaluru & Delhi. Twenty stakeholders, such as Air Mauritius, Top Luxury Hotels, DMCs and activity companies participated in this event.

The objective of the event was to create a platform where the Indian travel trade partners could interact with the stakeholders and understand the destination better.

This initiative, led by Arnaud Martin, Chairman of MTPA, saw an enthusiastic participation from the top tour operators in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, he

Voyager’s World > September 2015

said, “From January to July this year we have had a tremendous growth of 21.5% as compared to a similar period last year and we expect to close the year at over 70,000 tourists from India. India represents a very fertile ground for future growth and we expect it to become the source market in the next five years.”

Vivek Anand, Country Manager, MTPA said “The incredible natural beauty of Mauritius is complemented by some of the best and most luxurious seaside resorts in stunningly picturesque surroundings. Mauritius is an ideal destination wedding spot for the couple looking to tie the knot in a far off and enticing location.

The stakeholders were very happy to see a fantastic turnout in all three cities, which included the top management of outbound tour operators, wedding planners and golf tour organizers .

Arnaud said “It is a great tribute to all the stakeholders of the Mauritian Tourism Industry who contributed towards the Wedding Planners Congress in May 2015 and it was a great honour for us to receive it on behalf of the Mauritian Tourism Industry. I dedicate it to all and everyone.”

Mauritius has recently been adjudged as the “Best International Luxury Wedding Destination”. Mr

As part of the marketing initiative,

MTPA-India is conducting Trade Presentations & Seminars in all major cities to increase the visibility of Mauritius to the trade and MICE partners.

In addition, familiarization trips are being organized for travel agents, wedding planners and media to give them a first-hand experience of the destination. MTPA India is also participating in Trade, Wedding and MICE Fairs and sponsoring Golf & Polo Tournaments. As a part of the Family Fun Adventure initiative to promote Mauritius among the consumers, MTPA sponsored a two part series on NDTV Good Times, anchored by the TV stars Rocky & Mayur.

India Outbound

13>>

australia expects 235,000 indian arrivals by end of 2015 PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

Tourism Australia expects 235,000 arrivals from India by the end of this year, with the ICC Cricket World Cup having lent a major impetus to the country’s spending.

T

ourism Australia organized the India Travel Mission (ITM) 2015 on 28 August in Bangalore, to develop and establish business relationships with key qualified travel agencies and tour operators from India.

Michael Newcombe, Regional General Manager, S/SEA & Gulf and Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager India & Gulf had an exclusive meeting with the travel trade media from India during the event.

Nishant, Country Manager, India & Gulf, Tourism Australia, said: “We have identified India as the fastest growing market for Tourism Australia. We have a dream to achieve 300,000 visitors by 2020, and earn up to AUD 1.9 billion in spends. The year 2014-15 was a record year for us, ever since the opening of Tourism Australia’s office in India. There have been a few milestones. We crossed

200,000 arrivals, thereby recording a growth of 19% for the year ended June 30, 2015. Indian tourists contributed almost AUD 960 million to the Australian economy, which is a growth of almost 13%. The spending has grown faster than the increase in arrivals.”

With India climbing to the eighth position among the inbound source markets for Australia, the latter has witnessed a significant growth from the market.

The third and the most significant milestone is that India has improved its ranking as the 8th inbound market, from its 11th position earlier, overtaking Germany, Hong Kong, and South Korea in a span of 12-18 months. This is a critical achievement for us. The leisure segment, which includes the VFR and holiday segments, that are now driving the

overall growth in the Australian economy, has been two-third of the overall visitation and the spend is almost close to 37% of the total, which is a significant factor. According to estimates, during the ICC Cricket World Cup co-hosted by Australia earlier this year, a minimum of 9,000 Indians travelled to Australia, the upper limit being in between 9,000 and 15,000. The growth recorded during the first quarter of this year was almost 42% on account of the World

NAGPUR VISHAKAPATANAM COIMBATORE

Cup, and the Indian cricket team’s travel to Australia. So, the tourism board is keen on building on the growth and the strong foundation that it has laid for itself to capitalise and leverage on these activities.

For the six months to June 2015, Australia received 122,900 visitors from India, a 24% rise over the same period last year. Nishant expects 2015 to end with 235,000 arrivals from India and cross AUD 1,000 million in traveller spend.

: 09, 10, 11 October 2015 : 06, 07, 08, November 2015 : 22, 23, 24 January 2016

www.voyagersworld.in

India Outbound

14>>

Korea foresees 10% growth from india IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Byungsun Lee, Director, Korea Tourism Organization, India says Korea sees positive response from the Indian market and expects around 10% growth for this year.

Cox & Kings, Mercury Travel etc.

Special promotions on theme based packages for golf, women travel and student travel are on the cards. We are also joining hands with the Korean National air carriers and other airline partners to make the costs more competitive and productive for our travel agent partners. We are planning to organize road shows in the future.

Growth of Indian market The Indian market has witnessed a positive response till now. The business travel and leisure travel is gaining momentum. The MICE movement graph is also moving upwards.

We are expects around 10% growth for this year.

Marketing plans The marketing plans spread in various verticals this year for leisure travelers, we are planning joint marketing campaign with leading travel operators such as Thomas Cook,

For MICE promotions, we have just had the Incentive Road show in last quarter in Mumbai and participating at key MICE events has been our focus. In addition to this we are working closely with the top MICE travel companies to launch mice specific packages for trade fairs, small & large incentive groups. We are also educating the travel partners for the Leisure and MICE offerings of the destination through various individual training programs and travel agent FAM trips.

On the other hand, our media plans

focus on promoting our brand “Imagine Your Korea” with best of medium mix like OOH; Television ads ; digital advertising and print advertising.

Segments MICE is an important aspect of our overall tourism strategies in India.

There is a lot of potential, as corporate are now looking for new and accessible destinations to do their MICE events. The most productive markets have been Mumbai and Delhi and we are witnessing rising interest from other metro cities as well. South Korea is able to cater to all the primary needs of Indian MICE groups such as international chain hotels, Indian food, entertainment, shopping and nightlife.

Expectations on PATA Travel Mart PATA Travel Mart is an internationally renowned event and we have positive expectations from the event.

This year we have a sizeable delegation in the event with members from our Head Office and key DMC’s.

New ventures The KTO and Gyeongnam Tourism Board have recently signed an MOU with OTOAI and Cox & Kings to attract the Indian tourists to Gyeongnam province in terms of new venture Kinds of travelers It will be apposite to say that Indian market is now responsive to Korea as an emerging destination. From leisure and MICE perspective, business travelers are now converting to leisure travelers with their families accompanying them for travel. The industrial tours and student travel are new verticals we look forward to and with our active participation in various MICE events, a significant change can be sensed.

Duration of stay and spending patterns In 2014, the average spends of the Indian travelers was around USD 1200 and the average duration of the stay was around 13 days.

Macau eyes m.i.c.e travel from india IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Arzan Khambatta, Head of India Representative Office for Macau says Macau a vibrant city with the unique blend of the Portuguese and Chinese cultures to experience fun-filled family entertainment. tinue for 2015 as well.

Indian Market Macau is a perfect destination for leisure as well as Corporate Meetings and Incentives travel from India. In 2014, the visitor arrivals from India to Macau were 1, 67,000 with a year-on-year growth of 4.5 percent.

We expect this growing trend to con-

Voyager’s World > September 2015

Promotional plans There are a series of promotional and marketing activities planned and successfully executed by the Macau Tourist office in India to promote various facets of Macau to the Indian travelers. We have also recently launched the Macau Tourism India Facebook page called ‘Macau Moments in the month of June. Another recent activity, “Take Selfies to Win Prizes” under the project of “Step Out, Experience Macau’s Communities – Walking Tour Routes”, invites residents and visitors to come together and explore Macau.

This fun activity aims to encourage residents and visitors to discover the beauty of different areas of Macau, thus boosting community tourism and smart tourism development.

Segments like MICE and Weddings Macau is a vibrant city with the unique blend of the Portuguese and the Chinese cultures whether it is to experience fun-filled family entertainment, engage in adrenalin sports or enjoy the vibrant night life, Macau has something to offer for everyone, making it a perfect Holiday destination for Indians. Thus, leisure is one of the main segments promoted in India.

Another majorly focused segment in India is Meetings and Incentive Travel. There has been so much investment in large scale venues, accommodation, entertainment and attractions in recent years. Macau is a Visa Free destination for Indians and it is extremely hassle-free and convenient to reach there thus making it an ideal destination having Corporate Meetings and Incentives.

Trends Macau is frequently visited by segments like group of friends, honeymooners and families. Apart from these ‘Destination Celebration’ is picking popularity in India and Macau is the destination of choice to celebrate that special day with one’s family and friends. We feel increasing numbers of Indians are choosing to stay at 4 or 5 star hotels in Macau which offers them an experience of the unmatched Luxury and Grandeur of this magnificent city.

Duration of stay On an average Indians stay in Macau for approximately 2 nights as most of the Indians would like to experience the luxury and grandeur of its many magnificent 4 star and 5 star properties. They can also regularly indulge in the various entertainment activities and shopping here.

India Outbound

15>>

Immigration opportunities augur well for indian entrepreneurs PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

Ajay Sharma, Founder and Principal Consultant of Abhinav, talks about its services and the evolution of immigration application trends in India.

Like any other industry, immigration has its own challenges. We have an upper edge over our competitors as our company has been a pioneer in this line. Our main challenge has been client education. Clients want the best fees, which, unfortunately does not happen. There is always a basic cost to the service.

I

n 1994, when Abhinav was started, people perceived our advertisements to be job offers. We had to educate them about permanent residence and citizenship prospects in other countries. The journey has been eventful and spectacular so far. In the last 21 years, we have seen so many cycles. There have been changes in regulations across the world. Procedures, programme patterns and demands have undergone changes. In the 1990s, there was more demand than supply for skilled manpower in countries like Canada, Australia, USA, UK, etc. So, people were able to obtain their visas in just six months to a year.

However, post the 9/11 terror attacks, everything changed; immigration became very restrictive and foreign governments became more fastidious in allowing outsiders into their countries. The quota became limited and occupation demands became specific, contrary to earlier times when anyone and everyone could apply for jobs. The number of destinations that people aspired to immigrate to also increased. Initially, applicants preferred Canada and Australia. Gradually, countries like New Zealand and the UK began gaining favour among them. Today, if you visited our websites, you can see nearly 15 citizenships that we are dealing with.

Earlier, only skilled professionals like engineers wanted to migrate overseas and today, high net-worth individuals (HNIs), investors and entrepreneurs are also keen to migrate from India. Skilled professionals are considering Australia, Denmark, Canada and Hong Kong, although not many Indians are keen on settling down in Hong Kong.

Promotion The company’s growth for the last 21 years has been, for the most part, through word-of-mouth promotion. Over the years, hundreds and thousands of people have migrated and the majority has been through people and their friends. Our website also gets about 4000 unique visitors every day.

Corporate segment Until very recently, Abhinav’s clients were mainly individuals. The company has newly opened an outsourcing division to tap the corporate segment and direct the L1 and H1 visa applicants to us instead of USA law firms. “We are expecting our outsourcing division to grow by 100% in the next one year,” says Ajay.

Services offered Abhinav mainly provides off-shore solutions to people before immigration. Once they land in the country, it is easier and more sensible for them to consult a local lawyer there for their paperwork.

The company offers a lot of support to individuals planning to invest or become entrepreneurs abroad.

Since business visas entail a whole range of options depending on the nature of business, Abhinav pitches in to help applicants based on their net worth, investment capabilities and the huge opportunities available overseas.“We verify the networth of the individual whenever we file their applications and they are required to submit a narration of how they built the net-worth, lawful sources of income, management experiences and the like.” On how Abhinav liaises with embassies and governments, Ajay informs that

in the 1990s and early 200s, they were able to deal directly with consulates and visa offices. Things have changed, conversely, in the last 15 odd years. “We need to have a local associate to work with us closely and service our clients.”

In terms of dealing with immigration, no country has relaxed its rules. The quotas are suffering a challenge, es\they can take it forward. Such services have very little relevance now, says Ajay, owing to the widespread network of Indians across the world.

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Hospitality

16>>

45% travellers open to following hotels on social media: reznext VW BUREAU

A report by RezNext aims to bridge the gap in a hotel’s digital marketing strategy with consumer insights, by analysing online research habits of travellers.

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ezNext recently conducted a survey among leading hoteliers in India on their digital marketing activities, ROI and customer acquisition programs. We also reached out to a sample size of 100 travellers to understand their online research habits and hotel booking patterns, how they felt connected to a hotel brand, what put them off and their booking patterns. We have analysed the results and are presenting them to you in an industry report on hotel marketing that looks at what hoteliers are currently doing to drive online business and consumer reaction to the same. This report attempts to bridge the gap in a hotel’s digital marketing strategy with consumer insights. E-commerce is on the rise across all business segments in India. A large number of consumers are seeking to purchase products and services online because of two primary reasons – convenience and instant gratification.

With access to internet on smart devices, consumers can now immediately search, compare and purchase what they want while on-the-go. The impact of growing e-commerce on the Indian Hospitality Industry In our survey among travellers over 70% said that they prefer to search hotels online. It is increasingly important for hoteliers to ensure that their property is visible across various online platforms and that their brand message is communicated across all online touch points with consumers.

Hoteliers are at a risk of losing upto

Voyager’s World > September 2015

40% of guests who prefer to book a hotel online According to the survey conducted among hoteliers, 90% mentioned that digital marketing is a critical part of their hotel promotion strategy. Similarly travellers, over 75%, also indicated that their preferred mode of booking hotels was online.

However when asked what would deter them from making an online hotel booking, close to 30% of travellers said that not being able to find the hotel’s website online would be a put off. Close to 10% also said that if relevant information was not found online then they would not select that particular hotel. Another important deterrent was that no payment option was available on the hotel website. 40% of hoteliers said that they did not have a payment option on their website.

Interactive posts on social media elicit high response from consumers Over 40% of hoteliers mentioned that they engage with their consumer segments on Facebook. Likewise more than 45% of travellers were open to connecting with hotels on social media channels and found creative interactive content interesting.

Over 40% of travellers book hotels using their mobiles. More than 50% are keen to download mobile apps Smartphone usage in India is growing at a fast rate. 41% of India’s ecommerce is driven through mobile apps. Hoteliers should look at maximising this opportunity by offering

a mobile-optimised website that follows Google’s standards in order to rank better for organic search. Also, mobile apps are a great way to connect with guests on a personal level.

But less than 20% of hoteliers are leveraging this to optimise profitability and enhance guest experience. Mobile apps are a great way to build customer loyalty and drive relationship-based marketing, as it gives hoteliers the opportunity to engage with their loyal guest segment and share exclusive promotions and deals with them.

Loyalty programs can drive higher direct bookings According to the survey, close to 90% travellers stated that they will book through the hotel’s website if they are awarded loyalty points and benefits. This can be a great way to drive direct bookings and improve online booking revenues. However, 65% hoteliers do not have an exclusive loyalty program for guests who book directly on brand.com.

Email is a preferred tool of communication for both travellers and hoteliers Both travellers and hoteliers are of the opinion that emailers are one of the most favoured modes of communication. 30% hoteliers indicated that email marketing yields the highest ROI among their online marketing tactics. More than 60% travellers also stated that emailers on promotions and packages grab their attention best.

90% of travellers will not book a ho-

tel with bad reviews irrespective of its price being the lowest All travellers agreed that they read online reviews before booking a hotel online. In fact, over 80% respondents said, they will not book a hotel if it has no reviews and over 90% travellers mentioned that they will not book a hotel that has predominantly negative reviews even if the room rates are comparatively low. Even hoteliers understand the importance of online reviews and close to 85% mentioned that they respond to online reviews posted by guests on a regular basis.

Metasearch is gaining in importance India is slowly warming up to the concept of metasearch. In our survey, 45% of travellers mentioned they like to book through metasearch engines such as Google Hotel Finder as that gives them an easier option to compare rates. On the other hand 75% hoteliers have also adopted metasearch as part of their digital marketing strategy.

Adopt an intelligent distribution strategy According to the survey, OTAs still remain the most preferred booking channel for travellers. More than 40% people indicated they book their stay through various online demand generators. Over 40% travellers also indicated that more than lower rates, what attracted them more to a particular hotel was special packages/deals displayed on the OTA sites.

Hospitality

17>>

OTAs honoured by Neelams The Grand & The Glitz Hotels VW BUREAU

The hospitality brand brought together all their online business partners and travel agents on a get-together to recognise and award their services.

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eelams The Grand & The Glitz Hotels honoured their online business partners, online travel agents as part of their ‘Grand Thanksgiving Ceremony Awards’ on 14 August, 2015.

The evening also saw the Best Business Partner Ceremony Awards to prominent OTAs like MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, ClearTrip, Booking.com, etc.

The CEO of the hotel group, D. Shekar briefed about the hotels and the high in demand online tour operators who gave value for money with competitive room rates and hotel packages to online visitors.

In photo: Neelams the Grand and The Glitz Hotels Group CEO-Mr.D Shekar seen with an online managers and their staff team during “Online Eve”

www.thegrandgoa.com www.theglitzgoa.com www.neelamscountryside.com Reservation: +91 (0) 832 2281800-04 +91 9011086402 https://www.facebook.com/NeelamsTheGrand

https://twitter.com/NeelamsTheGrand

https.//www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8arA_mWzFc

+91 9011086409

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Hospitality

18>>

WudStay to expand in 30 cities IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Prafulla Mathur, Founder and CEO, WudStay says WudStay is growing on a fast pace and the leading players in the online space for budget accommodations and will hold an inventory size of over 4500 rooms.

We not only tie-up with boutique hotels and guest houses but also help them raise the standards of service on the ground that unites the online market to the offline world, helps travellers to book hotel rooms online and to find excellent budget accommodations with guarantee of superior services.

Budget accommodation in terms of boutique hotels and guest houses In India many people have had bad experiences with budget accommodations in the past, in terms of hygiene, quality of services etc. The concept of WudStay is bringing a spark in sale of guest houses/ boutique hotels which can be equally hygienic and safe as their larger counterparts, while still being pocket friendly for the travellers.

Budget accommodation benefits the online market

space

Marketing Trends There has been a shift in the market trends as earlier most people used listing websites to make their accommodation bookings, which do not guarantee the quality of services. WudStay is offering an ease of access to the customers as they do not have to go through the tedious process of going to various search engines and listing websites, enquire about each property prior to making their booking.

Growth of WudStay The travel market in India is booming and is expected to cross $75 billion mark in 2015 as there is a lot

of potential for companies who stay true to their brand promise and provide value to travelers..

WudStay.com is a major online marketplace for budget accommodation launched in April 2015. We started our operations on 1st June 2015, with presence in two cities and tieups with 15 hotels. In a short span of only three months WudStay has expanded to 21 cities and tied up with over 250 hotels across India.

We have also recently acquired Awesome Stays Pvt. Ltd, an offline budget hotel aggregator.

WudStay is still growing at a fast pace and has become one of the leading players in the online space for budget accommodations and aiming to expand its reach to 30 cities by the end of September, alongside tie-ups with more than 450 boutique hotels and guest houses across India.

Expansion Plans WudStay has major expansion plans

and is planning to be present in 30 cities in the next one month, through tie-ups with over 450 guest houses and boutique hotels. This means that we will hold an inventory size of over 4500 rooms by the end of September.

Promotional plans WudStay has attracted people traveling for work, leisure, adventure, pilgrimage and education. The travelers want to focus on the purpose of their visit which may include attending a business meeting or a conference, taking the family out for a quiet and relaxed vacation, focusing on their new startup product development etc. Hence they want someone to assure the quality of the stay which allows them to concentrate on work or enjoy the vacation they are taking. Additionally, many of them do not want to pay for facilities they are not going to use such as the swimming pool, gym etc., which are usually included in the fee structure of regular hotels.

MESSAGE STRUCTURE KEY TO BRANDING VW BUREAU

Jennifer Nagy, President, jlnpr, talks about why online advertising is important for clients

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s consumers, we encounter brands every single day, on TV, in person, online and even while buying our morning latte (or in my case, a triple venti non-fat, bone dry cappuccino). But while we do encounter many brands day-in and day-out, most people aren’t actively aware of it. However with each brand encounter, we register our thoughts, feelings and impressions of that company’s brand, which shapes how we feel about the company and, often, the company’s product.

Prominent brands, like Apple, Nike, Super 8, the Ritz Carlton, etc. have all been very successful at communicating their brand to consumers but these success stories didn’t just happen overnight. They happened because of carefully planned out strategies that developed over time… a lot of time. It took hard work, attention to detail and most

Voyager’s World > September 2015

importantly, consistency to turn their visions into reality.

Figure out who you are Are you selling yourself as a budget property, appealing to customers who are looking for the best rate rather than luxury or a long list of amenities? Or are you a luxury property, offering high-end service and a top-of-the-line experience?

Key message development After figuring out what you want your brand to be known for, you need to figure out the specific key messages that you want to deliver to your various audiences. It will be impossible to maintain a consistent brand message and brand image if you don’t first identify what your messages are. The reason being is that if your employees don’t know what messages to deliver to various audiences (guests, vendors, marketers, etc.) then they may completely miss

the mark and sell your brand in a different way. This dilutes the efficacy of your brand, making it harder for your audiences to determine who you are and what you offer, and as a result, make your brand less valuable and less able to sell effectively.

So when developing your key messages, be as specific as possible because the more specific, the more effective you will be at delivering that message in all of your branding materials.

Brand elements Colors: The colors used in your logo, marketing materials, website, etc. can communicate different feelings or impressions depending on how they are used. For example, red can be interpreted as angry or passionate, depending on the context in which it is used.

Font- The font(s) and typography that you choose can say as much

about your brand as the words that you actually use. Are you trying to portray a stark, modern feel or a warm, homey feeling?

Images- If your audience is young adults, then ensure that the images that you chose reflect that target demographic. The same holds true if you are targeting Boomer travelers.

No matter your audience, choose images that reflect the audience that you’re trying to appeal to.

Implementing your new brand image Once you have finalized the key messages and design elements of your brand, the next step is to ensure that it is implemented consistently throughout your organization.

Consistency is key to a successful strong brand. If your employees aren’t able to properly communicate your brand, it will be next to impossible for your customers to interpret it as you intended.

Hospitality

19>>

Zostel to open 20 more hostels in 2015 IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Akhil Malik, Co-Founder & Director, Zostel Zostel is confident that 2015 is the year and will witness a flood of Zostels by December 2015 from Spiti to Kochi and from Hanoi to Colombo.

Branded backpacker hostels The main idea of Zostel is to change the way India travels. We noticed that the market was lacking accommodations that were safe, clean, fun and affordable when we started Zostel the branded backpacking hostels .Zostels are in different places and they have their own unique flavour for example, Zostel Udaipur has a lake-view restaurant while Agra has a common lounge/ garden and so on, the level of facilities and the experience will be of the same high standards.

Travel is something that has profoundly affected all of us in a positive way and more people should take that weekend and put it to good use. Once you sit in the common room, chatting with the other guests and hearing about all their experiences, you will realize that there is something incredibly different about people who travel a lot they see more, they learn more and they be more. Also, follow the Zostel mantra for life to be awesome and we promise you it will - Live It Now! Backpackers promoting Zostel Zostel is more of supporting backpackers rather than promoting and we would say it is a two-way relationship: we support backpackers and backpackers support us. We have had the pleasure of hosting some backpackers from all over world and tell their friends about their experience at Zostel through reviews,

travel sites or word-of-mouth. We have had the pleasure of supporting some backpackers through interesting journeys like Rickshaw Run and interviewed travellers about their experiences who always had a good word. For us it is more of supporting each other in this journey to discover the country as we are a small tight-knit community and we are always looking to induct more people.

Expected growth for 2015 In terms of growth, we are confident that 2015 is the year of Zostel and will witness a flood of Zostels as we are in process of opening at least 20 more Zostels by December 2015 from Spiti to Kochi and from Hanoi to Colombo. We have already launched our first international Zostel in Da Lat, Vietnam. The next few months are going to be really exciting with a lot more Zostels coming up both in and out of India!

We are very happy with the growth so far from our first Zostel in Jodhpur in 2013, we now have properties in Jaipur, Udaipur, Agra, Delhi, Goa, Varanasi and each one is doing really well. In fact, we are on top in terms of ratings on various travel sites and we consistently receive great reviews from our guests. This only motivates us to work harder and spread the Zosteling mantra further.

Marketing strategies Zostel is all about promoting travel

as a culture and cultures doesn’t need marketing, to give people a little nudge and to make their journeys exciting we have run a few campaigns. In 2014, we introduced the Best Internship Ever which was a one-of-its-kind program. Four Chief Exploration Officers or CEOs travelled around India in fifty days. Each of them covered the trip in their own style - some took experiential selfies, some sketched and so one. And we documented their entire journey to inspire others and to bring closettravellers out. They touched twentyone places and got a stipend of INR 50,000. There were close to 80,000 people who applied for the position of CEO! The massive organic reach was a great parameter to know that the campaign was a grand success, but more than that, we were happy that we had planted the travel bug in so many people.

Recently, we launched another unique campaign called the Zostel Entrepreneurship Development Program or as we like to call it, Be You. This was aimed at passionate entrepreneurs who want to be a part of our journey to revolutionise travel, but don’t have the knowledge or the funds to do so. For this we revealed everything about our operations made it public rather so they had an insight about what it takes to make a Zostel. Under this entrepreneur incubation program, we invited people to open a Zostel adhering to Zostel’s standards, of course under Zostel’s

mentorship. We gave them full support by providing them with business plans, help in setting up etc.As a part of this, Zostel on 15 August, 2015 launched its first international hostel in Da Lat, Vietnam.

Geographical break-up of backpackers The Indians were not familiar with backpacking and either didn’t know anything about it or associated it with a travel type restricted to Europe. Within two years there has been exponential growth in the number of Indians that are a part of the Zostel community now. We have about 27% of our travellers coming from India, 11% from the USA, 18% from the UK, 8% from Australia, 4% from Germany and the rest from a variety of other countries.

Offers to attract backpackers The Zostel passport is a great concept that helps travellers avail discounts and merchandise. The more you use this concept the more stamps you collect, the more you benefit this scheme has taken off really well. Apart from that, we have celebrations for major events and festivals like Independence Day (which also happens to be our birthday), Christmas, New Years’ Eve, etc. In fact, just recently for our second birthday, we threw our guests a huge party in all our Zostels which included free food, fun events and entertainment from local artists.

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Hospitality

20>>

loyalty programmes motivate purchasing decisions VW BUREAU

Jennifer Nagy, President of JLNPR Inc.talks about how to make the most effective loyalty programmes for hotels and reach the bottom line successfully.

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veryone in the hotel and hospitality industry knows that, more often than not, travelers book a hotel room based on two factors: price and location. Of course, there are travelers that would choose amenities over price any day, or those who are willing to drive a bit further to their destination to save a buck or two. But one factor that many hotels disregard is the importance of their customer loyalty program - also know as the frequent guest program (FGP) - in motivating customers’ purchasing decisions.

We are all familiar with the basics of a hotel frequent guest program: customers earn points for staying with a particular property or chain, which are redeemable for anything from discounts, upgrades, to a free stay. While most hotels have loyalty programs, most place very little importance on their loyalty programs as a driving factor for increasing consumer bookings. But the truth

Voyager’s World > September 2015

is that loyalty programs can be a very important decision-maker, especially for frequent travelers, often hotels’ highest-earning customers.

Don’t believe me? Let’s look at the stats: In 2010, Epsilon Strategic & Analytic Consulting Group conducted a study of 400 travelers asking about their recent hotel bookings and found that, in addition to price, location, good reviews and recommendations from others, loyalty programs were absolutely a motivating factor in booking. In fact, the study showed that more than eight in ten program loyalty members consider the hotel’s loyalty program and rewards before booking their hotel.

A more recent study by Market Metrix has proven that hotel loyalty programs now rank fourth in the top deciding factors when booking a hotel. In 2009, 32.7% of custom-

ers said a hotel’s loyalty program influenced their decision on where to stay and that number has increased by almost 2% in the past two years(2).

What Makes Hotel Loyalty Programs Effective?

Though many hotels possess loyalty programs, they are not using them effectively. On average, only 20 to 40% of FGP members actively accrue points and work towards redeeming them. That means that hotels are losing on the opportunity to earn income from approximately 60% of their loyalty program members(3), equally a huge financial loss for hoteliers.

rewards improving at each step of the way. The ladder system ensures that there are rewards available to all consumers, no matter how frequent their stay or their point level.

Of course, as members earn more points, they are able to redeem their points for higher-value rewards, making the ladder system an effective one at incentivizing loyalty. The members with the highest number of points are referred to as “elite members”. Overall, elite members of loyalty programs feel more satisfied, are more likely to recommend the hotel to their friends and are even willing to pay up to 17% more at a hotel where they receive membership points and benefits.

One of the major impediments to the success of hotels’ loyalty programs is either the lack of desirable rewards or the high level of points needed to earn rewards. One of the most effective formats for loyalty programs is a ladder system, with

Another very important factor in determining whether or not a hotel’s loyalty program will be successful is the medium in which customers can interact with the program – either to check their point balance and/or redeem rewards. According

Hospitality

21>> to a 2010 survey by Loylogic, 58% of travelers prefer the Internet, followed by mobile (20%), in-store (11%), SMS (4%) and Facebook (3%). This statistic shows that the most effective loyalty programs will be available on- and offline, and will offer multiple mediums for obtaining info and redeeming points to ensure that it is quick and easy for each consumer to redeem their points.

The Importance of Redeeming Early While the most sought-after rewards vary per program, customers like rewards that are easily redeemable because consumers enjoy instant gratification. A study by Mintel showed that 47% of consumers were more motivated to join a loyalty program if the program provided instant gratification rather than offering travel units that could only be earned over time with repeated stays(5).

mainder in cash, or in as little as $1 with the remainder in points.

By giving consumers the ability to redeem whenever, wherever, using whatever payment method is most convenient to them, you will ensure the long-term success of your property’s loyalty program.

Start your Loyalty Program Today According to the Market Metrix study, the redemption of hotel loyalty points in the hotel industry is currently increasing and it is expected to influence even more consumers

over the next year, so if your property hasn’t implemented an FGP, now is the time to do so.

Loyalty programs can be designed for hotels of any size - even the smallest boutique properties.

Many smaller properties are often concerned about the ROI of implementing a FGP but in fact, statistics show that some of the smaller hotel chains have a better success rate with their loyalty programs than some of the global chains(7).

So no matter how many rooms your

property offers, Implementing a loyalty program will influence guests’ booking decisions, encourage repeat customers, provide word of mouth marketing and keep your property’s highest-earning guests satisfied.

Remember that the most effective loyalty programs include instant gratification rewards, as well as accrual benefits. And lastly, be sure to create a loyalty program that works for your specific hotel type, your destination and your target customer.

A B2B Roadshow for International Travel Suppliers with India’s Top Buyers

Even more importantly, after a customer’s first redemption, they are more motivated to continue to earn points towards other rewards; in fact, after the first redemption, customers’ earn rates can increase by 8 times when compared to their previous accrual patterns(6).

Some instantly redeemable rewards to consider: offering free rooms with low point requirements, upgrades, promotions and downloadable content (mP3s, movies, e-Books, etc.). Again, by setting up your property’s loyalty program as a ladder system, you are offering consumers the ability to redeem for lower value items immediately or save their points to earn more valuable rewards over time. This flexibility ensures that your members will be more engaged to participate in your program over the long-term.

Points + Pay By making it easy for customers to redeem their points for low-level rewards, hotels are able to drastically increase participation in their FGPs. Another very effective way for hotels to increase their redemption rate is to offer consumers the ability to redeem for rewards using a combination of points plus currency. Ideally, the program would allow consumers the flexibility to use as few or as many points as needed, and make up the difference with a dollar-value payment. For example, consumers could choose to pay with as few as 1 point with the re-

India’s Only Multi-destination Roadshow Your gateway to the Indian Outbound Travel Market 8th - 11th February 2016 New Delhi & Mumbai

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Online Travel

22>>

Online Travel expects double digit growth in 2015 IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

The online travel market is all set to grow both domestically and internationally with a surge in the number of startups in travel sector in the last couple of years.

Ish Jindal, Founder, Padhaaro

Travel accounts half of the Indian ecommerce and the numbers are growing exponentially for the hotel and holidays booking sector.

The Facebook, Instagram and travel blogs are instrumental in the online market.

T

he growth of online travel market in India is constantly on an upward graph especially with the ecommerce market as more and more travellers prefer online booking engines to search, compare, and purchase their packages. The online travel market expects to have a double digit growth with the number of travel startups growing in India.

Social media plays a significant role in helping travellers to make the right choice through Facebook, Instagram and travel blogs. The trend is that there is a flow in bookings through mobile and apps. The online channels accounted for a significant 39% of the travel bookings in India, during 2014 as per a PhoCusWright

Voyager’s World > September 2015

report on Travel Research Updates in 2015 called ‘India Online Travel Overview Lodging and Mobile Elevate the Market.

Growth of online travel market Ish Jindal, Founder, Padhaaro says that the travel already accounts for almost half of the ecommerce in terms of numbers and these numbers would grow exponentially for the hotel and holidays booking sector. According to a recent research, more than quarter of the hotel bookings will happen online in the next couple of years and the advent of mobile has changed the complete picture.

“You can easily have the number

from latest surveys and research, the interesting fact is that people are comfortable with making high value travel purchases over mobile.

Moreover, there are a lot of variable parameters with flights/hotel booking which should make it a non-impulsive buying behaviour but the numbers speak otherwise. The travel market is set to grow both domestically and internationally,” he added.

In the opinion of Arijit Mukherjee, CEO & Founder, Findmycarrots.com more and more people come online, online travel planning and booking is steadily becoming a very significant part of the overall travel market.

With the people becoming more and

more comfortable with e-commerce, online travel planning and booking is no more a cause of discomfort.

“This has helped significantly in people using internet as the medium of travel planning and booking. This is perhaps one of the reasons that online channels accounted for a significant 39% of the travel bookings in India, during 2014 as per this PhoCusWright report: http://www.phocuswright.com/Travel-Research/ Research-Updates/2015/IndiaOnline-Travel-Overview-Lodgingand-Mobile-Elevate-the-Market#.

VefW0ZcYFnk,”he added.

Neelu Singh, Director & CEO, Ezeego1.com says that the online travel

Online Travel

23>>

Arijit Mukherjee, CEO & Founder, Findmycarrots.com

Neelu Singh, Director & CEO, Ezeego1.com.

Online travel contributes 65-70% of the overall ecommerce market in India. India has the third largest Internet population in the world with over 190 million users. Technology is changing the way people plan and book their travel. market contributes 65-70% of the overall ecommerce market in India. The combined business from online rail booking, airline ticketing through airline sites and OTAs largely constitute the make-up of this Rs. 60,000+ Crore marketplace. India has the third largest Internet population in the world today with over 190 million users, after China with 620 million and the US with 275 million.

With higher internet penetration, the growth of the online travel market has been consistently showing an upward graph.

Role of technology and social travel Ish states that Facebook, Instagram and travel blogs have been really instrumental both in the inspirational phase and post-trip experience sharing phase. The latter of which actually inspires others to travel and the cycle goes on. There is already a lot of content, be it text or vines or videos, being created around travel and there will definitely be some innovation round on how and what is being delivered to the user. This is where the technology will come into picture and will get highly curated recommendations tailored on where to travel next.

Arijit said that people look for information before and during their travel. Different people look for different stuff when planning their trips. In fact, the same person can have different requirements based on the kind of trip. Technology can help identify such hyper-personal information by being able to understand the “meaning” hidden in a user’s query and bring to her the most relevant information. With availability of hyper-local information at the destination, the confidence of the person grows many folds and the person

can undertake this trip with a much more relaxed state of mind and ensuring a better experience.

Neelu says that there has been a major shift in the travel industry over the past decade as a result of which more and more travellers prefer online booking engines to search, compare, and purchase part or endto-end holiday packages. This is especially true for commodity-based items such as basic airline tickets and simple travel bookings, like A to B round trips, car rentals and hotel stays. Social media plays a crucial role in making travellers more aware in making informed decisions, and influences their choice of destination and other aspects of their holiday.

Expected Growth Arijit says that in spite of a relatively nascent internet and credit card penetration, the online travel market is expected to continue its double digit growth that we have seen in the past few years. The comingof-age of the fragmented lodging inventory and their availability on the online platform will further buoy this growth story.

In the opinion of Neelu India’s Internet population grew from 60 million in 2009 to 190 million in 2014. It is estimated that the potential growth will be over 550 million users by 2018. The number of internet users in rural areas will touch 210 million by 2018, aiding India’s internet user base to cross 500 million by 2018.

Mobile Internet users are likely to constitute between 70 to 80 percent of the total online population by 2018, as compared to around 60 to 70 percent in 2013.

Online travel planning and booking plays a significant part of the overall travel market. The nascent growing internet and credit card penetration leads the online travel market to continue its double digit growth.

Coping with the competition Ish says there has been a surge in the number of startups in travel sector in the last couple of years. This definitely indicates that something is not being done the right way and there is still a lot of scope for new entrants to come into picture and fix there user experience.

“Moreover, every startup is focusing on a particular stage of a traveler’s cycle and brings an expertise in that. Some are focusing on the inspiration phase, some on the tours and activities and some on the trip planning etc. For us personally at Padhaaro, dealing with competition hasn’t really been a challenge since the big players have not entered the space till now. Also, our focus really lies in how we make life easier for both our experience providers and the travelers. Having other players in your domain just testifies the case that there is some pain point that needs to be addressed,” He added.

Arijit observes that the number of startups in the travel space is pretty big and growing. This is something that none of us, the startups, have control over - and so, we tend not to worry about the competition. Our dream is to help build a better tomorrow by leveraging technology as the fulcrum. We continue to focus on that dream - something that we have control over.

Neelu said that every organization’s business model is diverse with different focuses. The online travel space goes beyond just ticketing.

Different companies can be leaders in different product segments. Some might be leaders in ticketing, some in holiday packages and so on. We are undeterred by newer competition as Ezeego1 has successfully

established itself as a trusted brand over its existence of almost a decade. We have a loyal customer database of over one million registered users in addition to the three million unique visitors per month. We constantly introduce new products and the way we market and sell them, so as to improve our bottom line while bringing value to the customer.

Trends in Online Travel Market Ish said that there has been a rage in the standardization of budget hotel segment industry in the last one year and there will be a handful more startups that are going to join the scene in the Indian travel market while the next unexplored market lies in the tours and activities which has not been touched by any of the OTAs till now and remains the biggest segment where less than 5% of the transaction currently happens online. There is a lot of scope for this segment to be standardized and made transparent for the end user.

Arijit says there is a significant bias towards trying to attract users/customers using pricing, deep pricing cuts help to attract customers but they are bargain hunters who will do business with whoever provides the best price. However over a long time frame, the trend has always been consistent over many decades in any industry. In the long run, people will give their business to those that inspire them and the ones that they trust.

Neelu concludes that technology is changing the way people plan and book their travel. The surge in bookings through mobile and apps is the next big thing .People travel more frequently and tend to take short duration breaks to close-by destinations.

www.voyagersworld.in

Online Travel

24>>

Traveller witnessed a growth of 3% for online IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

Shiju Radhakrishnan, Founder and CEO, iTraveller, says people are dependent on technology as the world is digital and good travel experience needs a user friendly technology. technology as today’s world is digital and everything is there on fingertips.

For good travel experience, you need a user friendly technology. There has been a growth of 3% for online and app based traction in tourism industry.

We will be ready with our mobile site and mobile app soon. Hence we are planning a launch of android mobile app with promotions of International Holiday Destinations like Mauritius, Europe and South East Asia.

M

arketing in terms of technology and travel People are becoming more and more dependent on

A prospective travel starts active exploration for holidays 2-3 months before travel date as the air fare is

the most important aspect to look after. One searches for around 5-7 properties before finalizing any one of them. So before planning anything, we place ourselves in place of traveller and plan promotions accordingly. Typically a travel season is around May-June in first half of Year and November-December in second half.

People are getting into the habit of leisure holidays and consider it as their part of life. Hence we have bigger opportunities in tourism sector and technology will go hand in hand with it.

Special services We provide complete assistance from pre booking to post booking and during the travel to the customers. These services involve airport pick and drop assistance, room up gradation if required, adding more activities for customers which was not planned at the time of booking.

Expected growth We are hoping to get are 50-55% of booking through our mobile app alone. We have planned our app for user friendly nature and good response time. They will be able to see almost all property available for a particular Holiday Destinations.

otas need to be more than just a brand to be relevant Courtesy: Tnooz

T

he days are getting darker for the mass-market online travel agencies (OTAs). The fundamentals of their business are weakening amid intense pressure up and down the value chain, especially in the mature US market. How many times have people asked you: “Why should I book from Expedia or Orbitz?” In my world, that refrain is growing louder as more people are beginning their travel searches on metasearch engines and I have to admit there’s not much to say in response. Expedia’s woes The transcript for Expedia’s most recent quarterly earnings call read like a terminal diagnosis, with its own offspring as poisoner.

TripAdvisor, once a loyal subsidiary, was no longer deferentially sending Expedia it’s lion share of traffic. The media giant was commanding the audience and Expedia was not the highest bidder. The loss of traffic during TripAdvisor’s switch from pop up ads to hotel metasearch caused Expedia’s stock to plummet 27% in one-day; it’s now down about 20% on the year. The company is being

Voyager’s World > September 2015

attacked on all fronts, with its recently acquired metasearch engine Trivago the lone shining light. The rise of metasearch This pressure is not unpredictable. On one side we have the supplier brand.com sites, who have begun an aggressive campaign to build direct relationships with the consumer.

The benefits to them are gamechanging for both cost and revenue: A cheaper distribution channel and an increased opportunity to merchandise and upsell to consumers.

On top of that, direct relationships allow supplier brands more intimacy and brand engagement with the consumer, a boon to loyalty programs as they invest heavily in loyalty marketing. Suppliers will try to exploit their stronger bargaining hand to haggle over commissions with OTAs and drive down distribution costs.

Thngs OTAS can do to stay relevant Be a platform, not just a brand: Expedia with Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN) is probably the best example

of this. Now all of the major OTAs have an affiliate network, which lets them distribute hotels through the major metasearch players as well as any other site that wants to sell travel in a plug-n-play way. It instantly expands their distribution footprint and scale, while forcing them to give up some margin. OTAs are getting killed by metasearch and media players in part because the search experience is just plain worse. TripAdvisor brings useful reviews to the search experience; Kayak has spent years perfecting its search technology and user interface. Start-ups like Hipmunk have built brands off of user experience and are iterating at a much faster pace.

These rivals offer better research and more consistent lower prices so it’s no wonder you’re better off starting there than going to an OTA directly. But there’s no reason the OTAs can’t compete. They have talent and resources and far more years of search experience. Pros: Profit from the core, many been doing search

for more than a decade. Cons: Head to head competition with faster, more dynamic companies; UX superiority is unproven as a sustainable positive driver of return on investment (ROI) for the long-term.

Add value: For an OTA to be relevant they must do something better, faster, or cheaper than a supplier can direct. Because they’re never going to be cheaper and probably never faster, they must do something better. To stay alive, they must differentiate one way or another and brand is not enough. Pros: Holy grail of relevance. Cons: Margin pressure makes this challenging; Commodity rewards programs likely aren’t enough. Channel vision OTAs as marketing organizations are not sustainable for the long-haul. The brand message falls flat when consumers realize there’s no real advantage to using their products when metasearch offers a superior product and better prices, and transacting through supplier sites is intuitive and seamless.

16 17 18

For more details and registration visit : www.mptravelmart.in

‘MADHYA PRADESH TRAVEL MART’ SECRETARIAT 245, 7th Main, Amar Jyothi Layout, Domlur, Bangalore - 71.

Ph: +91-80-4083 4103 | Fax: +91-80-4083 4101 Email: buyer@mptravelmart.in, info@mptravelmart.in Website: www.mptravelmart.in

Travel Events

26>>

UNLEASHING THE POTENTIAL”- 8th Conventions India Conclave (CIC) VW BUREAU

A

groundbreaking conference of over 350 prominent MICE industry leaders, PCOs, suppliers, sonference planners, buyers and government officials from the Union Ministry of Tourism (MoT) gathered in Greater Noida in August to discuss the potential of MICE industry in India, at the 8th Conventions In-

dia Conclave (CIC). Over 120 buyers from various Indian cities attended the convention. The conclave also had a dedicated exhibition area, 45 MICE specialist suppliers showcased their products. The theme this year was ‘Unleashing the Potential’ with a focus on ‘Marketing, Networking and Skill Development’ in MICE.

The conclave was sponsored by the MoT and the Department of Tourism, Government of Madhya Pradesh as partner state and Gujarat Tourism as diamond sponsor. Suman Billa – Joint Secretary Tourism & Chairman ICPB, mentioned about the need of destination level promotion bureaus to come up to position India as a top

MICE destination. Capt. Swadesh Kumar- Vice Chairman ICPB announced that ICPB will work towards green meetings.

He recommended the Ministry to include PCO (Professional Conference Organiser) and Exhibitions as separate categories for recognition.

travel trade fraternity convenes for a networking bash VW BUREAU

T

he travel trade fraternity in India got together for a party in Delhi against the backdrop of the recently concluded SATTE 2015 last month.

Nearly 155 persons attended the party, which was held in the Budapest Bar. In a span of four hours, all the leading hotel brands and airlines came up with spot prizes (nearly 36 prizes) right from Thailand to Dubai, Europe and America. Big luxury ho-

Voyager’s World > September 2015

tels gave out 3 - 4 night stay packages in Maldives and Atlantis The Palm and even free air tickets. Ankur Kalra –Wellcome Tours, Ajay Chhabria - Intime Travels, Rohit shorey –Destination travel services and Siddharth jain-click2travel.in are the pioneers of this networking trend in the industry. The three cash sponsors for the event were the Nijhawan Group with Address Group of Hotels Dubai

and Constance Group of Hotels, Star Cruises PSA Ark Travels Mumbai and Sahib Ji Group Delhi. There were a lot of prizes including air tickets to Oman with land package & Maldives packages by Island Group, Dubai Packages by Lama & Ifly & Ski Dubai

By Sonalee Carl Vaz, Bali packages from Panaroma, 9nights package from Gold Coast Tourism board in all luxury hotels, Tashkent Package

with Air tickets BY DOOK and Leh Ladakh packages from Ravine Trek.

The success of this bash follows the one held in January this year and another one in Mumbai on 18 August at Café Infinito BKC, which was was hosted by Emcee Anie Noorish Shaikh. The organisers are expecting over 500 for the next bash in Delhi in 2016, tentatively fixed on 29 January.

Travel Events

27>>

tourism minister backs industry demand for infrastructure status VW BUREAU

The recently concluded IATO Convention saw the industry soliciting to the Union Ministry of Tourism to accord the industry with infrastructure status.

T

he Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) recently welcomed over 1,200 delegates, including spouses, at their annual convention at The Grand Bhagwati in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The convention raised key challenges concerning inbound tour operators, but did not quite witness quality business sessions, as many of the speakers gave the event a miss.

Madhya Pradesh Tourism, in association with Express TravelWorld, launched ‘Zaika Dil Se’, a coffee table book on the cuisines of different regions of Madhya Pradesh. The book was unveiled on the occasion of the 31st Annual Convention of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) at Indore, MP. ‘Zaika Dil Se’, was launched by Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture and Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Government of India; Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh; Surendra Patwa, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, Government of Madhya Pradesh; Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, Government of Odisha; Ashwani Lohani, commissioner and MD, Madhya Pradesh Tourism and the entire IATO executive committee.

This year’s edition of the IATO Convention, themed ‘Tourism: We will change the Indian Economy’, was a good team effort by the office-bearers, executive committee members, and the IATO Secretariat. The 31st convention kick-started with a number of recommendations and suggestions by Subhash Goyal, President, IATO, on behalf of inbound tour operators. There wasn’t much food for thought at the event, as only a few quality business sessions.

About 9 speakers who had committed to attend the convention did not turn up. Thus, some sessions were chaired by the IATO office-bearers themselves. However, IATO couldn’t have asked for a better venue than The Grand Bhagwati, which received

a lot of praises for its delighting F&B at the three-day event. Besides, Gopal Rai, Chairman, IATO Madhya Pradesh Chapter, and his team of go-getters left no stone unturned to cater to the delegates.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Culture and Tourism and Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Government of India, in his keynote address, revealed that they have proposed to the Union Finance Minister to confer the ‘Infrastructure’ status on the tourism industry. Dr Sharma said that tourism is an industry of perception, and that a hue and cry made out of a single negative event in the country can deter travellers from coming to India. Thus, the press needs to play an important role in portraying the image of our destination responsibly. “I urge you all to act as partners and ambassadors of India tourism and contribute to making India a safe and clean destination for tourists,” he stated.

Simultaneously, Goyal highlighted issues related to e-Tourist Visa such as implementation of multipleentry, extension of validity to 60 days, and facility to apply for e-Tourist Visa 6 months in advance. Outlining other concerns, he averred that there is dire need to stabilise airfares and fix an upper limit for all domestic airlines. He informed that IATO would soon be meeting Suresh Prabhu, Minister for Railways, Government of India, to restart the facility of booking group train tickets. Lamenting about the heavy tax burden, Goyal said the India tourism has been outpriced and that they hope the tourism sector is brought under the 5 per cent slab in GST. Welcoming delegates to the ‘City of Devi Ahilya – Indore’, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister (CM) of Madhya Pradesh (MP), highlighted, “The state of MP has grown its tourism sector from strength to strength in the past 5 years. Tigers have increased from 0 to 32 in Panna Tiger

Reserve. We aim to make our state number one in terms of tourism and would look forward to implementing the suggestions and feedback received via the IATO Convention.”

or before the same. He urged the trade to tap newer source markets, increase the bouquet of tourism destinations, and extend the season of travel into India.

Surendra Patwa, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, Government of MP, added that Indore is the business capital of the state and that under the able leadership of the CM, they aim to capitalise on the MP Tourism Year.

“The 3-year multiple-entry visa could soon become a reality and talks are also afoot on launching a Special Card for Business Travellers, which would facilitate their movement in any of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) countries for 5 years,” exclaimed Sudhanshu Pandey, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. He added that it is important to create service standards of international standards in the tourism sector. Thus, they are also thinking on certifying the quality operators in the tourism sector.

Giving the valedictory address, Anthony J C Desa, Chief Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh, said that they aim to establish Ujjain on the world tourism map as a Religious Tourism destination, with the Simhastha Kumbh scheduled to be held there from April 22-May 21, 2016. “We are investing INR 3,000 crore for the great bathing festival – Simhastha Kumbh 2016 in Ujjain.

Ten per cent of the amount will be used to set up the temporary infrastructure, and 90 per cent in the permanent one. We are hopeful of welcoming five crore people for the religious event. Post the event, we plan to promote a culture and heritage circuit of Mandu, Maheshwar, and Ujjain,” said Desa. He called for a regular and permanent forum for deliberations and development at MP along with IATO. Desa highlighted that the condition of roads has highly improved by investing INR 30,000 crore in the past 5 years (excluding highways).

He also urged the private players to participate in the investment opportunities as the government of MP is open to the PPP mode.

Accepting the ‘IATO Hall of Fame’ Award, R H Khwaja, Former Secretary Tourism, Government of India, reiterated the importance of safe, honourable, and sustainable tourism and to portray the heritage and culture in a positive light. Parvez Dewan, Former Secretary Tourism, Government of India, exclaimed that as per the trend he hopes to see nine million tourists by the end of 2017

Highlighting the plight, Pronab Sarkar, Chairman, IATO Convention 2015, said that the current infrastructure cannot afford more than 10 per cent of the growth in tourist arrivals. Besides, a number of tour operators are working without the licence as government has been increasing the tax burden. “Government needs to play a bigger role than the private sector,” he said. Adding to the same, Dr Suman Billa IAS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, said, “We will do whatever it takes to get into the lower bracket of the tax structure.

Alongside, we are trying to implement VAT refund to increase India’s tourism competitiveness,” assured Dr Billa. GST, hopefully, will also bring the much-needed relief, he shared.

“The Indian aviation market is on a rebound and the stability in ATF prices is bringing down airfares. Moreover, the way of doing business has changed. Consolidation is a part of the game now and we are optimistic about how things will shape up in the future,” said Pankaj Srivastava, Director Commercial, Air India. Talking about the national carrier, he added that they have been reducing the losses and are hopeful of being cash surplus from this year onwards.

www.voyagersworld.in

Incredible India

28>>

TOURISM IN RAJASTHAN TAKES NEW dimension in development AANCHAL SALECHA

“Rajasthan is a state of variety. The trajectory of growth is steep despite its tourism rich environment. But in near future, It will definitely double,” said G.S. Gangwal, Joint Director of Rajasthan Tourism.

T

he tourism Policy 2015 has provided multiple incentives inviting investor’s interest and encouraging land conversions. Heritage hotels are on the rise making them a popular wedding destination. Speaking about some of the major highlights of the Tourism Policy of 2015, G.S. Gangwal, Joint Director of Rajasthan Tourism, said: “I am very happy to note that this year’s tourism policy is offering remarkable benefits to encourage investment in the tourism sector. The budget has been increased to 38 crore rupees. New

tourism units will no longer have to pay the luxury tax of 12%.” The policy has also waived off 50% of the registration fee for tourism lands and units. The list of incentives also includes subsidy on VAT, applicable up to a certain amount. Taking into account the legal hassles faced during land conversion to tourism land, a new process has been introduced, wherein, the project will be assumed converted if the local authorities fail to clear the project.

Promotion strategies The agenda this year is to make Rajasthan a public friendly place as public necessity is being ignored.

Virtual tours of hotspots have been introduced to increase awareness.

Pressing on the need to establish a systematic framework to take care of the promotional jobs for the tourism board. Another important task is to hire a media agency to do aggressive marketing so as to boost the tourism sector.

Connectivity hinders progress Expressing concern over the state’s transportation network, he said: “Connectivity poses a major hindrance to tourism in our state. The airways network is limited, but the railway network is fairly strong. Our primary goal is to enhance connectivity for which we have sought support from the Central government as well.” Steps are being taken to upgrade the railway network especially from South India, which is a huge market for religious tourism.

Newbies “A key area that we are looking at is film tourism. Lately, Rajasthan has become popular in the film industry but there are many areas which are of film value but are still unexplored.

Rural tourism and eco tourism is also on great demand in places like Kumbalgad, Ranakpur, Chittor to name a few”, he elaborated. The Joint Director also added that Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer were highly popular among tourists.

Speaking about private sector in-

vestment: “The new clauses added to the tourism policy have increased private investment. Competition is benefitting us.”

Domestic vs Foreign “Domestic tourists are our strength.

Last year, we had witnessed a growth of 9.5 % in terms of domestic tourists. Their buying capacity has increased, which, in turn, has worked well in our favour”, he said.

Apprehensive about foreign tourists to Rajasthan, he expressed: “Foreign tourists to Rajasthan are on a decline due to several reasons.”

Wedding destination “125 properties have transformed themselves into heritage hotels, resorts and tourist attractions. Small heritage sites are also rapidly following the trend. Hence, these areas have become popular wedding destinations among particularly among foreign tourists and NRIs who express great fondness towards such places.”

Karnataka Tourism goes all out to host PATA Travel Mart

PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM

The Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, with a view to tap the MICE segment and foreign investments into the state, is leaving no stone unturned to make the event a success.

B

angalore is all set to host the 38th edition of the ‘Pacific Asia Travel Association Travel Mart’ (PATA)

Voyager’s World > September 2015

from 6 - 8 September 2015 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Center (BIEC). The event is hosted

by the Department of Tourism (DoT), Government of Karnataka, in association with the Ministry of Tourism,

Govt. of India.

The event will see active partici-

Incredible India

29>> pation from important delegates from foreign countries, travel trade members across the globe, airlines partners, hoteliers, corporates, domestic and international media with participation from Karnataka and other states.

Over 1200 delegates and international media from 61 countries and almost all Indian states are participating in the travel mart. 12 city hotels will accommodate these delegates.

An extensive media publicity campaign has been launched in various national and international media, towards the promotion of PATA across the globe by Karnataka Tourism department. A host of brand new collateral like logos, delegate bags, T- shirts, gift boxes, stationery items, post cards etc. have been created.

This edition of PATA Travel Mart will be unique as for the first time since its inception; the mart will have an Investment Forum. Karnataka will showcase its glorious range of tourism attractions and other tourism merchandise to global spectators to put ‘Karnataka’ in the international limelight.

taka and prospective investors, for capitalizing on the Karnataka tourism sector.

A panel discussion is also being organized by DoT and the Ministry of Tourism to discuss about the government and private sectors working for development of tourism. Only registered buyers and sellers can attend the Investment Forum and Technology Forum. Dinner on the second day would be hosted by the Chief Minister of Karnataka for all the delegates.

Karnataka, the land of silk, milk and

honey is being showcased in a magnificent manner through 23 craft bazaar stalls. Famed Mysuru silk, Dharwad kasuthi, rosewood inlay, sandalwood articles, ganjifa paintings, mirror embroidery, Spices, bidriware, terracotta items, honey, wine etc. will be on display and will also be handy for visitors to purchase.

A food court serving various types of cuisines from different parts of the state will be put up to showcase a whole unique range of Karnataka food. A Theme pavilion on the lines of Mysuru palace will be showcased.

In picture: From Left: Sri. Pradeep Singh Kharola, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Tourism Department, Smt Usha Chandrashekar, C.P.M.G, Postal Departmet, GoI, Smt Latha Krishna Rao, IAS, ACS & Dev Commissioner, GoI, Sri Mohandas Pai, Chairman, Karnataka Tourism Vision Group, Smt G. Sathyavathi, IAS, Director, Department Of Tourism, Sri. Kaushik Mukherjee, IAS, Chief Secretary, GoI, Sri R.V. Deshpande, Hon’ble Minister for L & M and Tourism, Sri. Runeep Sangha, PATA India Chapter, Sri Asagodu Jayasimha, Chairman, JLR.

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A grand opening ceremony will take place on the evening of 6 September, followed by dinner. A complimentary half-day city tour is also organized on day one for the visiting delegates.

A PATA Technology Forum will be held on 6 September, which aims to throw insights on the IT scenario in Karnataka. Participants will understand Indian travelers’ shopping and booking behaviors, learn what segments are poised for online and mobile success and also explore innovative travel solutions to gain insight. The forum will focus on how key market global players are redefining their business models to adopt the accelerated pace in which communication, marketing, loyalty initiatives are influencing B2B and B2C relations.

The mart will observe an open hall session between buyers and sellers, media interactions, business sessions and meetings, hosted dinners and lunches by eminent sponsors, PATA Board meetings, PATA Gold Awards ceremony and Fam tours for registered delegates.

On day two, there will be an Investment Forum where MoUs will be signed between the Govt. of Karna-

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delhi government intent on developing tourism policy for state VW BUREAU

The government has written to various industry stakeholders with a view to develop the capital as a world class tourism destination.

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he Government of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi has started consultations with the Tourism & Hospitality stakeholders to formulate a tourism policy for the State. Kapil Mishra, Minister of Tourism, Art, Culture, and Law and Justice had initial consultations with the industry stakeholders early this month. As a follow up, the government has written to various industry associations for their suggestions towards developing Delhi as a “world class tourism destination.”

The government has also proposed to set up 15 special tourism hubs where tourists, both domestic and international, can enjoy the culture and heritage of the city under very safe and tourist-friendly environment. The government proposes to develop few of the existing tourism

and hospitality hubs like Connaught Place, Hauz Khas village, Khan Market, Yamuna Bank, Old Delhi, etc.

The industry stakeholders have widely welcomed the government’s decision to involve them in the formulation of tourism policy for the National Capital Territory. “We are so impressed with the proactiveness of the Delhi government and its invitation to partner in the initiative. There are so many things that are unique to Delhi which no other city in India has. Places like Connaught Place, Hauz Khas village, Khan Market, are unique and have the potential to be developed as tourism hubs. Major cities of the world have such places which are branded and marketed globally,” said Riyaaz Amlani, President, National Restaurant Associa-

tion of India (NRAI). The government should create infrastructure as liberal walkways, safe open areas , money exchange, etc. where tourists can feel safe and relaxed, he suggested.

“We are ready to partner with the government so that Delhi can become a case study for other States and city administrations,” he added.

Luv Malhotra, President, Hotel &

Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI) welcoming the initiative of the government, asked the government to address few of the “caveats”, like extension of timings on weekends, excess fee structure for licences, etc. However, he expressed confidence these irritants would be sorted out as the government has been “quite receptive”.

Rwanda Tourism & OTOAI sign MoU to boost indian travel VW BUREAU

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s per a report by Michel Nkurunziza for The New Times, the number of Indian tourists visiting Rwanda could soon increase, following the signing of a cooperation deal between the Rwanda Tour and Travel Association (RTTA) and Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI), to market the country in the Asian nation. “This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will help in marketing Rwanda as a must-visit tourist destination in India, which we expect to significantly increase number of tourists from the country,” Joseph Birori, Chairman, RTTA, said after the signing of the deal recently in the capital city, Kigali.

He said the agreement will enable Rwanda to tap the huge Indian market and help improve the sector’s

Voyager’s World > September 2015

foreign exchange earnings. Birori added that the deal will also help promote trade and investment between the two countries, explaining that most of the tourists are also business people looking for investment opportunities.

Speaking at the event, Guldeep Singh Sahni, President, OTOAI, said more than 20 million Indians will be travelling outside the country by 2020, presenting tourism and other sectors a lot of opportunities.

“Rwanda is an attractive country with its natural resources… our members will work with you to encourage more Indians to visit Rwanda,” he said.

Sahni, who led a 15-member delegation, however urged government

to improve facilities to make the sector more attractive to visitors.

Faustin Karasira, Head - Tourism Department, Rwanda Development Board (RDB), said the cooperation agreement will mainly focus on marketing Rwanda as a top tourist destination, among other things.

“We want to penetrate the Indian market, especially by targeting business tourists. Besides, when more Indians visit the country, they will recommend Rwanda to their friends and business partners, which will help us tap investors for the tourism and hospitality industries,” he said.

The deal, which is one of the outcomes of Rwanda Calling 2015 activities, is expected to go a long way in helping boost the number of

visitors from India. Rwanda Calling, which is in its third edition, aims at enhancing trade, tourism, and investment opportunities in the country.

“This agreement is a ‘business opportunity document’. We have been dealing with traditional markets—Europe and USA—but now we want to focus on India because it presents us many opportunities,” Birori said.

Rwanda received 1.2 million visitors in 2014, compared with over 1.1 million in 2013, indicating an annual increase of 97,000 visitors. Most of the tourists were from the US at 24,488 visitors, followed by India at 13,008 visitors last year. Rwanda and India also have strong trade and bilateral relations.

AIRCOVER TO INDIA MICE...

PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES AANCHAL SALECHA

The growing MICE industry makes us wonder if there are enough airlines to cater to the demand and how the RFPs and logistics are crafted.

Balakrishnan Pirathapan, SriLankan Airlines

India is the topmost client for our MICE industry and June-August and February-March are the busiest months for us. Though chartered flights are a rare phenomenon, we have flown chartered flights. The last one we flew accommodated 1000 people.

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he second most important thing after a destination country/ venue is decided for holding a meeting, is undoubtedly airlines. Meeting and conference planners, upon narrowing down the venue, sit down immediately with airlines to make decisions on booking group flights and most often than not, the challenge that stares in their face is the adequacy of flights. Are the airlines sensitive to the importance of this segment especially where there are large events being organised globally.

Management Companies (TMCs), tour operators and travel agents involved with the corporate companies for MICE Travel. We provide them with flight and seat options for the requested dates and we will offer our best fare depending on the seasonality. Being a full service airline, all the passengers on Oman Air will have a choice of food & beverage, free baggage allowance, frequent flyer points (Sindbad), Business & First class product, lounges, chauffeur drive, etc throughout Oman Air network.

all about setting their expectations right and meeting them. MICE is a 360 Degree job, so besides airline tickets & visas, a MICE planner must have thorough knowledge on destinations, venues; only then can he look beyond just travel logistics and manage the groups. Working within a corporate client’s budget and managing minute details like meal requests, seating together, waiver of extra baggage charges, etc. are part of the game. Most airlines, today, are open to supporting agents with their MICE groups.”

Working on Request for Proposals (RFPs) with corporate companies for MICE travel ( in terms of budget, special seat allocations, meal requests, baggage allowance, etc.)

Suraj Nambiar, District Sales Manager-Karnataka, says: “At Oman Air, we receive requests from Travel

According to Ashwin Narayanan, CEO, Travel Tours Group, before one starts to work on RFPs, it is extremely important to understand exactly what the customers want to achieve out of their MICE trip. “Once a MICE planner understands what his customer wants to achieve, then it is

BalakrishnanPirathapan, ManagerTamil Nadu & Karnataka, SriLankan Airlines, explains that the MICE movement from India is extremely important for the island nation for multiple reasons. He says: “First, proximity makes it easier to fly to Sri Lanka compared to travelling from

other countries. The availability of leisure activities like water sports and historic sites to visit are an added advantage. It is a favourable destination for shopping, beaches and hill stations, while providing great value for the money spent.”

Many five-star properties are emerging in Colombo like the Taj, Cinnamon Grand, Taj Bentota Hotel. Apart from these, already existing properties like Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre, BMI Convention Hall are well equipped for MICE conferences.

India is the topmost client for our MICE industry and June-August and February-March are the busiest months for us.

Special concessions offered to large MICE group bookings

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Ashwin Narayanan, Travel Tours Group

Waiver of cancellation fees for select groups or adjustment of cancellation fees against a subsequent group operated by the same clients are small but very valuable additions that we have managed to negotiate for our MICE customers.

For large scale events like highprofile weddings, medical conferences, huge exhibitions, etc., it is a given that the airlines have to be prepared to meet with requests from MICE planners for hundreds of delegates, sometimes, crossing the 1000 mark, from around the globe. Naturally, the entire planning is going to take a lot of time and event planners are often faced with resolving issues on flexibility on the part of the airlines for group bookings. If a group booking runs during the weekend and the delegates are supposed to be flown during the middle of the week, it can be a task to find a mid-way to fly all the members down to the destination in a convenient group flight booking. There are certain terms and conditions when it comes to group bookings, particularly about amendment of the bookings and the fees charged by the airlines.

Each airline has its individual policies when it comes to such situations. Yet, some airlines do lend their support to such customers by

Voyager’s World > September 2015

way of discounted fares for groups and flexibility on sectors.

Oman Air provides special attractive discounts on fares, while looking into seasonality and flight loads. If the group size is 10 passengers or more, its discount levels will further go up making it cost effective for MICE companies. Its methodology in MICE bookings is well- accepted in the market and the response has been great, says Suraj. “We would like to add that Oman Air is open to suggestions and new ideas that will help in providing greater comfort and value for money for the passengers.”

Travel & Tours Group manages and operates MICE groups (small, medium and large) as expert MICE planners / consultants. “We charge our customers a fair fee which is based on the size of the group and the time involved in planning, managing and executing a successful event. Since we have a very good business relationship with all air-

lines and support them consistently, we have always got the required support from airlines. Small things like waiver of cancellation fees for select groups or adjustment of cancellation fees against a subsequent group operated by the same clients are small but very valuable additions that we have managed to negotiate for our MICE customers, besides the expected seating together, airline announcements, meal requests and waiver of excess baggage!” says Ashwin.

The Changi Airport Group, Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA) and Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau (SECB) have leveraged their combined experience in the meetings industry to develop the Singapore MICE Advantage Programme (SMAP). This programme offers enhanced meeting experiences for event organisers and overseas MICE visitors and is intended to complement the Business Events in Singapore (BEiS) incentive scheme currently offered by SECB. With this

new programme, event organisers can look forward to cost savings and smoother event planning and operations. MICE delegates travelling to Singapore to attend SMAPsupported events can also enjoy exclusive airline and airport benefits.

SIA offers products designed to benefit event management companies.

It offers flexibility when it comes to tickets and names of the passengers; which do not have to be known at the time of booking. David Lau, General Manager, India, Singapore Airlines (SIA) says that like most volume bookings, SIA looks at tailoring a value proposition for MICE travel which takes into consideration the fares as well as associated group benefits like priority baggage, seat selection, baggage allowance, etc.

“Our sales personnel stationed at all our 11 operating cities in India, work directly with travel agents as well as corporates. Typically MICE movement is initiated through a travel agent,” states David.

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David Lau, Singapore Airlines

Code-sharing with airlines is indeed useful especially while organising large events abroad, as it helps in the decision making process allowing the airline to provide the most convenient connections to the traveller.

How has the surge in the MICE industry reflected upon your airline?

As far as Oman Air is concerned, Bangalore being the IT hub in the country with thousands of corporate companies , the carrier uplifts a lot of MICE movement to its networks worldwide. “We are the preferred airline for MICE movement pan-India because of our unmatched fares and quality assurance,” says Suraj, while further stating that the carrier takes MICE groups annually to Dubai, Muscat, London, Milan, Paris and Zurich extensively and in large numbers.

Travel & Tours Group is 61% plus in the first quarter of this financial year, which was a brilliant start and it hopes that the subsequent quarters would prove just as exciting. Its top five MICE destinations are Thailand, Singapore, Switzerland, Philippines and Australia.

As regards SIA, MICE movement has grown rapidly and has become an integral part of the airline business.

Voyager’s World > September 2015

Facilities preferred “MICE travellers prefer to have a smooth journey from the departure to arrival. On board, they prefer the best in-flight entertainment, mobile network and Internet connectivity. Oman Air provides all these on board allowing travellers OnAir mobile services, to log-on and check emails, surf the web and update social media with Oman Air’s WY-Fi internet services & air Duty free access,” said Suraj.

David says that SIA’s customers look forward to the wide entertainment options provided on board. From the latest movies, games and language applications – travellers enjoy nonstop entertainment throughout their flight journey. In addition, Singapore Airlines and SilkAir cater some of the best dishes across various cuisines; keeping in mind dietary and religious preferences. “With the introduction of Premium Economy (ex Mumbai and Delhi to Singapore) from October 2015, we are also

confident that this new cabin class with its unique offerings of priority check-in, boarding, baggage allowance, in-flight meal options, A380 upper-deck in-flight seat design and comfort and in-flight entertainment options will provide a new enhanced mode of travel for MICE.” “The facilities expected by the MICE travellers are value for money, connectivity between various destinations, service standards, hassle free ride and good food. Sometimes they also demand special brandings to be used on the flights for the services provided to the employees,” Balakrishnan says.

they know what it will cost them a huge amount. Like I said earlier, it is all about understanding what your MICE customer wants to achieve and meeting the expectation.”

MICE groups on chartered aircrafts From Bangalore, Oman Air has not had charter flight requests yet; but Suraj says that the airline is capable of doing so if it gets requests in large numbers. While informing that the only way to book a complete flight is to charter an aircraft, Ashwin says that that does not come cheap! “Most customers shy away from chartering an aircraft when

Utility of Code-sharing Oman Air does code-sharing with nine international airlines worldwide, which helps it enhance connections to further destinations. David is of the opinion that code-sharing is indeed useful while organising large events abroad, as it helps in the decision making process allowing the airline to provide the most convenient connections to the traveller.

Balakrishnan says that corporates can avail the best packages given the fact that they have limited budgets. “On an average, MICE packages accommodate a minimum of 200 employees from the company.

Though chartered flights are a rare phenomenon, we have flown chartered flights. The last one we flew accommodated 1000 people.”

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mice asia pacific exhibition awards key contributors in m.i.c.e VW BUREAU

The inaugural Asia Pacific MICE Awards Ceremony 2015 was held on the evening of 10th September at the MICE Asia Pacific Exhibition 2015.

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he inaugural Asia Pacific MICE Awards Ceremony 2015 was held on the evening of 10th September at the MICE Asia Pacific Exhibition 2015. The awards were handed out to recognise achievements by those who have played a defining role in delivering exceptional quality, service, innovation, and more importantly, in driving the MICE industry forward. The awards were judged by leading event organisers, national tourism bodies, communication agencies and MICE publications from throughout Asia Pacific.

The event was inundated with numerous entries from throughout the region and this made for a very tight competition.

The voters were tallied up and the winners were announced based on

majority vote decision. The rationale the judges gave for picking the winning entries have been summarized below along with the winning entries. For the Best New Event in 2014 – 2015, the winner of this award, The Ate Group, had an original and creative concept with a clear objective and was described by our judges as innovative, dynamic and with a touch of local flavour.

The Best Conference award goes to IDC Financial Insights. They hosted and presented The Asian Financial Services Congress with sheer professionalism, from planning to execution. It was informative for the delegates and clear in what they set out to do, tackling the existing issues head on and showed great examples in overcoming this adver-

sity and other issues that lie ahead.

The Asian Financial Services Congress looks to set out becoming a hallmark event within the industry in the coming years. The judges were also looking for the Best Event Sales & Marketing Campaign that directly impacted on the result of the event and was clear in the objective it set out to achieve. The winner, TeamAsia, had interesting tactics and initiatives, and in their entry showed good use of the sales and marketing techniques they carried out with clear examples. They also demonstrated additional results gained through the use of social media campaigns.

The Event Team of the Year demonstrated fabulous teamwork and shown great examples of the benefits of a close team and how it can

overcome any obstacle while working honestly and wholeheartedly with clients. Together, Resorts World Sentosa has grown, strived and created memorable moments for their guests and team.

World Book Day event organized by Dream Solutions Pte Ltd., won as the Best Event Conference Series.

It has an admirable cause which includes promoting the Chinese written language and the involvement of children. The growth of the event has been exceptional over the years, with good youth engagement. It is no doubt that the winning exhibition venue is a flexible and functional venue in a good location. The ecosystem around the venue has been great for businesses with hotels, catering and shopping nearby.

travel tech show to bring new exhibitors at wtm london 2015 VW BUREAU

The Travel Tech Show, which was started in 2013, promises to host a whole new group of companies in this year’s show.

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he Travel Tech Show at WTM continues to play a vital role in the growth of the travel industry, this year hosting a range of new companies within the New Exhibitor Pavilion.

The Travel Tech Show at WTM, which takes place between the 2 – 5 November at ExCeL London, was launched in 2013 following the phenomenal success of the travel technology region at WTM and two years on it has grown by more than 20%.

More than £100 million of new business was generated for exhibitors at The Travel Tech Show at WTM 2014, with the show attracting almost 11,300 attendees who were interested in purchasing technology, a huge 8.3% increase on 2014

(10,418).

The New Exhibitor Pavilion, which is this year sponsored by Octorate, the cloud based all-in-one hotel booking Software Company, welcomes more than 14 new exhibitors including leading customer service and customer experience tools – SDL and Virtual Service Solutions AG. Also making a debut is iPortfolio Inc, a company which have created a guidebook app called Travalloon, the world’s first smart travel contents platform hosting enhanced e-Guidebooks, Video clips, and a traveller’s social network for Web, Android, and iOS. ButlerPad, a market leading virtual concierge application that provides

guests with the ability to communicate with hotel departments will also be take space within the New Exhibitor Pavilion. This new technology allows travellers to place orders, make reservations or ask a question all from the comfort of their own smartphone, tablet or PC. Fabrizio Scuppa, Managing Director of Information Technologies, Octorate explained: “Octorate hopes to meet with accommodation providers and destinations from around the world, and is looking forward to attending the wide variety of networking events that run alongside the Travel Tech Show at WTM. I have no doubt the four days will be extremely productive for us”.

A number of existing exhibitors have

re-signed for the Travel Tech Show at WTM 2015 including; TripAdvisor CodeGen, Illusions Online, Pegasus Solutions, Comtec, Open Destinations, Digital Trip Ltd, eMax Revenue and eviivo.

Tellink will be exhibiting for the third year running to promote their unique traveller SIM card to global tour operators and travel agents. Jo Marshall, The Travel Tech Show at WTM Sales Manager said: “The growth of the Travel Tech Show at WTM has been phenomenal and the variety and quality of new exhibitors joining the event reinforces the decision to make it a stand-alone event in its own right. “The Travel Tech Show at WTM offers travel and hospitality technology suppliers the perfect platform to promote their products.”

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investments, local involvement & expertise boost mice industry

The total system of a meeting includes everything from the local vendors to the event space, all adding to the economic growth of a destination.

VW BUREAU

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he significance of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry now finds itself placed on the top revenue and wealth generating areas in travel and tourism. The total system of a meeting includes everything from the local vendors to the event space, all adding to the economic growth of a destination. Thus, the undertakings of the MICE industry are gaining increasing importance in the growth of the economy internationally, going beyond cultures, nationalities, nations and business practices.

Meetings and events bring in a lot of knowledge resource and aid in professional enhancement in the area where the meeting is being held, while also creating job opportunities and helping small vendors. In a sense, it can be said that the MICE industry is supportive of ancillary businesses as well. The knowledge of someone who understands the area the conference is being held can be very valuable in ensuring the optimum outcome for the delegates.

It is important that the city comes together – travel agents government, transport, hotels and other related parties must come together.

From the time huge events and conferences are planned, going on to the stage of bidding for the venue and execution of work, the MICE industry aids in investment, technology and communication. They also bring in the best of ‘all worlds’ i.e.; attracting and inviting the top-notch talents and experts together, not to forget the networking advantage that this far-reaching industry pro-

Voyager’s World > September 2015

vides. In addition, today’s meetings have gone a step ahead to promote sustainable green meetings as part of their corporate responsibility towards the environment. Hence, the various advantages brought in by the MICE industry are the ones that the travel industry must take into consideration. In today’s highly driven world, often flanked with an unpredictable, fluctuating economy, a key area that those interested in the MICE industry must not ignore is the investment area.

The bigger the meeting, the fancier the venue and the more important MICE Point knowledge, investment and local economy boost mice industry the objective, the bigger is the investment requirement. Right from the planning stage, as mentioned above to the promotional stage, the huge infrastructure and the facilities require humongous funding. A recent study by the UNWTO on the value of meetings industry mentions that for a government owner – which is the case with well over 75% of convention centres worldwide today – this investment must be weighed against other investments in their community, many of which may be much more popular with local residents. Therefore, the organizers of the meetings, in tandem with the government, must work out on what would be the return on the investment (ROI). First of all, the MICE organizers should take stock of the normal trade visitor database that they already have before zeroing on the destination or the availability of the convention centre. Once that is

brought into shape, the next thing to be considered is the delegate- quality. Top-notch delegates, experts, regular meeting attendees and industry persons would have to be accommodated in high quality hotels and also have to be booked on good flights as well as ground transport. Plus, this also extends to other spending factors. For every delegate, there are so many people organizing things and providing services, such as the transport coordinator, public relations and communications coordinator, group in-charges, etc. Then there are the exhibitors and sellers who put up stands and stalls to exhibit their products and services to the buyers, visitors and other delegates who have a vested interest in the event. The bigger the event means the higher the purchase value, more the number of buyers. The need for the right branding exercise can be derived from the fact that business tourists spend few times more than other category of tourists; their spending on Wi-Fi, usage of the business centre at the venue and other meeting re-quirements are few examples. MICE means the coming together of people from different nationalities and cultures and hence, there is a need to ‘meet’ the international standards of quality. However, as attractive as the financial returns are from the meetings business, these are often far outweighed by broader community and economic development benefits.

Meetings and conventions essentially take place for the purposes of

business, professional and scientific development as well as sharing knowledge and expertise -so it’s not surprising that both the events themselves and the people who attend them have a lot to offer to the host community. From an economic development perspective, meetings and conventions attract people who are much more likely to be business decision makers – and this can generate not only local business prospects but trade and investment potential as well. Events also inevitably act as showcases for local products and services, if only because these will get exposure during the course of the events and the related social, educational and entertainment activities that take place around them. But there is an even broader benefit to the host community. Events in any area of discipline – particularly major national or international events – often attract literally the very best expertise in the world, which means local access to a high level of knowledge transfer and international exposure for local professionals. In areas like medical practice, this can have huge implications for how local skills develop – which creates, in turn, big benefits for the quality of service in the community. All these factors combine to create a strong and diverse return on an investment in the business events sector – and that is exactly what many governments are looking for today as they seek to build a more robust local economy in the face of lingering global financial challenges.

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DIGITAL CONTENT NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED VW BUREAU

Inge Hanser, Co-Chair of the INCON Group, talks about the relevance of good digital content for exhibitions, in the context of presentations and seminars during events.

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n times of high economic volatility, associations strive for new ways to strengthen their field of specialty, offer state-of-the-art services to their members and seek out new longterm and future proof income opportunities. But while the traditional congress-centric revenue models of delegate participation fees, sponsorship and exhibition income can be incrementally optimised and increased through smart strategic operation in collaboration with a PCO, they also represent a fundamental barrier of growth. Real world constraints such as congress and exhibition space, manageability of huge numbers of participants, travel budget cutbacks and tight congress budgets (among others) limit the scalability of these classic income streams and give associations a run for their money.

A New Hope One of the most valuable, and most underestimated, assets of a scientific association is its digital content, mainly stemming from congresses

and educational activities for their members. Well-known examples of such digital content are presentation webcasts, speaker slides, electronically submitted abstracts, observational videos and digitised posters. But even in the era of omnipresent digital lifestyle and its signature phenomena of GenerationFacebook, iPhone-hype and 24/7 online access, a congress’s digital content is still most often distributed through CDs bundled with printed material, given away (or sold) on USB keys or simply printed to paper books. Moreover, even when offered online through the websites of scientific associations, the high potential of these digital assets for use in continuing online educational activities – as opposed to shortterm value of periodic conferences – is largely neglected by associations and PCOs. Huge potential can be uncovered here, by achieving a shift from viewing digital content as a nice-to-have and short-lived gimmick for congress participants to take home as a souvenir, over to looking at such assets

as what they really are: scientifically valuable material for longterm use in continuing online education as well as a sustainable source of ongoing revenues for associations that can be spent on fulfilling their mission.

So the questions here are: What are these hidden treasures buried within an association’s pile of digital content and how can associations optimally cash-in on their value?’

The Digital Gold Mine When digital content is distributed

by CD/DVD or other tangible media, it represents fixed content and therefore cannot change dynamically or be shared across several participants. Any changes or interactions with such fixed content only affect individuals but are irretrievably lost to the community. Through interaction of expert users with the content available on an association’s educational web-portal, significant value is added that can be leveraged for cutting-edge features such as YouTube style multimedia presentation, stateof-the-art search and filtering

techniques or Amazon-style recommender systems. Tracking every single user-content interaction (like searching, browsing, or viewing an item) and relating it to the professional profiles of the user group significantly charges its value and boosts content sharing, peer participation and communication among user communities.

Uncovering the Treasure The more content and the more users interacting with it, the higher the added value and the price tag that can be commanded within such environments. When offered in the form of an association’s unified educational web-portal solution, spiced up with the possibilities of certifiable online courses, and rounded up with e-commerce functions, the outcome is a futureproof recipe for associations to significantly enhance the value of existing and future content and thereby gain a longterm strategic and economic advantage for the benefit of their members and their whole field of specialty.

market volatility impacts meetings VW BUREAU

Patrizia Semprebene Buongiorno, Vice-President, AIM Group International and CEO ofAIM Congress, talks about key drivers of change for the meetings industry.

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ey drivers of change in the business environment are fluctuating economies, political pressures and environmental and social aspects. Each business segment has its own specific levers and industry trends that drive change. There are those organisations that stagnate when faced with the challenge of change while others prosper. It helps to understand the factors behind the drivers of change, for example the competitive pressures resulting from globalization, the growth of consumer, power and the scientific technological revolution.

What does this mean for the meetings industry?

It means it is no different to other industries. The elements of change that impact a corporation have the same relevance to the meetings industry. Markets are volatile. Tech-

nology changes constantly. New generations of customers, workers, companies, supply chains have evolving needs. Communication means, messages and methods are crucial and need to be more creative and innovative. The economy, and its uncertainty, drives everything.

Oh – and speed – it all needs to be done immediately.

Meetings professionals must be ready to meet these drivers of change head on, we must be more proactive, we cannot afford not to be. The volatility of our customer’s environments affects our business.

Stakeholders have changed and each group has their own expectations. Association meetings have evolved from being the ‘activity’ to becoming ‘the platform’ for all association activities. Organisations are questioning and defining the objec-

tive of the events and meetings. Yes, the core focus remains on learning; learning for the delegates, the members, all stakeholders. But, is learning simply about gaining knowledge… or making connections? Or both? The structure and format of the meeting are shifting. Where once we held plenary sessions, concurrent/parallel sessions, satellite symposia and the like, today our events need to be a delegate centred educational experience.

How do we prepare for the future?

1. Delegates, stakeholders and clients have new and different needs.

Research them.

2. Identify the specific ideas on what makes an event successful. Implement them.

3. Meeting planners, event organisers and PCOs must stay ahead of technological advances and focus

on delegates’ expectations. The customer experience needs to be monitored every step of the way.

4. The meeting must be reviewed through the eyes of the participant and a unique proposition determined that will exceed their expectations.

5. Make sure you keep your promise To match our stakeholders’ needs and expectations, here are five steps to implementing a successful event: • recognise the need and research more creative meeting spaces designed to integrate different learning experiences • plan on and implement high use of technology at every stage from event conception to realisation • customise the offer with a change of the business models and the creation of tailormade meeting packages (incentives to attract delegates, pay per session models)

www.voyagersworld.in

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travel agents & operators take mice business very seriously VW BUREAU

MICE has become the byword for new business pastures in the dynamically changing travel industry, particularly the Indian meetings industry front.

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he seller on the streets has his voice to sell his wares; imaginably he is the brand ambassador for his goods and relies on the name, the tangible product and its uses for marketing them. A brand, as defined by the American Marketing Association (AMA), stands for ‘name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.’

destination and the M/I/C/E mutually brand each other.

The meaning and the function of the word ‘brand’ have a cumulative nature as the price of the product increases. The bigger the event, the longer the scale of branding and promotional activities and when it comes to the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry, this five-letter word gains importance in a snowballing effect.

When it comes to marketing a destination, a challenge faced by travel agents and tour operators is on the choices front. They find too many different options to offer to the customers and the customers also want to know a lot of options before deciding on where they want to go. Hence, the process of decision making becomes all the more complex.

Right from the word go, the MICE industry is characterized by its brand image, which as marketing author Philip Kotler outlines as a set of beliefs held about a particular brand.

While this piece, dear reader, only does touch upon various facets of branding in the meetings industry, it mainly seeks to find out how can the

Voyager’s World > September 2015

A recent and emerging example would be that of the World Travel Market (WTM) Latin America. Although WTM, by itself, is a brand, it would be right to say the event has helped further boosting the image of the destination. The Southern American region is fast catching up as the slow but steady turtle in the fresh destination market and the likes of WTM only help.

This apart, destinations involve a lot of money and the higher the package cost, the longer the customer dilly-dallies over making a decision on making the booking. The advantages that branding brings with it for marketing leisure packages are more or less the same for meetings

or business tourism too.

When a destination wins the bid to host a M/I/C/E, the preparation of the marketing activity entails drafting a certain branding image so as to convey the destination as a whole to the sellers, buyers and other stakeholders who have a vested interest in the event. It narrows down the options in the sense that it draws attention to the overall attractions of the country/region and whilst hosting the event, it prepares an itinerary that would showcase the best of its attractions, including sightseeing, hotels and local culture.

This way, branding actually helps reduce the choice as well as proves useful in communicating the reality or physicality of the experience that the destination is capable of offering even before visiting the place. This is because the venues and packages are intangible and require a high financial investment. The entire package detailing what the meeting group or the company can look forward to while visiting the venue.

When an incentive event is held at a ski resort in the Swiss Alps or aboard a luxury cruise for a large group, the branding helps in breaking down the different facets of the

destination. This marketing exercise plays a key role in cutting down the risks common to the end customer satisfaction.

The bigger the event means the higher the purchase value, more the number of buyers. The need for the right branding exercise can be derived from the fact that business tourists spend few times more than other category of tourists; their spending on Wi-Fi, usage of the business centre at the venue and other meeting requirements are few examples. MICE means the coming together of people from different nationalities and cultures and hence, there is a need to ‘meet’ the international standards of quality.

In today’s times, national and state tourism boards do not just restrict their focus on the main sightseeing attractions as part of their branding.

They also place a lot, if not equal, importance on other aspects of the place such as shopping districts and wellness spas in the area. Of course, in the present times the destinations are being marketed as business venues alongside tourism.

The relevance of branding a destination in the context of business and

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meetings industry cannot be ruled out as it helps develop the economy of the destination. In India, places like Bangalore or Hyderabad, which have cosmopolitan attractions but not necessarily enough to stand alone as tourist getaways, the meetings industry has helped in revenue generation. The Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) and the various multi-national hotel chains that have sprung in these cities have projected them on the global MICE venues. The brand image that these cities enjoy is that of an IT-backed cosmopolitan business centre, with easy connectivity to the nearby tourist spots.

Therefore, developing a brand promotion on these lines will tell the prospective clients about what to look out for while coming there for a meeting. In fact, the leading metros of India- Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad as well as Tier 2 cities like Goa, Jaipur and Ahmedabad have re-defined their wealth status through investments in developing the cities as business destinations resulting from the travel linked with attending the meetings, exhibitions, etc.

Tourism boards and Destination Marketing Companies (DMCs) can

develop a comprehensive yet easyto-recall and appealing brand association exercise for the cities by making positive brand images related to the cities, the characteristics, the local lifestyle, the people, the celebrities who belong to that destination and geographic and other social attributes that are unique to the cities themselves, thereby procuring them a distinct international status.

Tiger economies like Thailand were intelligent enough when the nations embarked on their development activities in the early 1990s, having a futuristic vision while doing up their countries. The development of tourism-related infrastructure took place together with the rest of the expansion plans. Today, a place like Phuket is as important a leisure destination as is a business venue.

As mentioned earlier, the meetings industry brings about different needs for the business tourists by way of the size of the venue, the meeting/conference facilities, infrastructure, easy connectivity, cultural similarities, size of the destination, safety, economic progress and the overall topography.

The brand image attributes for a

business tourist also includes quality of the amenities, accommodation and other functional attributes related to the event. These operative qualities are the ones that are crucial to the decision making process.

Brand image attributes Even as the actual experience that a place has to offer along with the culture and other attractions in the itinerary, the preliminary communication about itself comes from the brand logo and its tagline. Kerala Tourism has been successful in establishing quick brand recall through its log with the ‘l’ in its name represented by a coconut tree that is native to the state and so has Goa Tourism with a blue colour used in the font along with a beach background.

Given that a logo represents the destination in the tourism business, it must be able to exactly depict the essence of the destination and endeavour to create brand association and expectations for the business visitors who might be coming there for the first time. Yet, the creative team must ensure the logo illustrates nothing but the reality. While creating fonts and graphics distinctive of the destination is the norm, it may be mentioned that the brand

logo must try to focus on one or two biggest attractions of the destination as part of the association rather than racking one’s brains on trying to bring in many features of the place into the logo. Those can always be marketed through the USP line or the detailed packages.

But just because the logo makes the first impression it is not necessary to fill it with too many details to prove a point.

The logo of Switzerland Tourism, for instance, is very simple and crisp.

It has made use of its red flag with a white cross at the top right hand corner of a rectangular box encircled by a yellow flower and the whole box is filled with red. Its tagline ‘Switzerland get natural’ says it all about what it has in store, thus avoiding unnecessary clutter in the logo.

One can create a logo that seems to have no meaning at all; just a simple design that need not stand for something about the destinations.

Sometimes a meaningless logo still ends up achieving a quick recall in the minds of the travellers. The end objective is met with the immediate recollection and wrong associations with another destination.

www.voyagersworld.in

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FESTIVALS OF 22 - 25 October, 2015

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resented by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the festival will be held at the New Central Harbourfront, offering the perfect backdrop of Victoria Harbour in the heart of the city. There you can graze among around 300 booths, sampling international dishes and wine from over 15 countries. Exciting elements include the “Tasting Room”, in which exclusive wine talks will be held and delicacies created by top chefs will be served.

Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival

12 - 13 September, 2015

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hirardelli Chocolate Company organises the annual, two-day chocolate celebration that has transformed into a true San Francisco staple. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival hosts over 50 vendors, culinary demos by top dessert professionals, a Silent Auction and the popular Chocolate & Wine Pavilion. All profits from this are donated to San Francisco non-profit, Project Open Hand. A tradition at the festival includes an ice cream contest- Ghirardelli Chocolate Tradition! Festival attendees witness the hilarity as six lucky people eat the famous Ghirardelli “Earthquake” Sundae as fast as they can without hands.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival, San Francisco

23 - 26 October, 2015

7 - 9 October, 2015

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his autumn festival is held annually as per the solar calendar, drawing large numbers of tourists from inside and outside Nagasaki Prefecture. The highlight is the Hono-Odori in which the towns in charge called Odori-cho, take turns every year to perform dances. Each Odori-cho takes charge once every seven years. Attractions prepared by the Odori-cho include dazzling floats shaped like river barges or Chinese boats on wheels. When the decorations arrive at the head of the parade, spectators call out “Come quickly, we’re waiting!”.

Nagasaki Kunchi Festival, Japan Voyager’s World > September 2015

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othic ghouls, marauding vampires and dancing zombies are just some of the creatures that will prowl the streets of Dublin, Ireland during the Bram Stoker Festival. Inspired by the Dublin-born horror novelist and his creation – Count Dracula – the festival returns this year with the aim of awakening the city’s gothic heart. This festival will encompass indoor and outdoor events, from spectacles to intimate performances in unusual spaces, film and literary presentations, concerts, cooker, etc.

Bram Stoker Festival, Dublin, Ireland

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THE WORLD 18 - 25 November, 2015

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his fair is held at Pushkar town, 11 km from Ajmer, for 12 days annually. This cultural, trade and religious fair is an attractive and lively spectacle with Rajasthani men and women in their colourful traditional attire, saffron-robed and ash smeared Sadhus (holy men) and thousands of bulls, cows, sheep, goats, horses and camels in richly decorated saddles. Apart from the religious rituals and trading, people participate in a number of cultural and sporting events.

Pushkar Camel Fair, Rajasthan

13 - 22 October, 2015

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avaratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga. The word Navaratri means ‘nine nights’ in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights.During these nine nights and 10 days, nine forms of Devi are worshipped. The 10th day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or “Dussehra”. Navaratri is an important major festival and is celebrated all over India. Defining both the religious and cultural themes, Navratri celebrations are seeped in traditional music and dance.

Navaratri, Throughout India

26 November, 2015 23 October - 22 November, 2015

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he Sun Moon Lake International Music & Fireworks Festival is one of Taiwan’s most celebrated annual events. Co-hosted by North Face, Taiwan Mobile and Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration, the festivities will begin from 17 October to 9 November. Six lakeshore concerts will include a diverse range of performances by Taiwanese singers, large symphony orchestras and native Taiwanese opera troupes. The performances will be followed by a sizzling fireworks display.

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hiladelphia’s Thanksgiving Parade is the oldest in the country and a true Philadelphia tradition that takes place in the Benjamin Franklin Park. The city streets make way for massive floats and giant balloons, plus local performers from choirs, dance groups, marching bands and more. And Santa himself arrives in grand fashion, ushering Philadelphia into the holiday season. Now in its 95th year, the annual Thanksgiving Day parade promises another visual as well as celebratory feast.

Thanksgiving Day Parade, Philadelphia

Sun Moon Lake Festival, Taiwan www.voyagersworld.in

Happenings

Abu Dhabi Tourism taps emerging markets

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bu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) organised travel trade workshops in the emerging markets of Pune, Hyderabad and Kochi recently, with stakeholders representing leading Abu Dhabi DMCs, hotels and attractions. Bejan Dinshaw, TCA Abu Dhabi Country Manager - India, said, “We are excited to market Abu Dhabi as a destination of choice for outbound travellers from Pune, Hyderabad & Kochi. Abu Dhabi with its entertainment options, iconic properties, culture, heritage and adventure is the complete destination for a completely new holiday experience. Abu Dhabi offers fresh and exotic attractions with a blend of both traditional and the modern.

It is growing as a choice destination for leisure, destination weddings, honeymooners, MICE, niche and adventure travellers.”

8th International Conference on 'Indian Civil Aviation and Tourism' held

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he Union Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Culture (Independent Charge) and Tourism (Independent Charge), Dr. Mahesh Sharma jointly inaugurated the 8th International Conference on “Indian Civil Aviation & Tourism” in New Delhi on 27 August. The event was organized by Ministry of Civil Aviation and ASSOCHAM. During the event, a Knowledge Report titled “Indian Civil Aviation: At the Cusp of Taking off” was released by Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Dr. Mahesh Sharma. The Knowledge Report outlines the future roadmap for transforming the Indian civil aviation sector through a comprehensive development policy and provides important insights into the civil aviation sector. The awards were also given in various categories such as Best Airlines (International), Best Airlines (Indian) and Best Business Hotel etc.

Voyager’s World > September 2015

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Seychelles Prez ambitious on Indian market potential

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.E James Michel, President of Republic of Seychelles met the Indian press in August to reinforce the Indo-Seychelles bilateral relations and pave the way for greater partnership to promote tourism between both countries. The conference was attended by Alain St Ange, Minister for Tourism and Culture, Joel Morgan, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport, Roy Kinnear, CEO of Air Seychelles and Lubaina Sheerazi, COO Blue Square Consultants for Seychelles Tourism Board Office in India. The President said both countries recognised the need to bring their economies closer, drive growth and create opportunities for entrepreneurs of both nations and wealth for its people.

Vinod Zutshi is new Secretary - Tourism

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inod Zutshi, a 1982 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre is the new Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism. His predecessor, Dr. Lalit K. Panwar, retired last month following his superannuation on 31 July this year.

Prior to the new undertaking, Vinod was the Deputy Election Commissioner. He had begun his career as an SDO in Rajasthan in 1984 and had been Managing Director, Industries, Secretary for Education, Agriculture, etc. in Rajasthan. He also held the post of Secretary Tourism, Rajasthan, and Chairman, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) between 2004 and 2007. On Central deputation since 2009, Vinod has been Officer on Special Duty (OSD) and subsequently Deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India.

Happenings

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Karnataka receives 'Best Heritage State' Award from PATWA

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he Department of Tourism, Govt. of Karnataka is conferred with Best Heritage State by Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) - Safari India South Asia Travel Award 2015 on 7th August in New Delhi . R.V. Deshpande, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Government of Karnataka received the Best Heritage State award on behalf of the state was also conferred with the award Best Innovated Tourism Minister.

PATWA Award is known for its endeavours with the public and private sectors to support sustainable growth and improve the quality of travel and tourism as PATWA’s core philosophy is to support PATA in achieving responsible development of tourism in the Asia Pacific region, recognising the state for its heritage appeal only further endorses its efforts for the same.

Karnataka is promoting two UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Hampi and Pattadakal among many other monuments and structures of archaeological and historic significance which must be explored even further to realise its full potential.

APCT to promote S.E. Asia as single destination

IAAI elects new committee for Maharashtra

Ashwani Lohani to be next Air India CMD

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he Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Promotional Chapter for Tourism (APCT) – India Chapter got together in Mumbai yesterday to promote ASEAN as a single and collective tourism destination to the Indian audience. APCT was conceived by the member countries of the ASEAN as part of its efforts to leverage the tremendous tourism potential of the region. Initiatives are being taken to ensure that tourists get the best during their holidays in the ASEAN region by way of enhancing product development through regional packages, increase public awareness on ASEAN products, facilitation of intra-ASEAN travel etc.

he IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI) has announced election of new members for its Maharashtra State Committee. While Chetan Momaya will continue as President, IAAI, Pune-based Devendra Ghule and Aruna Shetty will take over as Vice Presidents. Chetan Gandhi has been elected as Secretary, Manish Singhal is Joint Secretary, Siddtharth Shah is Treasurer, Surendra Kamat and Neelu Bhatt are Managing Committee members and Anil Gupta is Tourism Co-ordinator. Biji Eapen, National President, IAAI, has revealed that the national body elections will be held along with its annual convention in a couple of months “most probably in Chennai. ”

shwani Lohani, the Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Air India. He replaces the present MD & Chairman of Air India, Rohit Nandan, whose extended tenure ended on 21 August.

Rohit’s three-year term as Chief of Air India had originally ended in 2014 but the IAS officer was given a year’s extension by the government. Ashwani, who is a 1980 batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), was accorded a three-year term after his appointment was approved by the appointments committee of the Cabinet.

www.voyagersworld.in

Editor’s Pick

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Think about the context of your travel content

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ontent fever continues to spread, with ever more travel companies getting the message on “brand publishing,” what it is and how they should do it. But a question that is often overlooked is why this is so important in the first place.

NB This is a guest article by Matthew Barker, head of strategy at IandI Travel Media.

The travel industry is pumping out articles and ebooks, hosting blog trips, posting photos to Instagram, working on our subscription lists, but to what end? We have the faint notion that “content” allows us to sell directly to our audiences, but the actual mechanics behind that process can be less clear and, despite the content deluge, few companies are doing this strategically and with a firm grasp on the bottom line value.

Part of the problem is a disconnect between “content” and the rest of digital marketing strategy. Content is the engine that drives our marketing, it isn’t a standalone activity in its own right. The better the content, the more powerful the engine. But you still need to use it strategically to reach and engage the audience at the right time and place, and at some point you need to find ways of turning those new audiences into sales.

Subscription Form

So here are three brief examples of how content can integrate with wider digital strategy to have a tangible impact on your bottom line: Lowering paid search CPAs If, like most travel companies, paid search (namely

Google Adwords) is swallowing the lion’s share of your marketing budget, even a small improvement in campaign efficiency can have a massive impact on your returns. The key to PPC success is ruthlessly optimising conversion rates while lowering the cost per acquisition (CPA), i.e. how much you spend to get a customer.

When you’re spending several dollars per click at high volume, getting a handle on the CPA is critically important. Smart content strategy can play an important role here.

Engaging people with stand-out content first and then bringing them back to your site with targeted search ads gives you highly-engaged, pre-qualified audiences who are much more likely to convert than consumers coming in cold with no previous contact. You can segment this audience and use search ads to re-capture them at the moment of purchase. With the analytics data indicating exactly how much more likely they are to convert, you can adjust your bid strategy to spend more on acquiring this traffic and still see lower CPAs thanks to much improved bounce and conversion rates.

Improving CLV with email Email is a perfect channel for extending Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) but you’ve got to be smarter than simply blasting out company updates and your latest promotions.

Recognise that email isn’t always great as a lead-gen tool, but that winning opt-in permission to access someone’s inbox gives you a huge opportunity to share relevant,

valuable content and reinforce your brand’s credibility and authority.

Converting PR & exposure into leads In the widest sense, PR is any form of earned exposure: press coverage is the obvious example but social media visibility, blogger partnerships and “influencer marketing” all qualify as online PR. Whereas in the past you could only guesstimate the value of PR via metrics such as ad value equivalent (AVE), these days robust analytics and attribution modelling allow you to trace highfunnel interactions from PR activity all the way down to leads and revenue.

But doing this requires an understanding of the journey to purchase, and what content and information

your customers require at each stage. It’s reasonable to expect some leads from a PR engagement, but it’s also likely that much of the audience won’t be prepared to make a booking at the exact moment they’re reached.

Takeaway There are countless other ways to unlock ROI from brand publishing – with smart content strategy you can identify the most appropriate solutions for the audience and with proper attribution modelling it’s easier to evaluate bottom-line outcomes, even with long and convoluted conversion paths.

Courtesy: Guest article by Matthew Barker, head of strategy at IandI Travel Media, Tnooz.

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Voyager’s World > September 2015

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Top Appointments

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Max Smits

Jyoti Dogra

General Manager- South Asia, Air France-KLM

Head of Marketing, Brigade Hospitality Services

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yoti Dogra is the new Head of Marketing of the Brigade Hospitality Services. She will be responsible for promoting all brands of Brigade Hospitality. Prior to this, she was Director of MICE with the Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore and part of the pre-opening team of The Ibis & Novotel Techpark Hotel Bangalore.

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ir France-KLM appointed Max Smits as the General Manager–South Asia and will be responsible for driving the airline’s growth and enhancing alliances in the region. With about 40 years of experience in aviation, he had worked earlier in Dutch Caribbean, Greater Antilles & Surinam for Air France KLM.

Gaurav Sarin

Ramendra Pratap Singh

Executive Vice President & COO, Value Inns & Hotels India

General Manager, Park Plaza Noida

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amendra Pratap Singh joined Park Plaza Noida as the General Manager. He had previously worked with Corbett Riverside Resort, Chokhi Dhani, Leisure Hotels Ltd and most recently with the Radisson Blu Hotel Indore and has over 16 years of experience in hospitality industry.

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he Value Inns and Hotels India appoints Gaurav Sarin as Executive Vice President & COO. He has over 16 years of experience in sales, marketing, business development & hospitality. Prior to this, he worked as the National Operations Head for Best Western India and other hotels like Sarovar Hotels in North India and Sayaji Hotels.

Sanjay Jayanth

Neerja Bhatia

Head of Business Development, Asia, Routes and ASM

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anjay Jayanth Joins Routes and ASM as Head of Business Development, Asia.

He brings 16 years of aviation experience to market-leading route development events and consulting businesses and has worked in network development; operations; marketing; revenue; cargo, etc. for KLM, British Airways, Delta Air Lines and most recently GMR Group.

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tihad Airways appointed Neerja Bhatia Vice President India and Indian Sub-Continent.

She joined Etihad in 2004 as sales manager West India and later managing West and South India, before becoming General Manager India. In her new role, she will lead Etihad’s activities in India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Seychelles and Sri Lanka.

Jim Berra

Vijai Singh

Chief Marketing Officer, Royal Caribbean International

General Manager, InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort

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oyal Caribbean International named Jim Berra the Chief Marketing Officer. Jim will be responsible for all aspects of the cruise line’s marketing programme. Jim, most recently, served as Senior Vice President (VP) and CMO for Carnival Cruise Line and before that he served as Senior VP and General Manager at Rodale Interactive.

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Vice President India and Indian Sub-Continent (ISC), Etihad Airways

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ijai Singh joined InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort in June overseeing the opening and management of the new luxury resort. He comes to InterContinental from LUX Maldives. With 20 years of experience, he has worked in the Rania Experience, One&Only Reethi Rah and Taj Exotica in the Maldives.

Anand Chatterjee

Sohaib Kidwai

General Manger, Planet Hollywood Beach Resort, Goa

Director of Sales & Marketing at Hyatt Pune Kalyani Nagar

nand Chatterjee is the General Manager of Planet Hollywood Beach Resort, Goa. With 14 years of experience, he has worked in Welcom Group Management Institute, ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton, ITC Sonar Bangla Sheraton, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, etc. He joined Planet Hollywood Beach Resort in the construction phase.

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yatt Pune Kalyani Nagar appointed Sohaib Kidwai as the new Director Sales and Marketing. He has to his credit an experience of 10 years and previously worked with JW Marriott Mumbai, Renaissance Mumbai, Grand Hyatt Mumbai to name a few. Prior to joining Hyatt Pune, he was associated with Park Hyatt Chennai as a Director of Sales.

www.voyagersworld.in

NETWORKING ISThE THE NETwORKINg IS KE KEY y September 2015

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