Voyager's World June 2014 by Editor

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Vol XI

Issue 8

Pages 48

June 2014

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

When the tough gets going, the tough gets Modi..challenges ahead!

ummer’s still treating the country with over-heated disdain, the new Government is in place and monsoon has no sign to

reign in its showers. The tourism industry is buoyed by the mere announcements by the political gods that tourism does exists as a viable industrial option! With headlines screaming itself hoarse with attacks on women, it is getting tougher to project India as a safe country. The International markets should be addressed ag-

gressively, with some more emphasis on focussed public relations. It would not be a bad idea to invite more than 500 journalists and media from around the world to India to reinforce India as a safe place. Air Asia made it’s entry into the domestic Indian skies to further bring the Indian market to a renewed aviation excitement. With Spicejet and Indigo joining the fare-war, the Indian consumer has never had it so good. Even though, the prices are more promotional in nature and on a limited seat configuration, the deal hunter will surely smile. Niche segments such as wine related travel is already driving numbers. New wine destinations in India is a brand new segment for the Indian tourism portfolio and this issue unveils more reasons to get high on wine. We have also covered unusual MICE venues in

04 10

Sydney and Melbourne and will feature many unique event spaces

Industry Buzz

in the coming editions. Happy reading.. Warm Regards

Cover Story The hospitality scenario in Chennai

ROHIT HANGAL

rohit@voyagersworld.in

16 Wine Sojourns Trailing on new wine growing regions in India

24Cruise

Food and wine experiences on cruises, variety with each destination.

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28Hospitality

New trends in the hotel industry, views from top management of hotels

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Industry Buzz

4>>

Bengaluru welcomes 'My Fortune' Hotel

he first My Fortune hotel in Bangalore opened in the city’s commercial business district on Richmond Road. The hotel features well-appointed rooms including 79 Standard Rooms, 32 Fortune Club Rooms and four suites. Catering to business travellers, the rooms are equipped with comfortable seating and work desks that are handy for carrying out business functions seamlessly. Conferencing and banqueting space to accommodate 400 persons and functional public spaces designed for interaction. The 24x7 business centre, My Business Point, provides our guests with all desired resources at their quick disposal.

Congrex Holland rebrands into CIMGlobal

ongrex Holland announced to rebrand into CIMGlobal after recent announcements of their management buyout together with CIMGlobal. Along with the name change the company launches its new website (www.cimgobal.net) and updated visual identity. Managing Director Jarno de Boer stated: “After the announcement of the management buyout we have received many positive responses and already signed new and continued business. Since the new ownership is in place we have worked hard in order to integrate our services and work with our new colleagues around the world. This rebranding feels like the logical step in that process.”

SA Airways starts social check-in

outh African Airways introduced ‘Social Check-In’ to allow guests to manage an online check-in through their Facebook profiles. In doing so, guests can share their own profile while also checking other traveller profiles and selecting seats based on matching interests. After online check-in, guests are given the Social Check-in option by connecting to their Facebook profiles, while having complete control over the details they want to share and those they don’t. The Social Seat Selector allows the guests to view fellow guests’ profiles and select seats next to a preferred co-passenger.

Mumbai gets India's first floating hotel

Air India to code-share with Hong Kong Airlines

ir India signed a code-share agreement with Hong Kong Airlines (HKA) at Airlines House in New Delhi today. HKA will place its code on direct flights operated by Air India between Hong Kong and three cities including Delhi (DEL), Osaka (KIX) and Seoul (ICN) respectively. HKA passengers will have better access to an expanded network of destinations on Air India. They can enjoy daily flights between Hong Kong and Delhi, a three times weekly flight (every Tue/Thu/Sat) between Hong Kong and Osaka, as well as a four times weekly flight (every Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun) between Hong Kong and Seoul, by Air India’s B787 Dreamliner.

Launch of ENIT India website

aharashtra Tourism brought the country’s first luxury Floatel for the tourists along with WB International Consultants and AB Hospitality, who will run the service to boost tourism in the state. The iconic Floatel ‘AB CELESTIAL’ in Mumbai was launched at the Bandra jetty. Made and imported from USA, it will be docked at the Maharashtra Maritime Board’s jetty at Bandra under the Bandra Worli Sea Link, with a 360 degree stunning view of the Mumbai city and Sea Link. It is a professional state-of-the-art 3-tier Luxury dinning Floatel with a sky deck, two galleys, and will have two multi cuisine restaurants including a club lounge equipped with a 24-hour coffee shop. The overall capacity of this Floatel is focused at accommodating minimum of 660 guests distributed between the four tiers of the Floatel.

NIT, Italian National Tourism Board, launched its newly designed website for the Indian market. The website will offer quick and easy access to essential information with a more comprehensive understanding on ‘ITALY’ as a destination. A key feature is the online training course for tour operators to certify themselves as Italian Travel specialists. The course is designed to give in-depth knowledge of all 20 regions of Italy.

Voyager’s World > June 2014

Industry Buzz

6>>

First Bullet Train with Foot Spas

n July 2014, JR East will launch Japan’s first bullet train with onboard foot spas. The bullet train, named Toreiyu - a combination of the English word ‘train’, the French ‘soleil’ and ‘yu’, the Japanese word for hot water –will have one car with two 2.4-metre-long foot spa tubs facing windows and also a car with a bar counter and tatami-mat flooring with tables made from cherrywood. Toreiyu will run mostly on weekends on the Yamagata Shinkansen Line between Fukushima city and Shinjo, Yamagata Prefecture, roughly a two-hour journey. It is part of a campaign to promote tourism in Yamagata, a farming area known for rice, beef, cherries and pears. According to JR East, the ceiling and the back of the passenger seats will be decorated with reliefs of cherries, a specialty Japanese people firmly associate with Yamagata Prefecture.

roomsXML launches mobile interface for TAs

oomsXML introduced a interface for smartphones that gives access to travel agents to book hotels in real time and at net rates at the on-going Arabian Travel Market 2014.

Says Prakash Bang, Managing Director: “Everybody thinks of travellers who are on the go. There are zillions of applications for them. But what about their travel agents? Why shouldn’t there be a facility that makes life a little easier for the travel agent? The idea has delighted travel agents in the Middle East and I am sure the response will be equally good in other markets too.”

Kerala Tourism's 'Dream Deals' to offset off-season dip

Prague to host 56th ICCA Congress in 2017

CA President Arnaldo Nardone on behalf of the ICCA Board of Directors announced the venue at the ICCA Mid-Year meetings at IMEX. The Mayor of Prague, Tomas Hudecek, who presented the bid in Frankfurt alongside senior Czech meeting professionals, said: “We want to inspire ICCA delegates with the story of our city’s success in the international meetings market, which has occurred not just because we are a great cultural and tourist city, but because we have placed international meetings at the heart of our economic development and knowledge economy strategies.”

New Minister urges collective efforts to boost tourism

T K

erala state’s tourism department embarked on a campaign titled ‘Dream Deals’ in a bid to leverage the potential during the traditionally dubbed ‘off-season’ in the peak-summer months of April and May, followed by the monsoons. The discount-rate scheme, which is on from April until the end of September, is now poised to provide a new phase of experience for visitors, as the three-month monsoons were set to hit Kerala on June 1. ‘Dream Deals’, the details of which can be accessed from the Kerala Tourism website, was published on www.keralatourism.org/dreamdeals for visitors to create preferred itinerary at economical rate.

Voyager’s World > June 2014

he new government appointed Shripad Yesso Naik as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Tourism. He said: “All efforts would be made to boost tourism in the country and remove the bottlenecks that may impede the smooth flow of tourists.”

RezLive.com launches Mobile App

ezlive.com, part of Travel Designer group, had an effectual ATM– Dubai, in May 2014. ArabianRezLive.com also launched its RezLive Mobile App, by placing the global reservation system in the hands of the travel partners. The App will enable agents to perform critical tasks as managing bookings on the go, cancelling and vouchering of bookings, getting alerts, viewing map for hotel location, etc.

MICE Point

8>>

©Sydney Aquarium

©MCEC Convention Centre foyer

Unusual meeting spaces in Australia

Lyn Lewis-Smith Business Events Sydney “Our clients request bespoke experiences rather than a one size-fits-all approach that was the case previously. Today the clients want to break new ground and make their mark on a city, as well as their workforce.”

s MICE promises to be the next good thing in the travel industry for a long time to come, we look at top event trends and spaces in Melbourne and Sydney. There are more in store in the coming editions on unusual meeting venues. Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO of Business Events Sydney, says: “Postcard perfect settings, resorts and clear blue skies are not going to be enough for a city to win the business.” Sydney hosted the Perfect China Leadership Seminar, welcoming 3,000 Chinese direct selling representatives to the harbour city in July last year. New deals were brokered, new initiatives were developed and unique experiences were created to deliver beyond the client’s expectations. This, I believe, is the new norm. Business Events Sydney has delivered 170 events in the past two

Voyager’s World > June 2014

years, attracting over 111,000 delegates staying almost 450,000 delegate days and generating an estimated A$391 million. This includes events from medical, technology, science and engineering sectors. Both international association events and corporate incentives are popular throughout the year. Some examples of previous large-scale mega events held in the city include 2000 Summer Olympic Games; 2003 Rugby World Cup; 2007 APEC Leaders Conference; 2008 World Youth Day; 2014 G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting. Karen Bolinger, Chief Executive Officer, Melbourne Convention Burea, says: “When organising a business event in Melbourne, the Melbourne Convention Bureau is the first point of contact. We connect clients with Melbourne’s leading business event suppliers to facilitate the delivery of

Karen Bolinger, Melbourne Convention Burea “We connect clients with Melbourne’s leading business event suppliers to facilitate the delivery of conferences, meetings and incentive travel reward programs in the city be it a large scale convention or a small meeting.”

conferences, meetings and incentive travel reward programs in the city. Whether you’re holding a large scale convention for more than 5000 delegates or a small meeting for 20, Melbourne has a venue to suit every meeting, convention, exhibition or special event requirement.” The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) is the largest convention and exhibition venue in the Southern Hemisphere. MCEC offers a multi-purpose Plenary, 52 meeting rooms and Exhibition Centre that stretches half a kilometre. This city’s 197,000 sq m of conference space and over 15,000 accommodation rooms in walking distance of each other. Unusual venues in Melbourne Eureka 89 Banquet: 150 Cocktail: 400 At 300 metres above sea level, situated at the top of the striking Eureka

Tower, Eureka 89 is Melbourne’s most spectacular boutique event space and the highest public vantage point in the Southern Hemisphere. Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) Banquet: 650 Cocktail: 1000 The MCG has a capacity of 100,000. Throughout the winter, it serves as the home of Australian Rules Football. There are several event spaces here including one its grounds, Members Dining Room and Olympic Room. National Gallery of Victoria (NGV International) Banquet: 1000 Cocktail: 2500 NGV International is one of Melbourne’s finest cultural institutions located in the heart of the city’s arts precinct. Just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre, the gallery’s collection comprises more than 39,000 works of art. It also boasts of the largest stained glass ceiling in the Southern Hemisphere.

Cover Story

10>>

chennai hospitality: the sky-rocketing inventory story! The room inventory is constantly on the rise on the Chennai hospitality front as around 1,550 premium segment rooms began operations in the city in 2013-’14 and 2014-’15. PRIYAMVADHA BALRAM

classic example of a culturally vibrant city that constantly stays even with the changing times is certainly Chennai. For a metropolis that habitually triggers references to weather, crowds, engaging politics and food, it is not often that the city’s hotels are alluded to, not to forget it is home to some long-standing names.

comed more hotels, international chains included, in addition to the gradual development of a niche segment as the serviced residences sector. With just one or two techparks 10 years back, today areas that were once considered outskirts now have sprawling IT-campuses, thus paving way for a rapid growth in the number of hotels.

For a very long time, hotels like Taj Connemara, Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers (earlier known as Adyar Gate Hotel), Ambassador Pallava, Taj Coromandel, Fiserhman’s Cove and the Savera Hotel, the birth of the new millennium witnessed new entrants in the upscale and mid-scale categories such as GRT Grand, The Park, Residency Towers, etc.

Hence, it may be right to say that the confidence of the investors in starting new hotel projects and the success of these properties are linked to other sectors that are thriving in the city. A recent example would be the Mahindra World City Chennai, which is India’s first operational Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The township is home to MW, B.Braun, Capgemini, Holiday Inn Express, Infosys, Ingersoll Rand, Lincoln Electric, Parker

In the past years, Chennai has wel-

Voyager’s World > June 2014

Hannifin, Renault-Nissan, etc and has recently welcomed Holiday Inn Express in its premises. How has Chennai evolved as a destination for business travel in the last five years? Ajit Koushik, Area General Manager – India, the Ascott Limited says: “Chennai has emerged as a major automobile and manufacturing hub, with many MNCs setting up their base here. It is now being referred to as the “Detroit of India”. To fuel the growth in industries in and around Chennai, companies depute their experienced expat teams to Chennai for tenures ranging from three months to a year. This has directly increased the number of foreign expatriates and business travellers to the city.”

Moreover, recent reports indicate that there are about 360 Japanese companies with offices in Tamil Nadu. More than 700 Japanese expats are living in the state and over $1.8-billion worth of business is being exchanged between Japan and Tamil Nadu. Most of these businesses operate out of Chennai. More companies are expected to set up base here and more Japanese expats are expected to move to Chennai - so much so that an exclusive industrial township is being developed on the Old Mahabalipuram Road just for the Japanese. All these developments that have taken place in the recent past, have been the contributing factor for Chennai to evolve as a destination for business travel.

Cover Story

©SGC Infinity Pool, Ascott Ltd

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Ajit Koushik, Area General Manager - India, Ascott Limited New clusters are emerging in city suburbs like Velachery, Sholingnallur, Perungudi, Siruseri and Navalur where the demand for quality accommodation has risen . Some expats working in these areas tend to live with their families in rented homes along the ECR. These areas are well-connected to the airport and within 30-45 minutes from the city centre.

N Krishnan, General Manager, Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers Chennai, says: “Business travellers (especially from the auto and IT/ITeS industries) form 85 per cent of the clientele for premium hotels in Chennai. A large number of automobile companies such as Hyundai, Nissan, Ford, BMW, Mitsubishi and Ashok Leyland, and major IT players such as Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro are present in the city.” Hospitality graph in the suburban areas of the city in ECR, Nungambakkam/ Egmore and Guindy, Siruseri and Navalur Despite the surge in number of businesses setting up in Chennai, the serviced residence segment is still is in its nascent stages. Ajit says that the growth of serviced residences in Chennai is slow compared to

markets like Bangalore, Mumbai or Delhi National Capital Region (NCR). “The concept of serviced residences in the city has been replicated from business practices in Bangalore city. Though the concept was conceived in late 90’s it came into growth stage only from 2004. Also, there are many unorganized players who have spoilt the market with low-cost accommodations that provide minimal or no service at all and this has tarnished the image of the serviced residence industry.” He further observes that hotels and serviced residences in Chennai are spread across the city with the highest concentration in the southern part of the city where clusters are found in locations like T Nagar, Nungambakkam and Mount Road, that cater to the demand of the cor-

porates located in the city; whereas areas like Guindy and the Grand Southern Trunk Road stretch have always played host to a variety of hotels due to its proximity to the airport. However, this does not necessarily mean that a serviced residence would do well here. While looking for a long term accommodation, guests would prefer locations that are in residential areas or if not, in close proximity to their workplace, schools, entertainment hubs etc. New clusters are emerging in city suburbs like Velachery, Sholingnallur, Perungudi, Siruseri and Navalur where the demand for quality accommodation has risen due to increased commercial concentration and nature of the businesses in

these locations. Some expats working in these areas tend to live with their families in rented homes along the East Coast Road. These areas are well connected to the airport and are within 30 - 45 minutes from the heart of the city, there are schools nearby for children of expats and also many entertainment hubs as well. To capitalize on this potential, Ascott is currently developing Citadines OMR Gateway Chennai, a 269-unit serviced residence in Sholingnallur along the Old Mahabalipuram Road. This property will be ready to open by 2017. According to Krishnan, “Premium hotels in Chennai are spread across three micro markets- the central business district (CBD), Old Mahaba-

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Cover Story

©Hanu Reddy Residences, Chennai

12>>

N. Krishnan, GM, Sheraton Park Chennai The best way to tap the IT and corporate client in the vicinity is to target fresh IT/IT-ES investments in the city. Brick wall the existing and displace from competition. The demand environment is expected to remain subdued and only a marginal improvement is expected in 2014-15. lipuram Road (OMR) and the airport area. Demand in the OMR region comes mainly from IT/ITeS companies. Similarly, the presence of automobile and electronics manufacturers in Grand Southern Trunk Road and Sriperumbudur, makes the airport area an attractive destination for business travellers. Premium hotels in the central business district mainly receive guests from BFSI and PSU companies.” Demand-supply ratio of hotels and serviced residences in these areas. In a situation of supply over demand and more properties being opened in Chennai, the economics of breakeven and reaping the Return-onInvestment (RoI) come to play. The payback period may take longer than expected. In the India scenario, the number of international arrivals into India has increased over the last few years owing to an increase in FDI. In Ajit’s opinion, “Now that a new government has been formed, FDI into India expected to nearly dou-

Voyager’s World > June 2014

ble from US$29 billion in FY 20132014 to US$40 - 45 billion in 2015 (Source: Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion and Care Ratings Report 2014). International tourist arrivals estimated to increase more than 80% to over 11 million by 2021 (Source: Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2011– India by World Travel & Tourism Council). India is a key market with huge demand and evidently there is a limited supply of quality serviced residences.” Foreign expatriates and business travellers coming into India on extended stays of more than a month are no longer satisfied with small hotel rooms. They prefer larger spaces that provide a home-like atmosphere complemented by the services and facilities of a hotel. Moreover, India has a growing affluent middle class that is increasingly looking for quality apartments for their intra-regional travel. All these factors indicate that there is strong growth potential for the serviced residence industry. That’s where

serviced residences come in.

business volumes.

Krishnan reveals that in 2013-14 and 2014-15, around 1,550 premium segment rooms (on a base of 3,500 rooms) commenced operations in the city. “The demand environment is expected to remain subdued and only a marginal improvement is expected in 2014-15,” he added.

It may be appropriate to say that the city’s hotels can focus more on holidng meetings, conferences and small events towards weekends. Places like the Chennai Trade Centre (CTC) is an added advantage for the city with so many hotels in CTC’s vicinity like the Le Meridien, the Trident Hotel, etc. While saying this, it is also important to note that the infrastructure sector is interdependent. The city is home to a number of unique theme parks, beaches, cultural heritage, temples, etc. Therefore promoting the local tourism in good stead will be equally effective too. Encouraging sporting events on a grand scale can bring in more business to the hotels in the weekend.

Average occupancy levels during weekends/ peak season and otherwise Weekends usually see a dip in the month’s performance save for major events and conferences. While low weekend occupancy is a subject of concern to a neighbouring city like Bangalore, Chennai does not seem to be affected as much by low weekend business. The city’s outgoing crowd is known for its customary experimenting habits with food and beverages and the many restaurants and hotels in the city only vie for their fair share of food enthusiasts. That way, the F&B aspects of a hotel makes good for its weekend

This apart, travel agents and tour operators can target the mid-income and the rising IT segment that is always looking for an affordable decent accommodation. They can tie up with hotels and work out city tours. Plus, the floating population from neighbouring districts and

Cover Story

13>> states who visit the city on short business trips is a segment to look out for. Those business travellers who come frequently from places like Coimbatore, Tuticorin, Pondicherry, Hyderabad and Bangalore can be encouraged to extend their weekend with interesting. 80% of Ascott’s customers are from overseas and 20% are domestic travellers. Due to the long stay nature of their business, the property manages to run with an average occupancy of 70% to 75% throughout the year. The average length of stay of each guest is around 45 nights. Most of its guests are business travellers from the United States of America, Japan, United Kingdom, Singapore and Italy. “Serviced residence usage worldwide is still business-dominated. However leisure travellers are also increasingly opting for them as they see a value in staying at serviced residences. Our core business

comes in India from corporates - our target customers are mainly longstaying expatriates and business travellers including interstate domestic travellers. NRIs and leisure travellers who are travelling on their own or with their families prefer to stay at Ascott’s serviced residences,” says Ajit. As for Sheraton Park, the weekend business hovers around 45%, the reason being attributed to Chennai not being a weekend destination. During the peak season, the hotel witnesses occupancy of 90% and in general, it is able to achieve 75% occupancy during the year. How has the hospitality scenario in the city in the past decade? In 2009-10, RevPARs of premium segment hotels in the city had declined sharply to Rs 4,200 from an average RevPAR of Rs 5,200 between 2006-07 and 2008-09. This was due to the economic slowdown which started in the latter half of 2008. RevPARs recovered to Rs 5,000 in 2010-11 on account of

strong room demand during the year. “However, in 2011-12, RevPARs of premium hotels in Chennai declined by 15 per cent to Rs 4,250 on account of a weak corporate demand due to uncertain macroeconomic conditions. During the year, occupancy rates (ORs) fell by 500 basis points to 64 per cent and average room rates (ARRs) declined by 7 per cent to Rs 6,750,” says Krishnan. When there is more of anything, the economics of demand and supply naturally comes to play. With hotels coming up in different belts of the city, break-even and reaping the Return-on-Investment (RoI) are the next important dynamics in question. Plus, as customers are exposed to more choices of hotels to suit their budget, the next logical question is about the pressure wielded on the Average Room Rate (ARR) which is expected to fall in order to sustain and boost guest traffic to the hotels. With more high-end players in the pipeline in the next few years, one

can expect a ‘domino effect’ with the five-star and upscale hotels eating into the the four-star category space and four-star hotels, in turn, going into the space of three-star hotels and so on and so forth. It is believed that in the near future, the guests might create additional pressure on the ARRs. These days, they have become smarter and have more scope for negotiation. Thus, a frequent and a smart traveller regularly follow the latest airfares and hotel rates and related deals during the process of decision-making as to whether or not he has to stay back at the hotel before the return flight. However, with the uncertain economic conditions and fluctuating budgets, the guest can choose to do work through video-conference instead of spending on travel and hotel, a possibility that cannot be ruled out. So, pricing seems to be the keyword here. We will examine these, dear reader, in the coming edition.

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14>>

Flight Talk

New players, new connections dominate Indian aviation space The kick-off AirAsia India’s operations, new Civil Aviation Ministry, direct flights introduced by national carriers, travel agents programme and code-sharing agreements have been the latest developments in the sector. VW BUREAU

Voyager’s World > June 2014

to seven destinations in the USA from Kolkata with a limited connecting time of 50 – 60 minutes at Doha. On May 27, the Kolkata International Airport, with a massive 25 lakh sq ft. area and a terminal capacity of 20 million passengers began connecting passengers via Qatar Airways at Hamad International Airport. The carrier will fly to New York JFK, Houston, Washington, Chicago, Dallas Fortworth (starting 1 July) and began flying to Miami starting 10 June. Qatar Airways launched an exclusive website for Indian travel trade partners, providing them with up-to-date information on the company. The site seeks to be a unified communication channel for the Indian travel trade to keep them informed about various offers, products, circulars, advisories, policies and news on the latest developments from the airline. The website is a comprehensive tool for travel trade to raise queries and get instant support and feedback from the company officials. The new website offers a complete selection of information on Qatar Airways in an easy to use format, enabling agents to access the data by registering and logging on the website https://tradepartners.qatarairways.com/AgentPortal/login.page Other developments on the aviation front include Air India’s new direct flights to Italy from Delhi. The airline will operate flights from Delhi to Rome (Fiumicino, Leonardo da Vinci Airport) and Milan (Malpensa Airport). The flight will be operated on a triangular route with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Delhi-Rome-Milan-Delhi - will operate four days a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. AI-123 will depart from Delhi at 1420 hrs and arrive in Rome at 1905 hrs. The flight will leave Rome at 2040 hrs (as AI 122) and reach Milan at 2200 hrs. The return flight AI 122 will depart from Milan at 2330 hrs and arrive in Delhi at 1015 hrs the following day. Delhi-Milan-Rome-Delhi - will operate thrice a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. AI 123 from Delhi to Milan will depart at 1420 hrs and arrive in Milan at 1930 hrs. It will then

©New Civil Aviation Minister

he Civil Aviation front has witnessed a lot of developments lately right from the new Minister for Civil Aviation, Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati assuming office to AirAsia India’s take-off. The new minister said: “We will do our best to ensure that passengers rights are not violated.” He added that operationalization was one of the key concerns where an immediate analysis of the crisis in the aviation sector was required, to take steps towards creating level playing fields for all airlines. He also emphasized that the public sector did have a place in the overall growth of the aviation sector, but, `it had to perform’. He assured that all possible efforts would be taken towards shaping a viable and workable aviation policy. As AirAsia India soared into the skies last week, the Indian low-cost carrier sector is expected to experience tough competition in the coming days, with the likes of JetLite, IndiGo, GoAir and SpiceJet. The first flight of AirAsia India took off from Bangalore to Goa at 1510 hours on Thursday 12 June, 2014. AirAsia India will focus on connecting tier-II cities to begin with. The carrier previously announced promotional fares for as low as Rs.990 for BangaloreGoa and Bangalore-Chennai routes, thus compelling existing players to follow suit with slashed fares. “Our airlines’ fares will be about 35 per cent lower than the current market rates,” AirAsia India Chief Executive Mittu Chandilya had earlier said. The new entrant has already triggered the fare war by announcing fares as low as Rs.990 for its Bangalore-Goa and Bangalore-Chennai routes, forcing the rival carriers, including IndiGo to come out with matching fares. SpiceJet offered fares beginning Rs. 2,999 for one-way on domestic sectors. IndiGo offered fares for just Re 1 on the Bangalore, Chennai and Goa routes, taking on the competition from AirAsia India’s Rs.5 fare (excluding airport tax and other applicable fees) offer and putting on sale over 25,000 promotional seats with travel period validity up to October 25. Qatar Airways launched its flagship Boeing 777 and Airbus 320 aircrafts

©Air India code-share with Hong Kong Airlines

proceed to Rome (as AI 122) at 2100 hrs and arrive at 2210 hrs. The return flight AI 122 from Rome will depart at 2335 hrs and arrive in Delhi on the following day at 1015 hrs. Air India also signed a code-sharing agreement with Hong Kong Airlines (HKA) at Airlines House in New Delhi recently. Under the code-share agreement, HKA will place its code on direct flights operated by Air India between Hong Kong and three cities including Delhi (DEL), Osaka (KIX) and Seoul (ICN) respectively. HKA passengers will thus have the advantage of better access to an expanded network of destinations on Air India. They will be able to enjoy daily flights between Hong Kong and Delhi, a three times weekly flight (every Tue/ Thu/Sat) between Hong Kong and Osaka, as well as a four times weekly flight (every Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun) between Hong Kong and Seoul, all to be served by Air India’s B787 Dream-

liner. The code share takes effect for flights booked from 10 June 2014 (HKG-DEL) and 4 July 2014 (HKGKIX, HKG-ICN) respectively, subject to regulatory approvals. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) found the global passenger traffic results for April to have increased with the total revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) having risen by 7.5% compared to April 2013, an improvement over March growth of 2.9%. Asia-Pacific carriers’ traffic rose 6.7% compared to the year-ago period but capacity rose 7.7% and load factor slipped 0.7 percentage points to 75.7%. Economic conditions in the region do not support further acceleration in demand growth, with China continuing to show weakness and Japan starting to see some reversal of previous growth momentum. In Japan, a recent sales tax increase caused indicators for economic activity to decline sharply in April.

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Travel Trends

Overseas destinations search increases by 101%: skyscanner International destinations have seen a whopping 101% growth in volume searches, as per a study by Skyscanner on Indians’ travel trends. VW BUREAU

kyscanner has released a series of travel trends showing Indians as keen to escape from the heat and turn to overseas travel this summer season. While international destinations have seen a whopping 101% growth in volume searches, searches for domestic destinations have seen a rise of 60% over January to April 2014 compared to the same period last year. Morocco, Bhutan, Greenland, Thailand and UAE are Indians’ most popular summer holiday destinations this year “Indians have become more experimental when it comes to travel this summer season. In the spirit of exploration, they are looking for longer, more expensive trips and are searching for newer destinations.

increase in overall searches.

Skyscanner’s Search Everywhere feature allows travellers to search anywhere and everywhere for destination inspiration. It’s a fun and useful way to help travellers find their dream destination at the best possible price,” said Kavitha Gnanamurthy, Senior Marketing Manager, Skyscanner India.

Another destination that has gained traction amongst destination searches is Morocco, witnessing a 261% increase in searches compared to last year over the same period. Greenland (+240%), Thailand (+214%) and UAE (+204%) are some of the other countries that have piqued consumers’ curiosity this year.

Skyscanner’s data suggests that Indian travellers are becoming increasingly adventurous with their travel choices – Bhutan, a popular but remote backpacking route located at the eastern end of the Himalayas - has witnessed a staggering 244%

Known for its Roman architecture, serene coastal landscape and mountains, Croatia emerged to be one of the most searched European countries with a year on year growth of 152%. While Croatia would normally be considered an unlikely destination

choice for Indians, Skyscanner’s data shows how Indians are becoming more willing and experimental to explore the un-explored. Croatia’s glamour and old-fashioned authenticity makes it one of the most popular European countries amongst Indians

gar, Goa, Kochi and Port Blair.

Far Northern European countries including Greenland and Iceland emerge as exotic summer getaway options with a 210% year on year growth. In terms of sheer volume of searches US, Thailand, UAE, UK and Singapore remain the most searched destinations for Indians this summer.

These trends are indicative of the fact that Indian travellers have become more adventurous; the recent unrest in Thailand has not deterred t hem from opting for a holiday to that country.

Within India, travellers are looking at exploring destinations such as Srina-

Skyscanner’s trends conclusions are based on consumer search data for flights on www.skyscanner.co.in between January and April 2013 and the same period in 2014.

These figures can be attributed to a gradually but steadily climbing Indian rupee this year, much unlike its languishing situation in 2013.

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Wine Sojourns

New wine growing trails in India! The Indian wine segment expects to grow at the rate of 15% every year.

Shailendra Pai, Founder & CEO,Vallonne Vineyards People are using wine for various health benefits as a number of Indian wine producers are making very good quality wines and interested in the holistic wine experience for a steady growth in the market and continues to grow over the years. IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

he India wine industry is growing rapidly with increasing number of wineries, Maharashtra and Karnataka are the main wine growing regions, Nashik is the wine capital of India. Some of the new wine growing regions are Mysore, Mandya and Chamrajnagar, Bijapur in Karnataka and Hindupur in Andhra Pradesh and shrirampur, in the North. As per ASSOCHAM’s forecast on the Indian wine market, Indian has reached 14.7 million litres in 2012 and expects to grow to 28 million litres by 2015.

Voyager’s World > June 2014

New wine growing regions Nilesh Kale,Director ,Black Grape Holidays says many new wineries are coming up in Shrirampur & Bijapur areas who are more focused on making wine rather than developing winery tourism. In the opinion of Ajay Shetty, Managing Director, Myra Vineyards, Nashik in Maharashtra is a wine growing region and now Karnataka is proving to be very fertile for wine cultivation. The Krishna Valley in the North and Nandi Hills in the South are upcoming areas.

Shailendra Pai, Founder & CEO, Vallonne Vineyards explains that in the last few years Karnataka has witnessed the setting up of new wineries. Cecilia Oldne ,Head of International Business & Global Brand Ambassador, Sula Vineyards states that the main wine producing regions in India are Maharashtra and Karnataka, while Nashik is today the wine capital of India with 40 out of the country’s 65 wineries. There are also a few vineyards coming up around Delhi and trails are also hap-

pening around Himachal Pradesh. Sumedh Singh Mandla, Chief Executive Officer, Grover Zampa Vineyards says that some of the major new additions of grape growing areas have come in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The Mysore, Mandya and Chamrajnagar regions of Karnataka (Cauvery Valley) have gone under cultivation of wine grapes and recognized as new grape growing regions of Karnataka, towards North of Bangalore region the new entry for the grape growing region is Hindupur located in Andhra Pradesh at the

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Wine Sojourns

Sumedh Singh Mandla, Chief Executive Officer, Grover Zampa Vineyards The domestic wine industry expects to grow over 20 % for next 5 years and can see growth in the wine grape growing regions for 2015. The new techniques at the newly laid vineyards provide a better platform for improving the quality of grapes. Karnataka Border is showing promising results for red wine grapes cultivation. Michael John D’Souza, Wine Maker, Big Banyan wines says Karnataka & Maharashtra are growing wine varietals. International level recognition Alessio says that the international awareness and knowledge of India as a wine producer is limited as of now, but we are all promoting our wines internationally and in our country of production.

“It will take a lot of years for people to distinguish an Indian wine made in Nashik, Akluj or Bangalore.If all the different Indian wine producers from different wine regions will cooperate in a more systemic way it will be easier to promote Indian wines abroad,” He added. Nilesh said Nashik is the biggest exporter of wines. Shailendra states that Anokhee is well known in the UK and also listed in a few Michelin star restaurants in London such a Tamarind. Three of our wines won the bronze medal at

the DAWA 2013. “We have got several queries from Germany, Australia, China, Japan, US and France for launching our wines there and also had visitors from France, Japan and South East Asia to Netherlands who have come, tasted and taken back our wines,” He added. Cecilia explains that Sula is at the forefront of the Indian wine revolution, as the global perceptions around India wines are changing rapidly. Our most recent international launch was in the UK with Marks & Spencer.

“Sula is now registered on SEDEX being the first Indian winery to be and we are also proud of having become ISO 22000 certified this month. SEDEX ensures ethical and responsible business practices, labor standards, health, safety, environmental/ecofriendly and business ethics,” She says “The other wine producing countries in Asia coming up strongly are Thailand, Japan and Indonesia. A new alliance for wine producers in Asia had just been formed and Sula is a founding member. One should watch out for the efforts of Dennis Gastin

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Wine Sojourns Ajay Shetty, MD, Myra Vineyards India marks a great growth in terms of size of the wine market,drinking wine is all about enjoying the drink and having fun. The growth of the wine industry in India is between 13% to 15% annually and foresees a better growth. and the Asia Wine Producer Association now joining forces working towards establishing wine producing regions in Asia in the world wine map,” He added. “The Indian wines are in the path of recognition at the international level for their innovation and the quality of wine being produced,” said Sumedh. Ranjit states that the new regions in India are yet to establish a foothold in India, The established regions in India where wine is being produced are mainly Maharashtra and Karnataka that makes India known of the international wine map.

in newer players in the market the Indian wine industry pedestal has been elevated. For instance at Myra Vineyards, we are careful in how we present our wines to our consumers, our wine bottles are designed and imported from France, grapes for our wines are handpicked consciously to ensure we give quality wines to our consumers.

Cecilia states that the wines from the new world are gaining more and more market share, the Indian wine used to be seen as a niche product but Sula is today listed by top Sommeliers as a good wine from a different region. The term new world wines certainly conjure up images of gallant explorers landing on the shores of new continents, spreading old traditions into fertile uncharted territory.

“We have positioned our brand as a fun and uncomplicated drink yet classy. Drinking wine is not all about holding the glass swirling, sipping. It is about enjoying the drink and having fun,” He added.

“Now wine consumers can make courageous efforts to explore the world in hopes of discovering new wines. Europe and California may offer safe havens for the traditionalist, but there’s a wealth of quality products

Michael says that Nashik is a well known wine region, most of the well known enologists and viticulturists work in this region. New wine players Alessio says that we have witnessed a wave of 3 wine producers which first started from Chateau Indage, Sula and Grover’s starting in late 90’s followed by the second wave around 2009 - 10 with Fratelli, Zampa, York, Valloné followed by a third one with Diva, Krsma, and recently Charosa, a mix between boutique winery to bigger project.

“Now there is more choice availability on the shelves with new players. Some brands are focusing in lower end of market as a conscious choice. The distribution is a big problem for newer and smaller wineries as their reach is limited,” says Nilesh. Ajay explains that with the surge

Voyager’s World > June 2014

“The new wineries have introduced different business models, volume oriented the first wave and quality oriented the second. Fratelli has introduced an innovative business model which is to make wine only from grapes coming from our state owned vineyards and overcoming the typical Indian limit that can cause a limitation in quality. The third wave is settling in and it would be too early to say about their capacity of creating another brand identified for quality or quantity,” He added.

just waiting to be found if you know where to point your compass,” He says. “The Michelin star restaurants around the world, from New York to Tokyo, feature Sula on their wine list. The Sauvignon Blanc being one of Asia’s most awarded Sauvignon’s. The Rasa Shiraz 2012 was recently awarded a Silver Medal at the Syrah du Monde the world most prestigious award for the Shiraz varietal,” He added. Sumedh says that there is an ongoing experimentation with several new grape varieties across various regions with some varieties like Tem-

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Wine Sojourns Michael John D,Souza, Wine Maker, Big Banyan Wines The Indian wine industry is growing at the rate of 15% every year and a healthy competition among wine producers. Nashik is a well known wine region as most of the well known enologists and viticulturists .Karnataka and Maharashtra are the two states growing wine varietals.

pranillo and Grenache showing very good results. The new techniques and controls at the newly laid vineyards also provide better platform for further improving the quality of grapes and wine in general. In the opinion of Ranjit this is a new industry therefore there are new entrants with new ideas who add a new dimension to the wine offering but different style of packaging, experimentation in carbonated wine, etc and helping the industry tap into new avenues were wine could be grown therefore expanding the market. Michael says that there is a healthy

competition among wine producers, consumers started experiencing new varietals, day by day the quality is increasing. Growth of the new wine growing regions Alessio says that in Maharashtra we can find the Nashik area and a belt that starts from Pune South/East, Akluj where Fratelli is based and continues to the Bangalore area. These 3 different wine regions differ from each other according to climate and soil conditions. In the opinion of Ajay the wine regions in India are very limited. Maharashtra

and Karnataka are the two key states from the selection of 6 which have been very active in producing wines in India. Nashik in Maharashtra is one of the most fertile regions for growing wines in the country followed by the Nandi Hills in Karnataka. Shailendra explains that the main wine growing regions in Maharashtra are the Igatpuri-Nashik belt and areas such as Sangli in the western Maharashtra belt. “The region has seen a number of wineries in the past few years. Vallonne Vineyards is located in this wine valley of India on the banks of

the Mukhne Dam,” He added. “The most prominent and productive new world wine producing countries are the United States, Canada, South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and now India,” Cecilia says. Sumedh says that over last 10 years due to the stagnant growth among most of wine producers in India, many farmers have gone up to the extent of uprooting existing vineyard. The industry has been promising during the last few years. “With the wine industry taking shape and with improvement in wine business, the first positive move in the growth of wine grape growing regions of India is that uprooting has stopped to a major extent and the existing vineyards are showing growth towards the sustainability of the industry,” He added. “The Nasik Region is the biggest wine grapes producing region in India that includes Pune, Nasik and Ahmednagar. The Sangali Region includes Solapur, Sangali, Satara and Latur. The Bangalore Region includes the Nandi Hills, Bijapur and Bagalkot (Krishna Valley),” He added. Ranjit says that predominately grapes are grown in Maharashtra almost 75% of grapes and then Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Apart from these regions some grape planations have been occurring in Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, North Eastern regions and some parts of Kashmir. “In Himachal Pradesh were certain grape varietals are been experimented while the growth is rather minuscule. After the industry revives and good growth number emerges then it is possible that varietals that are experimented with will gain momentum and we can expect growth in these regions,” He added. Expected growth for 2015 Alessio says Fratelli has grown in the last 3 years :2010 - 11 : 30,000 li-

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Wine Sojourns

Cecilia Oldne ,Head of International Business & Global Brand Ambassador, Sula Vineyards The Wine consumption among women increased by 30% in the last 5 years as compared to a 17% surge in demand from males.The increase in number of wineries, the knowledge and good vintages are promising for the Indian Wine Industry, drinking wine is part of the lifestyle and known to be a healthier alternative to hard liquor and beer. tres, 2011 – 12 : 1 lac litres, 2012 – 13 : 3 lac litres, 2013 – 14 : 5 lac litres and 2014 – 15 : 7 lac litres (estimated). In the opinion of Nilesh Black grape we expect a growth of at least 10% in 2015 for wine tourism. Ajay states that India has marked a great growth so far in terms of size of the wine market even though the industry is at a nascent stage. Currently, the growth of the wine industry in India is between 13% to 15% annually and foreseeing a better growth in the coming years. As per ASSOCHAM’s forecast on Indian wine mar-

Voyager’s World > June 2014

ket, Indian has touched 14.7 million litres in 2012 and expected to grow to 28 million litres by 2015.

to a 17% surge in demand from males, especially in metropolitan areas,” She says.

20 % for next 5 years .So we can expect similar growth in the wine grape growing regions/ area for 2015.

Shailendra said that with the new found interest of large industrial groups in investing in the Indian wine industry the growth in the wine segment is expected to get a fillip. Cecilia states that Sula’s customer base is growing twice as fast among women as compared to men. It is becoming more acceptable among women to drink wine.

“The greater exposure to western culture, global travel and experience of other countries where drinking wine is part of the lifestyle, are also helping to drive sales of wine in India. It is also known to be a healthier alternative to hard liquor and beer. In India, the current consumption rate per capita is 12 ml in India as compared to 30 litres in France,” She added.

Michael explains that, in 2014 the production had decreased due to various reasons, at the same time there was huge demand for quality grapes and is expected to increase by another 15%-20%.

“Wine consumption among women throughout India has increased by 30% in the last 5 years as compared

Sumedh observes that the domestic wine industry is pitched to grow over

Expansion of Indian wine producers Alessio explains that the Indian market is expanding constantly in the 3 main areas New Delhi/ NCR, Bangalore and Mumbai plus tourist areas like Goa, Rajasthan, Agra but many

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Wine Sojourns

Ranjit Dhuru, Managing Director, Chateau d’Ori Winery Wine is a lifestyle product and offers a direct relationship for growth of expendable income. The new regions in India have to establish a foothold in India, international fame or recognition is a distant dream.

other markets also have a great potential. “The wine segment has to be explained, introduced and marketing activities play a very vital role. For example, Kolkata is a place with a lot of potential and 5 star hotels are doing their best to promote wine. Recently Taj Kolkata had organized an International/National wine fest showcasing wineries from India and abroad,”He added. Ajay says that the Indian wine market is evolving rapidly and it is advantageous for any new player international or national to step in and adapt.

We do see a robust growth in Indian wine producers, but from a consumption point of view one out of four wine bottles consumed in India still remain imports. “This perception will change as Indian wine makers focus their efforts in producing wines of utmost quality. The Indian producers are also using the opportunity to increase exports,” He added. In the opinion of Shailendra it is great to see a growing interest in wines and also in wine tourism, as more and more people are opting for wine, for a variety of reasons of health benefits,

because they have tasted good wines across the world and also because a number of Indian wine producers are making very good quality wines. “For instance, Vallonnes wines have won awards at the DAWA Decanter Asia Wine Awards last year and also the Consumers Choice Awards in India. People are interested in the holistic wine experience so every week we have visitors coming to the winery for tours, chats and tastings. All this is contributing towards a steady growth in the market which will only continue to grow over the years,” He added.

Cecilia says that Sula Vineyards has quickly gained a reputation as India’s 1 wine company since the launch of the company’s first wines in 2000. Today, Sula Vineyards award-winning wines are available nationwide at the finest hotels and restaurants and are also exported to Asia, Europe, the United States and Canada. The company enjoys a 70% market share in the domestic market. “Sula continues to experiment with new varietals, engage in sustainable agriculture, support the local rural economy, and, of course, make wines of outstanding quality and superb

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Wine Sojourns value. Sula is aiming to become one of the world’s most sustainable wine producers,” She says. “Sula Vineyards is also a pioneer in India’s wine tourism opening the country first tasting Room at Sula in 2005 and India’s first vineyard resort in 2007. With 170,000 visitors in 2013, Sula is one of the most visited wineries in the world and the 1 spot where Indians first taste wine,” She said. Wine education is one of our focuses and we also share our knowledge on various practices with other wineries and farmers. The increasing number of wineries in India, the knowledge and good vintages are also very promising for the Indian wine industry,” She added. “In spite of several new wine producers entering the market during last 5 years, the organic growth is still quite slow for the wine industry in India,” says Sumedh. Ranjit explains that the market is quite challenging, as there is a new player who wants to get on the wine bandwagon. It is to be noted that there has been a significant consolidation where one sees large and significant investments in established players like Sula. “A large global player like LVMH establishing for the first time a significant size winery at Dindori , the players like Seagram, UB group, HCC, have set up wineries of significant sizes therefore the industry is here to stay and here to grow as the Indian economy grows. One should understand that wine is a lifestyle product and has a direct relationship for growth for expendable income,” He added. Michael says that currently the Indian wine industry is growing at the rate of 15% every year. Challenges Alessio states that introducing new grapes and new wines, consistency in quality are few of the challenges, the International taste to all the wines that according to Fratelli should be style wise, dry, refreshing, easy approach, complex but elegant, keeping in mind that it must be easily paired with Indian food. © Grover Zampa Vineyards

Nilesh says that opening up new markets, licensing, taxes and label registration overheads and distribution. Ajay observes that certain regions of Karnataka are up coming, rather than being region specific, the indi-

Voyager’s World > June 2014

vidual producers need to ensure the proper practices of wine making and grape cultivation. If these practices are embraced then the regions will be able to produce great wine. Shailendra explains that there is several challenges faced right from differing taxes levied by various states to losses by weather conditions and also lack of power supply. Then there are unreasonable demands such as heavy discounts and free deals made by some retailers which are bleeding wine producers. “However, a few leading wine producers have come together to start a forum that will collectively address these concerns faced by the wine industry as a whole,” He added. Cecilia says that the poor infrastructure has made the logistics of wine difficult in India. The cost of land is so prohibitive in the emerging wine regions like Nashik that the grapes sometime becomes too costly for producing wine at a reasonable price. In most emerging markets, the lack of wine knowledge in all segments including the consumers and decision makers. Michael says that the basic challenge is to get quality yield, since 2010 due to unseasonal rains and drought has affected the quality very badly. Sumedh states that the challenges faced by new regions include limitation of growing all varieties at the same location, long distance from the wineries to transport the grapes during harvest, lack of good support from the government for subsidies, power and other facilities. Difficult state policies, lack of subsidies for grape farming and infrastructure are some of key challenges. “The government does not generally differentiate between wine and spirits and are not aware of the huge economic potential the wine industry. The consumer who has been drinking only liquor for decades doesn’t have enough knowledgeable about the benefits of wine. Another challenge is the climate change, labour and water shortage. India is the only wine producing country in the northern hemisphere that has a winter harvest,” Cecilia added. Ranjit concluded that the new wine growing regions need to have a complete ecosystem, the main challenge is in making the vineyard in a particularly area economically viable and also establishing an ecosystem.

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ambassador pallava chennai:

exuding a stately charm!

et in idyllic surroundings , with a backdrop of verdant green, Ambassador Pallava Hotel is a modern hotel with old world charm. Nestled in Montieth Road , plumb in the heart of the business district of Chennai, not far away from Mount Road (Anna Salai) Ambassador Pallava is the ideal choice for discerning travellers. Travellers who want peace and solitude yet wish to be in the heart of the city.

Besides it has a modern swimming pool, a gym, a shopping arcade,and ample parking space for over fifty cars.

Ambassador Pallava is a modern four star hotel. Well known for forty years for its service, food, rooms and ambience. With a huge banquet hall, three large conference rooms, a 24 hours coffee shop, two restaurants offering continental, chinese and Indian food. Both a-lacarte and buffet. And a well stocked bar offering the finest Indian and foreign liquor.

No wonder domestic and international tourists and business travellers prefer Ambassador Pallava. A hotel with a forty years reputation for ethics, honesty and values.Excellent food.Spacious rooms. Superb service. Exquisite ambience.

The rates are the most competitive in its category.All these make Ambassador Pallava the first choice of travellers who want peace and comfort at a competitive price in the heart of Chennai.

A hotel which every guest calls a second home.

- An Advertorial

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Cruise

Gourmet experiences on a cruise voyage! Food and wine on cruises entices ones palate as flavours and aromas vary from destination to destination IRENE SUSAN EAPEN

he Indian travellers are now exploring cruise travel through sightseeing, tasting gourmet international cuisines, cultural events and signature wines. The food and wine segment on cruise have always been one of the prime attractions in a cruise travel. The Indian food and wine lovers are expecting a more refined and elegant cuisines on board. The food and wine segment is growing day by day. People love to go for a cruise holiday mainly to explore the food, wine, entertainment as well as on shore destinations. The Indian market is growing and expects a promising growth for 2015. Growth on food and wine segment Tarique Hussain, Co-Founder, Cruise Club explains that In recent years,seasoned diners’palate have become increasingly more sophisticated and the guests are expecting a lot more refined and elegant cuisines on board. The cruise companies today will entice your palate and send your taste buds soaring as you travel from

Voyager’s World > June 2014

destination to destination. “The flavours and aromas become a part of your experience as the sights you see and the cultures you encounter. Food and wine cruises include an exclusive array of epicurean delights. On board, multiple intimate dining venues serve superb cuisine with a sophisticated level of attentive service and an ever changing ocean view,” He added. Ian Banerjee, Director, Oceania Cruises said that food and wine segment on cruises is growing day by day as we see most of the cruise line companies has introduced food and wine festival or food and wine special cruises, the frequent cruise travellers are looking forward to it. On Oceania Cruises, we offer several Signature Sailings with guest celebrities and special events to enhance guest’s remarkable vacation. “Food is a very important part of the Oceania Cruises experience. Jacques Pépin’s first namesake restaurant which offers authentic French cuisine,

dining at La Reserve by wine spectator Oceania Cruises is proud to partner with Food & Wine Trails, America’s foremost culinary travel company,” He says. “The food and wine trails tours are always kept intimate and always led by a knowledgeable, English speaking sommelier, wine or food expert, cooking instructor or chef, who enjoys introducing visitors to some of the best and most authentic food and wine of their region like Tuscany, Provence and many more,” He added. Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, Tirun Travel Marketing , India Representative , Royal Caribbean Cruises states that the food and wine segment on cruise ships has always been one of the primary attractions for guests. The level of luxury and indulgence along with the magnitude of options available is unmatched aboard luxury cruise lines. The trend is to call upon the most celebrated and award-winning global chefs to treat cruisers to their

specialties and tantalise taste buds with a variety of cuisines. “On Royal Caribbean cruise ships, the kitchens are as star-studded as the stages. On Quantum of the Seas we have introduced Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant and at Michael’s Genuine Pub, we have James Beard award winning chef Michael Schwartz. We have introduced the ‘Dynamic Dining’ experience on the much anticipated Quantum of the Seas that opens doors to new worlds of culinary explorations for cruisers,” She says. “This experience allows total flexibility in dining coupled with distinct options. There are no set dinner times, no required formal nights. Instead guests can let their appetite be the guide to 18 tantalizing possibilities of which five are complimentary, full-service main restaurants, and three new restaurants with award-winning chefs at the helm,” She added. P.Varadan, Managing Director, Com-

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Cruise

Ian Banerjee, Director,Global Anchor Cruises Cruise travel is popular in India, the Indian travellers are growing in number as food and wine lovers and food plays a very important role in Oceania Cruises experience. fort Leisure, states that the food and wine segment is mostly on river cruises in Europe, while on the ocean cruises, there are specialized restaurants where they serve mostly Italian & French cuisines with more of cheese preparation and all types of international wines. “The Indian market is slowly catching up on the segment of food and wine but the number is limited as people specially look for river cruises to taste the different kinds of wines with cheese in France and Germany. Indian food and wine lovers Ian says that a well travelled Indian traveller now wants to visit some extra ordinary tours. The Indian travellers are growing in number as food and wine lovers.

Ratna states that, people who love to experience true luxury are looking at cruises as the best way to explore the food, wine, entertainment as well as on-shore destinations. The luxury travel market in India is growing at an annual rate of 20% to 25% which is likely to expand as the rupee continues on its upward march. “The Indian traveller today is well exposed to the best of global food and wine, this is applicable to both the well-heeled and the enthusiastic backpacker who explore a variety of cuisines from different regions and are passionate about delving into the world of epicurean experiences,” She added. Marketing plans Tarique says that some leading cruise companies like Crystal cruises now

offer wine and food themed cruises. For example, Crystal Cruises is putting a twist on its popular wine and food experiences of discovery motif by replacing the wine with lagers, stouts, IPAs, and cold ones that are barrelaged, made with bacon, have names like Funky Old Time all for a new Microbrew themed luxury cruise. “Beer focused boutique adventures, expert presentations, cooking and cocktail classes, tasting sessions, and dinners are all on tap on such themed voyages. Onboard, guests can glean complimentary expertise from expert sommeliers, cookbook authors and TV food show hosts,” He added. “The Indian cruise market is slowly growing. We regularly come up with exciting promotions and market through mailers to our guests and through our esteemed travel partners. We also

market this to prominent social groups enjoying wine and food paring. Additionally we partner with events related to food and wine promoting these itineraries,” Ian says. Special offers Tarique said that the cruise companies are constantly redefining the food and wine on board for example, Crystal Cruises is using the doctrines of molecular gastronomy, new hightech galley equipment, expanded local sourcing and the creativity of Crystal’s highly trained executive chefs. “The innovative new program launched in this spring fleet features more than 100 new dishes showcasing modern epicurean artistry. One such example is a delectable re-imagined Strawberries Romanoff comprised of Cotton Candy dome that melts immediately upon having strawberry consommé

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Cruise poured over it, revealing a flourless fresh berry almond cake with vanilla anglicize hidden underneath, “He says. “Oceania Cruises is proud to partner with food and wine trails, America’s foremost culinary travel company, in the offering of this tour. The food and wine trails tours are always kept intimate and always led by a knowledgeable, English speaking sommelier, wine or food expert, cooking instructor or chef, who enjoys introduces visitors to some of the best and most authentic food and wine of their visiting region like Tuscany, Provence or any other,” He added. Ian says that the food and wine trails tours offers one a visit to local wine yards and enjoy multi-course lunch paired with their award-winning wines. The trails are designed to enhance onboard culinary experience as well as the overall social experience.

Ratna states that there are several offers we have on food and wine which allow patrons to enjoy the best of epicurean delights. The ships host a superb collection of wines from the best vineyards and international regions, suitable for the discerning connoisseurs. Several beverage packages available gets you the best value on your favorite drinks, from Coca-Cola to fine wine, premium and frozen cocktails to a full selection of beers, fruit juices to Evian water,”

Tarique Hussain, Co-Founder, Cruise Club Food and wine cruises offers an array of epicurean delights.The flavours and aromas are part of experience in cruise travel. The Indian market seeks diverse and new tastes to satisfy their palates. The seasoned diners require elegant cuisines on board.

Voyager’s World > June 2014

Different cuisines Tarique says Silversea offers an exquisite culinary event that includes a wide range of offerings exclusively created in collaboration with the Master Chefs of Relais & Châteaux. The seasonally inspired menus showcase regional specialities prepared with only the freshest locally sourced ingredients and finest artisan products available. “The Norwegian Getaway has a luxury seafood dining experience, utilizing all of the ingredients and techniques that Zakarian employs in his land-based establishments. This waterfront restaurant is a revolutionary outdoor experience that adds a whole new dimension to the line’s signature freestyle cruising by offering a number of seaside venues that feature breath taking views and a sense of connection with the ocean, “He says. “Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity’s extensive, innovative choices for gourmandizing also include the ultra-luxury cruise line’s coveted cheese and wine cellars, overseen by on-board, certified cheese and wine

sommeliers (Court of Master Sommeliers-certified).The culinary arts have always been a major focus for Silversea due to their Italian heritage,” He added. Ian states that Oceania Cruises has grown and expanded, dining is the main feature of Oceania cruises with an open seating offered in all restaurants, and private dinners is a cruise experience built for those who love food. The Grand Dining Room is as wonderful as specialty restaurants where one can always find European continental cuisine as well as delicious Canyon Ranch SpaClub® dishes. “The Toscana offers an ambiance of the Italian countryside with a few recipes by mothers and grandmothers of Oceania Cruises culinary staff and the Polo Grill serves the classic steak house experience. The Terrace Café offers a whole array of international selections in a buffet-style setting that serves dishes like Marinated Fennel Salad, Cold Poached Salmon with Herbed Mayonnaise, Breaded Pork Parmigiana and Creamy Carrot and Pumpkin Soup,” He says. “Jacques is available on Marina and Riviera, it is the first namesake restaurant that offers authentic French cuisine. Red Ginger is another distinctive and delicious restaurant aboard Marina and Riviera, the La Reserve by Wine Spectator seats only 24 and has an elite spot high atop deck 12 where each dish is paired with the perfect premium wine,” He added. Ratna explains that the Royal Caribbean International serves a variety of cuisines available right from Italian to Japanese, from comfort food options like steaks, pizza and burgers that is a reminiscent of a classic American road trip, an American gastro pub or a New York pizzeria to the vibrant tapestry of pan-Asian flavours as diverse .Every kind of culinary experience is now possible on luxury cruises. P Varadan says,Ocean cruises serves wine in restaurants apart from their coffee shops which normally cater for buffet. Some of the luxury cruises have specialty restaurants and offer cuisine and wine as per the customer’s taste. For instance, Silversea specializes in local cuisine in their international restaurants. Different types of wine Tarique said that the luxury cruises offer complementary selected fine wines, champagne and premium spirits throughout the ship as part of the cruise fare. Ian states that, Oceania cruises offers

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Cruise

Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, Tirun Travel Marketing, India Representative - Royal Caribbean Cruises The luxury travel market in India is growing at an annual rate of 20% to 25%. The Indian traveller is well exposed to the best of global food and wine, and passionate about delving into the world of epicurean experiences.

on board world renowned Sparkling wines, White Wines and Red Wines. The white wine collection consists of Chardonnay from Australia, California, France and Italy, Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa, Chile, New Zealand, France and California, Pinot Grigio from Italy and Argentina, Riesling from Germany and Gewurztraminer from France and Italy. “The red wine collection consists of Cabernet Sauvignon from Spain, Chile and California, Cabernet Sauvignon Blends from California and France, Proprietary Blends from Italy and California, Merlot from Chile, France and California, Malbec from Argentina, Carmenere from Chile, Pinot Noir from California, South Africa and France, Gamay from France, Zinfandel from California, Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara from Italy, Sangiovese from Italy and Tempranillo and Garnacha from Spain, “He added. Ratna says that Royal Caribbean Cruises offers sparkling wines, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Vouvray, Rose, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon to Merlot. “One can also enjoy French winemaking at its best. A Royal Caribbean cellar master leads a tasting of four distinc-

tive vintages from the world-renowned estate of Château Lafite Rothschild,” She added. “Wine as such is promoted through the classes conducted during the cruise journey both on River cruise and Ocean cruise along with wine specialists talking on wines and special wines are served with cheese and biscuits. Some of the river cruises specialize in wine itinerary cruises across southern France and the cruise from Budapest to Germany where it covers complete Austria and then the guests are taken to winery, after which there will be wine tasting event with cheese which always goes with the wine,” P Varadan says. Benefits of food and wine segment Tarique states that Indian market is growing and the clients are seeking diverse and new tastes to satisfy their palates, these trends in Michelin-star level cuisines on board appeal to the fast evolving Indian audiences. In the opinion of Ian, cruise travel is becoming more popular in India because of signature sailings and the flow of Indian clientele growing towards food and wine cruises or tours as they want to explore along with their cruise travel.

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Hospitality

Hotels should concentrate on Food & Beverage along with rooms

Hemal Jain, General Manager, Alila Bangalore Hotel and Residence, talks about the new promotional ideas lined up to tap the city’s potential clientele, besides sustaining weekend business. PRIYAMVADHA BALRAM ‘Meal in a bowl’ concept at Tiffin Bar, one of our restaurants. The idea is to present a whole meal in one bowl and it seeks to cater to those on the move; corporates, ladies and those who have a limited lunch time. On Sundays, we have the ‘Lazing Grazing Sunday Brunch’ which includes a Latin American singer to entertain the guests.

Plans for this year We have lined up a lot of activities for this year. I believe in a lot of PR and marketing as it brings you closer to people. We intend to position our hotel as a socializing destination in Bangalore, particularly in Whitefield. Alila has been designed on subtle, refined lines. We have also introduced

Target customer segments Ours is a differently conceptualized corporate hotel. We are targeting the residential communities in the vicinity. The objective is to drive proximitybased customers to our hotel by promoting the events. 88% of our guests are corporates, 6% are leisure guests and the rest of them are a mixed lot. We have tied up with golf clubs to attract a lot of Japanese expatriates living in Chennai to spend the weekend here at

our hotel in Bangalore. Average Room Rates vs. F&B Given the present status of the industry, focusing only on rooms will not take you anywhere. Food and Beverages cannot be compromised. These are the same guests who come from different corporates. Hence, it is important to leverage on F&B as well. At Alila, we have the ‘Alila Privilege Card’ which is given to a few selected privileged guests whose meals range between Rs. 2000 – Rs. 3000 per person per meal. We also engage the local newspapers, flyers, hoardings and entertaining events like comedy shows to promote our F&B. Low Weekend Occupancy in Bangalore We believe a lot in getting guests from the city. So, we have the ‘Epicurean Delights’ concept that gives

them a whole range of services like candle-light dinners, spa, late checkout options, etc. to make their weekends more enjoyable and special. How do you compete in a growing market like Whitefield? We are directly competing with the likes of Zuri, Aloft, Marriott and Vivanta by Taj. Although we are all clustered, Alila believes in differentiating ourselves by way of personalization of services. We ensure that all the points in the hotel are in direct conversation with the guests. We have beautiful meeting room overlooking the Varthur Lake and in order to give a local zest, we offer them tea in the ‘cutting’ glass during breaks in between the meetings. By virtue of our hotel’s design, guests can have a meeting even in the lobby with the help of our Wi-Fi facilities.

Menu changes key to guest retention

Biswajit Chakraborty, General Manager-Sofitel Mumbai BKC talks about new developments in the property. VW BUREAU offerings of both the cities. On Sundays we have an elaborate brunch spread where there is unlimited buffet along with beverages. Apart from this we have ‘Special Brunch’ events such as‘ Canvas and Couture Brunch’ which we hosted recently portraying an exclusive collection of Designer Rocky S in a fashion show along with the brunch on the occasion of Mother’s day.

New initiatives introduced this year on the weekend buffet front Sofitel Mumbai BKC is known for key brand pillars of Gastronomy, Culture and Events. Our initiatives on the weekend buffet this year include many special buffets like: ‘So Sumptuous Brunch’ which is held every Saturday. Basically ‘So Sumptuous Brunch’ revolves around a specific theme such as ‘Portugal to Goa’ or ’Paris to Mumbai’ where our talented chefs try to include gastronomy

Voyager’s World > June 2014

Promoting F&B/restaurants for the local crowd in Mumbai We promote our Food and Beverage promotions through a varied marketing platform like sending e-mailers to our corporate database, listings and advertisements in esteemed publications, hoardings, flyers and Social Media. Sofitel Mumbai BKC being a French brand focuses on serving pastries which is plays an important role in French gastronomy, also Mumbai being a cosmopolitan society has always shown interest in pastries. I am

confident that with appointment of Chef Rajeev Upadhyay, as Pastry Chef, Artisan which will be launching its signature pastries will establish itself as a special place for pastry lovers. Which are the cuisines that are in high demand from your guests? Our hotel attracts many multinational business travellers hence cuisines like Oriental, Italian and French are in high demand. Apart from this, Indian and local cuisine are also fa-

vourites among the guests. Importance of menu changes as part of your guest retention programme Menu changes play an important role in retaining guests. We often take feedback from guests with regards to what changes they expect in the current menu and then we try to implement those changes the next time we alter the menu. Normally we change our menu every six months.

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Hospitality

Tux Hospitality expects a growth of 14% every year! Harjeet Wasan ,Vice President, Tux Hospitality Private Limited says the Indian hospitality is growing at an annual growth rate of 14 per cent. IRENE SUSAN EAPEN as one of the key drivers of growth among the service sectors in India. According to WTTC, the India’s travel and hospitality industry is expected to grow by about 7.3 per cent in 2014. The total market size of tourism and hospitality industry in India stood at US$ 117.7 billion and is anticipated to touch US$ 418.9 billion by 2022.

Growth of the Indian market India is known to the world as the land of hospitality in the defining stages of the business of hospitality with unlimited tourism and untapped business prospects. In the coming years the Indian hospitality will only see green pastures of growth. The Indian tourism and hospitality industry has emerged

The tourism and hospitality industry in India is flourishing due to an increase in foreign tourist arrivals (FTA) and a greater number of Indians travelling to domestic destinations. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) the revenue from domestic tourism is likely to grow by 8.2 per cent in 2014 as compared to 5.1 per cent a year ago. The hotels are an important component of the tourism industry. The Indian hospitality sector has been growing at a cumulative annual growth rate of 14 per cent every year adding significant amount of foreign

exchange to the economy. Segments The corporate and leisure travellers are our main focus as the hotel is located in and around the city where corporate guests can mix business with a little pleasure.. We use Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube to promote our events and to position a boutique hotel in a travel market. Trends The Indian hospitality industry has seen a significant growth in room inventory across categories from upscale luxury to limited services, boutique and budget hotels. With increased industrialization many small and medium industries coming up in the tier II and III cities with this the occupancy and the room rates have seen continued gains both from the

domestic and the international traveller in both the business and leisure segment. The rising salaries of the middle class is also an x-factor for the hoteliers for a huge demand of room during the weekends and also sometime for a week long holiday. The constant transformation has made the Indian hospitality industry more functional, practical and has gained a level of acceptance world over. The standards of facilities and services offered have evolved over the last decade towards the extensive use of technology, environment friendly services, pricing, market segmentation and regional preferences. Challenges The key challenges are infrastructure, regulatory, availability of product bouquet, rising inflation, intercultural differences and the shortage of skilled manpower.

Demands stir growth in Delhi’s new areas Atul Lall, VP Operations & GM at The Claridges Hotels & Resorts on new plans and Delhi’s hotel scenario PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM remains constant due to the growth in market size and the continuing dense utilization of commercial business districts in the city.

Delhi as a destination for business travel in the last five years The capital city of Delhi has been the gateway city to Indian tourism and a significant outpost for most business and industry, thus attracting business and leisure travellers equally. While the recent growth of new business districts in the suburbs of Gurgaon & Noida has business travellers preferring to stay in the suburbs, the demand for high quality accommodation for business travellers in Delhi

New initiatives Whilst a lot of our existing initiatives will continue, we are looking to up the ante in terms of our services and facilities. The Claridges has long been associated with elegance and a distinctly personalised and warm service – this combined with our enviable location and the iconic status we have enjoyed over the years, will form the foundation of retaining our positioning as well as sourcing new markets, across India as well as overseas. Share of business travellers and weekend occupancy there The location of The Claridges, New Delhi is central to the business community which includes government bodies, embassies and the judicial

courts in New Delhi. This close proximity makes it an ideal meeting point for business travellers. A fairly large percentage of our mix is from the nearby Embassies and ministries, whilst weekends are usually leisure (International) guests, using Delhi as a starting point for the travels through North India. Business strategy during peak holiday season Our key differentiators and major competing factors have been our location, product quality, and high standards of guest care. This is further complimented with the range and popularity of our F&B outlets such as Dhaba and Sevilla that attract several business travellers to The Claridges. Our strategy is primarily to focus on our services complemented with competitive prices, in line with the market trends and demands.

Present demand-supply ratio of business hotels in Delhi. While there is a steady demand for business hotels in the city throughout the year for many industries, the segment does witness its share of seasonal influences with a low summer and a peak winter. Respectively, the supply in the upper upscale and luxury hotel segments is abundant in the low season and in short supply during shoulder and peak months. This short supply has contributed to hotel development projects in new areas such as West Delhi, East Delhi and Aero City. The hospitality sector overall is expected to witness better demand in the coming years on account of improved global economic conditions. Out of the overall expected increase of 65% in room supply, nearly 1/3 of this upcoming supply is expected in the Delhi and NCR region; (Source: report by real estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield, published on 31st January 2014)

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Hospitality

Aamari Resorts, ramgarh: Hinting heritage and history at a height Gita Chaudhry, Marketing Head, Aamari Resorts, Ramgarh, talks about how the property serves as an idyllic getaway, in proximity to other hill stations. PRIYAMVADHA BALARAM Malla Ramgarh, Nainital district and we have a lot of interesting activities like organic fruit orchards, the firstof-its-kind Heli-trekking adventure, adventure sports like fire fox, burma bridge, spider net, horse riding, and many more in the shadows of the Himalayas. Which are your main target segments and feeder markets? The domestic segment in the country is our main customer segments, especially Mumbai and Delhi. We have seen a lot of business volume from groups going on nature trips. What is the USP of your property? The USP of Aamari Resorts is its location. It is the highest hotel in Ramgarh and it is situated on the same hill where Rabindranath Tagore concluded his ‘Geetanjali’. Our resort overlooks the Himalayan ranges in

Room occupancy levels and average room rates during peak and off seasons We have 22 well-equipped rooms and a 3-bedroom Sky Villa. Our resort offers splendid views of the sur-

rounding mountains and valleys. The average room rate is 11,680/on Half board per night. We like to accommodate B2B clients patronizing the support to the hotel. How do you compete in a market filled with tourist destination like Nainital? We do not want to have competition with Nainital as it is a crowded destination now, whereas Ramgarh is housed at a height of 7600 feet which is not at all a crowded place, whilst allowing travellers to go on day excursions to Nainital, Bheemtal, Naukuchiatal and Mukteshwar. At the same time, they can enjoy their trip while staying in tranquility and away from the crowd. In the month of June, where Nainital

faces heat and water problems, travellers still wear their jackets and do not face water scarcity in Ramgarh. So it’s a cool destination always. During last year’s floods in Uttarakhand, our property was under renovation and refurbishing. Hence, the ensuing slump in the tourist inflow did not actually affect us as we did not expect or target any segment. Do you have any expansion plans in the near future? Aamari Resort was recently given a makeover and the soft launch took place in May. Hence, as of now, there are no major plans for the next few years. The soft opening of our property had taken place in the month of May this year; so as of now for few years there are no major plans but yes small things are upgraded every now then.

Eaton Chelsea poised to be a wedding destination Josef Ebner, Regional Vice President – Canada & Managing Director, Eaton Chelsea says Indian travellers are truly savvy travelers and witnesses growth in the wedding segment. IRENE SUSAN EAPEN Growth of the Indian market The growth of the Indian market over the past few years has been at 15-20% per year of which Ontario accounts for 60% of that growth. The leisure travelers now enjoy speedier application processing with the opening of visa application centres in nine cities. The ten year multiple entry visa now has also helped travellers. Segments We are witnessing a growth in the wedding and MICE. South Asia makes up the largest growing

Voyager’s World > June 2014

demographic for weddings and a price tag of $30$100K. Promotional plans We participate in the CTC’s GO Media marketplace where the Indian travel media are invited to attend. This year GoMedia is held in Winnipeg, Manitoba from August 17-21, 2014.For the past five years, we have participated in the CTC Showcase India. We have worked closely with Mazda Travel for the past five years, an important partner and have been our lifeline to the inbound Indian market.

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India Outbound

India grows as an emerging source market Rose-Marie Hoareau, Director of Marketing, Seychelles Tourism Board says the luxury Indian travellers are looking for authentic and newer experiences at tropical sanctuaries like North Island retreat, Fregate Island private and Bird Island. IRENE SUSAN EAPEN architecture, cuisine, traditions and activities. The islands offer excellent diving, fishing, trekking, eco-holidays, spa & wellness, vacations and golf. The Q1 of 2014 itself has seen a rise in the number of Indians travelling to Seychelles by a bit more than 15% in comparison to Q1 of 2013. We hope that this trend continues and we see more and more Indians choosing the islands for their next holiday.

Indian market The honeymoon segment witnessed the maximum footfalls from India and the numbers from the family traveller segment have also been increasing. Seychelles has a lot to offer to every member of the family. Easy island hopping between the islands enables one to explore the diversity of each of the island’s flora, fauna, ethnicity,

Marketing and promotional plans We are creating awareness and educating the trade and the end consumer about Seychelles and its uniqueness as compared to other island destinations. We are investing in various ATL and BTL promotional activities, events where we can engage directly with the end customer/traveller, joint promotions with select tour operators and proactive engagement with media. We are also looking at investing in a big lifestyle event which will help us interact with a wider base

of audience, grab maximum eye balls and generate significant amount of PR mileage. New products Seychelles offers a year-long warm tropical weather which makes it a perfect destination to visit anytime of the year . Mahé is the largest island with attractions like the Morne Seychellois National Park, Craft village, Botanical Gardens, Spice Gardens, Domaine de Val des Près and Sir Selwyn Selwyn Clarke Market. Praslin Island is a home to the extraordinary forest, Seychelles is a dream destination for honeymooners with a variety of accommodation like Creole. Seychelles is also a diver’s paradise, teeming with marine life and spectacular underwater landscapes for adventure. Trends of Indian travelers The luxury Indian traveller is now

more discerning and is looking for authentic, exclusive and newer experiences at tropical sanctuaries like North Island retreat, Fregate Island private and Bird Island. We have observed in the past few months the travellers are combining South Africa or Kenya with Seychelles. Air connectivity Currently Emirates, Etihad and Sri Lankan airlines connect India to the Seychelles islands via Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Colombo. We are positive that soon there will be direct connectivity between India and Seychelles. Segments India is turning into a strong outbound market in the world and is alan emerging source market for us. We are excited to have entered this dynamic market and welcome Indians to the Seychelles islands. Our focus is on the honeymoon, luxury, adventure and experiential travelers.

Visit Tampa Bay expects a positive growth in 2015! Santiago Corrada, President & CEO, Visit Tampa Bay says Visit Tampa Bay offers a plethora of attractions to the young and old Indian travellers. IRENE SUSAN EAPEN Indian Market The 15th Annual IIFA Awards in Tampa Bay offered an opportunity for some of the Indian Cinema stars to experience adventure right from roller coasters to paddle boarding, shopping and musical collaborations. The multi-day event attracted an estimated 30,000 visitors who generated $19.9 million in direct spending and $26.4 million in total spending. We expect the visitor arrival numbers of 2015 to increase more than that of 2014. During the IIFA Weekend & Awards Tampa Bay, we welcomed Indian visitors with a very high household income (71%), mostly married (73%)

and highly educated. The Indian visitors look out for unique experiences such as local cuisine, attractions, upscale shopping and authentic districts like Ybor City—Tampa’s Latin District. Promotional plans We are focusing on enhancing brand visibility and our strategies are consistent in each country that we market to. We will continue to attend trade shows, participate in sales missions and host VIP trade and media functions. New Products Tampa Bay has a lot to offer the Indian travelers. It is a dynamic and

diverse region, from the waterfront location to the Southern hospitality of its residents. Tampa Bay is the only city to be invaded by a band of pirates during the annual Gasparilla celebration, special events and festivals are part of the area’s cultural fabric from balloon rides, strawberry farms and lush nature to walk able neighborhoods. Air Connectivity Tampa Bay is rapidly expanding its direct international air service and recently added direct air service to Latin America and Central Europe. Tampa Bay has direct international flights from London, Zurich, Panama and cities throughout Canada. Tampa Bay is

well connected through New York and Chicago to major Indian cities. Segments Tampa Bay is an urban waterfront destination that attracts innumerable water lovers plus unique dining and nightlife options such as Oxford Exchange or Ceviche Tapas Bay. The shopaholics can indulge in some retail therapy at International Plaza & Bay Street. People who savour art, history and culture can meet unforgettable experiences at Straz Center for the Performing Arts or our Historic Latin Quarter of Ybor City. Some of the attractions are Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, The Florida Aquarium, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo and MOSI.

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Dubai’s Tourism : Marching steady towards 2020

ne year into the delivery of Dubai’s ‘Tourism Vision for 2020’, significant first steps have been taken to achieve the target of attracting 20 million annual visitors by 2020, including several legislative changes to encourage development of accommodations, and numerous openings of new hotels, attractions and events.

Another significant step was the formation of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) - an affiliate of the wider Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM)– focusing on the international marketing and promotion of the Emirate as a leading destination for leisure and business travel. The immediate focus of the Corporation has been the development of a new marketing blueprint that will further elevate Dubai’s status as a must-visit destination. The approach is based on research into the needs, requirements and wants of leisure and business travellers and a comprehensive review of both

how the Emirate’s destination offering compares to other leading global cities and how this offering is communicated. New Ambition, New Brand and New Digital Platform With the Corporation stating that the long-term ambition is for Dubai to become the most visited city in the world, a new brand was launched at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2014, ahead of a global marketing campaign due to take place later this year. Announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the brand will be used by government departments and bodies, ensuring that the Emirate speaks with ‘one voice’ to its citizens and visitors. He said: “Today we launched Dubai’s new brand identity which will be used to promote our city regionally and internationally. The new brand identity focuses on Dubai being a credible, unique and welcoming destination

for tourists and visitors.” Also a new website and app have been designed to inspire and inform at every stage of the consumer journey and help the visitor experience the city to the fullest while in Dubai. Both the website and the app will be launched in the coming months. His Excellency, Helal Almarri – Director General of Dubai’s DTCM, said: “The objective behind the launch of the unified brand for Dubai is part of the unified marketing efforts of the city under one name and one identity – Dubai. The new brand is based on the proposition that Dubai is a city where remarkable things happen. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has stated that in the UAE there is no such thing as “‘impossible” - Dubai’s growth and success has been based on this spirit of challenging the norm, rising to any challenges, and achieving the unprecedented. From the creation of Mina Rashid in the late-1960’s to

the building of the world’s tallest tower Burj Khalifa, and of course winning the bid to become the host city for Expo 2020, this spirit has led to a series of remarkable achievements and this is echoed throughout the tourism experience. Issam Kazim, CEO of DCTCM said: “The new logo features the word ‘Dubai’ written in both Arabic and Roman alphabets, representing the fact that the city is a fusion of cultures and nationalities – a result of the historic and present day approach of being outward looking and open to ideas from across the globe. But the new brand is much more than just a logo – it is a new way of talking about Dubai and a new way of looking at how we will provide value for investors in and visitors to Dubai. It expresses Dubai’s culture and the wise leadership and vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. It conveys a message that Dubai is a place where amazing things happen.

#MYDubai initiative exceeds 500,000 instagram posts

ore than 500,000 images of #MyDubai initiative have been posted on Instagram since HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai launched the #MyDubai initiative on his Instagram and Twitter accounts few months ago. The images and stories demonstrate residents’ and visitors’ daily life activities, views and experienc-

Voyager’s World > June 2014

es, all of which make up the rich tapestry of this vibrant and cosmopolitan city. In addition to personal images posted by residents and visitors, a number of top international brands, local organisations and government entities have also engaged with the initiative by using the hashtag across their social media platforms. For instance, Dubai Culture launched a ‘Capture Creativity’ competition to support #MyDubai which encouraged

residents and visitors of the UAE to share photos and videos capturing their creative moments during the recent art season across the city. Dubai Police are featuring the hashtag on their fleet of cars, especially their latest convoy of Bugatti Veyron. Burj Al Arab rewards some of the most creative contributions by projecting five #MyDubai images onto its famous sail at the

end of each month. Ferrari, during the unveiling of the California T, invited Emirati artist Rashid Al Mulla, and Dubai-based Jordanian artist Mohammed Hindash to create a piece of art recreating ‘their Dubai’ at the launch event. Local events as the Dubai World Cup, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Dubai Beach Polo and xCat have projected #MyDubai onto big screens to encourage visitors to capture their Dubai moments.

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HH Sheikh Mohammed approves Dubai’s New Tourism Vision for 2020

is Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VicePresident and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said: “Today is not just about launching a vision for one of the Emirate’s priority economic sectors. It is about sharing the story of our great city. Over the last eight years, we have doubled the number of visitors to Dubai from five million to 10 million. Over the next eight years, we will double that number again so that by 2020 we are welcoming 20 million visitors a year to Dubai. We will also increase the economic impact of tourism threefold, shaping a new and even brighter future for Dubai as a destination.” “These are ambitious aims – of course, we are Dubai – but they are achievable. The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) will receive the full support of all other government departments and work closely with our partners in the tourism industry to ensure that the welcome and the experiences offered to our guests are without parallel. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the birth of our nation in 2021, never have we been more ready to share the

Source Markets (number of guests)

Dubai experience, and the excitement and energy of all that our city has to offer.” The vision sets out how the city will both double its annual visitor numbers from 10 million in 2012 to 20 million in 2020 and increase the economic contribution of the tourism sector. Early estimates from a study currently being conducted indicate that the current economic contribution is in the range of AED100 billion. His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of DTCM, said: “The strategy behind the Dubai Tourism Vision for 2020 will further leverage a sector which has been a central pillar in the city’s economic growth, success and diversification. It is based upon two central tenets: the first being to widen our range of tourism offerings across events, attractions, infrastructure, services and packages and to enhance the overall visitor experience from arrival to departure. The second tenet is to adapt our marketing approach in order to showcase Dubai to a wider audience and grow the conversion rate of awareness to bookings. There are a range of ini-

Europe

South Asia

2,873,709

1,576,439

2013

2,624,212

2013

1,476,545

Far East Asia 729,886 2013

689,279

2012

9.5% Growth

6.8% Growth

5.9% Growth

North America, Canada & Mexico

Australasia 316,772 2013

610,200

232,845

2013

2012

586,209

36.0% Growth

2012

4.1% Growth

South America 113,694 2013

97,390

Africa 618,871 2013

564,846

GCC 4,172,916 2013

3,685,836

Other Arab Countries 900,769 2013

743,322

2012

16.7% Growth

9.6% Growth

13.2% Growth

21.2% Growth

tiatives we will put in place in both of these areas which will work together to attract more visitors to the city and encourage them to stay longer and spend more money during their time with us. Our role at DTCM is to act as a facilitator of growth, harnessing the collective power of stakeholders in the city and deepening engagement with parties outside of Dubai, so that we deliver the vision.” The target of 20 million visitors will be achieved through meeting a number of objectives. First, maintaining existing market share of the outbound tourism of all source markets: economic and demographic factors will increase the amount of outbound tourists in each market, therefore maintaining Dubai’s existing percentage market share will deliver an up-lift in visitor numbers. Second, increasing awareness and consideration to visit in a number of source markets which DTCM has identified as having significant potential for growth, such as Latin America, China and the emerging economies of Africa. Third, increasing the number of repeat visits, already a significant driver for tourism in the city. HE Helal Saeed Almarri said: “The Vision of His Highness has created a destination with experiences that no other city can offer. We have a number of attractions that are famous throughout the world including the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa, the Burj Al Arab, and The Palm Jumeirah; the world’s largest shopping malls; and an incredible infrastructure which acts as a magnet for global travellers. The city has a portfolio of world-class hotels, the second busiest airport on the planet and a world leading - and in my opinion, the best - airline and these are also very well-known. But in addition we have a substantial, wideranging and ever evolving destination offer that compliments the more renowned attractions and we will ensure that every potential visitor knows the depth and range of experiences they can enjoy on holiday in Dubai. As a city we have done a very good job in building awareness of Dubai. Part of our

new strategy is to adapt our marketing approach to showcase Dubai to an even wider audience but also to grow the conversion rate of awareness to bookings, making sure that a potential visitor doesn’t just know about Dubai -he views it as his next holiday or business destination.” To widen the range of tourism offerings, there are three key focus areas: • DTCM will play a central role in coordinating the activities of industry and public sector partners to expand the existing attractions, events and experiences that cater to families. This will also include creating segmented packages and tailored offerings. •Dubai as an event destination is a second area of principal focus, with the aim of moving from the regional events hub to a global events and entertainment destination. HE Helal Saeed Almarri commented: “DEPE has been incredibly successful in creating and developing seasonal festivals that have driven the growth of the events and retail sectors. We will now leverage that expertise to create new festivals. Likewise, since it launched two years ago Dubai Calendar has proven a big success, growing from being an online portal at launch to becoming a catalyst for improving the city’s events offer 52 weeks of the year. By bringing these two entities into DTCM alongside Dubai Convention Bureau we can lead a coordinated approach to a year-round programme of events for residents, tourists and business visitors. Becoming the host city for the World Expo 2020 will of course further enhance Dubai’s status as an events capital, which is why we are putting the full weight of DTCM’s support behind the bid team.” •The offer to business visitors is a third principal focus, with the strategy setting out plans for enhancing Dubai’s status as a business destination. Already the MICE capital of the region, DTCM will work with the industry in improving the business tourism offer to make sure that Dubai is the most effective place to do business.

www.voyagersworld.in

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Visit Dubai this summer to enjoy a season of festivities

his summer, Dubai is offering visitors a remarkable summer experience featuring a packed calendar of entertainment, festivals and cultural celebrations to entertain all the family. From 15 June to 6 September, ‘Summer is Dubai 2014’ is a season bursting with activity from indoor family entertainment to fireworks lighting the famous skyline, shopping offers and surprises to an array of gastronomic experiences across the diverse menu of restaurants the Emirate has to offer.

diving to motor sports; sailing to water parks; and a number of exhibitions halls at Dubai World Trade Centre are turned into ‘Dubai Sports World’, where a wide range of sporting activities and facilities can be enjoyed.

Malls throughout the city are curating programmes of entertainment and families can experience snow in the desert at Ski Dubai; climb to the top of the world at Burj Khalifa; go under the sea at Dubai Aquarium; and swim with dolphins at Atlantis, The Palm, which is also running summer camps throughout the season. Holidaymakers can also step back in time by visiting one of Dubai’s latest attractions – a 24.4 metre long, 7.6 metre high dinosaur skeleton, being exhibited at Dubai Mall.

In the last two weeks of Ramadan leading up to Eid Al Fitr, shoppers will have the opportunity to participate in the ‘Eidiyat Dubai’ promotion to be in with the chance of winning some incredible prizes; and as Ramadan ends, Eid in Dubai begins, running from 28 July – 1 August and uniting local communities and people from different cultures in celebration of Eid Al Fitr. The annual Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) will run from 2 August - 5 September. The 17th edition of DSS will feature a number of world-class events and activities combined with fabulous promotions aimed at making shopping in one of the world’s retail capitals an even better experience.

For the more adventurous, Dubai offers a wealth of exhilarating options to get the adrenaline running, from sky

Ramadan in Dubai takes place from 29 June – 27 July and will showcase cultural activities reflecting the importance of the Islamic month including the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, Ramadan Forum and the Ramadan Tents.

Dubai aims to become world’s most visited city requirements and wants of leisure and business travellers and a comprehensive review of both how the Emirate’s destination offering compares to other leading global cities and how it is communicated.

ne year into the delivery of Dubai’s ‘Tourism Vision for 2020’, significant first steps have been taken to achieve the target of attracting 20 million annual visitors by 2020, leading the Emirate’s tourism authority to state a new ambition: for Dubai to become the world’s most visited city. If a growth rate similar to that of 2013 is maintained – a 10.6% yearon-year rise equating to 11 million hotel guests - Dubai will achieve its tourism vision targets and with

Voyager’s World > June 2014

London currently holding the title of world’s most visited city (16 million tourists in 2013), the Emirate participated in the 2014 edition of ATM to outline why the number one ranking is an ambitious but realistic goal. New Marketing Blueprint A key focus of the past year for DTCM has been the creation of a new marketing blueprint that will ensure this status is enhanced and that the rate of growth in guests continues its strong trajectory. The approach is based on research into the needs,

Issam Kazim, CEO of the newly formed Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce and Marketing, said: “Due to our landmark projects and unprecedented developments, Dubai is known around the world as a ‘must-see’ city. One of our objectives is to adapt this narrative so it becomes known as a city that ‘mustbe-experienced’– it’s a subtle shift but one that supports the reality of what the destination has to offer. For example, shopping has always been a key draw for visitors but the differentiating factor of our shopping offer compared to that of other destinations is not just that Dubai has one of the widest selections of retail brands in the world – it is the experience of shopping in Dubai for those brands. Where else in the world can you take a break from shopping to ski down an indoor mountain or swim with sharks?”

“To give another example, the range of activities that a visitor can do in one day in Dubai is unparalleled. A tourist can be skydiving over The Palm Jumeirah in the morning; exploring the alleyways and souks around Dubai Creek in the afternoon; and then taking a desert safari adventure in the evening. Across gastronomy, family entertainment, events, arts and heritage, and beaches and water-sports - not to mention our hotels, with regards to the range on offer, the hospitality and the facilities within them - the experience is extraordinary. This is what sets Dubai apart and what we must ensure every potential tourist knows about our city.” The new marketing approach wasshared with the travel trade industry during ATM including a preview of a new digital ecosystem that will be launched later this year. This is will comprise a website, app and social media platforms which have been designed to attract and inform visitors and help them plan their trip and experience the city during their visit.

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The ‘Al Maha’ - luxury stands still....

he Al Maha (literally means the Arabian Oryx) in Dubai, is a piece of Dubai, you would have never experienced. Amid the glitter, the glass facades and glitz of Dubai, here is an experience that will be the ultimate luxury highlight of your visit. Wildlife, luxurious Bedouin tents and unbelievable sunsets on the desert horizon promises to take you to an experience you will not forget. An hour from the hustle and bustle of the Dubai metropolis and driving through miles of desert landscapes, the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve opens to the call of the once endangered Oryx. The Release adds ‘So the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) was formed with Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa as its centrepiece. Sponsored by Emirates Airline and managed by a dedicated team of Conservation Officers on behalf of the Government of Dubai, the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve is United Arab Emirates’ first National Park. The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve team nurture nearly 5% of Dubai’s total land area, whilst conserving the remaining wildlife in Dubai, which is one of the world’s fastest-developing urban regions’.

The home of the Arabian Oryx, which was once close to extinction thanks of incessant hunting from the 1940s - 1960s and now thanks to the vision of Dubai’s then ruler, the late Sheikh Rashid trans-located the last remaining Oryx to the USA, where they were bred under secur conditions. In 1997, the then Crown Prince, Shiekh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, funder the first reintroduction of the animal at the Al Maha. Today, there are over 300 Oryx as part of the landscape of this super luxury establishment. The resort offers wildlife drives, horse riding, nature walks, desert safaris and also has Ghaf Tree Walk, which is a 10-minute drive into the conservation area to a grove of Ghaf trees. where the guide tells about these fascinating life-giving trees. Other activites include archery, falconry and camel trekking. 42 villas of bespoke luxury is managed by Starwood and is a Luxury Collection Property. The villas are priced between 2900 AED - 12,500 AED a night. Most tents overlook the super desert landscape with private pools adding to the ‘luxury life!’

gloria hotel dubai: illustrating exceptional splendour

loria Hotel offers comfortable, stylish, luxury living, combined with exceptional service and great amenities. Situated on a prime location on Sheikh Zayed Road, with easye access to Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Only a minute away from the Dubai Internet City Metro Station; 20 minutes from Dubai World Trade Centre; 30 minutes to Dubai International Airport and 25 minutes from the Old Dubai. Hotel facilities include six dining establishments; Wi-Fi throughout the hotel; valet parking (space for 900 cars); disability accessible room; car and limousine rental service; beauty salon; visa assistance; mini market; covered car park; tours and airline assistance; business centre and complimentary shuttle service (outlet mall; Jumeirah Open Beach; Jumeirah Park and Marina Walk). Gloria Hotel is known as one of the largest all-suite hotels in the Middle East and boasts of stylish elegant interiors. As for its dining outlets, it offers a superb selection of international cuisine in our restaurants and lounges.

Le Grand Cafe- Le Grand Cafe offers a wide range of fresh pastries, snacks, bites and Starbucks coffee. La Terrasse: Indulge in an all-day dining on the 8th floor. The Tent: Enjoy the scenic view from the terrace, whilst smoking shisha and tasting delectable Arabic snacks. Pool Bar: Relax and soak in the panoramic views of Burj Al Arab and the Palm on the 8th floor of the hotel. Sky Lounge: On the 40th floor with panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf. Noodle House: Renowned international chain in the grand floor. Qutoof Restaurant: Lebanese restaurant on the ground floor. Meeting/Incentive Gloria Hotel accommodates any event requirements with an extensive range of banqueting and conference halls, from corporate events to weddings. It has over 1653 total sq m of conference facilities. Other amenities include high speed internet access, executive boardroom, LCD Projector, Pre-function area, PA system, Wireless internet, wireless microphones, express mail and package service and executive business centre with secretarial service, etc.

www.voyagersworld.in

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Incredible India

CHHATTISGARH LEVERAGES ON ‘GREEN’ POWER TO DEVELOP TOURISM Santosh Misra ,MD, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board, lists the department’s plans to come up with a sustainable development strategy to boost tourism while benefiting the locals.

©Chitrkoot Waterfalls

VW BUREAU

n line with the far-sighted tourism development outlook of the new government in the centre, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board (CTB) created a blue-print of future tourism plans that will help establish Chhattisgarh as India’s biggest Eco-Tourism hub. Chhattisgarh blessed with 80% biodiversity and a melange of natural abundance tops in natural tourism where 3 national parks, 11 wildlife sanctuaries, 30 plus significant waterfalls, abundant caves & untouched natural topography combine to create the most dynamic and breathtaking tourism experience ever. It is this experience that theChhattisgarh Tourism Board seeks to promote on an international level via its ambitious future plans. On how the department plans to develop tourism without too much impact on the ecological balance, Santosh Mishra, Managing Director, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board, says: “There will be a balance maintained while we develop the state. Our state boasts of one of the largest forest covers in the country and this is our USP. We shall ensure that a sustainable approach is maintained while developing tourism in the state.” Today, the immediate need is to prioritize schemes pertaining to the tourism development and related activities according to the Union Government’s National Tourism Plan. A major focus of the prioritization stands in the promotion of the rich & diverse

Voyager’s World > June 2014

tribal culture, unexplored tourism circuits and development of local-tourism collaboration, with which major milestones like job creation in tribal sectors and improved status of living can be achieved. Once implemented the go-getting tourism development plans will help in developing the essential eco-tourism in the area, and will enable Chhattisgarh’s build up as India’s biggest eco-tourism hub, one with probably the biggest potential in South-East Asia. Santosh said: “Our aim is to develop Chhattisgarh as India’s biggest ecotourism hub. Thus enhanced tourism by ways of earmarked tourism plans will enable us to developtourism in the state in a never-seen-before magnitude. With our future venture, we seek to see greater participation of the local community that will be the most focused tool to counter Naxalism. By strengthening tourism through organised and responsible decisions, our aim is to empower the region and showcase it in a positive light to the world. Our focus will be to increase the tourist footfall from 1.5 million in 2012 to nearly 3 million by 2015. Also we want to create vistas of awareness for international tourists whom we seek to attract with our engaging packages and specially designed tourism junkets.” The board has received Rs.113.5 crores project prioritization from Ministry of Tourism Government of India. The project aims to achieve the following:

• Gangrel Dam, the largest water body in Chhattisgarh to be projected as a mega destination • Promote Sirpur- Kodar-RaipurTandula as a mega eco tourist circuit • Creation of convention centres, developing niche segments of camping and caravan tourism at important destinations • Development of wayside amenities • Light and Sound shows at the 6th century archaeological site of Sirpur and at Bhoramdeo, popularly known as Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh • Focus on Rural tourism and promotion of fairs and festivals The CTB aims to reach out to incoming tourists with an ambitious tourism plan which intends to bring about the overall development of the state tourism. The new tourist model will be focused on the infrastructure of the state that will nurture the fragile ecosystem. Chhattisgarh plans substantial ecotourism circuits that will help the state tourism board in strategic development and also enable the preservation of the environment. These policies will encourage the participation of local communities in conserving the cultural heritage, while contributing to the wildlife and religious circuits that will be interconnected in order to create a loop of geographical circuits. Tourism is one of the major foreign exchange earners, which apart from

currency gains, also helps in important human resource accrual. In line with the far-sighted tourism development outlook of the new government in the centre, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board, under the aegis of Chhattisgarh Government has created a blueprint of future tourism plans that will help establish Chhattisgarh as India’s biggest Eco-Tourism hub.h as India’s biggest Eco-Tourism hub. “A sample itinerary for somebody is who is visiting Chhattisgarh for the first time would ideally be 3N/3D at least and I would recommend that they include Kodar, Sirpur as well as opt for a stay in the forests to get an exhaustive experience,” said Santosh. Barring the hot summer months of April-June, he said that Chhattisgarh makes for an ideal year-round destination. “The monsoons are a season to reckon with in order to take in the breathtaking, lush sights of the sceneries,” he added. While stating that the Raipur airport is one of the oldest in the country, he said that connectivity to the state is not a problem, with the airport serving as a hub for daily flights to many key metros in the country. All the key initiatives in developing tourism, Santosh said, would ensure benefits to the the locals, the tribals in particular. They will be directly benefited with these initiatives and will be trained to better serve the tourists, not to forget that Santosh vouches for their ethnicity and their strong command over the state and its ecological offerings.

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Travel Technology

Traveller data is vital for better conversion, indicates Amadeus

Studies point out to the need for airlines to be competent with more traveller data in order to maximize conversion and in turn, the revenue. VW BUREAU

ersonalisation is essential to drive future merchandising revenues for airlines, with tailored bundles of both airline and partner services potentially increasing a traveller’s basket size by between €30 and €35, according to new research released today. ’Thinking like a retailer: Airline merchandising’, a research report commissioned by Amadeus and written by Frost & Sullivan, highlights that in the battle for additional service revenues, airlines must be able to compete with data-centric travel companies by more effectively using the customer data they already collect, if they are to truly maximize this commercial opportunity. ‘Tailored bundles’ could grow a traveller’s basket size by between €30 and €35., and with 26% of all travellers more likely to respond to messages tailored to personal interests and 22% more likely to respond to location-specific promotions, the study encourages airlines to develop comprehensive merchandising strategies. By redefining the airline business as a travel experience business, airlines can significantly enhance the revenue opportunities generated by satisfied travellers, over time. Flights should be viewed as just one of many products. Services should be offered to meet both the practical needs and the more emotional desires of travellers, for example, airport discounts and destination activities. Airlines offering services designed around the travel experience really differentiate their brand. To be successful, airlines must think like retailers and critically focus on adopting effective merchandising techniques. With airlines now able to gather and analyse more traveller data than ever before - including mobile app and social media behaviour, session history from in-flight connections, travel history and previous purchases – the report argues that this information

must be used to create a single unified customer profile, which in turn would allow airlines to adjust their merchandising techniques according to the type and timing of individual traveller journeys. This combination of better data management and far greater traveller insight will result in increased relevance, conversion and ultimately revenue. With 26% of all travellers more likely to respond to messages tailored to personal interests and 22% more likely to respond to location-specific promotions, the study encourages airlines to develop comprehensive merchandising strategies that take into consideration the impact of timing, technique, channel, service and price. The report’s other key findings include: - For a quarter of travellers, the best time to consider an airline’s additional offers is when they return home and are thinking about their next journey. To unlock the potential of this growth opportunity, the report says airlines need to change their mindset in order to recognise that their relationship with customers continues after the flight lands -The five most important merchandising techniques are user-interface optimisation, context-aware e-mail notification, promos & third-party deals, push notification and valueadded bundles: - Some 79% of global travellers would prefer to buy extra travel services directly from airlines. Airlines can leverage their channels to meet this need - The most important channel for merchandising ancillary services is the web accessed via PC – however, the importance of mobile is increasing rapidly. Airlines should optimise their websites for different kinds of mobile devices. The conversion rate of consumers using tablets (2.6%) exceeds that associated with PCs

- When it comes to Branded Fares and Fare Families airlines need to remove the complexity and be explicit about the value of each bundle - Purchase of additional offers is highest at time of booking. Airlines can maximise their revenues by equipping their sales channels for such purchases at booking time Julia Sattel, Senior Vice President Airline IT, Amadeus, said: “It’s clear that in order for airlines to succeed in the highly competitive and fragmented travel retail sector, they must think like retailers and adopt an effective approach to merchandising, in which personalisation takes centre-stage.

We are committed to enhancing our airline customers’ merchandising capabilities across all channels, helping them to in turn better serve, manage and connect with the ever-evolving needs of 21st Century travellers across the globe as we shape the future of travel together”. Lawrence Lundy, strategy consultant, Frost & Sullivan, said: “As airlines evolve from being providers of one core product –flights– to travel experience businesses with a range of services, they need to view themselves as retailers. This study aims to cast light on precisely these elements of a merchandising strategy.”

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Top View

Imagine a better way of doing expenses An insight into how businesses can reap many advantages from automated solutions that help simplify the process of logging and tracking T&E, eliminating errors and ensuring compliance. VW BUREAU

racking of your organization’s travel and entertainment (T&E) costs is critical to managing costs and complying with official legislation. Businesses can waste a significant amount of money if their processes are not sound. Ramesh Iyer, Managing Director, Concur India talks about expense management solutions so that companies can control costs, time and enhance the expenses reporting process. Wouldn’t it be great if you could spend less time doing your expenses, and more time doing your job? Imagine a world where inputting, submitting, paying and analyzing expenses is completely painless – a world that’s better for managers, senior executives, finance teams and expense claimants. It’s possible. And this is what it looks like: A better world for expense claimants Think about salespeople out on the road and employees travelling around the country and beyond, wading through piles of receipts to claim back the money they’ve spent on behalf of the business (often out of their own pocket). Now, imagine how much better their world would be with: • A smartphone app to photograph receipts, upload data and submit expense claims on the move so there’s no need to worry about lost receipts or carry a wallet stuffed full of them. • No need to wait for credit card statements at the end of the month. • Corporate cards that can filter expenses straight into expense claims (so there is no need to re-enter data!). • Business mileage claims that can be automatically calculated using clever mapping technology. • The ability to get expenses approved, even when managers/approvers are also on the move. • The ability to get expenses reimbursed before even receiving a credit card bill. A better world for managers and senior executives Think about how business leaders have to find the time to approve expenses while trying to keep the business running smoothly amid multiple, competing priorities. Approving expenses from hard copies left on

Voyager’s World > June 2014

the desk are just not a high priority compared with the urgent demands that arrive via laptops and phones while they’re out of the office. Now, imagine how much better their world would be with: • An expenses system that automatically highlights and enforces policy for all employees, so there’s no need for managers to rely on their memory of the policy’s content. • The ability to review and approve expenses, whether in or out of the office (via a smartphone, at the desktop pc, or on a tablet). • Complete visibility of what employees are really spending and ways to help reduce that spend. • The ability to calculate not only how and where, but also why employees are spending the money. A better world for finance teams Think about the teams who process, pay, audit, report on, and file those expenses. How much time do they spend? Could they do this more efficiently and effectively? Now, imagine how much better their world would be with: Expense claims that always contain the minimum information required (like attendee names on client-entertainment claims) and total that adds up correctly. • Correctly-calculated VAT on employee expenses and the ability to claim VAT back on mileage (one of the most complicated VAT-reclaim types). • Automated processes that eliminate spreadsheets and avoid human error in expenses calculations. • A system that seamlessly integrates expenses data into accounting systems with no need to re-key data. • Receipts that can be audited by someone else, so there’s no need to check every expense-claim line item. • The ability to easily reconcile corporate credit card spend. • The confidence that expenses will bear scrutiny by the auditors. Now imagine if… All of this was easy to set up, in days, hours or weeks. There were minimal set-up fees required for getting started. There were no long-term contracts. This solution is not a distant dream –

it’s a reality that’s easily available to help your business today. How can you turn this vision into reality? It almost sounds too good to be true. But, today, automating your expenses doesn’t have to be an epic undertaking. There are experts to help guide you on your journey: a journey that can help you save time, control costs and take away the hassle of doing expenses. Why? Because managing expenses affects every part of your business. When you have a seamless automated solution, you can reduce costs (thereby improving the bottom line), improve employee morale and run a better business overall. No matter what role you play in your company, automated expense management can make your life easier. Make life easier for expense claimants. Avoid the piles of unclaimed receipts. Eliminate inefficiency using a mobile app. 89% of business travelers feel that mobile technology improves their travel experience and more than half of business travelers (62%) rely on apps every time they travel1. Is it time to join them? Make life easier for managers and senior execs. Although one in ten UK employees admitted to exaggerating their own expenses claims during this past year2, automating your expenses can help you take control, with systems that automatically flag ‘out-of-policy spend’ to help enforce your expenses policy more easily – so you can stop worrying. Make life easier for finance teams. Ensure HMRC compliance with a Guaranteed Compliance Service offering. Then, make the most of your investment by claiming more of the VAT to which you are entitled. Companies using automated expense solutions secured receipts for 95% of their reclaimable VAT3. Try it… you might like it (see other editorial notes/comments on layout attached in MIST) Simply set up a pilot programme for

your business, and see what expenses automation is all about. Give us a call on 00800 4551 6697 (dial both zeroes!) to get started. Why take the journey with Concur? Twenty years ago, Concur decided that there must be a better way to do expenses. They Over the years, Concur has stayed ahead of the curve. We keep learning with each new customer, and have developed out-ofthe-box templates as a result: to give businesses a best-practice solution, without the big costs. Our easy-to-use, web-based and mobile solutions adapt to employees’ preferences and scale to meet the needs of companies large and small. The bottom line is that no matter what size your business is, we can help you control costs and save time. Features and benefits of automated travel and expense management solutions - Reduce the cost of processing expenses claims: As per the Aberdeen Group, companies using an automated solution to manage the expense reporting process have 50% lower processing costs than those companies who are not using them. - Reduce the time needed to complete and process expense claims: A good automated travel and expense management solution can help to significantly reduce the time and effort associated with entering expenses by taking a direct feed of charges from major card providers and prepopulating these transactions into an employee’s expense claim. - Ensure compliance: It has been shown that compliance with internal policies can be increased by as much as 37%1 by applying policies within the system. - Allow you to more easily detect fraud: Good expenses automation software almost completely removes the need to enter expenses information by hand, reducing risk of fraud. - Ensure you’re receiving all the VAT you’re entitled to: An automated solution ensures that VAT needs to be paid or reclaimed is easily identified -Help you manage cash flow and improve forecasting.

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Association

IATO to work closely with Australia Hon’ble, Leon Bignell, Minister for Tourism for the state of South Australia met IATO President Subhash Goyal and Executive Committee members in Delhi yesterday at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi. VW BUREAU

on’ble, Leon Bignell, Minister for Tourism for the state of South Australia met IATO President Subhash Goyal in Delhi recently at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi. “Hon’ble Minister of Tourism Mr. Bignell, was thrilled to see the positive response from the Indian Travel Trade Industry as represented through IATO. “The visit helped Hon’ble Minister and his team to understand Indian market better”. He had also visited Dehradun, Rishikesh, Agra, Jaipur and had some glimpses of tourist attractions of India and desire to comeback to explore other parts of India, said Subhash. He apprised the minister about the inbound and out bound trends and about the positive image of Australia in India as a great holiday destination. As per the last survey report about 150,000 Indians had been to Australia in 2012. Inbound is also very progressive in 2013, India re-

ceived 2, 18,967 Australian tourists which is +8.34% over the year 2012. “As tour operators, we had organized a series of roadshows in Australia last year wherein 15 of our tour operators had participated. Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland were in the itinerary. This was coordinated with India tourism office of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in

Sydney. The depreciation of the Indian Rupee against US dollar had affected Indian outbound tourism but it has now bounced back. What we need is more air connectivity and easy visa norms. But still Indians are maintaining their travel plans especially to visit friends and relatives,” added Subhash. “The Hon’ble Minister talked about the

attractions in Adelaide, nature, seafood and eco-paradise and the impending cricket match in Australia. Lot of Indians are expected to visit Australia to support the national team. Both countries acknowledge and welcome the progress and the growth of each other and consider that their respective development would make positive contributions in global fraternity,” he stated.

www.voyagersworld.in

Festival Watch

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Festivals of Third week of August

06 - 15 July, 2014

Kadayawan Festival Davao City, The Philippines

Bull Fight Pamplona, Spain

18, 19, 20 and 25, 26 and 27 July, 2014

13 - 19 July, 2014

Tomorrowland Flanders

Reggae Sumfest 2014 Montego Bay, Jamaica

adayawan festival is the main festival of Davao City celebrated every third week of August and also a celebration of the plentiful harvests of fruits and orchids during the season. Kadayawan is derived from the prehistoric word “madayaw” meaning a warm and friendly greeting used to explain a thing that is valuable, superior or beautiful. During the festival, floats of fresh flowers, fruits and street party everywhere; also colorful tribes parade the street with their tribal costumes and jewellry.

omorrowland is a unique fantasy amusement park setting, completed by the dance heavy line-up, featuring other similiar sub-genres. Incredible decorations and the world’s biggest DJ’s playing to the world’s best crowd. 2014 will be its 10th year and in that time Tomorrowland has expanded to one of the largest dance festivals in Europe. Two weekends are being organized for the 10th anniversary of Tomorrowland. It takes place at Recreation Area De Schorre 2850 Boom.

Voyager’s World > June 2014

s part of the San Fermín fiestas, for nine days Pamplona residents and visitors, dressed typically in red and white, get carried away by the festive spirit. On day one, the chupinazo, a rocket, is launched from the balcony of the town hallto kickstart the events, causing an outburst of joy amidst the crowd gathered in the square. The first running of the bulls is held the following day: at 8am sharp the doors of the Santo Domingo corral are opened, and hundreds of people run in front of the bulls on their route through the old town to the bullring.

he sumfest every year is held in the city of Montego Bay and is attended by reggae lover’s world wide. Famously known as the Greatest Reggae Show on Earth, the sumfest witnesses live performances from a number of acclaimed artists. Reggae Sumfest was first held in the year 1993 and has been growing big ever since then. Jamaica being the birth place of Reggae and its legend Bob Marley, Reggae Sumfest is widely regarded as the world’s premier reggae music event.

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Festival Watch

the World 04 June - 03 July, 2014

04 - 12 July, 2014

Suma Flamenca Festival Madrid, Spain

Hemis Festival Ladakhs

02 - 07 August, 2014

03 - 06 August, 2014

Aomori Nebuta Matsuri Festival, Japan

Akita Kanto Matsuri Festival, Japan

very year the art of flamenco descends on Madrid during this festival, which features some of the top names in cante, dance and guitar. Theatres in the city of Madrid and up to 10 districts throughout the Madrid region host a range of flamenco shows for a little over a month. A unique opportunity to enjoy the passion and intensity of this art. In addition to the major flamenco stars, each year the festival also showcases a number of promising snewcomers.

his event is held in the Tohoku District on July 7th according to the lunar calendar. Bamboo and wooden frames are covered with paper illustrated with historic figures and pictures of samurai warriors along with birds and beasts. These are illuminated from inside and set up on yatai floats and cars which proceed in the Aomori Nebuta (Neputa in Hirosaki) parade. Today, the festivals organized in Aomori and Hirosaki are especially well known, attracting tourists from all areas of Japan.

he most famous of all monastic festivals in June is the Hemis Festival that commemorates the birth of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Tantric Buddhism in Tibet. The sacred dance drama of the life and mission is performed wearing facial masks and colorful brocades robes. The monkey year festival is a special treat which comes at a cycle of 12 years. The four-storey Thangka of Guru Padmasambhava is displayed during the festival.

kita Kanto Matsuri is a summer festival in Akita City for a plentiful harvest. A kanto is a bamboo pole with cross poles attached with 46 paper lanterns shaped like rice bales and decorated withshreds of paper to ward off evil.At the festival, youngsters clad in short jackets, hachimaki headbands, white tabi socks and zori straw sandals take turns in hoisting up the kanto one at a time to the sound of flutes and drums and parade through the town.The men prop the poles upright on their hips, shoulders or foreheads and change postures while shouting stoically as they try to outdo each other.

www.voyagersworld.in

Travel Events

42>>

Site Joins IT&CM Events’ Supporting Association Line-Up

The partnership seeks to bring onboard various MICE buyers from across different sectors like corporates, DMCs, hotels and so on for the forthcoming event. VW BUREAU

T&CM Events has teamed up with Site, encompassing Site’s support on several fronts – educational programme, publicity, editorial and delegate support - for the upcoming IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific show happening on 30 September to 2

October 2014. Besides developing and delivering customised content for the IT&CM Events educational forums, the supporting association will also be bringing on board MICE buyers comprising Site members from various disciplines such as incentive

companies, corporate planners, destination management companies, convention/tourism authorities, hospitality, and travel suppliers. Earlier in April this year, Site speakers were featured at IT&CM China’s tailored Corporate Performance forum in

Shanghai, as part of its inaugural involvement as supporting association. The association helmed the topic “A Global update on Incentives – China Focus” that discussed current best practices and new emerging techniques needed to be successful in building and delivering incentive travel programmes. Their panel of speakers spotlighted international and China representatives of Site including First Incentive Travel, Inc’s Chairman & CEO, Joost de Meyer, IME Consulting Co., Ltd’s General Manager, Alicia Yao and China Star Ltd’s CEO Liu Ping. Delegates to IT&CMA and CTW AsiaPacific can expect Site to once again provide customised educational content as well as a pool of industry experts to share their insider perspectives at the upcoming event in Bangkok.

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Kevin Hinton, Chief Staff Officer of Site expressed, “Partnering with IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific is a great way for Site to meet the needs of its global Chapter members, as well as its potential members. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to align the Site brand with IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific as the leading association in the region, combining what we do best with what they do best in bringing together buyers and sellers. We see this as another step in our relationship with IT&CM Events, whom we have partnered with in the past, and are excited about this new expansion of our relationship.” He continued, “Site’s Annual Global Conference took place in China 18 months ago, at which time we hosted 300 incentive travel professionals, and partnering with IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific gives us the opportunity to reengage with Site members and other incentive travel professionals in the region.” Ooi Peng Ee, General Manager of TTG Events said, “We are thrilled to have Site on board and we are confident this collaboration will add on new dimensions to our tailored educational forums.

Voyager’s World > June 2014

Happenings

43>>

Bhutan makes debut in ATM 2014

he Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) made its maiden debut at the recent Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.

Damcho Rinzin, International Travel, Trade & PR Head for the Tourism Council of Bhutan said: “India has always been a close neighbouring ally and business partner for Bhutan and an immense source of up-market leisure travellers. The GCC countries are a short haul flight away and with many of the Gulf Airlines servicing the India – GCC routes; the Arabian Travel Market was an ideal platform to engage with trade members from India and the GCC to enhance our promotional efforts.”

Kalinga Lanka Foundation to renew ancient ties

group of friends from Odisha and Sri Lanka established the ‘Kalinga Lanka Foundation’ in New Delhi to recognize the ancient links between Kalinga (modern-day Odisha) and Sri Lanka. Launched at the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi, the objective of the Foundation is to revive and rejuvenate this special relationship but to look at the new areas of cooperation in the future. Both regions are richly endowed with natural resources and human capital. Promoting joint ventures and facilitating tourism and religious pilgrimage had rich benefits for both regions.

Portugal focuses on India, GCC at ATM 2014

ortugal participated for the second consecutive time at the recently concluded Arabian Travel Market 2014 held in Dubai last month. Several companies participated with Turismo de Portugal in the Arabian Travel Market to foster relations with GCC and Indian sub-continent buyers. The showroom of Turismo de Portugal supported the action of 13 hotels and five travel agencies in Portugal. With Emirates flying to 10 cities across India and offering ease in connectivity, Turismo de Portugal has identified India as a key source market amongst emerging destinations.

Get Ready for a Fun-tastic Family Time onboard SuperStar Gemini in June 2014

tar Cruises is offering a holiday get-away onboard SuperStar Gemini this June with a special 2-in-1 onboard programme for kids called ‘The Junior Camper-Astronomer Programme’. Kids can sign-up, enjoy learning about outdoor camping activities and explore about the stars and the universe. They can learn Teepee-making, knot-making, can and string telephone-making, flag signal games, story-telling or enjoy a smoke BBQ with marshmallows. They can further engage in various Junior Astronomer activities with the likes of star gazing, star-navigation, learn about astronomy, identifying constellations and more. No matter what your interest maybe, be it space science, arts, the outdoors or a little of everything – ‘The Junior Camper-Astronomer Program’ is bound to capture your kids imagination and interest all together. It’s the perfect school holiday experience.

www.voyagersworld.in

Happenings

44>> Ras Al Khaimah does maiden agents Fam

as Al Khaimah invited five key agents from Mumbai and Delhi for a three-day visit from in May 2014 in its first ever familiarization trip organized by Heavens Portfolio from this market. The group enjoyed the Falcon Show, Bassata Desert Camp, Prince of Sea Dinner Cruise & Iceland Waterpark among other activities. The group also conducted site inspections and savoured gourmet meals at hotels as The DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island, Marjan Island Resort & Spa & Rixos Bab Al Bahr which cumulatively offer 1500 new rooms on the Marjan Island.

Oman Air wins double at World Travel Awards 2014 Oman Air won in two categories of the World Travel Awards in Dubai recently, for ‘Middle East’s Leading Airline - Business Class’, and ‘Middle East’s Leading Airline - Economy Class’. Salim Al Kindy, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air, said: “Our Business Class and Economy Class services were both recognized and the awards are testament not only to the outstanding quality of our onboard products, but also to the extremely high standard of hospitality offered by our highly trained flight attendants.”

VFS Global opens joint VAC in Kolkata

he new Joint Visa Application Centre in an easily accessible and central location offers convenient services with improved infrastructure and ultra-modern facilities.

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VFS Global will continue to be responsible for accepting visa application forms for Italy and France from applicants residing in Kolkataand the neighbouring States. The new central and conveniently located Visa Application Centre (VAC) offers greater space with improved infrastructure and security facilities. This new Centre offers an increased number of application counters and extended service hours, enhancing benefits and making the visa application process convenient. The service also includes a dedicated website for easy access to information, and professional and responsive staff to handle the visa application process with local language capability. The new centre in Kolkata will be open from 0900hrs to 1500hrs on week days.

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Voyager’s World > June 2014

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Top Appointments

45>> Rajesh Malliya

Hema Hariramani

General Manager, Four Points by Sheraton Bangalore

Director, National Sales- India, Marriott- India

our Points by Sheraton Bengaluru Whitefield has appointed Rajesh Malliya as General Manager. With over 19 years of experience, he has worked with the Taj Group of Hotels, Le Royal Meridian, Mumbai and most recently at Westin Hyderabad Mindspace. In his new role, he will be in charge of the overall hotel operations.

ema Hariramani has joined as the Director, National Sales - India by Marriott India. With 14 years expertise, she worked with Marriott Executive apartments, Renaissance Mumbai Hotel and Convention Center and Courtyard by Marriott, Mumbai International Airport. In her new role, she will direct sales efforts towards the objectives of the group.

Amit Tayal

Jaidev Dutta

General Manager, Mahagun Sarovar Portico, Vaishali

General Manager, Park Plaza East Delhi

arovar Hotels has appointed Jaidev Dutta as General Manager at Park Plaza in East Delhi. He has over 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry in F&B, Operations Management and Strategic planning and has worked with Taj Group of Hotels, Oriental Hotels, Sinclairs and Accor Group and most recently at Novotel Visakhapatnam.

mit Tayal has been appointed as the General Manager at Mahagun Sarovar Portico, Vaishali in Ghaziabad. With over 22 years of experience in F&B, Operations Management and Strategic Planning, he has worked with Park Plaza Jodhpur, Park Inn Jaipur and Holiday Inn Jaipur. In his new role, he will oversee the complete running of the property.

Jaco le Reux

Yogesh Dhiman

General Manager, Grand Hyatt Goa

aco le Roux has joined Grand Hyatt Goa as the General Manager. He has over 20 years of industry expertise and has worked with the Hyatt Group world over; besides five star chains in the Muscat, Amsterdam, London, Istanbul, Moscow and Belgrade. He was most previously associated with Hyatt Regency Oubaai Resort and Spa.

arovar Hotels has appointed Yogesh Dhiman as General Manager at Park Inn Jaipur. Bringing over two decades of experience in the industry, he had worked with Fortune Jamshedpur, Centurion Group, Pride Hotels and St. Laurn Hotels. In his new role, Yogesh will be in charge of the overall running of the hotel.

Neha Kapoor

Atul Lall

Director of Sales, Park Hyatt Hyderabad

VP Operations & GM The Claridges Hotels & Resorts

eha Kapoor is back to the Hyatt family as the new Director of Sales. She brings along 10 years of experience in management and sales. She has worked with Grand Hyatt Mumbai, Marriot, Sofitel and Shangri-La, Mumbai and most recently at Palladium Hotel in Mumbai. In her new role, Neha will direct the sales and marketing strategy of the property.

General Manager, Park Inn Jaipur

he Claridges Hotels & Resorts has appointed Atul Lall as the Vice President Operations and General Manager. With two decades of experience in the hospitality industry, he is an expert on turnkey five-star hotel projects and design implementation. In his new role, Atul will be responsible for directing the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall growth.

Arun Srivastava

L. Saravanan

Dy. Director General/Regional Director (Northern India), Ministry of Tourism

Director of Sales & Marketing, Four Points by Sheraton Bangalore

run Srivastava took over as Deputy Director General/ Regional Director, Northern India, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Arun was previously Regional Director of Western & Central India in the same ministry. He has 20 years in the industry and worked with Singapore Tourism Board, Uttarakhand Tourism Board, IRCTC.

our Points by Sheraton Bangalore has appointed L. Saravanan as Director of Sales & Marketing. With over 8 years of experience, in corporate, MICE, travel trade and catering sales, he previously worked at Ibis & Novotel Bengaluru. His new role will include planning, strategizing the marketing plans and managing the sales resources and funds.

www.voyagersworld.in

Events Calendar

46>>

networking is the key July 2014

November2014

11, 12, 13 July

3, 4, 5, 6

India International Travel Mart Chennai

World Travel Market London

7, 8, 9

18, 19, 20 July

Holiday Expo Vishaakapatanam

India International Travel Mart Bangalore

21, 22, 23

August2014

India International Travel Mart Pune

28, 29, 30

India International Travel Mart Hyderabad

8, 9, 10

Holiday Expo Vadodara, Gujarat

18, 19, 20

eibtm Barcelona, Spain

23, 24

India Association Congress Jaipur

23-24 AUGUST, 2014 FAIRMONT, JAIPUR

September2014 RAJASTHAN, INDIA

December2014

www.indiaassociationcongress.com

www.indiassociationcongress.com

3, 4, 5

1, 2, 3, 4

IBTM India ITC Grand Chola, Chennai

ILTM-International Luxury Travel Market Cannes, France

5, 6, 7

9, 10, 11

India International Travel Mart Gurgaon, Delhi

Luxury Travel Expo Las Vegas,USA

12, 13, 14

India International Travel Mart Mumbai

October2014 3, 4, 5

Holiday Expo Nagpur, Maharashtra

January2015 16, 17, 18

India International Travel Mart kochi

23, 24, 25 Holiday Expo Coimbatore

27, 28, 29, 30

International Golf Travel Mart Villa Erba, Lake Como, Italy

29, 30, 31 ITB Asia Singapore

Voyagerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World > June 2014

29, 30, 31 SATTE New Delhi

Chennai

: 11, 12, 13 July 2014

Bangalore : 18, 19, 20 July 2014 Gurgaon

: 5, 6, 7 September 2014

Mumbai

: 12, 13, 14 September 2014

Pune

: 21, 22, 23 November 2014

Hyderabad : 28, 29, 30 November2014 Kochi

: 16, 17, 18 January 2015

Kolkata

: 20, 21,22 February 2015